"the nicest dilemma"

...or at least, I think of it as such.

One big project done (Rosedale), means starting a new big project (a sweater) is a possibility. But which sweater? That's the question.

If I were SOME knitters, I'd know exactly: some knitters only buy the yarn needed for the project they are working on right now, and don't keep a stash of yarn on hand. (I am assuming most of those knitters live in areas with abundant yarn choices; until recently, I had zero yarn choices other than mail-ordering).

But most knitters have projects ahead. And I like having yarn ahead, even though my stash has likely reached the stage that some knitters call SABLE: Stash Acquired Beyond Life Expectancy. (But then again: what if there's a major epidemic requiring us all to stay home for weeks and weeks? Or what if there's a new and worse strike by the people who unload containers at ports - yes, some yarn is made in the US still, but it's only a small amount)

But the nice thing about having a stash, it's like having a pantry shelf with the basics you need for making meals on it: you don't have to run out and buy, you have what you need already on hand.

So, I have many sweaters' worth of yarn ahead. I've narrowed the choices of the "next sweater" down to three:

(NB: all links are Interweave, so people not on Ravelry can view them)

The Hampton Cardigan, which is a lacy cardigan. The biggest thing in favor of this is that it would be wearable in the late spring/early summer for those days when the air conditioning was turned up a bit high. I have a Louisa Harding yarn for this, I forget the name of the yarn, but it has a nice sheen to it and it's a reddish-brown color. This jacket also has an unusual construction: you start knitting at the back hem, and when you get to the point for the sleeves, you just cast on more stitches for the sleeves - the only seams are the side and underarm seams.

The second sweater is the Equinox raglan. This one might take a little playing with because although I have a Noro yarn for it (and so, will get the nifty striping), it's not the Silk Garden that was called for - in fact, it's a slightly different fiber composition (it was bought on closeout off of Elann, so I forget the exact yarn that it was) and I might have to swatch a little to get the right tension. Also I'm on the fence about size. Part of me says, "You should do the 44" so it will fit over t-shirts" but then again, I've found a few recent sweaters have come out a big big - so maybe 40". Or, I don't know, if my gauge winds up having to be a bit looser, maybe I do the 36" and have it just come out a bit bigger. Or have a fair amount of negative ease. I was a seamstress before I was a knitter, and I usually worked with woven fabrics, so I'm still learning about the idea of negative ease and that it's actually OK sometimes to make a garment SMALLER than your actual measurements - because knitting will stretch.

One big thing in favor of this? It's knit round and all stockinette, so it would probably work well as a knitting-while-invigilating project.

The final one is to do a second version of the good old Central Park Hoodie. This is the sweater for which I bought yarn around my last birthday - a nice, sort of sea-glass green Berroco Vintage, which is a nice yarn to work with.

This pattern would also work, more or less, as invigilating knitting - the first big section of the back is knit fairly plain except for the cable-turn rows. 

Right now, I'm torn between #1 and #3 - I like them both, I want to knit them both.

So right now, I'm working on the Basketweave pullover - a sweater I've been working on and off on (mostly off) for the past year. (Of course, when I finish Basketweave, I can start another sweater, so that might solve my dilemma.). I'm a couple rows away from starting the armholes on the front, then come the sleeves. One thing I need to do is start searching for a zipper - this sweater takes a short zipper in the front placket, and I keep envisioning a slightly chunky zipper with a round hoop pull (Surely they still make those? I remember my mother had a sweater back in the 1970s that had that style of zipper.) Every time I've looked at sewing shops, they just have the plain old zippers. So I guess when it gets closer to done I will do a little internet searching to see if I can find what I envision.