These are not resolutions. The post holds me accountable to myself, and serves as a reminder for what I would like to focus on for 2010. New Year's focus? That would also be accurate.
1. End the year with less yarn. That is easy math: Skeins used minus purchases should be a positive number. How do I count partial skeins without having to weigh and measure them? That will be a fair and arbitrary choice of estimated remaining yardage. Historically, this has been a very difficult reminder that I routinely ignore at fiber festivals.
2. Make things out of sock yarn other than socks. This is self-explanatory. Perhaps I should add that less sock yarn needs to float into this house from the Loopy Ewe and others.
3. Finish the Penny Straker vest/Grant Park pullover/Leilani cardigan. Non-negotiable. If these are not done by 12/31/2010, come flay me.
Did you notice that today's date is binary? 01.01.10
4. Finish the organizational nightmare that is my life. Getting there. Progress has been made in each of the last two years. I plan 1/2 hour per day of work on the project.
5. Lose the 8#/aerobic exercise at least 4 days per week/ yoga 2x per week. I already do weights.
6. Stick to the anti-inflammatory diet 75-90%. (Yes, I am realistic about stuff like this.)
7. Play with origami this year. I have the books, I have the paper. Make a crane or two.
8. Find a place to throw pottery. This is the least likely reminder to be finished by year's end. But I'm putting it out here to remind myself.
Chevron Love Mittens, Rhapsody in Blues in progress:
Nice yarn, fun pattern, good practice for my eventual Starmore or Jamieson. (Am I the last person to find out that AS is discontinuing her 3 ply yarns?)
The floats are looser and more consistent, but stitches at the start of the row are wonky at the junction between the first two needles. Add tension issues to that stitch being the start of the next round on the spiral. I tried switching to the HiyaHiya 12" circ, but think I need to go down to the 9". Ommmmm.
Swatching for the Bed and Breakfast Pullover was eye-opening for this knitter.
Classic Elite's Bazic (bottom) has a thick and thin ply structure that does nothing good for ribbing at this gauge. Rowan Cashsoft Bulky (middle) and Webs Northampton Bulky (top) looked too bulky. Duh. I COULD get away with wearing this even if I don't lose the 8 pounds. But as preference rears its sleek head, I can't picture me stylin' in a bulky yarn sweater. This was a relatively inexpensive lesson. Other people on Rav have knit it in Aurora 8, with the obvious gauge modifications. This gets bumped back in the queue, and Perl Grey's Jo comes forward.
Today is my fifth blogiversary. Amazing. You have added so much to my life, both virtual and real, far more than I ever imagined was possible when I hit "publish" on the first post. I hope I have given at least as much as I've received. Thank you for riding along with me!
Those all seem like great goals - realistic, yet with a lot of sense of accomplishment. I'm behind you 100%.
BTW, for what it's worth, A. Starmore has gotten rights back to Aran Knitting, I believe it is, so she is republishing that AND will be carrying a limited color range of her 3-plys after the summer (sometime in the summer). Just in case you need to add to the yarn-in column.
Posted by: Anne | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 11:03 AM
I love love love these reminders. Such a positive and realistic look on life. Here's to a great 2010.
Posted by: Amy | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 11:42 AM
It sounds like a great list, Laurie! Good luck with all of it!
Posted by: --Deb | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 11:46 AM
Happy blogiversary! I like your idea of 'reminders'.
Posted by: Cheryl S. | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 11:59 AM
Good goals! Sound very doable. And PS, there's a pottery place in Somerville I've heard a few people talking about -- will find out if you want more info.
Posted by: thea | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 12:18 PM
Knit a damn sweater for me! No more yammering about it. I have to just jump in an do it!
Posted by: Manise | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 01:01 PM
You have given at least as much as you have received. Thank you for blogging!
Posted by: kmkat | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 01:16 PM
Great goals. If you want help with #1 just send me all of your sock yarn. Especially the stuff you bought at Loopy Ewe.
Posted by: Carole | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 01:49 PM
Great! How about a sideways scarf for all of those partial skeins. I'll join you in #1. I'm on a yarn fast until SPA.
Posted by: Kathryn | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 02:34 PM
Oh my goodness...5 years of blogging? How wonderful!(My sixth is coming up-count me stunned).
This year I succeed in your #1 and#2 reminders. However, I didn't know about AS 3 plies, darn!
The one time I like magic loop is when doing color work. You might consider it and see how it works for you. Happy New Year, dear friend. Thank you for your friendship over what must be most of the 5 years you've been here.
Posted by: margene | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 06:08 PM
Jeez, sometimes I think we're channeling each other's thoughts. I've been planning on doing #1 and I've put a moratorium on buying sock yarn. I spent today organizing the nightmare that's my knitting area and I am bent on taking off more, sadly, than your 8 pounds. I'll pass on the pottery and the origami, but I do want to learn to make baskets.
Congratulations on your blogiversary, thank you for sharing bits of your life with us!
Posted by: Diane | Friday, January 01, 2010 at 09:25 PM
enjoyed reading your list. wishing you success, health and happiness this year!
Posted by: Barb | Saturday, January 02, 2010 at 07:36 AM
Agree on 'the less yarn than I start with.' Perhaps I should gather all the wool in the house and put it on a truck scale?
Have you tried knitting the mittens with the floats on the _outside_? It helps sometimes.
What do you mean 'finish your life?' (#4)
Posted by: Laura J | Saturday, January 02, 2010 at 09:13 AM
Happy Blogiversary! FWIW, Ishbel by Ysolda Teague looks great in sock yarn. I gifted my SiL w/ one for Xmas. Doesn't Julia do a great job w/ the Chevron Love? I keep bugging her for a sweater version (solid w/ the chevrons at the yoke.)
Posted by: LaurieG | Saturday, January 02, 2010 at 09:24 AM
Happy bloggiversary! It's such a pleasure to know you. I love your list of reminders.
Posted by: Norma | Saturday, January 02, 2010 at 09:25 AM
Happy Blogiversary! My NY reminders are much more vague and unformed than yours!
Mittens on a 9" circular. Ouch. That makes my hands hurt just to think about it. You need some nice dpns.
Posted by: Lorette | Saturday, January 02, 2010 at 04:28 PM
Happy Blog-o-versary! That's a great list of resolutions; you've inspired me to try something similar.
Posted by: Allison | Saturday, January 02, 2010 at 06:25 PM
Five years is a long time - half a decade sounds even longer. I will be joining you with number one. Before Christmas I rounded up all the yarn that wasn't sock or lace yarn and tidied it all into one spot. That was a bad idea as it now shows me how much I have. This year I need to spin less or knit and weave more.
Posted by: Caroline M | Sunday, January 03, 2010 at 03:12 PM
my daughter gave us all hand thrown bowls and a pitcher from her pottery class :-)
happy blogiversary!
Posted by: vanessa | Sunday, January 03, 2010 at 03:43 PM
Happy Blogiversary. Thanks for entertaining and sharing.
Linda
Posted by: Linda | Monday, January 04, 2010 at 11:00 AM
For a place to throw pottery, may I recommend Brookline Adult Ed? I have a fantastic friend who teaches pottery there.
(Courtney, of Folca box fame)
Posted by: cmeckardt | Monday, January 04, 2010 at 10:00 PM
New Year's focus. I love this. Stealing with nary a look back...
Posted by: DebbieB | Monday, January 04, 2010 at 11:54 PM
Great reminders! I would probably substitute the pottery for eating more fruits and vegetables even though those are different areas. Does skiing count as aerobic? How about a hooded scarf for using up sock yarn--closes the gap at the back of the neck?
Posted by: Melissa G | Tuesday, January 05, 2010 at 11:26 AM
Happy anniversary sunshine!
Posted by: Kim | Wednesday, January 06, 2010 at 01:56 PM
Hi,
How did the Holiday Challenge go? We had three people (that I know of in our group) finish it. I, on the other hand, have an appointment with the orthopedist in two weeks. I like your "reminders." I am so with you about doing something else with the sock yarn. I feel a bit off socks at the moment.
Posted by: Peg in Kensington, California | Thursday, January 07, 2010 at 02:31 PM
Ha. You gave me the image of you throwing pottery. Against a wall :-) I have actually done that, as my ex-stepfather is a potter and would sometimes terminate rejects with prejudice. And I have an origami book and paper (as well as one on making aerodynamically excellent paper jets). Somewhere. I recommend frogs; they're less classically elegant but there's a childishly-amusing way of making the bodies expand. I think you can use bigger paper to make water bombs, too. SOAR 2010 ;-)
Posted by: sarah | Monday, January 11, 2010 at 10:08 AM
gosh - and we just had two more binary days...
01.10.10 and 01.11.10 pretty amazing.
Happy 5th blogiversary! I think that this Augusr is my 5th year too (but I have to go and look to be certain)
Yup yup - make those cranes. It's good fortune you know.
Posted by: Teyani | Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Happy blogiversary!
Love your reminders. So much better than resolutions. (The last resolution I ever made was to make no more resolutions. Only one I was ever able to keep!)
(And will you shoot me if I tell you that I'm a potter, too? I learned as a teen (my dad built me a kick-wheel), and intermittently have had access to wheels over the years. Owning one again is on my "Someday" list.)
Posted by: gayle | Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 10:26 AM