In a knitting funk

Recently a friend of mine sent me this e-mail: "I am in a knitting funk; no inspiration and not very pleased with my latest finished product: a top that is a little too large. I could use some new something!!!"  I think we have all been there at one point or the other.  Here is what I wrote back to her and I hope it may be of help to other knitters:

"Oh, that sounds like quite a dilemma.  You need something which is quick, easy and will come out perfectly so you can reassure yourself as the accomplished knitter you are

Personally I never tire of knitting shawls.  There are so many patterns in many weight yarns and a shawl can make all the difference to an outfit.  Look through your stash and decide which yarn you want to work with (very important since you must like the feel of it to keep knitting).  Then I would go on ravelry or any other site and search for a pattern specifically for that yarn and yardage you have and see what comes up.  If there is nothing which really speaks to you I'd extend the search by adding a second yarn from your stash which could go well with it (same weight, complimentary color) and could either be worked in stripes or alternate rows thus increasing the yardage on your search.

I do hope you will find something soon."