Entrelac

Happy Saturday,

As you may remember, learning new techniques is one of my New Years Resolutions.  So on New Year's Day I thought what could be better to ring in the new year than jumping right in and starting an entrelac scarf.  I chose the pattern by Allison LoCicero, which is a free Ravelry download.  I just used the instructions with the scarf pattern and found that if I did exactly what it said, instead of trying to think it through, it turned out perfectly.  However, if you do run into trouble, or don't quite understand what the pattern is telling you to do, she has linked to a YouTube video that will walk you through the stitch pattern.  After I worked the two tier repeat a few times I had it memorized so the scarf zipped right along.

I used Knit Picks Chroma Worsted in Guppy, and am so glad I did.  I had seen that another person on Ravelry had used it for this scarf and I thought it looked neat, so I wanted to use the same for mine.  It was really cheery to work on and watching to see which colour was coming next kept me motivated to work another row, and another row, another row...

Needless to say, it was very fun and I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and learned something new.  I could see myself making more of these and maybe even a cowl or two, now that I know it's not as hard as it looks.  It has given me the confidence to try another one of the techniques on my list hopefully in the near future.

Have a wonderful weekend,
xoxo

2013 New Year's Resolutions

Happy Monday!

Today I thought I'd chat about my New Year's Resolutions.  I know some people don't like making them and that's perfectly fine, but for myself I'm the type of person who benefits from having a plan for the things I want to accomplish.  Each year I make lots of great goals for myself but the problem is that I never get around to actually achieving them.  I wasn't sure what was wrong with me until my sister pointed out the fact that I make the goals/resolutions, but I don't plan out actual steps to help me achieve them and I also don't review them very often.  So this year I am going to try something different.  I've made my resolutions list and written it out on a medium-size index card and put it in my planner where I always find it.  Then I've made a plan that at the end of each week on Sunday evening I will go over my list and come up with some sort of step to take towards achieving one of them and schedule it into the coming week.  I'm not thinking that it has to be anything big, just some little thing I can do that will help me get closer to achieving the goal, even if it's something as simple as reading about a new technique or looking up a pattern that will use a certain type of yarn I have in my stash.  Every step is one step closer, right?

Here is my list:

My 2013 Resolutions

• Work from yarn stash as much as possible.
• Work through fabric stash.
• Learn these techniques: Broomstick Lace, Tunisian Crochet, Brioche Stitch, Entrelac, and Hairpin Lace.
• Knit a pair of top-down colourwork mittens.
• Improve my colourwork skills.
• Conquer baby booties.
• Get my Christmas and other gift projects done well in advance.
• Sew once a week. - this is tentative -it's something I want to do but it's not set in stone.  I guess you could say it's more like a guideline - I'd like to do it, but I don't have to do it. 
• Knit/crochet a dishcloth a week for the whole year - this is my "Dishcloth Challenge."
• Read 40 books this year. - I signed up for Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge.
• Celebrate holidays/seasons - I used to do this and found it so much fun, but over the years I got away from it and now I'd like to get back to it.
• Try to get better at starting a project and actually finishing it within a reasonable amount of time, instead of starting it and then jumping on to something new before finishing it.  I think this will help keep the WIP pile under control.
• Learn a new language - I'm thinking Finnish since my Mom can help me with it.
• Travel more.
• Learn cross-stitch, needlepoint, crewel and embroidery.

So far that's what I've got.  I may add/change a few things over the year, but in general I am going to do my best to stick with them.  Wish me luck!

xoxo

P.S. Have you made any New Year's Resolutions?

My New Year's Resolutions

Hello Knitters,

To help keep myself accountable, I thought I'd post about my New Year's Resolutions.  I always start each year with a bunch of grand ideas of things I want to accomplish, but by the time February and March roll around, I've already forgotten them or have lost interest.  So this year, I thought it would  be a great idea to share them with you all so that I'm more likely to stick to them or at least attempt to.

My New Year's Resolutions

1. Do more charity knitting and crocheting - I'd like to aim for at least one or two projects each month.
2. Knit and crochet more for fun and not out of a sense of obligation - I've found over the last year that I haven't always enjoyed my knitting as much as I should.  I think making projects that I don't really want to because I feel I have to, as well as trying to rush through a project to get on to the next thing without actually enjoying the process of it has been the problem.  This year I want to be more mindful of my knitting and try to enjoy the process as well as the finished object.  In my mind knitting and crocheting should be a relaxing thing not something I can't wait to finish so I can have a break.
3. Work from the stash to get it down to a manageable size - It has gotten a bit out of hand over the years.  I have a lot of yarn I bought when I was first learning to knit that I'd like to work through.
4. Be more discriminating when buying yarn - I'd like to replace some of the stash yarn I go through with better quality yarns and I want to make sure that when buying any new yarn it is for a specific project or something I know I will use in the near future.  No more stashing away random balls for no particular reason.  I have to be strict with this if I'm ever going to get the stash under control.
5. Have Christmas and birthday presents finished well in advance - last year it seemed with each gift i was down to the wire on getting them finished and it didn't make for relaxing knitting to say the least!!
6. Learn to dye yarn better - This is something I enjoy doing and would like to get better at.
7. Try out some new techniques and more complicated projects - Fair isle, intarsia, a pair of Latvian mittens, more detailed shawls, fancy socks and a cardigan for me.
8. Blog regularly - I'd like to post at least 3 times a week as much as I can.

And a few more personal ones are:
    9.  Grow in my walk with the Lord.
  10. Learn to slow down and enjoy life.
  11. Journal, draw and sketch more.
  12. Become more organized. 

So that's my list and I'm sticking to it!  :-)  Have you already made your resolutions?? 

Happy Knitting!!