On Schedules

I've always liked making lists and setting goals. "Control" is of course an ethereal reality, but if you have a list, and you have some goals, you can at least attempt to move forward with the little things you want to do in life.

Before we started the store, I was always a one-project person: I would choose a really, really difficult pattern to make, spend about 6 months making it, and then choose the next really, really difficult pattern.

Now that we have a store, however, that doesn't work. I need to do projects for classes and inspiration. And of course, I get inspired myself, being around all those beautiful things. The ideas are a constant stream!

But sometimes it gets just a little out of hand. I don't know what to work on, when to work on it, or what's important.

The other day I looked in my closet and saw that I had over 30 projects going. Okay. That's when it's time to get some control back. When this has happened before, I've tried limiting myself to 3 projects at a time to get myself more focused--but even though that helped, it didn't always work. The long-term projects needed to be broken out differently.

I joked to Kevin that I needed a PERT chart to organize it. (Can you tell I used to work in an engineering firm?)

And then I realized that maybe this was no joke. Some kind of chart to organize it all would be great. I could figure out how much time I thought each project would take, and then I would schedule it in. Some projects--the long-term ones--needed to be broken into small pieces so that I wouldn't neglect other projects.

I spent about 5 very-worthwhile hours pulling all the projects out, deciding what mattered most, and figuring out what I really, really wanted to have done by the end of the summer. I charted it out:

I was tempted to put it on the computer to make it tidier, but I had already spent enough time on it. It did not need to be pretty. This is a practical document.

Down the left side, I listed each project that I wanted to finish this summer. Across the top, I broke out the weeks. Then I split the projects, if needed, into subgoals. (I do have another page of projects that goes into August, in case you were wondering.) I decided to stop at the end of August. At that point, I'll regroup for fall, depending on how far I got.

Then I plunged in and started actually knitting.

It is working beautifully. This week, my goals included doing 4 rounds on Kevin's sweater. Check. (I am going to keep doing 4 rounds a week until his sweater is finished.) I wanted to do blocks 8 and 9 of the mini-shawl. Block 8 is done as of tonight; block 9 is a piece of cake. I wanted to do most of a block on a log-cabin blanket I'm designing, then finish it next week. Check for this week. I want to finish my thrummed mittens to the point where I am past the thumb. That is for tomorrow morning. And I have a simple sweater I'm working on, made on large needles; it is low-hanging fruit. The goal there is to have the pieces knitted this week, and sewn next week. I'm on my way with that: two quick sleeves to go. I think it's doable.

In between, I'm free-motion quilting. I am doing that just a little bit at a time as well. Fortunately, I have only about 10 quilting or sewing projects--so I figure they don't require a chart. I'll just work on them as I can, but not be afraid to tackle them in 15-30 minute increments. Updates, reports, and pictures soon.

What would you like to get done? How could a chart like this work for you?

(How about getting ready for Christmas now instead of waiting until the November Panic?)

I Will Call it ... Mini-Wrap

I am completely, utterly enamored with this Kureyon-sock-yarn wrap, which will be so small as to be a scarf. I don't want to stop working on it. I love working on small needles. (I inherited that from my mother, I suspect.) The knitting actually seems to go faster. You don't have to turn as much bulk when you go back and forth, and the needles make less motion because they are smaller. And the stitches are so very small and cute.

This scarf will take the identical number of stitches that the wrap took. It will just be 1/4 the size.

I haven't come to the yellow and light blue and bright pink yet, which makes me want to knit all the more. Part of the fun of knitting is wondering what it will look like--then seeing it take shape.

I admit that I feel a bit foolish about how giddy I feel. But I can live with that.

Updates as they occur.

Knitting in Public Day

Each year since 2005, there has been an odd event (to the outside world, at least) called "World-Wide Knitting in Public Day." It has grown by leaps and bounds each year, and this year, many thousands of knitters are expected to participate from all over the--you guessed it--world!

Local to our store is the State College event, which is going to be co-sponsored this year by the Centre County Knitting Guild and Stitch Your Art Out. We even received a permit from the borough to allow Stitch Your Art Out to sell yarn, so I will be heading there bright and early (8:00 a.m., to be precise), with my car loaded with knitting goodies! I'll bring a variety of things that I thought would be great for summer knitting.

One of those is a fun little thing that we just got in yesterday: beads on a string, from the wonderful Mango Moon company. Kim calls them "earthy sparkle." We got about 6 colors, but here are a few to show you (in extreme close up through their plastic bags):



You knit these along with another yarn, dropping them and picking them up every 4-6 rows so the beads don't get too heavy. Pair them with any yarn you like.

I'll also have some new, glorious knitting bags, some cotton yarns, and even some notions for those of you who were sure you had thousands upon thousands of ring markers, but you didn't seem to bring them along and cannot fathom where they could have disappeared to because they are always Right In Your Knitting Bag.

If I don't have what you need, the store is 10 minutes down the road and will be open all day from the usual 10-5:30.

Along with vending, I'll be sure to be knitting of course. My plan is to work on the t-shirt that I'm making for the Zimmermania classes. (Do not panic, my dear Zimmermania classes. If you do not like capped sleeves, you can make a longer sleeve. I just happen to like capped sleeves.)

As you can see, it's getting close to done.

I live in constant fear in my life that wherever I am, I might run out of knitting and have to sit still and do nothing. Seeing the t-shirt at this state is making me a bit edgy.

So I'm also toying with taking this along--you know, just in case:


It is sheer insanity to start a new project, but I can't let go of it. When we went to Columbus, Ohio, for yarn market, Kim and I saw the Wrap Me Up pattern made from sock yarn.

I can be influenced as well as anyone, thus:

It was so pretty! And I love Kureyon sock yarn! And I love these two colors! And I think they would look great together, intermingled in the wrap, with these blue and purple beads! And the wrap is fun to make!

So I'm thinking.... what harm could it possibly do to make a 3rd wrap?

What's Been Happening

May and June have been super-busy months for Kim and me, and I'm just now barely getting settled back into a work routine. In May we went to quilt market in Minneapolis, and in June we went to yarn market in Columbus, with our anniversary sale in between. So if we're both looking a bit tired for the next week or so, do forgive us.

We'll talk more about what we ordered at the markets as the summer and fall continue on. Let's just say that we have a very, very exciting summer and fall coming!

I've been working on a lot of things, but I can't remember half of them as my life has whizzed by, or else they're in such a state of disarray that they're not worth showing--so let me introduce you to something I finished up tonight:

This is a sweet little baby sweater made from a cotton called Cuddly Cotton. It's from one of my favorite baby sweater patterns: "A Very Easy Baby Sweater" by Lisa Carnahan of Lisa Knits designs. I love Lisa's patterns: They're practical, easy to make, and error free. Our shop stocks lots of them. I've made this sweater before and was happy to make it again.

As I was working on it, I was thinking that it was a fairly masculine baby sweater.

But tonight I had a realization:

Would a teenage boy who was a real football player ever wear a pale-yellow sweater with pale-blue stripes and little miniature footballs for buttons?

Not even a chance. This sweater--it is baby-baby all the way.

Vacation Knitting

Each year, Kevin and I save up for the whole year, pooling all our Christmas and birthday money, and we go to visit The Mouse for a week or two.


This year was extra fun because one of my brothers came along for the first part of our trip, and then we were with Kevin's family for the second part.

Every vacation has some memorable incident. My favorite moment of this year was at a dinner in Cinderella's castle. Cinderella taught us all to do the "princess pose." To do this, you are supposed to "clasp your hands together, then bring them up to your heart."

If you want to feel like one of Cinderella's ugly stepsisters, my suggestion is to wear your worst amusement-park clothes, go on Splash Mountain and get drenched, and then immediately have dinner where you pose directly next to a princess.

Trust me that no amount of princess posing on your part will help you look good in this situation:


But I love Disney.

I love the rides and the food. I love getting to walk for hours on end, with endless amusements around me (such as watching stressed-out families interact with each other).

Most of all, I love the knitting. Disney is knitting Nirvana. There is a lot of wait time for rides and shows, and I spend every bit of that time knitting. (Sixty minutes for Toy-Story Mania? Bring it on.) I have to be sure to pack just the right projects so as to be able to put them away quickly when it's our turn in line. And they have to be easy so I can still talk to people.

I probably get more knitting done at Disney than anywhere else. It truly is vacation for me.

In my last post, I had a few goals, which I was planning to meet while away. Let's see how those went, shall we?

Number 1 was to get Kevin's sweater joined at the sleeves and start knitting up to the shoulders. I did that. I will spare you the boring picture. My secret goal was to finish the entire sweater. I was thinking I would work on it on the car ride home, but that didn't happen. I had other priorities.

I also wanted to get my wimple to the point where I was just knitting around in stockinette. I did that. I think the wimple is cute. I'll keep working on it over the summer. It's at the point of grab and go to knit during movies, dinners with friends, etc.


I have to say that I never thought I'd want a wimple, but when I put it over my head the other day to test it, I took a strong liking to it. Apparently I have peasant blood running deep in my veins.

I wanted to finish the Noro Taiyo sweater. I'm just about there. I have half of one short sleeve left to knit, and half the hood to finish. It should be done soon--and the weather is perfect for it now, so I'm going to make this one a big push over the next week or so. In the meantime, here is one of those arty, angled shots of the fabric, so common in knitting blogs when projects are either secret or unfinished:



Unexpectedly, I did finish a sweater that wasn't on my list. This one is made from Araucania Pehuen, and it's comfortable and pretty. I like this yarn a lot. The colors are gorgeous. It was hard to choose, but I settled on blue.

That wonderful spring sweater weather I discovered last year--it's here!

Closing Ceremony

The Olympics are over: the torch has been extinguished. For several weeks, I have been working on my Olympic Knitting Goals. Like the last Olympics, my project gave me focus. Unlike the last one, I worked on more than one thing. So let's see what happened, shall we?

Project 1: Bulky Scarf

I am thrilled to report that I finished the scarf. I had already made a matching hat, so I am now officially warm and cozy in the cold. I finished this project first on account of the weather (and to get the garter stitch over with), and so far it has come in handy a couple of times.



Project 2: Pink Sweater

This project was done mainly while I was waiting in long lines at Disney two years ago. So while I was knitting, I wasn't at my most conscious. When I started to put the pieces together, that much was obvious.

But with a little help from the sewing machine and scissors....

.... I got everything fitting together. And in the end, I love this sweater. I can visualize wearing it a lot. It's warm and comfortable and cute:

When she took that picture, Kim asked me if that was my real smile.

Project 3: Wimple
See photo from last blog entry, then imagine 4 more rounds. Class got postponed. Motivation also got postponed, even though this project was on my list for the Olympics.

I have never claimed that anything about my personality had actual championship qualities.

Project 4: Kevin's Sweater
Although it was actually a day after the Closing Ceremonies, I am a flexible, motivated athlete and worked on this sweater last night. I therefore met my goal: I have the sleeves and the body long enough to join. When I have a few spare hours, I plan to put it all together. I have to admit that I'm pretty excited about getting this far. In the back of my mind, I have wanted to finish this sweater in 2010. I think I can do that now.

Here is a boring picture of the sleeves.


The sweater body is around here somewhere. (I "organized my projects" over the weekend.) Anyway, showing you a picture of the body along with the sleeves would not change the enthrallmentlessness of this picture.

Project 5: Taiyo Sweater

This was kind of a cheater project. I put it in so I could have something new and fresh to start, and have the excuse that I had to do it because it was part of the Knitting Olympics.

My goal was simply to start the sweater. I did that--and actually finished the back.

*****

This goal-setting stuff apparently works. So let's have another few goals for the next blog entry. Three projects is a great number to create that athletic focus:

(1) Join Kevin's blue sweater and begin knitting up the shoulders (but added, secret goal is to finish entire sweater).
(2) Get the wimple done past the lace.
(3) Finish Taiyo sweater.

Let the goals begin!

Knitting Olympics, Here I Come After All

Four years ago, the Yarn Harlot came up with the idea that knitters could form their own Knitting Olympics. What could be more perfect? You would get to watch great athletes every night on TV while you knit on your own challenging project. Her Knitting Olympics were to happen only every 4 years (winter games only), which would make the challenge more special. This is the year. Besides the Harlot's Olympics, Ravelry has unleased its own Ravelympics.

I did the Knitting Olympics 4 years ago, and it was a good thing for me. The lesson I learned: If I work on only one thing for 17 days, it makes incredible progress.

So I've been mulling over whether to participate this year. A few days ago, the ADD Knitter asked me what I was going to do. I told her that I couldn't muster up the enthusiasm. I have a number of things going, and I just didn't want to work on any one of them.

But at the same time, not so deep down, I kind of wanted to do it. It kept nagging at me.

Tonight, when I was teaching, we talked in class about the Knitting Olympics. During the course of that conversation, I wanted to join the Olympics more and more. Hey--I'm a knitter; I'm as much a sheep as anyone.

To make the whole thing work for me, I came up with an idea: I'm going to take all the projects that I have goals or subgoals for, and after stating specific goals (or subgoals), work on the projects. I won't feel obligated necessarily to finish everything, but I will feel obligated to work on my subgoals as stated. I can get behind that.

Here's what I've got going:

Project 1: Bulky Scarf

It is cold out right now. I don't have a scarf that I, myself, made. (Cobbler's children and all that.) I decided to make myself a scarf a few days ago. It's just garter stitch. That's all I wanted. I would like this scarf before it's not cold out. I'm about 1/3 of the way done. I think I could finish the scarf in 2 days. Beginning time: 17 days. Time remaining: 15 days.


Project 2: Pink Sweater

I knitted on this sweater all the way through Disney last year. Or was it 2 years ago? I don't remember. Anyway, it's a pink sweater. I like pink. The sleeves and back are done. The side fronts are done up to here:


I want to finish the two side fronts and then finish the sweater. It's on small needles. Estimated time: 3 days per side, 1 day for finishing. Time remaining: 8 days.

Project 3: Wimple
I started this project for a class I'm teaching. We had our first meeting tonight to start the lace part at the base. (A wimple is a knitted tube that serves as both a hat and scarf: you put around your neck and can pull up over your head.) I want to have the lace done and the Fair Isle part that comes next either done or at least started in time for the next class. Estimated knitting time: 4 days. Time remaining: 4 days.

Project 4: Kevin's Sweater

I bought the yarn for this project about 10 year ago. Kevin picked it out, so I know he likes the color. I kept trying over and over to design the sweater with fancy cables, but nothing was working.

I finally wised up and decided about a year (or two?) ago to make Kevin a very, very plain sweater. (He is a guy. That's all he wants anyway. What is the matter with women that we never figure this out?)

I want to finish Kevin's sweater in the year 2010. For my Olympics project, however, I want to knit up the body one more inch...

and the sleeves 1 1/2 more inches each....


...so I can join them and begin to work my way up toward the shoulders. It would be nice, but not necessary in my mind, to get the sweater done during the Olympics. It's on size 4 needles, so it does take a while to knit. Time estimate: 2 days to get body and sleeves done. Time remaining: 2 days.

Project 5: New Spring Sweater
I know it's snowing out and stuff, but in my mind, spring has arrived. So I am in the mood for a new spring sweater. I need to work on it to have any hope of wearing it this spring instead of next spring. I will therefore spend 2 days knitting on this sweater. OR, if I am motivated, I will instead spend those 2 days finishing Kevin's sweater . As I write this, I have a nagging, feeling that in the spirit of this Olympic thing, I should work on Kevin's sweater and try to finish it, but this feeling may not last. I reserve the right to remain flexible.


We'll see what happens.

Let the Games begin.