Presents

So, I didn't get most of my projects done in time to give them as Christmas presents, but that's mostly because I kept adding projects & didn't leave myself time. They're coming along ok.

I'm still working on my father's hat, which is a little cattywhompus right now, but making progress.

I'm making a set of scarves for the M Family - my Godparents and their 2 daughters. I've started 2 of them & they're coming along well. They're both about 1/3 done

I can't figure out what to make for my brother: I think I'm making another scarf for my sister-in-law (or maybe earrings). I have a scarf that I started for my Godfather, but I think it might be a little feminine. It's about 1/4 done.

The scarf I'm making for N is about 3/4 done; it needs about 3 more rows & then the finishing.

The scarf I'm making for A may need to be ripped out *again* I'm kinda hating this chenille yarn; it's so pretty but so hard to work with.

New Year's Resolutions (mine & other people's)

According to this article from Fitness.com ...

"Many people tend to make unrealistic goals when it comes to creating a New Year’s Resolution based on health and fitness. Many rush immediately to a gym to sign up, go for a few weeks, and then decide to give up. Instead of making these unreachable goals for yourself, why not start with something simpler. Here are some suggestions to creating a more manageable and achievable New Year’s Resolution."

This year (next year?), instead of doing traditional resolutions, I'm doing a 101 Things in 1001 Days list. I'll be tracking that list in a separate blog, here.

The craft goals are:
28. Learn to sew
29. Tailor something that I actually wear
30. Sew something that I actually wear
31. Crochet 3 afghans
32. Scrapbook my SAI pics
33. Scrapbook my JMU pics
34. Crochet 12 scarves as gifts
35. Learn to make a hat
36. Make a hat for my father
37. Knit three gift-quality scarves
38. Learn to use circular needles
39. Finish my quilt
40. Learn to make wire jewelry
41. Do at least 6 projects off my ravelry queue
42. Enter *all* my yarn projects, materials etc. in ravelry
43. Crochet a table set (table runner & placemats)
44. Learn how to use crimping beads
45. Make 3 gift-quality jewelry sets

I'm on Ravelry!

I started a Ravelry account yesterday. I still have a lot to add, but I managed to add all my hooks, most of my needles, about a third of my yarn stash and all but one of the main projects I'm working on. I also joined a few groups. The site looks like it will be both fun and useful.

It's got me looking for similar sites for other crafts, especially beading and scrapbooking.

Finished!

I finally finished L's scarf. Eyelash yarn is tough. I forgot to take a picture before I gave it to her though.

Also, I decided that the Red Colorwaves can, in fact, be a scarf. And so, that will be my white elephant gift because I won't have time to finish anything else.

From Crafts

And yes, eventually I will take better pictures of my work.

And in non-yarn news...

SCRAPBOOKING
I have never successfully completed a scrapbook. It seems to be a social thing, so I need a scrap buddy. My friends that scrap all say that they work best when they're with other people. It makes sense, because it demands a lot of attention, like sewing or beading - so it's not something you can do while watching television.

BEADING
I need to learn how to use crimping beads so I can make better necklaces & bracelets. I'm doing ok with the earrings. I also want to get into making wire jewelry as well.

NEEDLEPOINT
I have 2 needlepoint projects (not yet begun) on my craft shelf. I'm not sure how much I want to pursue this, considering all the other projects I already have on deck.

SEWING
I think I'm putting my sewing aspirations on hold for a while. I don't have the space in my apartment for the cutting & pinning. I may go ahead & take the sewing fundamentals class at G Street. I could pick up enough to do some simple things like hemming pants with my smaller machine.

I have a quilt to finish, as well as 2 pillows. I'm hoping the smaller machine will work for these.

**Also, when I get my new stove, I may look into cake decorating because that looks like fun.

More status updates

I'm going to make my 2nd attempt at an eyelash scarf. The 1st one went *ok* I did learn from it.

I need knitting practice. I need to knit a simple scarf.

I need to make a practice hat so I can make one for my father.

I want to assign my remaining yarn stash to specific projects.

I actually started 2 more projects last night.

Update: The blue chenille scarf (a gift for my best friend) is starting to come along. It's on row 3 and I'm estimating it will be 12 rows total. I don't know how long 9 rows will take.

The sage scarf (another gift) is still a little shaky, but it's a row behind the blue scarf, so I expect it to firm up after the next turn.

This summer/fall I did an eyelash scarf as a gift for a friend. It came out ok, but I still haven't finished it off. For some reason I'm having a complete mental block on tying it off & weaving the tail in.

Then, as if that wasn't enough, I decided to make a gift for my office's White Elephant Gift Exchange next week. NEXT WEEK!
So I did this last night:

From Crafts

It started coming along pretty well, pretty quickly. Lion Brand Jiffy yarn in taupe mist and a K hook. It's got really good stitch definition. Then I got worried that I had misjudged how much yarn I would need to finish and I switched to something that I have more of:

From Crafts

(Terrible picture, I know.) I've been struggling with the chenille yarn, but then it hit me. I've been working the foundation chain to be the length of the scarf when I should be making it the width. After a few rows the chenille starts to hold together better, so I should build the rows faster!

Weekend progress

I made progress on one of the scarves I'm working on. It's a really dark blue chenille and it's for my best friend. I started it a while ago & didn't like how it was going so I ripped it out & started over.

The yarn is pretty slippery so the original chain was pretty dicey. Once I started working the second row, things started falling into place. I'm also working basically the same scarf in sage green for another friend, but I haven't done as much work on that one.

Sometimes you just have to rip it out

I completely unraveled 2 scarves I was working on. Both are supposed to be gifts; one is knit and one is crochet. They were going ok, but not giftworthy. I decided that I can't knit to gift quality yet and that I was using too small a hook for the crochet one. I've started both over as crochet projects (with appropriate size hooks) and they're going much better now.

I also have a project I started a while ago that I'd like to finish - but it would require purchasing more yarn. I basically just started crocheting with this pretty cool yarn; I realized after a while that I was making an afghan or throw of some kind. Except I don't have enough yarn to finish it. So my dilemna is whether to buy the yarn in order to finish the project that's going the best right now or to put that project on the back burner for several months until I work through some of the other projects.

Thrifty Craftiness...

... or Crafty Thriftiness.

I have, over the past several months, accumulated a great deal of craft supplies. I'm over-flowing with yarn and beads. I have all the materials necessary to finish my quilt. I'm pretty sure I have everything I need to finish at least one of the pillows.

And so, in keeping with my non-crafty goals of better managing my finances and organizing/improving/decluttering my house, I've decided to a) refrain from purchasing any more craft materials until I've put at least 50% of my current materials to use and b) attack the craft projects more aggressively so as to reduce the stockpile.

I plan to complete at least 2 scarves and 4 pairs of earrings by the end of the year. I know that's ambitious, but I need to make a serious dent.

Tickers

The other craft projects aren't as easy to make tickers for, because they require precise end numbers. Since I don't know yet how many rows should be in a particular scarf, or how many beading projects I want to complete in how long, I'm only doing this one ticker for now.

Catch-Up

So here is the original post from my old craft journal:  

This is now the journal to track progress on my ***Craft Projects*** 

I have a ton of pictures to scrapbook. 

I've been in the middle of the same quilt forever. 

I'm in the middle of a pillow or two. 

I'm in the middle of 2 or 3 yarn projects. 

I have at least 2 beading projects to finish.  

I have finished some jewelry.  

Stay tuned.

Re-Start

So, I'm moving this journal to blogger in the hopes that I'll actually maintain it. And what better first post back than one about organizing my craft supplies.

Organization is a major problem for me. If I don't have easy access to my supplies, I won't feel like unpacking them 3 or 4 times a week to work on things. Or if they're not visible, I won't be reminded of them. On the other hand, they take up too much space to leave laying out on a constant basis.

Ultimately, I'd love to get something like this: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2630039&findingMethod=rr
or this: http://www.target.com/Sauder-Sewing-Craft-Cart-American/dp/B000F9WESW/qid=1225817963/ref=br_1_8/191-1424974-4207441?ie=UTF8&node=11078661&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=11078661&rank=price&rh=&page=1

Alas, there is no room in my apartment for anything like that right now. So I'm focusing on smaller-scale organization.

Here are some other products that look helpful:

http://www.target.com/4-Drawer-Swing-Unit-Silvertone/dp/B000P6R3VS/qid=1225817963/ref=br_1_1/191-1424974-4207441?ie=UTF8&node=11078661&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=11078661&rank=price&rh=&page=1
http://www.target.com/Mobile-Scrapbook-Center/dp/B000BYCHNI/qid=1225817963/ref=br_1_2/191-1424974-4207441?ie=UTF8&node=11078661&frombrowse=1&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=11078661&rank=price&rh=&page=1

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10310709

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10660944


http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10310690


http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10597820