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A new year... ...new goals... ...new experiences... ...new joys... ...new unexpected surprises both good and less than ideal... ...more challenges... ...more opportunities...
...who knows exactly what 2019 will hold for us all. As for me, I am hoping for some peace, some balance, some good times, some grace during the less than good times, a whole lot of love and family, and, of course, yarn.
I’m trying something a little different this year and not necessarily setting resolutions. Way too many of them get broken and who needs to feel badly about any of that. I’ve purposely kept things vague in the past, because we never know what challenges a year can bring, but this year, I’m trying to keep things even more pliable and flexible, and, yet, a bit structured.
As I said in my last post, I have identified three areas in my crafting life that need to be addressed:
1 - my designs 2 - my WIPs (Works In Progress) 3 - my desire to start new projects
As much as I try to be a monogamous maker, it just isn’t me. Being an only child, I am well-versed in the art of keeping myself busy, and am just wired to have several things going at one time. I’m not going to fight it. I accept this ability or character flaw (whichever you may see it as; I like to just call it me). But how does one reign that in?
My attempt is this.
I touch my yarn and projects nearly every day. No matter what life brings, I try to make a little time and space for it, even if that time and space is only 5 or 10 minutes. I’ve decided to assign certain days of the week to the three areas of my making world to keep the ball moving forward on them all.
Days that have a T in them - Time to get down to business! These are the days that I will work on my new designs. It could writing out a pattern, creating a sketch or a swatch, making a sample, whatever is needed to move the ball forward. This is what I will do on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
W is for WIPs Anyone wish to join me for WIP Wednesdays? On Wednesdays, I will work on a horribly neglected project that just needs finishing. Even a few minutes here and there is bound to get these projects finished and out of the project bags, right?!
Make Fun Stuff! (aka Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays) These are the days that I’ll tackle whatever new projects bubble up to the surface (and, hopefully finish so they don't end up on the island of woeful WIPs). For example, the baby gift I am making for a friend right now. Or the three belated Christmas presents I need to make that didn’t get finished in December. Or my many sweaters that I really hope to wear sooner than later. These are the days that I will make time and space for these projects.
So far, even though we're only 4 days in, I'm liking this new little routine. It's pushing me to work on things that would otherwise sit for far too long. I am unable to discuss a couple projects at this moment, but I can share the WIP I pulled out.
Since I created the Phoenix Rising shawl pattern, I've wanted to create it with a gradient set. I picked up the Enlightenment set of Miss Babs Gradient in Yummy 2-ply Toes back in 2017 just before my daughter was born. I started it Labor Day Weekend 2017 when we were on our way to my husband's grandfather's 89th birthday in Iowa. I loved the way it was turning out, but when I got to the orange skeins of the gradient, I found that I wanted it to be more of a complete repeat in the color. I was just short a few yards in completing that, so I contacted the Miss Babs team to find an orange that was close (in this case, it was a lovely skein of Zest). Because of this, though, I ended up pausing the project, and then it fell farther and farther away from the top of my to do list.
This week, I ripped back the yellow and orange that I had added, and have added the new orange color. I think that I am going to go through just one of the three minis I bought of Zest and then finish with the remaining skeins from the gradient. I'm 5 rows from the end and I'm eager to get this WIP finished.
For personal goals, resolutions have rarely worked for me. The only one that has stuck was giving up soda back in 2000 before my husband and I got married. I cut it out of my life completely and rarely have one now. If I do, it’s ginger ale (that I drink more medicinally than leisurely, unless a drop or two of whiskey is involved), and maybe one Coca-Cola per year. That particular resolution is celebrating its 19th anniversary this year, but it’s the only one I’ve stuck with for any period of time.
The biggest thing that needs to change for me: habits. Oy...the habits are SO difficult to change and create!! They say that it takes a minimum of 21 days to start forming new habits. If we spread that out over the course of a year, that’s at least 17 habits per year.
Now...seeing as I am human...something may come along and bump me off track. Keeping my focus small (I hope) will help me get back on the right path when I have a human moment here and there (it’s inevitable, and since the time-turner Dumbledore gave Hermione isn’t a thing, I have no choice but to press on and try to do better the next day).
This is where I’m going to start with some of my personal habits that need to change. Some, I may share while others will be personal. This first one, though, plays off of this 19-year resolution of mine a bit: I need to drink more water.
Water continues to be my beverage of choice, but I’ve not drank as much of it as I should over the past couple years. So for these first 21 days, I’m going to try and get back into the swing of getting properly hydrated. I’ve even installed an app on my phone to remind me to take a sip when it’s been a while.
With all this said, I raise my glass of water to you in a toast for a happy and healthy 2019 for us all!
Now...back to my belated Christmas gift knitting...
PS: The glass is from Knit Baah Purl. If you haven't checked them out, please do! They have several marvelous sheepy gifts :)