Put duties aside for at least an hour before bed and perform soothing, quiet activities that will help you relax. (Dianne Hales)

My intentions were good. I meant it when I said that I was only going to cast on one project at a time. I was sincere in promising that I would finish what I had started before starting something new.

Yeah, and I also promised that I would never stash yarn but I now have enough sock yarn to stock an LYS (*local yarn store).

I've been carrying around the Something's Shady socks, and they're what I knit the most on. I've got three more chart repeats and then I do the toes. Of course, they'll still need to be dyed and then have an afterthought heel added, but I try not to think of all the work left. It boggles my mind that some members of Sock Madness managed to knit these in a day. Now that I've memorized the pattern, they are moving a lot quicker. And I really love the way they look and feel -- the Louet Gems yarn is wonderful.

I've got two other pairs of socks on the needles. Becky's Red and Black (sort of) socks are still waiting for another skein of charcoal Koigu. I went to the LYS yesterday, but they still haven't gotten it in and can't tell me when they will get some. Apparently they don't have any control with the colors sent to them. So I'm probably going to give up and just order the yarn online. And I've decided to finish the Something Shady socks before doing anything else with the Hippy Ripply Retro Socks from Sockmadness round 5.

As a non-sock project, I started my daughter's messenger bag. I ordered Knitpicks Wool of the Andes yarn in the Scott Hunter colorway. There's a lot less black, and a lot more red than what we had expected. Also, the fabric is very loose even though I'm getting gauge. I keep telling myself to trust the pattern, and that it will all felt out in the end. But I'm not really happy with it, which is probably why I haven't gotten that far with it yet.

Although I started the Sampler Sock Blanket with the intention of using up my leftover sock yarn, it didn't take long to realize that it would take me years and years to have enough for the queen-sized bedspread that I wanted. So I joined a scrap swap. As a result, I've been obsessively knitting the dozen-plus mini-skeins I received into squares for the blanket. It's still going to take me years and years to finish...

In a fit of discipline, I've been making myself knit one or two squares a night on the lap blanket. I'm definitely a yarn snob; working with the acrylic yarn is horrible. But it's so much more practical, so I'll keep going.

I've got one more WIP -- handspun yarn. I've got a length sitting on my spindle, waiting to be set. (I don't think I'm ready to attempt plying yet, so I'll set this as a single.) I've convinced myself that I want a spinning wheel, even though I've never tried one and I haven't mastered the drop spindle yet. I came close to ordering one, even. But sanity returned in the nick of time, and I settled on a Rakestraw Spinner.

The biggest problem with having so many projects is trying to decide which one to work on. Right now, I really want to get something (anything!) finished.