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The Twenty-Four Hour Rule, or how I can justify starting new projects when I know I shouldn't
So, at present, I have fifty started-but-not-finished projects. This includes 24 cross-stitch things, 3 sets of cross-stitch ornaments, 1 latch hook rug, 10 knitted things, 7 quilted things, and 5 canvaswork things. The goal for 2010 is to somehow get under 40 projects going at once - but DEFINITELY not go over fifty. Going over fifty would be BAD.
Thus, the 24 hour rule: If i can finish IT within 24 hours of when I start IT, IT will not count on "the list" as #51. This has led to all sorts of insanity, most recently with the Trainspotter hats and Ravelympics. Getting things KNITTED quickly, though, is new for me - it's usually the Cross Stitch that either gets me in trouble, or saves me in the end. Here are a few things I've used the Twenty-Four Hour Rule to start-without-guilt:
This little Brittercup fox (which should've taken a week, but I traded sleep for stitching time), and a Brittercup JCS Xmas Ornament Issue design:
A sailing thing - I think I turned it into a needleroll:
"Yarn on the Lam" & "Don't Fence Me In" - but these aren't big, so shouldn't take that long. I'm pretty sure, though, that the first was supposed to say "Ewe's not Fat, ewe's fluffy" - which I didn't like, and the other was just a cactus - no words or background or anything. Yep, time pressure means MAKE CHANGES!! (Otherwise, there might not be time pressure, right?)
My wedding shower present for my sister (who had everything she needed... but not quite enough really fancy shoes). (Yes, she's dual-citizen Irish, so the pink w/ shamrocks cloth HAD to happen!) I think she gets most of my off-the-cuff original stuff!!
And, at one point a few years back, photos with my watch to prove I was getting things done that quickly!
So, that's the Twenty-Four Hour Rule: If you can finish it in less than a day, it isn't ever an UnFinished Object!
Did nothing on Masters this week - eh, not exactly true. Got more of my questions answered, but didn't block my swatches. Instead, I knitted on Rogue (the body is done, I'm about 1/3 way through the hood), slept most of Saturday, cleaned up the house a bit, went to see the show at Woodlawn, and used the Birthday Purchase Exception to get some cool stuff at In Stitches.
Woodlawn was lovely - several of the pieces that aren't in the Ribbon Winner's gallery are just amazing. The entire music room was given over to Japanwork - it's really taking off in this area! We had tea & sandwiches, or quiche, or chicken salad (and a yummy lemon tart... and chocolate cake), and went through the exhibit again. I just love seeing all the pieces in the "wild". (If you go through the Flickr set, for example, there's this map of Jamestown. Online, I figured it was about two feet by three feet, right? NO. IT'S A MINIATURE !!!!!) . Anyway, then, off to In Stitches up the road. Stuff was found, to wit: There was this gorgeous canvas available (mine's gonna have 3-D bits, and I'm going to punch up the golds a bit), and there was a matching mini-stocking, so I got them.
The beautiful sample in the store
There was a pattern for a set of squirrel & acorn fobs (well, needlebook, scissors-holder & fob), got that, and then spotted a cute little JBW Designs baby carriage. Found out yesterday that my sister's going to have a little girl soon, so grabbed that. Discovered when I got home that there's a little crown motif on it, which made it even more perfect. Her surname is now "King" - and for her wedding, there were little five-pointed crowns on everything (cards, invites, the wedding cake...), so I picked out the crown in yellow, and did the rest in pink Worked up VERY quickly - about four hours, so I didn't even have to worry about the twenty-four hour rule on new project starts!
Finished Baby Buggy - FAST!
I also got the new Mirabilia, "Lady Hera", which is just SOOOOO perfect for me, some thread-winders for my mom's special-secret project (because I'm terrified I'm going to lose the floss!), a tiny crocheted sweater, lots of stitching-funny pins, and... well, actually, I think that was it. Got my cousin going on cross-stitch again (I hope - I don't know how coherent I was by the end of the day after an enforced Sitting Outside for half an hour), and now, back to the knitting!
So, I'm making fantastic progress on the Rogue Hooded Pullover. As of the end of the weekend, I'd managed to knit enough that I could attach the top of my Kangaroo Pocket:
Wednesday evening's needle trauma...
...put me back a bit metally, since I 'lost half a commute' of knitting - except I then got that half-commute back, with new needles. Since my brain thought I was 'behind', I stayed up way too late. So, by the end of Thursday lunch, I'd finished the main body-in-the-round part, and I'd started knitting up the back/shoulder bits. And then proceeded to stay up way too late again (well, FlashForward was on, so that helped). Plus the commute in on Friday... so, as of right now, I'm here:
This means that by the end of the weekend (assuming I don't sleep through the whole thing in a histamine haze - tree pollen is really high right now), I may (gasp!) be ready to start the sleeves!!
ARGH. Today's Yarn on Thursday: Stitch Edition is gonna be pushed back a week, due to Mental Trauma caused by one end of my 32", 4.5mm/7 circular needle SNAPPING OFF on the train last night.
See "A"? That rolled down the train car, leaving "B" to quickly pull itself out of 100+ stitches of my Rogue Hoodie. (I'm sure the other passengers thought I'd been shot, or something, the way I was reacting - luckily, my husband calmed me down and promised to Fix Things. Which he did by taking me to Fibre Space, planting me in front of Veronica, and not giving me grief about a new Hiya-Hiya 32" 4.5mm/7 circular needle, despite the current Lenten No Craft Stuff ban. He understands, it's an emergency.)
We'll go back to your regularly scheduled Giant Pattern Swatch Project next Thursday.
Just found out (by finally reading an e-mail sent to me last week) that this weekend - Sunday, to be precise - is the Third Annual Homespun Yarn Party!
In brief, here's the setup from their blog: What: Yarn Party! Check out local yarn vendors, sit and knit, meet new people!
Who: All your favorite local yarn dyers and spinners, plus some extra crafty goodness! And all our knitting/crocheting/spinning friends (you!) of course!!
Where: Historic Savage Mill /8600 Foundry Street, Savage, MD 20763/ Just off I-95, plenty of parking!
When: Sunday, March 21, 2010 - 12 PM to 5 PM
Why: Who needs an excuse to get together and craft?! We wanted to get together and spread some fiber love!
In addition to some great crafty vendors, we'll also have:- free lessons on knitting, crochet, spinning, and maybe more
- fabulous door prizes to be given away throughout the event
- weather-permitting, a sit and spin/crochet/knit area out on the deck
And we'll be collecting knitted and crocheted items for local charities!
Admission is FREE!
I have no idea if I'm gonna make it, but gosh, it'd be cool....!
And, just because:
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
