Cold snap compulsion

I have an irresistible compulsion to knit a vest.* This craving was set off by several factors:

1. I am not in the mood to knit a summer sweater. This is relevant because I currently am knitting a summer sweater: the Summer Sampler. I started it last month, once I recovered from the state fair, and overall, it’s been going well. Okay, every time I hit one of the seed stitch bands, I feel as if I’m slogging through molasses, but eventually I make it to the end and progress has been made. The thing is, it was warm last month. Yes, I know I just spent most of the summer knitting a heavy, warm, winter sweater (interrupted by a selection of shawlettes) without any apparent cognitive dissonance, but for whatever reason (the name, perhaps?), the Summer Sampler wants to be knitted in warm weather. Warm weather vanished on October 4 this year, and now I’m having to force myself to knit on this sweater. Of course, that might be because I’m in the widest of the seed stitch bands and will accept any excuse to take a break from it.
2. Our office has no heat. Oh, our building has heat, but apparently the heat registers in our office aren’t working. (Yet a room within our office has heat. Go figure.)  This has led me to work my way through my stock of vests, and I’m feeling inspired to add to it. I can justify putting the Summer Sampler on hold because this is a matter of survival.
3. I want to knit the Very Luminary Vest. I can start it right away: I have both the pattern and the yarn in hand.** It’ll offer a bit of a challenge as well. Although the stitch looks simple enough, in looking over the pattern, I think I’m going to want to tweak the armhole and back neck measurements some, plus maybe muck around a bit with the gauge since the size I want falls in between the sizes offered. I hate being forced to choose between a slightly-too-small vest that may gap between the buttons when worn and a way-too-large vest which will have all the charm of a beautifully-knitted potato sack. You know, I may be almost completely rewriting the pattern before I’m through, a Very Luminary Vest in name and general appearance only.

It’s a dreary fall day here in Minnesota. Perfect for a cup of hot tea, a comfy sofa, and an evening of knitting gauge swatches. Vest, here I come!

You can see the vest in this yarn, right?

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*Well, it might be resistible. I haven’t actually tried.

**Indeed, I have had them in hand for over four years now. I really must reduce this stash someday.