I’ve waited for this day for a while…….. Christmas vacation………. as of 4 pm today, we are all on Christmas vacation. I’m very ready for 12 days away from it all.
Aside from the fact that it’s Christmas and we do lots of family stuff, I have so many things in my head that I want to get accomplished. I have very lofty goals. But hey, reach for the stars, right?
So here’s what I’m thinking. I’ll come back to compare at the end of this time off to see how far I got.
I am starting my break tomorrow morning with a trip to my favourite LYS (88 Stitches). I have it in my head that I will start King of Confidence and so I’m planning on getting the commercial yarn for the body tomorrow. I’d like it to be in the blacks or greys and then I’d like to spin some Crown Mountain Farms SW Merino in the Black Magic Woman colourway. I will take my bump of fibre with me so I can figure out what colourway might work. I’m almost thinking that a dark brown might also be an option for the body. I’ll keep an open mind. So, if knitting a cardigan isn’t enough for the holidays, I’ll also be trying to spin the yarn for the yoke of this cardigan. I do realize that I will start this project. I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it. That would be a huge accomplishment.
I would also love to knit some Thorpes from handspun (which I haven’t spun yet) for the kids and am thinking that a Lacy Baktus would also make a great project for some handspun. Then there’s that urge to try my hand at a Multnomah shawl. I’ve also had some gorgeous, gorgeous red Malabrigo sock in my stash for a while and the Nutkin Fingerless Mittens are screaming at me. And last but not least, for about a year, I’ve been wanting to make the Knotty Gloves. And here I sit, with dreams of what could be, knowing I can’t get it all done but it’s fun to just think and re-visit the possibilities. Aside from the yarn I’m about to buy for the cardigan, I need to spend no money on any of the above because my stash is generously endowed and I have all the yarns necessary to play with any and/or all of these patterns.
I also need to get back to my loom. I need to pull out my current weaving project, a plain weave scarf and see if it can be resurrected. I’m hoping that I can just re-tension it all and keep on going. When I get that scarf off the loom, I’d like to try my hand at some “mug rugs” using cotton carpet warp and cotton quilting fabric strips. Those should work up quickly and if they work out well, next up, I will try some placemats in the same style.
I would also like to work on product photography for my shops, taking pictures of all the things that I haven’t listed yet and there are many. Along with photography for the shop, I’m also playing with a loftier goal and that is a Project 365 blog. I really want to improve my photography skills and so I would like to post one picture a day for a year. My project 365 will not be totally true to the daily thing because I may work ahead and the daily picture may not necessarily have been taken on the day it is posted. I’m currently working on setting up a photo blog for that and am playing with the options. Watch this space for a link right around the end of the year.
Jewelry…… of course, I MUST do some chainmaille weaving over the holidays. I have 2 lovely custom pieces to work on. They will be lovely, yet the work on them will be very, very repetitive so I’m going to do my best to add an inch or two every day so it doesn’t beomce too much all at one time.
If that isn’t all, my craft room really, really needs to be re-organized. There are no more excuses. There’s lots to be done around the house. I really want to spend some quality time with the kids (and the kids come above all the other projects and lofty goals). If the kids want to have a cuddle in front of a movie hour, then they’ll get that from me. Oh, and did I mention the basement? Oh yes, the basement reno…… the carpet will be installed on January 20th so between now and then, we have to get the walls primed and painted and some of the other flooring installed. Now, my job in most of this is to just make sure that hubby can get down there to work while I chill with the kids and keep them entertained and occupied.
Lofty goals, yes, I know………… I realize that I won’t get all of this stuff done. Probably not even 2% of what I’ve set out to do. But I love the possibilities. They make me happy. It doesn’t stress me that I jump into it with both feet full well knowing that I won’t get it all done. If I can get one project done, I’ll be happy!!! In the end, it’s about taking time to be away from the the day-to-day responsibilities of fixing lunch bags, ironing work shirts, driving kids to daycare, going to work and all that daily grind.
