Organizing or Decorating?

As a child, I remember being fascinated by the secretary that occupied a corner of the hall in my grandparents home.  It was full of little compartments to explore, drawers, doors, and two columns that could be pulled out to reveal secret compartments.  It took me several years of visits before I finally found those!

Fast forward to August of 1997, and my last visit to this house.  I'd returned to attend my grandfather's funeral.  The house and it's contents were destined for sale, but before I made my way back home, my Dad asked if there were any pieces I'd like to have.  Of course, I choose the hall secretary!  It now sits in my "yarn room", and before several days ago it contained the same knick knacks that my grandmother had displayed behind its glass doors.
 
 It took me a long time to make the connection between "yarn room" and glass fronted storage, but I finally put two and two together.

Pretty!

Failing at everything!

The whole making a list of UFOs is not working out so good.  I did try, but by the time I'd filled my coffee table with ziplock bags full of half knitted yarn I started to realize that this was going to be a really big project.  This was something that was going to require some thought about how to organize and what info I really wanted to include.  Since I think best when I'm knitting, and having to find where I left off on any of the multitude of projects before me would take valuable knitting/thinking time, I cast on this:

Yes, I thought so long and hard that I actually finished it, except for the buttons.  It's Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket in Jitterbug's Dusk colorway that I got from The Stitch Niche in Diamondhead.  I realize this means that I've failed in keeping my resolution to not start anything new, but I rationalize it by claiming that I was overdue to start knitting for my newest grandchild that is due in February.  I chose this yarn as I wanted something that either a boy or girl could wear, and in the hank you could see much more of the purple than you can once knitted up.  Now, I'm thinking it is much more a boy jacket than a girl.  Of course I realize this on the day my son-in-law calls and says that the latest ultrasound is "80% girl, but don't buy clothes yet".  Such is life.  In any event, I had a grand time knitting this, and talk about an exercise in trusting a pattern!  I had no idea where this was going until it was done and properly folded up.

I have taken up with one of my UFO since I finished above, but I don't really want to talk about it now as last night during the Saints game I had a most unfortunate accident that is going to require tinking back approximately 200 stitches of lace to fix.  Add another failure!

(NOTE:  The above links point to the most amazing social network site for fiber enthusiast called Ravelry.  You must be a member to see the links, so if you can't, get yourself over there and sign up.  Warning:  Ravelry can be addictive!)