Should have stuck with the plan

I know why I got into to trouble with the hat/mitten combo:  I strayed.  I got impulsive.

In every other aspect of my life, I am a careful planner.  When there is something that needs to be done, like an elaborate series of meals for a crowd, I figure out what is involved, and then determine how much time I need to complete all the tasks.  Break it down, and voila: manageable.

I do this with my crafting, too.  If I have an hour to quilt on any given day, I finish this piecing or that binding strip.  I give myself 2 days for the sleeves of the baby sweater, etc.  Let's not waste any precious free time, lady:  there's always an incident involving the potty just around the corner.

Don't ask.  Yesterday was an epic day for Henry and the potty, and not because he was using it properly (though he's getting there, hurray!).

For the mittens/hat, I wanted to use a skein of 220 (there is a budget), and I figured I could dip into the stash for something if necessary.  I found a perfect pattern to help me use up some of the many yarn nuggets in there (you know what I mean:  the 20-30 yards of this and that that you cannot bring yourself to ditch), and I began.

I don't think I told this part of the story before--it all happened so fast--I was barely thinking about it as it unfolded.

Anyway, I started knitting the mittens and didn't like my color combos.  It was Friday.  We had Catholic clubs with our homeschooling group.  I just wanted those mittens done by Saturday (oh no.  This might mean it was the Plan that got me into trouble in addition to impulse).

I remember thinking a quick scan on ravelry would turn up a better option, and I wasn't thinking about running out of yarn, or at least not very much.  The hat was tall in the pattern I picked, and I decided that I would knit a normal-sized hat, and that it would work for the intended recipient.

Mind you:  not once did it occur to me to simply pick different colors.  Nope.  Had to knit a complete set of mittens and half a hat before I began to seriously worry about the lack of yarn.  Being short 20 yards isn't that much, but it's still short.  Continuing to knit wasn't going to make more yarn in that dye lot magically appear.  Thank God I had the presence of mind to recognize that!

So I let myself be stuck for most of yesterday and I worked on another project with harumphs and grumbles.  And then I returned again to ravelry, looked at my queue, and remembered that there was another option available.  Pick different yarn scraps for the scallops.  Duh.

I'm halfway through the hat now and it is looking fine.  Pictures to follow when I get a moment.