Startitis

startitis\star-TI-tis\noun\
Affliction affecting knitters, particularly those easily distracted and prone to procrastination, in which the victim continues to cast on for new projects, causing said knitter to ignore indefinitely those which are already in progress.

Yep, I've been stricken. I am a poster child for Startitis right now. Really, it all started because I was metaphorically running and hiding from having to re-knit part of my Hourglass Sweater. (I will at some point. Just not right now.) I cast on for the Not-so-orange Wave Cardigan several weeks ago and actually got a lot done... but I got stalled when I was about to go on a long-ish car trip and, telling myself that the NWC wouldn't be a good project to bring (nearly finished, requiring too much concentration, yarn highly uncooperative should I need to frog a row or two in the car... I tells ya, I am a champion rationalizer, oh yes!), I cast on for Buttony, which is perhaps the perfect car project. Row after row of stockinette with raglan increases and a little bit of garter stitch for flavor. Nearly impossible to screw up.

So I'm back from the car trip now, and I have Buttony and the NWC staring at me, takin' up needles, and OF COURSE I've started something new. But I have a good reason, I swear! I'll be travelling to warmer climes in the near future (sorry, I'm not saying where or when for all the interwebs to see), so clearly I need to knit something fun and summery to wear, right? Right?! Maybe a fun tank top to wear over a swimsuit, for instance? Anyway, I thought so, so I've cast on for Carrie Bostick Hoge's Lace Nightie pattern, as seen in the Spring 2007 Interweave Knits. I'm using this fantastic cotton/viscose yarn that I'm hoping will be as lovely to wear as it is to knit with. It's very bright. Magenta. With a capital M.

I'm pretty sure that the cure for Startitis is to knit on a deadline, even if that deadline is self-imposed. I'd say trying to finish something to wear on a trip fits the bill, eh? Wish me luck in my recovery...