Opening inventory - break out the Ben and Jerry's

Actually pleasantly surprised to discover that I am not as far behind as I thought I was. My list of WIP is fairly short. It’s the mental stash list that made me think I had mondo work to do. Stash list being that object where you buy yarn for a certain project, put it away, and eventually forget what you bought it for and then find you don’t have enough for anything you want to knit now. I've started combatting this by taking a digital photo of the yarn with the pattern and storing it away. This alleviates PMS induced creative storming followed by "what in the fine fur of frogs was I thinking?"

On the needles currently…
1) Clapotis - photo on the blog
2) Judy’s scarf – this is for the holidays and must be finished with
posting time.
3) Buttonhole bag – bottom finished but sigh, no washer even if I get it knit
4) Grey spiral socks that shall have afterthought heels and deep purple
toes, they are for me and so low on the list.
5) Socks for the Adored One – leg of one started. Trying the 2 circular needle
method and remembering why I bought the stuff, did it for a while (2 years
ago) and stopped. But used it as an excuse to buy new KnitPicks needles
and waiting for the post to deliver them.
6) Side to side cardigan. For me, but the yarn may become something
more flattering.
7) Does it count as on the needles if you got to within 3 inches of finishing,
ran out of yarn and unraveled it? I think so, because it was expensive
SeaSilk and stares accusingly at me from the coat closet.

Does swatching count as on needles, casting on, or neither?

Anyone find themselves thinking about doing small projects so that they can finish and cast on new projects? My challenge is I have plans for sweaters for 6 of my future projects. That’ll cut into my casting on eh?