Knitter's Block

I have knitter's block. I have spent hours this weekend pouring over patterns, yarn and the internet trying to figure out what to knit next. My normal between project knitting is not cutting it for me anymore. I've knit a little on my colorwork mittens, made 2 ball band washcloths and a mitered square all as a way to satisfy my knitting itch until the next big project has been declared. I need to decide on what to knit but it has to be the right thing or else it isn't worth knitting. The problem is that I am no closer to deciding what to knit than I was when I started.

The lack of a project snuck up on me because I thought I was settled in to making the Salina sweater from Rowan's Vintage Knits book. I've knit almost the entire back of the sweater only to realize that it is so far off gauge that it would be 9 inches too big around my waist. I am not sure what went wrong. I made a full size gauge swatch, washed it and compared measurements pre and post washing. It matched the pattern gauge in theory but not, apparently, in practice.

I think I am a bit cursed when it comes to gauge. Even when I do everything I should do before starting the project, something generally goes awry. So, Salina is sitting in the figurative corner while I consider what else I can knit with the yarn. I guess I can consider it to be one gigantic gauge swatch.

RIP Salina

While I have been contemplating my next knitting project, I've had time to work with beads.

This necklace is special to me because of the story behind the components. The larger "beads" are actually the buttons from my mom's wedding dress that was sewn for her by my grandma and aunt (right Mom?). The pearls were from a pearl necklace my mom had that broke. She gave the pearls to me a long time ago, thinking that I would figure out what to do with them. I finally figured it out:

I have been drawn to wooden beads lately. I made a three stranded bracelet for myself using the dark round beads and I wear it a lot. I had more of the beads so I wanted to make a necklace using them.