Plan for 2015 - The Year of 3s

2014 was a disappointing crafting year.

I gave up papercrafting and donated all of my supplies to a friend's mother and her crafting cronies.

I did a little bit of English paper piecing, but no major progress and I haven't touched it in 4 months.

I barely cross stitched. I had one finish at the beginning of February and nothing else is even close to being done.

I taught myself to knit in March and got terribly, horribly, irrevocably addicted. :)  My stash went from 0 to 60 in less than 9 months. I have finished 3 wash cloths, a doggie blanket, a cowl, and 2 hitchhiker shawlettes. Okay -- so this area of my crafting wasn't so disappointing after all.

I tried to get back into SALs and blog events this past year to encourage and motivate progress. It didn't work so well.

I've decided to try a new approach. Since I have a billion and one WIPs and am always itching to have even more starts, I need to find a way to concentrate and have a few finishes. So I proclaim 2015 to be

THE YEAR OF 3s. 

What this means is that I will only have 3 projects on the go in each of my crafty areas (cross stitching, knitting, and English paper piecing). Once I finish a project, then I can add in either a WIP or a new start in that crafty area.

Below are the projects I plan to work on and a pic of where they currently are at progress-wise.


My cross stitch projects for 2015 are:

Elizabeth (Mirabilia)

32 ct Silvery Skies lugana (Enchanting Lair), 2 over 2

DMC thread and Mill Hill beads

Started: Jan 9, 2012

Finished: ?

Stitchin' Pretty Waffles (Pattie Bennett)

18 ct eggshell monocanvas

DMC perle #5 in 311, 472, 3052, and Watercolours by Caron in 244 Olive Grove 

Started: Nov 2014

Finished: ?

Welcome (Kincavel Krosses)

18 ct white aida

Carrie's Creations in Pizzazz (silk) and DMC 3810

Started: Jan 14, 2012

Finished: ?

My knitting projects for 2015 are:

2x2 Ribbed for Pleasure Hat

Cascade Heritage Silk Paints in 9789 (green)

Needles: US size 2.5 (3.00 mm)

Started: September 14, 2014

Finished: ?

Toe-up stockinette sock with afterthought heel (no pattern)

String Theory Colorworks' Continuum (MCN) in Atom

Needles: US size 1 (2.25 mm)

Started: December 27, 2014

Finished: ?

Vortex Shawl

Knit Pick's Stroll Tonal in Summer Blooms

Needles: US size 6 (4.00 mm)

Started: December 12, 2014

Finished: ?

My English paper piecing projects for 2015 are:

Grandma's Garden Throw (variation)

 

Select fabrics from Batik Paradise collection by ConnectingThreads.com and 

random white and white-on-white fabric

Expected blanket size: 63" x 61"

hexie size: 1 1/4"

diamond size: 1 1/4"

triangle size: 1 1/4"

Started: June 14, 2013

Restarted: June 1, 2014

Finished: ?

6-point Stars Blanket

Fusions Mist by Robert Kaufman in Pear, Forest, Sable, & Ivory

Expected star size: 24" x 24"

Expected blanket size: 5' x 5'

 diamond size: 2"

Started: July 29, 2013

Finished: ?

Arrowtail Quilt

Indigo Patchwork collection by ConnectingThreads.com

Expected blanket size: 72" x 78"

45 degree diamond size: 4"

Started: (still cutting fabric)

Finished: ?

I'm planning to do a monthly review of Yo3 progress every month on the 20th. If you want to join in, let me know and I'll add a linky thingy on those posts, if not, I'll do it on my own.

I think a narrower focus will allow me to make more significant progress. Honestly though -- I freaking love my crafty time in whatever shape, size, or amount it comes in. Here's to a great crafty year in 2015!!

Reviewing, planning, and goal setting

2013 was not my best year. It had some major lows (like the passing of my mom) and not many highs. For some reason, I had the forethought to not get involved in any blogland activities this past year - no TUSAL, no WIPocalypse - and I rarely remembered to participate in IHSW (International Hermit & Stitch Weekends). I did a decent job keeping up with my own blogging except for the first few months after mom passed.

When you look at my goals for 2013, it looks like I did a really good job (even though several of the goals were add-ons throughout the year).

My goals for 2013 were:

• Complete 3 pages of Drama Queen 2 pages completed
• Finish Cirque des Carreaux DONE
• Finish Rules for Life DONE
• Start & finish Metamorphosis (mini blue) DONE
• Start & finish Frozen Flower DONE
• Start & finish Metamorphosis (fire) DONE
• Start & finish Birds of a Feather DONE
• Start & finish Metamorphosis (tone on tone blue) DONE
• Start Sunflower Bee STARTED
• Start Ciara Blue STARTED
• Start Baked Alaska STARTED
• Start Evening in the Park
• Finish Elizabeth

I managed to finish 13 stitchy projects and 2 crochet projects this year. There was a definite blue trend in my stitching in 2013 -- forshadowing perhaps? I was disappointed that I didn't manage to start Evening in the Park. I love this Chatelaine design and have had the materials for it all kitted up for months now.

For 2014, I've decided to join the Turtle Trot SAL hosted by BAP Attack. This SAL is intended to help make progress on some older projects. The rules are as follows:

1. You must have a blog, because you'll be posting links to it.

2. Pick 10 unfinished projects to work on.

3. Take a picture of them and make a blog post by the 10th of January.

4. Each month, by the 10th, post whatever progress pics you have.

5. Post a link to your progress post on BAP Attack's blog.

I'll post about my choices for this SAL in another post.

In general though, my goals for 2014 are:

• Finish 3 pages of Drama Queen
• Finish Elizabeth
• Finish Welcome
• Finish Wise Wisdom
• Start & finish Damask Square
• Start Eron the Wizard
• Start Evening in the Park
• Participate in "Turtle Trot SAL" each month

Here's hoping for a happier and stitchier New Year!