Looking for my knitting mojo

I'm sure I put it somewhere. I have looked under the couch cushions, under the seats of my car and even in all three of our junk drawers, all to no avail. I think it will turn up eventually, but for now, I will just have to keep my eyes open for it.

You see, I have lost my knitting mojo. That's the bad news. The good news is that this weekend I am joining Needlefingers and Jenny from the Blog and heading to a Stitches Conference and yarn market in Chicago. And I am hopeful that this event and the company will help restore my zest for knitting.

There has been knitting going on, just not satisfying knitting. You see, today I completed the baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting, but got a little hung up whenever it came to the seaming. Darnit, I just don't like seaming.

Then I cast on and have nearly completed a sock using the yarn Brando generously sent to me. Problem is that even though I have made several pair of socks, even though I am no longer intimidated by the Kitchner stitch or short row heels, I still have that little hole that occurs whenver you pick up stitches at the ankle.

I have heard that others suffer from the same angst and I thought I had figured out a way to get it all tight enough to assure I wouldn't have a repeat of this irksome error, but the gap appeared again out of nowhere. So, I cheated yet again and kept tugging until I managed to fool myself into thinking that it was all ok.

And then there is the question of a larger project. You see, I want to do a sweater. As you know I have had a hard time lately when it comes to selecting and fnding appropriate clothing. So, that only complicates the matter. I have found several patterns I like. I am just completely intimidated by starting one. Why? . . . I am not sure. My goal at Stitches is to find a yarn I love that will fit one of several patterns I have considered.

The nojo mojo problem doesn't end there. I want to cable darnit. I've seen it demonstrated and I have found a few possible projects. My One Skein Exchange Secret Pal even sent me all of the fixin's for some cabled socks. Problem is that whenever I get ready to start, well, I feel unprepared, so I go onto something else.

Then I visit blog after blog and see the incredible work of some very talented knitters and I am inspired. I am also in awe of how easy it seems to come to some of them. They aren't intimidated by complicated patterns, thrown off by construction or deflated by seaming issues.

You know, I feel that I can handle just about anything I want to tackle. I think it's just that I worry I will either be disappointed in the end product or come to a point where I am just stuck. Neither issue is lethal, but darnit, it sure deflates my mojo.

In the meantime, I still have the hope of Stitches and a second sock.