Make a List...

Isn't February flying by!  As usual I've set myself so many goals and targets, I'll be lucky if I get even half of them done.  I have so many knitting and crocheting projects on the go now that I need to stop creating new projects and concentrate on getting some finished.

So, obviously the first thing you do in this situation is draw up a list (I love lists).  I've split all the wips into three groups: short term, medium term and long term.  I maybe should have a fourth group called open ended but I'm not too worried about the long term projects at the moment.

For the medium term projects, shown in the baskets and bags above and taking up a significant amount of space in the living room, I have -
Eve's Fair Isle cardigan,
Grey cardigan for me,
Hansel Hap,
Leftie shawl,
Granny Square bag,
Aran Sophie blanket.

The last one is something I started earlier this week.  It's the Sophie's Universe blanket that I made last year, but using up my leftovers of Aran weight yarn.  It'll be a modified version, as there isn't that much yarn to work with.

So I'm hoping to get maybe two of these finished during the course of the next week - although I haven't decided which two to work on yet, so I'm flitting from one to another at the moment until I decide (which probably means that I won't get any of them finished!)

In the short term category I only have one project and that's my February socks.  I've been using my new basket for this project.

I've been asked by a number of you for instructions on how I make my basket liners, so I'll write up some notes and share them with you shortly.  But back to the socks, and at last  I have something finished to show you.

They are just plain vanilla socks, cuff down, using Regia 4 ply.

I love the colours, they remind me of the rows of lipstick testers on the cosmetics counter.

Full details of this project can be found on my Ravelry project page, here.

So now I'm going to sit down and work out which other projects I want to concentrate on and hopefully finish - before I get tempted to start something new!

She's a Rebel

Well hello everyone, I hope you're having a good weekend.  Lovely foggy morning for my walk this morning - makes you feel as though you are the only person out and about.

Can you believe it's November already?  Time seems to be flying past.  Last week I had set myself the target of finishing the knitting of my purple cardigan by the end of the month.  Do you do this - constantly set yourself targets that end up making you feel under pressure?

I'm a list maker (like so many fellow bloggers).  I love being able to tick things off, a sense of achievement, a job well done - you know the feeling.  Any way, yesterday, I was getting stupidly stressed over the fact that I probably wasn't going to get the cardigan finished, as planned.  It put me in a real niggly mood.  But by the end of the day, I only had the button bands to pick up and knit.

This morning, I woke up in a rebellious mood - why was I forcing myself to comply with deadlines that are completely unnecessary?

So today, I'm NOT going to finish the cardigan, I'm NOT going to tick anything off the "to do" list I had written for today.  Today I am being a rebel!

So I've just spent the last few hours knitting up another mini sweater for my bunting.

This one is using some of the leftovers from my October socks.  I still have enough left for some fingerless mittens.

I've also started a new shawl - this one is crocheted.

The pattern is South Bay Shawlette, a freebie.  It's a lovely easy pattern and it grows really quickly.

We're having a lazy day, watching sport on the television.  Cricket this morning, football at the moment (Everton v. Sunderland), then it will be darts later.

So I think I'll cast on for some socks next - why not - I'm just about managing to ignore that purple cardigan and the "to do" list - I'm not sure I'm very comfortable being a rebel!

Rosie Posie Granny Bag - Finished

I'm hoping that June will be a month that sees me catching up with all my works-in-progress.  I've got a provisional timetable to help me get things completed. Which I think is not too unrealistic.  So it was with a great sense of satisfaction that I was able to tick the first one off the list this afternoon.

Here is my lovely, bright and beautiful Rosie Posie Granny Bag.

The motif, of which I made 44, is the Rosie Posie Grannie Square by Sandra Paul of the Cherry Heart blog.

I originally started this project back in March.  All keen and excited but I never got much further than the 7 squares I had originally done.  The project has been lying around for ages, with the occasional square completed.  When we visited Grace, last weekend, I wanted a portable crochet project to take with me, so picked up this one.  And do you know, I was amazed at how quickly I completed the remaining squares over the course of that weekend.  I left Grace's with only four squares to complete.

This week I have joined them all and crocheted a small stripey border along the top of the bag.

For the lining I have copied the idea I saw on Daffy Suburbia's blog, The Suburban Daffodil, for using a bought bag as the lining.  I bought a cheap cotton tote bag from Primark with a lovely flower print on it.

I already had handles I wanted to use, bought years and years ago but still lying around waiting to be employed.  I turned the Primark bag inside out and used the original handles from the bag as loops to attach the new handles.

I'm very pleased with this project.  It'll be great to use in the summer for days out.  And it would also make an excellent yarn-holding bag!

One project ticked off the list, several more to go!  Have a good weekend.

A Love of Lists

Lists are wonderful things.  They satisfy my need to feel in control; they give me a sense of achievement as I tick things off: and when I look back at them them remind me of my aims and wishes.

So when I came across this little book, I felt as though it had been published especially for me.

The blurb on the back says "The ultimate fill-in journal for pondering the road ahead!"

There are the obvious pages to fill-in.

List of things you want to accomplish.

And some not so obvious but fun anyway.

List of other lives you'd want to lead if you had nine lives!

List of fictional character you'd like to hang out with!

I can't wait to start filling it in - but it's so nice I don't want to spoil it - I may have to make some preliminary lists in another notebook just to be on the safe side!

Another One Ticked Off the List...

The knitted shawl is now finished and blocked.  I'm really motoring now!  I love ticking things off the list - a great sense of achievement and progress - even if it is only a shawl.

The pattern was so easy and required very little concentration - perfect for reading and knitting at the same time.

The pattern is called The Age of Brass and Steam.  It's by Orange Flower and it's available as a free Ravelry download, here.

Full details of the yarn I used etc can be found on my Ravelry project page, here.

Despite the ticking off of the list - it still grows longer - I'll just have to knit faster!