Knitting Patterns

   I've just spent the last 20 minutes looking at knitting patterns. There were plenty of other things I should be doing, like writing this column or washing the casserole pan that has been sitting in the sink for the last hour and a half.
  I get patterns delivered to my email about every other day. I have to look through them all to see if I want them, right? Don't I? I have to keep my in box clean.
  I think this is another addiction that knitters and maybe crocheters are prone to . If you can't get to the yarn shop to buy more yarn than you will ever need in your lifetime, then you must go online and find patterns.
  The challenge is that the patterns have such cool names all designed to tempt you. There's the Wrapped in Clouds shawl, the Autumn Rose shawl and the Chocolate Cake  cowl. There's the Goddess Dream wrap and the Angel shawl. Who wouldn't  want to knit any of these things? (Well... someone who doesn't know how to knit probably...) It's really hard to not pore over these patterns and print them all out. I may want to make some of these things someday. You never know. I may find just the right yarn for the Roses and Raindrops shawl. I have to print out the pattern, I might not find it otherwise.
  In order to keep my pattern hoarding in check I have set up a few rules for myself. I do not print any patterns that I know are too advanced for me. All my patterns are easy or beginner ones with a few more simple intermediate patterns. I don't even look at sweaters or socks. My chances of knitting them in the near future are slim and none. I also has to be something that I can use or give away.
  That still leaves me with plenty of patterns. There all kinds of washcloths, scarves, shawls and even a necklace. (Well... I didn't print the necklace pattern.) I have a three ring binder that I put all my patterns in so I can find them. At the rate I'm going I'll need another one by the end of the year.
  Another challenge with collecting patterns is that I want to work on them now. I see something and I want to make it. I could have many projects started if it weren't for another rule I have. I am not allowed to start a project until I have finished one that I am working on. This means that I can only work on one crochet and one knitting project at a time. This way things that I start do get finished eventually. There are few things sadder than finding a project that is half done several years later.
  I have one scarf left in the scarf project. Once I am done with that, then I can knit something else. That Autumns Rose shawl is looking pretty good right now......