THE PRACTICAL YEAR OF PROJECTS
I'd better get going right away because this is going to take some time! LOL! The title is to remind myself of who I am. I am not one to make items if they don't have an intended use regardless of what is "trending" or what everyone is doing. I do like to make decorative items for my homestead as opposed to buying unless it's a garage sale or thrift store item. That being said, I'm going for a different "system" this year. As always, hoping I will be more productive and have more finishes. We shall see! Last year was more productive and making weekly goals kept me on task although I didn't always accomplish them it did help keep them front and center. The only category that will not be included here is cross stitch. I will still post about it but it will be kept separate as I have my days of cross stitch and also some separate ones. It just will not be planned out here at the beginning but it may show up in my weekly goals.
The "system" this year is categories (I may come up with more categories during the year also) with a new cast on to start with and in between each new project there will be a WIP to finish. So here goes in no particular order. DISCLAIMER: This "system" may get fine tuned as the year progresses but the standard rule of "finishing" before moving on will not. I will also be trying (not counting cross stitch) to not have more than 2-3 active projects at a time although sometimes during gift giving season it gets a little crazy.
SCARVES:
1) Color Tipped Scarf by Purl Soho:
pattern here
Stefanie (I think she was one of the original YOP'ers) made this once and I loved it and have wanted to make it ever since. Plus, the design of this scarf is supposed to make it easier to stay on. I discovered I like a lot of Purl Soho's patterns. I have not chosen my yarn or colors for this yet.
2) I don't think I have a scarf WIP but I will be organizing my yarns and when I come upon one (which I most surely will) I will plug it in here
DOILIES:
1) The Dainty Doily - I have been wanting to get doilies made for quite awhile now so I finally found a pattern that uses worsted weight yarn which is exactly what I wanted. I can see these in different colors all over my house!
pattern here
2) Again, I know I have started several doilies in the past and never got very far. Hopefully, this doily will make me feel confident to try others. I will find them and then plug them in here....I know of one and maybe 2 that I started and got frustrated with or had to move on to something else and never got back to. Usually making gifts got me to abandon whatever I was working on and then it was hard to pickup where I left off. I have resorted to not making so many gifts as the grands are getting older. Better planning would also help! LOL! This is one of the reasons I wanted to start with new projects in order to give me time to go through my old ones and find them.
SWEATERS:
1) The Purl Soho Pullover: I got this free pattern in 2017 for signing up for their newsletter but now I see it is $9 but it also has "better sizing and corrections" so I may have to purchase it after all. I love patterns that have a wide range of sizes so I can make one for myself and maybe the grands too or more for me if I like it.
pattern here
I do not have the yarns for this yet. I had some high vet bills this month that prevented me from ordering my supplies. I have stash enough to start some other projects....just not this one.
2) I have no sweater WIPs......that's nice
HATS:
1) Helix Hats: Now here's one for the books! Stash busting! If this method works I will be incorporating it into other projects! I heard about it on The Yarn Hoarder pod cast and she made a bunch of them and raved about the pattern.....Christmas gifts and stash busting at the same time! A match made in heaven!
2) I don't think I have any hat WIP's in the wings but if I find any I will certainly insert them here.
RUGS:
1) Crocheted Rag Rug: I have wanted to make rugs for my home for years and I started making wool rugs back in Iowa and even belonged to a guild and took several classes. I will be taking that up again. But for now and for practical reasons (incontinent animals) I will be making washable rugs. I found the instructions on Ehow
here
2) I do have a rug I started several years back that is crocheted using bulky yarn and I will finish it but it may take time as the reason I stopped was because it was hard on my hands. I will insert a picture when I get my thousands of many WIPs organized.
GIFTS and MISCELLANEOUS:
1) Little Hearts: sachets or garlands or both
2) 5-Minute DIY Lip Balm: I had bought all the materials to make this and never did so in my mind it is a WIP since the money was already paid out for the materials.
DISHCLOTHS ETC:
1) I found a pattern for square scrubbies and I would like to find the sparkly scrubbie yarn that my friend, Connie, used to make the one she sent me! Great holiday gift with the sparkles. I use the one she sent me all year long and it is one of my favorites.
here is the pattern
2) I don't have any WIPs in this category and well I shouldn't.....after all it's a small item!
MITTENS AND FINGERLESS MITTS:
1) Easy Fingerless Mitts - I have been wanting to try these knitted ones. Not only could I use a pair but I did make a crocheted pair for my son and he loves them so this would make a great gift and might not be too time consuming. I found the crocheted ones to be "fiddly". I also want to make mittens so this would be a good foray into that.
pattern here
2) no WIPs in this category as far as I know?
SHAWLS:
1) The Prohibition Shawl Recipe - I have had this pattern for quite awhile and I found the history behind it fascinating plus I'm sure I read somewhere that the designer is a professor at the U of Iowa which I worked with frequently but I might have dreamt it! LOL!
2) I do have a frogged shawl that I am determined to start again so do I call that a new cast on or a WIP? Not sure....but I had knitted almost the entire Multnomah shawl until I ran into the last part which was "feather and fan" which I had never heard of and of course, I messed it up! So, I found a cowl pattern that is completely "feather and fan" so I am planning on making it and practicing so when I return to Multnomah I will hopefully know what I am doing!?!? So not sure what will be in this space or when.
BLANKETS:
1) Hibernate Crochet Blanket - This was a tough choice because there is a blanket I would dearly love to start but it would be for me and there is another blanket I need to start for my son. I've made a blanket or quilt for each of my children but not for Ben. So, I spotted this last year and wanted to make it but didn't have the money for the yarn but I've been saving up. He loves the color orange although I prefer the original colors, I think I will replace the purple plum color with orange.
They even have a tool where you can change the colors to see what you'd like (or what Ben would like).........so I did.......
2) There are many WIP's in this category and I have yet to chose but I think I will chose whichever is closest to being finished so as soon as I'm done with Ben's and the WIP I can start on the one for me that I fell in love with....you'll have to wait and see what it is until then!
COWLS:
1) Gradient Cowl in Line Weight - Line Weight is a yarn by Purl Soho who's pattern this is. I'm not sure if I will use that yarn or not because it is pricey but the nice thing is I could order 2 colors at a time and not the entire amount. We'll see, maybe Knit Picks would have something but if it's going to be around my neck it has to be soft.
2) I know I have some cowl WIPs....not many and maybe only one but I will organize my yarns this week and hopefully uncover it/them. Right now my crafts room is more like an archaeological dig site!
SOCKS and SLIPPERS:
1) Simple House Slippers - I wanted to make these so I could get back on track with "those other" slippers that were such a big FAIL last year. The pattern was great and they were fun to make but the felting for size is such a throw of the dice. I made the first pair for me but in the end they fit my Grandson Sam who is 12. I have big feet and he doesn't (yet) but he loves them and they didn't go to waste plus he can hand them down to his brother Grayson.
Sandy at the Lakeside podcast made several pairs of these and said they were enjoyable to knit and enjoyable to wear. I think they are similar in construction just not felted. So, I will give them a try!
2) Therefore, my WIP in this category will be the felted slippers that I will hopefully make to fit someone! LOL!
SEWING (non-garment):
1) Christmas Pixies - Oh! Can I tell you how long I have searched for a pattern for these little guys? Too cute and I love them! I must be part Scandinavian as I love all their colors and items and decorating....I could go on and on! We'll see how difficult and time consuming they are before I commit to gifting.....first is one for MOI!
2) I have many WIPs in this category....I think....again, I will have to"dig". I know have quilts but that's a separate category....stay tuned!
SEWING GARMENTS:
1) Slacks - I need these desperately but
I have yet to find a pattern. I may have to make my own. I need something that will move with me and not restrict me. I like my sweats in the winter but sweats in the summer are not good! I used to have a great pair of Japanese Gardening pants...elastic waist but not restricting, big huge pockets and almost billowy legs until you got to the ankles. I could do anything in those pants! They were awesome. I may still have them but they had seen better days and a much smaller woman! If I have them I may use them to make a pattern from them. I will also search for them online. That is the first order of business! I find jeans too hot and too restrictive for my lifestyle here in the South.
These are also called Japanese Monpe pants. Stay tuned!
2) I know I have material and patterns that I have bought to make garments and so these will be categorized as WIP's.....more digging!
QUILTING:
1) Whole Cloth Quilted Journal Cover - I use the old fashioned composition books for my bullet journaling so this is right up my alley!
pattern here
2) Quilt for my bed - I have all the materials and I need to do this! How many quilts have I made for others and not one for my bed! The one on my bed now is so not me...I won it but it is wearing out and I have made quilts for everyone but me. It is all 30's prints so stay tuned!
ETSY:
1) Yes, I said Etsy! Maybe I'm nuts but I love baby items and thought I would make them and sell them since there are no "babies" in my family. They're quick and don't require a lot of yarn plus I love baby items. It might also keep me in yarn! LOL! Here's my "first-born"..........
I couldn't find where I got the original pattern but it is very similar to this one.
2) No WIPs in this category....yet! Does that mean I can start another? Hmmmm?
Well, I think "it's a wrap"! I'm sure I've forgotten some category
or other but I will allow myself to append this document if need be.
WEEKLY HAPPENINGS:
This was a tough week again as I had to take Annie to the vet and wasn't sure if she would be coming home with me. The day before the 4th I took her in...she had been vomiting and was not sure on her feet, she stopped barking and has still not uttered a sound. I thought she had a stroke but the vet said no but she did have some unhealthy lab work and fluid around her heart and she was dehydrated? Really? Annie is always at the watering trough! Bottom line is she also had pancreatitis so she was put on anti-vomiting medicine, a bland diet of rice, vegetables and chicken plus a Lazic tablet twice a day. She can't make it very far before she has to sit down and rest and if she wants to go out I have to carry her. There's been little tail wagging from my happy little girl but she has stopped the vomitting and is eating and drinking. She got an iv while she was there yet I was told to just give her a little water at a time. I don't understand but I will follow those instructions. They said to bring her back Friday if she wasn't better....well, I called and told them she had stopped vomitting and was eating and drinking so they said that was good and not to bring her in. So, getting ready for YOP was touch and go and there was no 4th of July here. I ended up going to Walmart. I came home and made a roast chicken with sweet potatoes and carrots. It stormed in the afternoon so it was cozy and the dinner was delicious. It cleared off later for the fireworks but I was asleep already until they woke me up! LOL!
BTW, I did not end up doing Jolly July (31 cross stitch ornaments) as it hasn't been too "jolly" around here. Just as well as I have plenty on my plate right now. I am really happy to be participating in YOP 2019-20 though. It has been a great diversion to plan for all the wonderful makes! The next fun thing will be visiting all of you to see what your plans are!
Happy Trails!!!
I had painted the little pool but for some reason it is not sticking and much of it came off. I may just plant it as is for now. I'm tired of messing with it and these plants need to be planted or I may use some window boxes I have....we'll see. I can't find my charger for my "jaws of life" which I call my chain saw scissors. I'll have to use loppers if I want to keep trimming. I'm watering everyday now as it gets HOT...90's unless it rains.
It was easy and delicious....qualities I love in baking!
here he is singing his little heart out.........I'm saying "he" because do the females sing?
I worked on the Button Eyed Cat xs yesterday as it was Witchy Wednesday......he's coming along slowly but surely........
