i have those constantly... what i do, is work on a pattern i'm extremely familiar with, it seems to calm my nerves, stretch my fingers out a bit, and get everything in sync....(plus then i have another go to for my box ) try drawing a picture of what you want to create... I've found that helps work the material into the pattern better... (ever realize you should have tied something in waaay before you finished half the fly? pictures sometimes help with that) i hope to see your pattern complete...

another thing i tend to practice on new designs is working on a bigger hook... lets face it, design on a size 18 is a down right pain... try working bigger, then, when you have it down, adjust size... that's how i learned actually...

- spoof

pss- all good patterns start as materials... draw a picture, that way the next big thing isn't lost in thought forever...