Delayed Gratification

I think one of the most frustrating things to experience as a knitter is finally finding the perfect pattern, only to discover that it is not available for purchase. I went through this with the 16-cable hat already, and now I'm running into the same problem with a project that I want to make for someone for Christmas. The pattern will allegedly be available in November, but does that mean early November? Mid? Late? It's not a tiny project so I want to leave myself at least a month to get it done, and even that might be pushing it depending on the other things that will need to get done. Should I try to find another pattern, even though I'm positive that I won't find anything as perfect? I'm not confident enough in my skills to wing it, and I know it wouldn't end up being as lovely as I want it to be. I think I'll have to just buy the yarn that I'll need and then concentrate on the rest of my Christmas knitting. *grumble*

I'm not good at waiting.

Back to the 16-cable hat, I finally got the pattern for it and ended up knitting back in spring. Which, of course, was too warm to wear by then. So the finished hat went into my finished projects bag to be blocked eventually, and was forgotten about.

A couple of weeks ago I realized that I had a few things sitting in the "to block" pile and decided to have a little block party. The attendees: the 16 cable hat, the Earth and Sky for the Enabler, and Christmas gift the first. I should mention that Earth and Sky was finished in summer, but I was lazy about blocking it since it was also too hot to wear until now.  But now, in the throes of fall, it's the perfect manly accessory.

While I was knitting it I kept accidentally calling it his shawl but always corrected myself to call it a triangular scarf.  He's pretty okay with calling it a shawl though, so now that's what it is.

"I wonder if this is what she meant when she said I didn't have to look right at the camera?  Does staring off into the distance make me look cooler?  Will people recognize that I'm a unique hipster snowflake with my out of frame stare and ambiguous smirk?"

And, my finally blocked hat.  It's super soft and warm and purple.  I might have made the bigger version if I thought I would have had enough wool but I think I would have run out, and it wasn't worth it to buy another one, even though I think I would have liked it more.

"I'm just going to make him take a profile shot because whenever he takes a picture of me straight on my face looks weird.  Plus it's a picture of a hat so a straight on picture wouldn't make sense.  Good excuse right?  Right."

I still really like it, but if I'm being honest, almost a year of waiting from when I found the pattern to finally wearing it was long enough to curb my desire for it a little bit.

I have other things capturing my desires now, but with so much Christmas knitting to do in the next couple of months, I'm going to have to keep waiting.

... I hate waiting.