Stop looking and start doing already!!!

I have a bad habit when it comes to knitting...I really like to look at knitting patterns.

I actually think it's the pictures that I like the most. I am a very visual person...I like bright, shiny things...as do most people from my generation that have been labeled "ADD"...I like to think of myself as more "Hyper-Imaginative" or "Uber Creative". Either way, I like color and I like interesting shapes and designs. They bring a sort of calm satisfaction on me that's hard to explain.

So really, it makes sense that I like to look at knitting patterns and at pictures of knitted items.

Here's the bad habit part of the whole thing...I could spend hours browsing around on Ravelry, or Etsy or other places on the internet doing this. Call it "yarn prOn" or whatever you want...but I've discovered that this has seriously cut into my knitting time lately.

I used to get on the computer to the basics....check e-mail, chat with friends, download music, etc. Now, first thing in the morning, I'm on Ravelry with morning coffee in hand perusing through patterns and pictures of FO's and yarn stashes, queueing things like they're going out of style and justifying them all..."I'll knit that for so and so for Christmas" or "I could really use another scarf and that one would look fabulous with my black felt pea coat"...and so on and so forth. (Personally, I think one can never have too many scarves....but I've got at least 2 in progress with several balls of yarn set aside for several others.)

Let's face it, my eyes can knit faster than my hands. I'm sure this is a common conundrum among the knitting community. But I think it's gotten a bit ridiculous on my end. Especially since I do have so many WIPs lying around, begging to be finished (including 3 pairs of mittens from Christmas, gifts to my mom, sister and grandma, that have yet to have thumbs put on them and ends put in).

The good news is that I've been slowly, but steadily making progress on it all. I could make more progress though if I'd cut back on the virtual knitting and spend that time on the real knitting.

I think 10 minutes or so of looking each day is healthy though. It inspires me and gives me ideas and sort of takes the edge off of the day. Speaking of which...