Progress, balance and KSL

I am making progress on three of my five projects. I just love to knit the Cascade 220 so the Valerie is proceding well. I am very happy with the pattern that calls for very little sewing, but worried about the circular needles part for the border. I'll explain my circular problem later.
I will actually need to stop and wait for the replacement yarn I ordered.


I started the front of the striped sweater:



but little progress on the Bernat afghan:



I have joined the Mariah knit-along!

It is my first knit along and I quite excited! It does not start until February, so I cannot wait to buy the yarn. The pattern calls for Patons Classic Merino Wool, that I have never used. I need wool to be super-soft otherwise I end up not wearing it.
That was it for progress, now about balance. I need 5 projects going on because if I knit something for myself, I do need to knit something for one of my kids and something for charity not to feel guilty and selfish. So that's 3 projects. But if I am knitting something for one of my kids, I need to knit something for one of kids, I do knit to knit something for one of my extended nieces and nephews. That's 4. And if I knit something for one of the children I sponsor, I absolutely need to knit something for an unsponsored child. And so that's 5. It's all about balance between doing things for me and for others. And right now and I out of balance, because I am knitting nothing for me, it's the season. May I go to sleep and wake after Valentine's Day?
That was it for progress, now about balance. I need 5 projects going on because if I knit something for myself, I do need to knit something for one of my kids and something for charity not to feel guilty and selfish. So that's 3 projects. But if I am knitting something for one of my kids, I need to knit something for one of kids; I do knit to knit something for one of my extended nieces and nephews. That's 4. And if I knit something for one of the children I sponsor, I absolutely need to knit something for an unsponsored child. And so that's 5. It's all about balance between doing things for me and for others. And right now and I out of balance, because I am knitting nothing for me, it's the season. May I go to sleep and wake after Valentine's Day?
KSL = Knitting in a Second Language. Boy, it is hard at first. Let me just told you this, I am knitting again thank to Google. Purl? What's purl? I Googled it and there it is, it's "rovescio". I started knitting when I was 14 years old (and no, I am not telling you how long ago it was, I have decided long ago that I am 25 and that's it). Then I moved to California and when I asked about yarn (after finding it was called yarn in English) I was sent to Wal-Mart. Those and instructions in English made me stop. I was young and euro-snob so I concluded that Americans only have horrible acrylic yarn and ridicule and short needles. Well, I was more than euro-snob, I was stupid. But I had more important things to do, like figure out how to survive without public transportation (yeah, I know, get a driver license, but driving is such a barbaric way to get around).
Years go by, I stumbled across PRR and I told myself: I can knit a few squares for the reservation.
Yeah right, few squares. It’s like being an addict, once I started again, no light at the end of the tunnel.
Moreover English does not intimidate me anymore, and I know better than setting foot into Wal-Mart.
And I learned so many news things. I learned that I knit English style: I did not even know that Continental style existed until I read about it in Stitch ‘n Knit. Never saw anybody knit that way in Italy. Learned about “blocking”: I knitted for year and never blocked a thing. Did not know I was supposed to. Still wondering why I should do it and what is the point of it. Any comment on the subject would be very appreciated. And any Italian knitter out there who can tell me how “blocking” is called in Italian? I described the thing to my mother and she is as clueless as me.
And circular needles. Never saw one before moving here. But I do know that they exist in Italy too because my mother gave me one pair that belonged to my great-aunt, size 6, 31.5 inches. Being an English style knitter who sticks the right needles under her right arm, circular needles terrify me. Cannot stick them my arm, right? But now that I have one pair, I have decided to conquer my fear and look for a very simple project to make with them. Suggestions? I was thinking of a doll poncho. So I can then finish the Valerie poncho.