A First for the Year

The first craft milestone of the year was reached today. Tonight I finish the baby blanket for a total of 29 rows towards the 1 million row challenge. With one project checked off the list the project list for the year does not seem at daunting. Somehow I feel much better when I get things completed. I just have a hard time in the middle of projects when I get bored trying to get them completed before they get put away in a basket never to be seen again.

Organizing Creativity

This year since I have so many projects that I would like to do and need to do I have decided that it's time to start a list. I started the list 10 minutes ago and I had already up to 19 projects. Most of those project are in progress. I am hoping that this will save me time in the long run. This way I can look at what is on my list and what is practical to do at that particular moment.

I know that this will take the spontaneous out of the planning process. The more I learn about fiber art the more I want to do. I still have the same amount of time to work and create, I just have so many more things that I want to do.  I'm hoping that crafting can be like house work, that things go faster with a check list. By faster I mean more efficiently.I still get pleasure out of the work that I am doing. I still find it quite relaxing and that's the most important thing for me right now. Only time will tell if this theory is right.

Another thing I have started doing this week, is when I drop Eric off at his day program I spend a little time at the gym on the recumbent bike. This gives me time to read the paper on my iPad and get some exercise in at the same time. I am hoping that by exercising an extra 30 minutes three or four times a week it will help me feel better in the long run. I had a fantastic day today with over 6 miles walked in over 14,000 steps taken. I still need to get in better shape because I am exhausted.  I think I'm going to call it an early night.

The Key to 2015

The key to a successful year in 2015 is not to buy more storage boxes, but to finish more projects.  

My first question is what is a reasonable amount of projects per week to finish? Earrings and stitch markers go very fast at 10 to 15 per day. While a baby blanket might take me 2 to 3 weeks.   A dozen hats can be made in a week.  A hand woven scarf can take a few day to a week or so depending on the width of the wrap and the yarn on the  of the weft.  Sock yarn goes slower than bulky hand spun.  

Maybe not to disappoint myself with a poor performance review I should just make a projects finished counter and see where I am in December.  There is not going to be an empty container count because they will be reporpused. 

So I guess it is time to go back to work on the first baby blanket of the year.   

Eric is Still Home

I don't seem to get my entire to do list done when Eric is home sick.  I think that I am a little to tired to care that I am further behind. Though I did manage to get most of the cleaning done today.  By the time I got to me time I landed up taking a nap.  As with the rest of the day that did not go smoothly either.  The phone rang every time I dosed off.  

On the bright side I did manage to make progress on the baby blanket. I hope to get it finished so that I can get the next one started.  The next one is going to be hand knit. I did not think that crocheting  would be so tedious.  It was only eleven years ago that everything I made was crocheted.  I guess that is just part of my artistic evolution.  

I hope to have Eric out the door on Monday. Then I am forgetting about things like laundry and cleaning, then just spending the whole day on me.  A girl can dream can't she?

Happy New Years

John and I managed to get out for a New Years Eve dinner. This is something that we have not done since the early 1980's. I was surprised that at 5:00 pm we almost did not get a table. I hope that this is a good omen for next year.  

As usual I will not be making any New Years resolutions.  I just plan on having the best year possible. I hope that everyone has the best year possible too. 

Now it is time to finish the next baby blanket.  

I Hope I Don't Get the Bug

As I write this blog, both guys have the tummy bug that is going around. Eric is making copious amounts of laundry, but is not quite on a record setting pace. To break the old record he would need to make 8 loads of laundry today, so far he has only made 6 loads of laundry. I am keeping up with folding in my own fashion, meaning I only have 2 loads to fold right now.

I have cut Eric off from TV for a few hours and making him listen to a book on tape from the Library of Congress. He has a stack built up that I would like to send back.  Right now it is Sports Illustrated Kids. While things are relativity calm I plan on getting some house cleaning done.

I think when Eric's aide gets here this afternoon I might sneak off to get some dinner so that I can say that I have gotten out of the house today. Since I am soloing for dinner I might just get something John does not like.

I have not gotten very much done on the creative side lately because I feel like I have been waiting for the other shoe to fall. I guess that this is it. So its time to get back to creating. I really need to end the year with a few finished projects. Its not like I have not been making and creating this year, I have completed around 15  to 18 dozen projects so far this year including 2 new pattern designs and 200 stitch makers for holiday gifts.  Its just sometimes I feel like I am in a rut.

Repurposing

This is what I did with a spindle that was to out of balance to spin with.  It is currently residing on my friend Lisa's tree. I turned it into a Christmas Tree Ornament. 

I thought it was just hard to spin with a Turkish spindle. No,it's only hard if the spindle is out of balance. If you are having a hard time try to get a hold of a Jenkins Turkish Spindle, they spin like a dream.