Tuesday 1 June 2010

Simply dreadful weather - knitting goals

The weather is simply DREADFUL today! Raining heavily since early morning I fear its set in for the whole day. Which rather makes my plan for a brisk walk look decidedly unattractive. With luck it will brighten up and I shall look for a slot later on and take advantage of a swift round the block walk to get in my advised quota of 30mins walk am and pm as per instructions from the EP following my recent ablation for AF.

No.2.son has been brewing a head cold for the best part of a month within the family - HE has had it in full including earache and now both no.1.son and I are starting to feel it too. Typical as we launch into the better summer months, that we all come down with some dreadful annoying cold managing, as we have, to avoid them this past couple of winters! They arrive at the worst time - no.1.son is still in midst of important A Level exams and I am recovering and feeling decidedly dodgy without addition of a cold and dh is tremendously busy at work and under pressure of scrutiny at work with whisperings of "redundancy" hanging over their department generally.

With this in mind, its TIME I feel to look afresh at my craft goals and plan to start with KNITTING first!
I have three or four projects currently on the go :

  • Kai Mei sock 2 about half way through completion - if memory serves me right, I've stopped right bang at the TRICKY part and I shall need to concentrate hard to pick this one up but am resolved to getting around to it not least because I've done it once! with sock 1 so ought to be able to repeat it again?
  • Scottish Tweed lace scarf is three-parts complete! tempted as I am to abandon it due to summer I know that this will accompany my gloves in same yarn and complements perfectly my good winter coat and if I don't complete it SOON I'll either lose the pattern or the will to finish by next winter!
  • KSH shawl - I've been knitting this for ever! I love the pattern. I want to finish this. I can't seem to get INTO it sufficiently to just KNIT IT and get it over and done with. this disappoints me, but I've nearly complete it and to abandon it would be a waste not to mention a personal disappointment.
  • Plain socks on ML - not long to go, I am approaching the shaping for toes. I want to finish this for two reasons: firstly because I need to measure and wash and compare the socks in order to evaluate the usefulness of the "cheapie" sock yarn before committing to future projects the rest of my stash! and secondly because I just LOVE the technique of ML'ing two socks and am keen to try it out with a more ambitious pattern than just plain st st! (and I've run out of needles given the other one currently has Kai Mei on it!)
  • Rowan Calmer cardigan - I've nearly complete this! just need to sew it up and finish the knitted hem. This is my priority. I've decided! I need to finish this as its fantastically wearable at the moment! I love the pattern and the yarn and will take pics of progress and blog again in due course.
Additionally, I am keen to progress with my crochet. I need to find a proper project and just get on with it! I thought I'd start with some accessories and have a crochet book with ideas that incorporate beading too. I will blog that too.

Temporarily I have decided to abandon Portree and the fairisle goal. I need to get other more established knits finished and as I've only started the hem and not quite started the exciting bit of the fairisle, I shall put that aside for now. But this is just temporary! (remind me of this if you like, later!).

My very sensible and lovely PT'ist advises that DISTRACTION works best in coping with pain and recuperation, and with her other piece of sensible advice too, of little and often every day NOT one mad rush to do EVERYTHING in one go, I am aiming to spend a bit of time working a balance of domestic stuff and crafty stuff inbetween "resting" and recuperating.

I'd love to hear how others manage to balance their goals.

1 comment:

Jules said...

I balance my time with bargaining with myself. Do chores in the mornings, most of the afternoon off to watch/knit/surf the web etc.
And too I know if I dont do chores before lunch time, they are less likely to get done.:)
I'd love to see pics/pattern to Scottish shawl!!:)