In search of inspiration (or "why use silk when you have cotton?")

I seem to have built up quite a collection of cotton yarns...  Two in particular are taking my attention at the moment, where I've got a few balls to work with but just don't know what to make from them.

First, there is the yarn from an unsuccessful lace cardigan I was making myself a couple of years ago:

I got the decreases wrong for the sleeve and couldn't work out how to fix without starting over, so now I have 6 balls of green cotton dk yarn without a project.

And then there are the 6 balls of cotton 4-ply which I bought for a song from a local shop's bargain bin:

I'm using some to make a stretchy market bag, but I'm stumped for how to use the rest.

Neither yarn has a friend to go with them, and I don't want to waste the larger amounts I've got... so I'm in search of some inventive ideas for my cotton stash.

Frogging and planning

I have one WIP on the needles, which I hope will be finished during February, but then... there aren't any active projects!  So I'm planning again...

A couple of years ago I knitted some baby kimonos from the Mason-Dixon Knitting book.  I love the simplicity of this design but part-way through one of them I noticed a change in shade when I started a new ball of yarn.  It was supposed to be the same lot but I'd bought it from an oddments bin so no chance to take it back.  I do like the yarn though (a bright green cotton - Wendy Cotton DK), so I've frogged it and will find something small to use the main part on.

I've got one skein left of the Debbie Bliss Paloma, which I started making into some Fearless Fingerless Mitts.  Unfortunately I've realised I need more yarn than I have, so this will also be getting frogged:

I'm looking for similar patterns which only need one skein so perhaps I'll be more successful if I plan better...