Knitting - the final frontier NOT

You know, I never want to get a reputation as a quitter so I just "shelve" projects.  Now, there isn't an expiry date on the shelving of projects, take for instance my latest renaissance, knitting.

My beautiful late Granny showed my sister and I how to knit when we were still in our single digits (8 perhaps?).  She was an amazing knitter, with beautiful tension consistancy and a can-do attitude (she was queen of unravelling and starting again!).  I feel terrible because she gave up on me ever finishing this jumper I started 10 years ago.  I miss her terribly (she was 97!) but when I knit I feel like I am keeping her alive in my heart.  I look at my fingers as the knitting needles click and my mind jumps through all the memories, moments shared, jokes laughed over and the "Oh blast, dash it all- I'm going to have to pull this back!".

Here's where I am up to

Just completed the front panel

This is the reason why I shelved it 10 years ago- couldn't cable!

This is where I am up to: sleeve 1



Back panel - only part I had completed before shelving!

 You may notice that there are some pulled stitches in this panel.  I was so happy when I realised that I didn't much more to go, only to find that Liam had hacked at this part with knitting needles (bless his cotton socks, he was trying to mimick me knitting!).  He has actually snapped some threads in the yarn so I have to pull this back and start shaping the armholes and neck again.  Oh well - *sings* the never ending knitting ahhh ahh ahh ahh ahhh ahhh  . . .

Here's what it is meant to end up looking like.

From Patons Bluebell 5 ply

I am such a scatterbrain, so my knitting patterns always end up scribbled on.  Do you do the same thing?

What's the longest you have left a crafty project for before picking it up again?