No more guilt

For the last few weeks, I've had two albatrosses hanging around my neck: the pointy-toed stocking and the Christmas-tree hat.

I "finished" the stocking six or seven weeks ago, only to realize that the finished project was, well, hideous, and that I'd have to frog it to just above the heel. I have no objection to ripping out this knitting...but I've just had a hard time getting motivated to do it.

The hat is completely done except for sewing on the white I-cord "garland" around it, adding a white pompom to the top, and sewing on some "ornaments" (buttons) here and there. I've had a hard time with the garland: it's not easy to sew this thing in place so the spacing is even. I'm in the middle of my third attempt to do this. Adding to the low-motivation mix on this one is the fact that, even though I very carefully knit a gauge swatch--this thing is far too big for my daughter's head.

I was fretting about these projects a few nights ago, worrying that I wouldn't get them done in time for Christmas, when my husband said, "So don't worry about them. It's not a big deal." And I realized that he's right. Sylvia is nineteen months old--she isn't going to care if her Christmas stocking is finished. (Heck, she has no clue that Santa, whom she thinks is a pretty nifty guy, is actually going to bring her presents. She's enamored of him just for his ho-ho-ho-ing and general jolliness!) And the hat doesn't even fit her, so why am I rushing?

Both of these projects will be ready for her next year. Let's hope I don't wait until mid-December 2007 to finish them up...