March 2016

I have an amazing feeling about March, I think I will succeed at so many things this month and have a great month to look back on without feeling like I have wasted it.
March 10 2016, Above I heralded March as a month where everything was a possibility and I would finish everything. Currently I feel as though if I do accomplish anything it will be a miracle, a very impressive miracle. One that will astound all that surround me. At present I need to focus on remaining calm, and serene and not stressing out over anything/everything. Breath deeply and all will be well.
March 14 2016, Things are better than they were 4 days ago, but it could change, I got a huge amount done this weekend on the Circlet Cardigan, it is fascinating what you can get done when you put your mind to it and when you actually put in stitch markers ;).

FO's:

1. Concentric Squares blanket - 95%
1. And the frustrating news of the entire phenomenon is that i am 5.5 rows away and the yarn has run out, so do I buy more yarn to finish it? or start again with it being something else? Its almost as if they do it on purpose...I will finish something else in the meantime. 
2. Reverie Hat
1. Started this on 03/26/2016 and was finished by 03/27/2016 which is AMAZING, did it in about 4 - 6 hours, so pleased with myself, and it looks stunning and the birthday girl was so pleased. It even matched the colour of the dress she was wearing. Woot. But I forgot to take a picture. 2 projects finished by happenstance in March, I am a happy girl

Knitting I have on the go:

1. Dragon Stole: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-stole
2. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
1. I looked the other day and this blanket has been in the works since 2013. So it is my goal to finish this!!! Very soon. 
1. I have about 22 pieces of 50, so I will keep knitting as though my life depended on it. 
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks - so pretty! I cannot wait to see this finished. 

1. This seems so much easier than the last time I had it in my hands, please let my motivation and my determination with it grow and continue so that I can finish it this year and wear it this winter!!!
   
4. Feather and Fan Blanket
5. Mitered Square blanket in Parrot...I was crocheting this into something, but I did not like it, I still don't really like it but it will happen. 
6. Banana Bunches - Eager to finish this sucker! about 50% complete
7. Hue shift in 5 colours not 10 - 35% complete.

Crocheting:

1. Corner to corner blanket in red, black, and white - 55% complete right now. 

Books:

1. Wives and Daughters
1. Reading on the treadmill has made a huge difference, the fact that the treadmill now no longer works has been a bit of a crux, but I will get there. 
2. 03/19/2016 my treadmill is broken I require a new circuit board so I am at present waiting for that to come in. I will need to walk outdoors and do weights. 
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. Love, Rosie
4. Moll Flanders

Yarn Crush March 2016

My very first Yarn Crush box arrived, and it was lovely. Super excited about the next 6 months and the yarn that will start to arrive.
I also received my gift for signing up and it was perfect as well.
Now the big question do I cast on and get knitting? Or work on one of the many other WIPs that I have on the go.... oh the dilemmas.






What I do love is you are sent enough yarn to finish the project they have suggest you complete with the yarn you have, which is great. The yarn colour is maybe not in my top picks of yarn colours, and it is for sure not a colour I would have picked out on my own, but that being said, I do have a destination in mind for it (it would suit my mother a treat) and part of the yarn box excitement for me was to get out of a rut of knitting with blues, teals, purples, etc and start working with some colours that I would not usually pick out for myself, so I can live with it.

These were the goodies in my yarn box, so we have Scotch and 777 yarn with a knitting pattern and a crochet pattern. I do think I am quite up to crocheting socks, but I have fingering weight yarn around so I might just give this a go. The yarn itself is GORGEOUS to the touch so I think it will be a great tactile experience while knitting. I do not as yet own a yarn swift, so not sure how I am going to ball that yet, but who knows the world is my oyster. Also fig hand cream, delicious,


And this little beauty to the right was my welcome package. It came with February's pattern for thrummed mittens, which I must admit looks truly intriguing, I will have to find some roving and give that a go. And a little baby skein of blue yarn oh the fun I shall have, then a measuring tape for one handed measuring (that Circlet Cardigan is going to look great, now that I can ) and a little bag for notions and potions.

February 2016

Well February you won. I will admit defeat. I tried so hard to get things completed but alas it was not to be. I am halfway through almost everything but finished nothing. 
I did however this month loose around 4 lbs, maybe more, so I would say that is an accomplishment for celebrating and not something to laugh at. Just keep swimming and maybe some day soon I will finish all the things all at once. Probably not possible, but a girl can dream.

My book list is quite a list. I have 35 books I would be so grateful to finish this year, but alas I do not think it will happen as I have not put the same amount of time into reading as I should. I wonder if I could run and read? Might be something to try. 

I seem to have a need to start a new project whenever I stipulate to myself that I must finish and old project. Silly me. But I will persevere one day I will have nothing on my project list and then I will be a sad girl indeed. 

Knitting I have on the go:

1. Dragon Stole: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-stole
2. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
1. I looked the other day and this blanket has been in the works since 2013. So it is my goal to finish this!!! Very soon. 
1. I have about 22 pieces of 50, so I will keep knitting as though my life depended on it. 
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks
4. Feather and Fan Blanket
5. Mitered Square blanket in Parrot...I was crocheting this into something, but I did not like it, I still don't really like it but it will happen. 
6. Banana Bunches - Eager to finish this sucker! about 50% complete
7. Hue shift in 5 colours not 10 - 35% complete
8. Concentric Squares blanket - 75% complete right now!

Crocheting:

1. Corner to corner blanket in red, black, and white - 55% complete right now. 

Books:

1. Wives and Daughters
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. The Scarlet Pimpernel
4. Belle
5. Love, Rosie - about 70% complete right now!
6. Moll Flanders
7. Posession

January 2016

Completely unrelated to crafting of any sort, but something that I feel will make for a better new year, I am saying good bye to my fish tank, really it has just become a fishy morgue. I like the sound of the running water, but I have no interest in figuring out how to keep them alive.

Art, is going well. I know I have never shared any of my art on here, but I hope that will change in the near future. The hold up right now though is we cannot get our hands on any suede which does rather complicate matters. 

The month of January has seen me finishing 4 hats! Just call me The Slouchy Beret, but not really. 3 of them were started this month one was started last year to help me stay on the treadmill for longer. But they are done and into the drawer, I have 22 slouchy berets floating around, and I NEVER seem to wear a hat. Ah well. But at least I finished something for the month. 

I have been reading this month but I have not finished a book. Sad, I am 30% of the way through one though so give me a break. 

FO's:

1. Reverie Beret (I have done so many of these I could do them in my sleep, but I have made 1 or 2 minor adjustments to make it my own)
1. If I sat down and just went with it this would be finished in a heart beat!
2. Reverie
3. Ashley Beret
4. Ashley Beret

Knitting I have on the go:

1. Dragon Stole: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-stole
2. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
1. I looked the other day and this blanket has been in the works since 2013. So it is my goal to finish this!!! Very soon. 

1. I have about 22 pieces of 50, so I will keep knitting as though my life depended on it. 
2. 
   
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks
4. Feather and Fan Blanket
5. Mitered Square blanket in Parrot...I was crocheting this into something, but I did not like it, I still don't really like it but it will happen. 
6. Banana Bunches - Eager to finish this sucker!
7. Hue shift in 5 colours not 10

Crocheting:

1. Corner to corner blanket in red, black, and white

Books:

1. Wives and Daughters
2. Pride and Prejudice
3. The Scarlet Pimpernel

Personal Goals:

I have been on the treadmill pretty much every day since December 28th 2015. There were a couple of days I missed, but I still managed to accomplish 10,000 steps every day!! Win for me. I am very pleased. 

Happy New Year - Summary

2015 I set myself some very (what I thought) easy goals to accomplish or maintain. They were:

• Finish every knitting project you start - I would have to say I stuck to this. I did not finish any projects started in 2014, but all the ones started in 2015 were finished in 2015
• Finish a knitting project every month - total of 17 finished!
• Finish a book every month - total 15 finished
• Treadmill 3 times a week - FAILED its true
• Weights 6 times a week - FAILED its true
• 8,000 steps a day - This was accomplished for 72% of the year. Better than some but less than I would have anticipated. My total steps for last year was 3.6 million which in itself is not a shabby number at all. 

So for 2016 here is the plan:

• Knit 4 rows every day (1,460 rows)
• Read minimum 5 pages every day(1,825 pages) 
• Treadmill 3 times a week minimum
• Weights 3 times a week
• At least 8,000 steps a day 2 days a week (Saturday and Sunday)
• At least 10,000 steps a day for 5 days a week (Monday through Friday)
• Total of 66,000 steps a week 
• Finish 3 art projects (this is a crazy one, but possibly doable)......

Wish me luck everyone!!!!!!!!

What I Accomplished This Year 2015

It is December 31, 2015 tomorrow is 2016, so I thought I would summarize everything I have finished this year, just to you know make myself feel accomplished, and a summary helps me see my progress.

1. Knitting
1. I Like Lime 
2. Opart in Purple and White
3. Tardis Blanket
4. Blue Giant Needle Blanket
5. Physlais Lace
6. Tardis Blanket
7. Moss Diamond Blanket - Purple
8. Union Jack Blanket
9. Tardis 2
10. Revonulti Scarf
11. Finger-less gloves (started two years ago)
12. 10 stitch Square
13. OpArt in Dragonfly
14. Diagonal Knit
15. Cozy Cabled Hat
16. Grammy's Mittens
17. Elise
2. Crocheting
1. Blue and Light Blue Corner to Corner
2. Purple and Grey Corner to Corner
3. Green, Pink, and White Corner to Corner
3. Reading
1. Duff
2. The Heir
3. Persuasion
4. Heartless
5. The Feast of Roses
6. Charles_HRH's Guide to Great Britishness
7. Jane Eyre's Daughter
8. Charm
9. Grey
10. The Fortune Hunter
11. Longbourn
12. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
13. The American Heiress
14. Catherine Called Birdy
4. Beading
1. 4 hair pieces for the bridesmaids extraordinaire in Lake Como

1. 
   

   
   

I Like Lime 

Tardis 1

Physalis Lace

OpArt

Moss Diamond Purple

Corner to Corner, seeing double?

Tardis 2

Union Jack Blanket

Pink and Green corner to corner

Blue Corner to Corner

Finger-less Mittens (there are 2)

December

I am going to have two posts for December, but one is the What I accomplished this month, and the other is what I managed to accomplish this year, one is a counting down list, the other counts up.
When it comes to reading I feel very stuck. I want to get a bunch of reading finished, but I do not have a clue which book I should even start with. I feel like I could have gotten one more knitted project in for the year, but you win some, you lose some, and besides my overall count for what is actually finished is amazing, and far more than I anticipated.

Knitting I have on the go:

1. Dragon Stole: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragon-stole
2. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
3. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks
4. Reverie Beret (I have done so many of these I could do them in my sleep, but I have made 1 or 2 minor adjustments to make it my own)
5. Feather and Fan Blanket
6. Mitered Square blanket in Parrot...I was crocheting this into something, but I did not like it, I still don't really like it but it will happen. 
7. Banana Bunches
8. Hue shift in 5 colours not 10
1. I need more yarn for this one.
9. Elise
1. This is a giant knit so it should not take all that long, the effect is gorgeous. I have completed 2 pattern repeats, and it is about 6 inches long, here's hoping that the rest will go as swimmingly. 

Crocheting:

1. Corner to corner blanket in red, black, and white

Books:

1. The American Heiress
2. Outlander
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Catherine Called Birdy (I am re-reading this from Grade 7)