Overdue Check In

I've been putting off posting for awhile because I didn't think I had done enough worth posting. The list is a little overwhelming, and part of me feels like I should be chugging along just fine. Instead, I find myself picking away at projects and daydreaming about completing other stuff. Regardless, here's what I've been up to the last few weeks:

1. Finished those lovely mittens I posted about last time:



I adore these. They fit perfectly and they're warm and water proof. I have to admit, I didn't even bother weaving in the ends of one of them even though I finished them last week.

2. Got a start on some baby bibs for Liz's bundles:





I want to have a whole mess of these for her. They're quick and easy to make. I was going to put buttons on them, but then I thought that they would be easy for little mouths to swallow, so I'll probably end up embroidering the plain ones.

3. Finished a (secret) project for a friend:

She doesn't know that she's getting it yet, so here's a sneak peek:



I've been saving this pattern and this alpaca for a special occasion, so I hope she likes them.

Between all this knitting I've been furiously writing papers at the last minute and gobbling up four seasons of HBO's Big Love. It's been quite the productive month. Hopefully I'll have more progress on my list for the next post.

22. Knit at least ten items out of my stash [1/10]

I finally finished a pair of kids mitts yesterday. I wanted to try a pair of those honeycombed newfoundland mittens that I see everywhere. Here they are:

They're heavily modified from the original pattern (found here) and I think they should a 6-7 year old.

This pattern was really easy to follow, and I would have finished them faster if I didn't keep making stupid little mistakes. I used some of the purple Patons Classic from my secret santa flip top mitts and some black from a pair of gloves that didn't get finished for Christmas.

Next on the list is Chrysanthemums from the new Knitty:

I've got some Knitpicks Palette in white and eggplant that are just itching to become pretty Norwegian mittens!

102. Purchase a Camera

When I first made the list, one of my goals was to buy a new camera. However, now that I look at it that goal seems to have disappeared. I bought one (well - really two. One perished in a tragic geocaching accident) in grade 12, but it mysteriously broke a few months ago. So I got me one of these:

It's pretty snazzy. I'm looking forward to using it in the future. It takes panoramic shots, pet shots, shots with a fuzzy background. And food shots!

Doesn't that look tasty! Salmon, salsa rice and pasta veggies. Jon did up some fancy honey sauce for the fish and it was amazing. I'm completely spoiled. =)

61. Make a Tea Cozy

Even though it isn't finished, I thought I'd post the in-progress pictures. My mom and I picked up a bunch of needle felting goodies at Belfast Mini Mills in PEI in October. In the midst of these goodies was a tea cozy set. I've never tried needle felting before, so I was really excited to get going.

Of course, the first thing I made was a sheep. It's so easy! It's like painting, but without the immediate permanency. If I don't like how a leg lies, or how an ear is positioned, I can just pull it up with the needle.

I'm going to put a big red barn in the top left corner and a fence when I get a hold of the proper coloured roving.



The tea cup needs to be filled in with some steamy wisps. I can't wait to finish this puppy so I can start keeping my tea warm!

101 in 1001

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past – frequently simple goals such as New Year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Start Date: January 1st, 2011

End Date: August 27th, 2013

I'm really good at having neat ideas about what to do with my time, but I'm terrible at actually doing them. I'm hoping that this list and these time constraints will force me to do more. Putting the list together was harder than I thought, but I feel like it's a good mix of knitting, soul searching, and health building. Hopefully I'll come out on the other side of it a little more grown up than I actually am.