Resolution?

At the end of 2018, I guess I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the number of WIPs (work-in-progress) I had. So I took a picture, which didn't even include all of them. Between then and now I've tracked 32 projects that for various reasons weren't finished within the time frame I meant to finish them. It turns out 14 of them were started in 2018. I guess I was very ambitious that year. I also had two WIPs that were started pre-2018.

In the last three years, I've finished some of those WIPs along with who knows how many other projects that I started and finished in a more timely manner. And I've added more projects to the outstanding-WIP list.

I began 2022 with 19 WIPs. I still have the two pre-2018 projects, 7 of the ones I began in 2018, 2 from 2019, 2 from 2020 and 6 projects that I started in 2021 and didn't finish.

Of course, I did manage to finish one of them already. It was a Christmas present for one of my kids that was late, so I was motivated to get it done.

So I'm down to 18 past projects. Yesterday, someone asked me how long I've been crocheting and I had to think about it. Then I realized that in December 2022, it will be 20 years since I learned to crochet. That led to thinking about how one should celebrate 20 years of crocheting. I thought about neat things I'd like to make myself. Some of them are already on my WIP list. And then I realized that the biggest gift I could give myself to celebrate this milestone is to finish all these projects.

It seems impossible right now. It feels like that Julie & Julia movie where she decides to make all the recipes in a cookbook in a year. And I have less than a year at this point. At the same time it feels possible. Is that because it's the beginning of a new year and everything feels a little possible right now? Maybe I just have too much optimism. But I'm willing to attempt it.

Let's see how far this can go.

Miarly CAL Part 2

The van problems really impacted my ability to get yarn when I wanted. So it took a while for me to get what I needed to finish the first part of the CAL which was just 5 squares. It turns out that I made a mistake in the first four that no one but me will notice even though I corrected it in the last square.

 Then I moved on to Part 2 of the pattern which is a series of rows back and forth. They aren't complicated but somehow it took way more time than I thought it would. The designer was ill during part of the time that I was unable to continue and she pushed back the schedule of releases. So I'm not as far behind as I would have been.

The Not-Finished Update

I was hoping that today I could post that I had finished the first part of this Miarly CAL. Instead I ran out of the color of yarn I needed and since the HobbLobb is closed on Sundays, I'm stuck until Monday. Here's another really bad photo:

So close, yet so far.

Today was a pretty good day really. I didn't get nearly enough sleep last night and definitely at the wrong times. But I got up and did the first part of my morning routine, which is Bible reading. And then the second part of my routine, when I'm at my best self, is to do a chore of some kind. Saturday is aquarium cleaning day, and I did it right away which is a big victory for me since I tend to put it off as long as possible.

I've been working on slash procrastinating on a writing project that is basically my entire life story. I keep sitting down to work on it with pen and paper and I don't get very far into it before it's just overwhelming. This morning during my Bible time, I was impressed with the need to make some real progress. I had to wait my turn to use the computer, but I sat down and typed for about an hour. It was good, but also heavy.

Then I really needed to get outside and not think about it for a while. Luckily there was a big fun thing out at the lake. It really seems like I'm obsessed with the lake lately. I didn't get much crafting done out there, which was what I wanted to do, but I did get a nice walk taken. Maybe that will help with the sleeping tonight.

....it never really does, but I always hope it will.

Crafty

Well. I won't be winning any photography awards anytime soon. Maybe another time I'll post a picture that shows the colors more accurately.

So this pattern I'm working on is called the Miarly CAL. CAL stands for crochet along, it's a whole thing where the pattern is released in parts and all the people working on it will usually post their progress somewhere on the internet. So part one was released today. One of the fun parts of a CAL is deciding what colors you want to use. The designer used a couple of different color schemes, she called one Unicorn. So obviously I had to pick that one. It's a different brand of yarn so my options weren't exactly the same and I switched her two pinks and one purple to one pink and two purples.

I'm going to call it my purple unicorn Miarly. Designed by Katheryn Middleton, crocheted by me.

In December, I counted how many unfinished yarn projects I was ending the year with. I think it was 15, not counting the two that were in my backpack when it got stolen. (different story for another day). So far this year I've finished three of those projects and started a whole lot of other ones. Right now I'm semi-actively working on two other projects, so it's the perfect time to take on another one.

I may or may not have a slight problem.