Distratction and Procrastination

My engineer husband in listening to my 'focus and finish' dilemma came up with the two opposite words....Distraction and Procrastination.  

I can definitely see where both words fit as opposites and I am clear that distraction is a big part of why I let myself plan 28 different projects before I woke up and put the brakes on.  I'm not sure where procrastination fits exactly.  Maybe starting a new project is a way of procrastinating from finishing a current one.  Maybe I was just looking for the magic one that would bring creative joy and make all this worry recede.

At any rate I've been thinking a lot about how to implement criteria for starting something new.  

GGMadeit wrote a blog post on  how one plans for their next make and it made me realize I am one for becoming totally enamored by the photo.  It might be the mood, the color, or the setting that makes me fall in love, but is less often the practicality.  I live in San Diego, I don't need a full length knitted wool coat!  ok, that was an extreme example, but you get the idea.  

Wearabilty should at least be one consideration when becoming enamored with the next project.  I have three really long rectangular shawls.  They don't actually wear that well.  One of them is a dk weight and so it can be doubled and worn as a scarf, but the other two are bulky and heavy and don't stay put.  They were fun to knit at the time, but had I thought it through there could have been better uses of my time.

I think color should be an other consideration.  For some inexplicable reason I don't have a nice neutral, wearable grey scarf.  A cozy neckwarmer type that takes the chill off a cool evening.  I also inexplicably do not have a nice white summer sweater which is always fresh and bright and welcome in a California summer.

So, new projects are going to go through some kind of thoughtful filter to see if they are a fit.  Unless of course I fall head over  heels in love, like with this sweater, Syrinx by Stephanie Earp

Given my starting something new rules I can't buy the pattern or source the yarn for this quite yet, there are other things that are in the queue, and I must finish Ranunculus and His vest first, but isn't it dreamy?