Day 3 - Each day, a lesson

I think that each day will entrust me with new lessons and only I can decide what exactly I will take away from each. Today, I figured out how to put pictures onto my Ravelry posts. It took a while but I could post them in my projects for all to see and I could share them with groups I belong to. Very cool. Lesson: persistence pays off!

I also decided to pick up and begin the second sock for Mom. Living in this house - my in-laws home - I realized today that you never know when life will take those you love away. It's too short to leave those gifts of love, whether they be socks or something more expensive, waiting around to be given. And so I feverishly knitted away at sock #2 of the pair. As I got about an inch from the heel, I have realized that I will probably not have enough of this yarn, this one skein of Happy Feet, to finish my mother's first pair of hand-knitted socks from me. Lesson #2: sometimes when things don't work out, there's a reason. Maybe I waited too long; perhaps my socks are not good enough for her anyway; maybe my dreams of that perfect expression of love is just a goofy idea. I could finish the toe in a different color and she would never care! After all, it's the tops that people will see.

Like much of what I start in life, I find myself second guessing whether the right thing to do is to turn back.....

I wonder what lesson tomorrow will bring. Tonight I feel defeated.

Day 2 (PM)....it's been a long day and a feels like eternity since I finished my first WIP/UFO

So, today is counted as a success. Although I did not get an hour of 'quiet' knitting time in, I did watch a movie with my dear daughter and finished her hoodie vest, yes completely, while we watched! It felt really good to have it done. I wish that it was a little longer on her though, so there's that.

Why is it that each and every time I accomplish something in my life, whether it be a knit project, a Master's degree, a successful Christmas dinner, I don't ever feel really happy? I always find something wrong with it. This is what I'm learning about myself. I must find a way to enjoy life more. To really 'feel' the happiness of time together or a job well done. My family all classified me as "Eyeore" in a game this week! When did I become so gloomy? I guess this goes on the list of things to work on in 2010!

So, day 2, a success and I will be happy that another WIP is now a desired garment to be cherished. Baby steps. Tomorrow I must begin hemming the dress for Lily! I will find joy in that accomplishment too, especially seeing it on her!

Day 2 (AM)

So, today I must accomplish several things. First of all, I joined two on-line knitting groups yesterday which I'm pretty excited about. The first is a St. Patty's Day Swap 2010 group. I will be given a "secret leprechaun" for whom I will make something Irish-y. I will also shower that person with things that they love and they will receive a package from a total stranger! I can't wait to get started on that as I've picked out something I think will be fabulous for them! I also have to find a gorgeous skein of green yarn to send them. I love to buy yarn and apparently, it doesn't have to be for me! Good to know!

The second group I joined is a Two for One WIP group. For every one new project I want to start, I must first finish two that have been left unfinished! This is great for me as I have so many UFOs (Un Finished Objects) around here. I have always been a starter, not a finisher so this should help me with that. The planning will be difficult as I have lots of things I want to start too! I have to be disciplined which may take the fun out of knitting for me, but we'll see. I am a work in progress!

I will sit for at least one hour uninterrupted today, and knit. Here's what's on the agenda: Finish weaving in the ends and sew on 5 buttons on Meag's purple hoodie vest. I finished knitting it up at least 5 weeks ago.

Hem Lily's baby dress and sew on the buttons. If I can get this done, I could even mail it to Cindy before the week is out.

I will count my new project as the neck warmer I started on the day after Christmas....and no, I will not rip it back to get rid of those 3 extra stitches I found at 12:30 this morning!

Day 1

So....today I didn't exactly make time to sit and knit. After getting all excited about this project, I surfed the internet to find ways to get my blog better....to no avail. I also spent a lot of time researching patterns and techniques. I then hosted family for some post Christmas visiting. Though I did take out many projects and share where I was in the process with my family, I didn't really do what I planned.

I did work on the chocolate neck warmer I'm trying from the new book I got for Christmas. (I'll post the book title tomorrow...I'm writing in the dark here!) I got about 9 inches of that done between visits and while watching the dear children play their new video games and while snuggling in front of a good tear-jerker (Secret Life of Bees) with my darling daughter. When I got up to tuck children in, I realized I had 3 extra stitches and it looks like they joined my little warmer about 6 inches back! I will not rip it tomorrow, rather I will learn to love my mistake and hope that no one else notices.

I will also make some time to knit quietly without distractions!

Goodnight!

The Daily Knitting Project

Okay so inspired by "Julie and Julia" AND the huge amount of yarn in my closet, and the fact that knitting brings me peace and happiness.....I've decided to blog daily about my adventures.  This is the perfect time to do such a thing since I have several beautiful garments knitted but not finished.  You know, the ends to weave in, the hems to tack up,  that sort of thing is what time and time again stops the process for me. 

I have discovered, of course, that I am just that; a process knitter!  I love the whole process from picking out yarn, to agonizing over a pattern, to knitting and frogging and knitting again!  What I've also learned is that I HATE FINISHING!!!!!!!  This leads to problems when I decide to knit for others.  This is what I've been doing as of late because knitting for me all the time makes me feel selfish!  But here's the deal - I never finish anything!!!!!!  Grrr........  

So.....this then makes sense, at least to me!  I will, throughout the new year, tackle all of those unfinished projects and get them done.  I will also begin to use that ever growing stash and create some new family heirlooms (more about that exciting project later!).  I will then blog about my progress every day to keep me honest and on track.  

Now I know that this is silly to most as there is no really dire point of all this.  But here's the thing:  I love to knit and life has it's way of making me so busy with work, Dan and the kids, that there is not time to focus on what makes me happy.  I have many other 'things' to tackle this year like that 30lb weight loss, but one thing at a time.  First I'm inserting my 'me' time.  Even if it's only an hour a day to knit and 10 minutes to write, I'm doing this for me!

Here goes nothing!