Cast on all the things

All of a sudden I want to cast on all the things again.  The feeling is getting stronger.  I am fighting this urge because I don't want to add to Mount WIPmore.  The podcastors are enabling me again.  I want to join all the KALs and even do more projects then that.  I want to cast on a stuffy, a Hitofude, Greek Fire, Mystik Spiral socks, and the Angelus shawl.  Also, for September, I want to cast on the 3 in 1 sweater and a mama vertebrae.  Absolutely too much.  My plan is to finish the Fragile Heart shawl, keep working on the mystery shawl, and cast on the Angelus shawl.  The Angelus will use the last of the yarn I purchased last year at Fling.  That would be so awesome to have used all purchased yarn for last years knitting retreat before this year's retreat.  Then maybe I can cast on one of the sweaters in September.  Probably the mama vertebrae. 

I did actually cast on a new project that I finished within 2 days.  My son begged me to make a green pig ball (you know what I mean!)  So, I made that and I found the black bird that had been hibernating for 3 years and finshed that.  My son is so happy, because he now has a red bird, black bird, and a pig!  I am happy because I actually finished a very old project.

1) Diet - no progress
2) Exercise - no progress
3) Craft Room - I finished one hibernating project.
4) Proper Reward System - no progress

First goal, finish it or frog it. I finished a stuffy. I am now down to 26 hibernating projects!!  Can I make it to below 20 by the end of the year?

Additional: I have a plan for my own design.  Should I work on that instead of a sweater KAL?

Two at once

I am working on 2 different beaded lace shawls at the same time.  One is a mystery shawl with clues coming out every 2 weeks and the other is a KAL.  They are both projects that I cast on recently.  So, I am not working on any hibernating projects at this moment.  I am getting that vibe to cast on all the things again, but am successfully restraining myself.  I don't want to add anything more to Mount WIPmore.  Especially since I have brought it under 30!

1) Diet - no progress
2) Exercise - I purchased a bollywood dance workout and did it once.  I will do it again!
3) Craft Room - I finished one hibernating project.
4) Proper Reward System - no progress

First goal, finish it or frog it. I finished my Color Affection. I am now down to 27 hibernating projects!! 
Second goal, savings - I did a fresh start and things are okay.  I did end up spending half a month of buffer, though. :(  But, I am feeling good at where thing are at this moment.

Additional: Not sure I will have much spending money for Fall Fling.

Four in One

I finished four shawls in one month!  One of those shawls was started last year, but after a long period of no finished objects, I find it a great accomplishment.  I started a new shawl last week, but it is a mystery shawl, so the entire pattern is not out yet.  Instead of casting on new projects while waiting the next part of the pattern, I am working on my hibernating projects.  So happy!

I am down to 28 hibernating projects and 1 current project.  Yay for getting below 30!   

1) Diet - no progress
2) Exercise - no progress
3) Craft Room - I finished one hibernating project and decided to frog another. 
4) Proper Reward System - no progress

First goal, finish it or frog it. I finished my Daybreak and I am so happy with it.  I have decided to frog a different shawl because I lost interest in it last year and am still not happy with it.  I ended up frogging the gradient shawl that was hibernating because I was not entirely happy with and I could not figure out where I had left off in the pattern.  I did cast on the Mary Lennox but while I am waiting for each clue and I am working on hibernating projects.  Yay!

Second goal, savings - I am having to do a fresh start in YNAB and I seem to have lost half a month of buffer.  Very Sad.  I don't want to dwell on this.

Additional: Can I get to below 20 projects by the end of the year?

MonoKnitter?

This past month I have been pretending that I am a monogamous knitter.  I have cast on and completed 3 shawls.  Amazing what happens when you concentrate on one project at a time.  I have gone through my hibernating knitting project list and deleted some projects that I will not be finishing.  When I come across the project I shawl frog or trash it.  I am down to 31 knitting works in progress. 

1) Diet - no progress
2) Exercise - I actually started to walk a mile on the treadmill for at least 3 days a week, but surprise I have not walked this week.  I have been avoiding exercise again.
3) Craft Room - I frogged 2 projects that I came across that I had already deleted from Ravelry.  One was a pair of socks from STR Club 2012 using HRH and the other was a sweater that I changed my mind on.  I actually was able to use my sewing machine this past weekend.  I let my niece sew and now it is a mess again. 
4) Proper Reward System - no progress

First goal, finish it or frog it. I did not meet my goal from last time.  I did not finish the Daybreak as I went ahead and started and finished three different shawls.  I did frog 2 other projects and marked around 4 more for frogging when I come across them.  I am torn right now.  I finished a shawl and now I am wondering if I should finally cast on the Mary Lennox KAL lace shawl, or if I should actually finish a WIP.  The shawl I just finished was a gradient shawl and now I am tempted to find my gradient WIP and finish that.  I probably should do that.

Second goal, savings - no progress, in fact I have not updated my budget since before month end last month.  I am letting it get out of hand again.  At least we haven't been overspending.  I think.  How would we know?

Additional: expectations are unrealized resentments

Refresh - New Goals (Again..)

I just returned from the Stockinette Zombie's ZK2014 retreat.  This was greatly needed.  I had really gotten into a funk and needed a restart bad.  My craft room is a mess which is causing a big creative block.  I have way too many WIPs to count both in knitting and in quilting. 

I have 2 new large goals which I need to break down into smaller goals to work on them and not feel overwhelmed.  The first one which actually ecompasses a lot is to get off my anti-depresent.  I hate taking medication and really would like to stop taking one that seems to cause more issues than it is worth.  (I did need the medication, but I hate that I needed it.)  The 2nd goal is much more short term and less involved.  Me and my hubby are planning on taking an Ireland/England trip next year.

The Getting off Meds goal has 4 parts that I can think of right now: Diet, Exercise, Craft Room, and Proper Reward System.

1) Diet is self expanatory, but all goals should be S.M.A.R.T to work.  I will need to come back to this one. 
2) Exercise is another necessary one that I have issues with.  I live in one of those areas of the country that are known as for being fit.  Me and my hubby used to go hiking, but after we became the main care givers of his mother and had a child, we stopped doing these fun outdoor things.  Before I consider getting off the anti-depresent I need to have in place consistent exercise.  I am going to measure this as exercising at least 3 days a week.  I still need to come up with a plan to get there.
3) Craft Room has 2 areas of improvement that I can think of at the moment.  I need to organize the room so that I can actually work in there and find things that I need.  The other thing is I need to get through my massive amount of WIPs.  This room got out of hand because I kept packing, searching, and packing without ever organizing and now it is mess.
4) Proper Reward System is another necessary one that I have problems with.  I use food as a reward, or actually I have no impulse control when it comes to food or other purchases.  I need to figure out a way to control my impulses and create a reward system.

I will work on the 2 main goals each week and update where I am.

First goal, finish it or frog it.  I joined a Ravelry group called Finish Me!  The first project I am working on is the Daybreak by Stephen West.  I started this project in July 2013.  I purchased 2 skeins of Seda Sock (50% Merino, 50% Silk) in Shiney Penny and Storm at last year's ZK retreat from Grinning Gargoyle.  I just knew that they needed to be a 2 color shawl from Stephen West and since I had recently broken my previous Daybreak, that is what I decided to make.  I had only made it about 20 rows into the project when I switched to 2 mystery shawls and needed the needles.  I placed the project onto other smaller needles and it sat until I took it with me to ZK2014.  I am currently half way through the striping sequence!  I see Stephen West on July 9th and would like to at least have one of his WIPs of mine complete.  The goal is to finish and block the large size of the Daybreak shawl by July 9th.

Second goal, savings.  I started using YNAB in March and now after the extra spending at the retreat, I have to readjust all rainy day funds and make sure that we save enough money to be able to go Ireland/England next year.  We cannot fail at this.  We really need to take this trip.

Additional:
How does one choose what to place on a gravestone?  My MIL passed away last month and we are now faced with choosing a saying for her marker.  This is such a hard time for us.

Focus Switch

I was on such a sock kick, but now I feel myself slipping to the shawls again.  I have recently picked up my Color Affection, Rockefeller, and have cast on Daybreak and Chadwick.

I do not like my Color Affection.  I am really not liking the Nutmeg color which is the 2nd color.  I have decided to give it as a gift, because it is just not me.

I really like the pattern and will need to make one for me in the future with brighter colors. 

I would love to do the Kitman mystery shawl, but I don't have the yarn for it and I don't have the money for yarn right now.  We are fixing up our other house to get it rented.  (finger's crossed for more income)  Plus I have some wonderful yarn I just purchased at the Zombie Knitpocalypse that I should/want to use (daybreak and chadwick). 

However, Yarnivore is doing a Samwise KAL and Sock Bunny Knit & Fit is doing a sockapalooza that I really want to keep up with.

Maybe I will be able to juggle socks and shawls with a sweater ... oh my!

Long time coming

It has been a long time since I posted last and I have been missing the conversation with myself.  I fade when my depression gets overwhelming.  So, here I am starting over again. 

I have recently gone through a startitis problem with socks.  Coincidentally Sock Bunny Knit and Fit is having a sockstravaganza event going on, so it is good timing.  I have already finished 2 pairs, but I have six seven more to finish up.  I even just started the pair in the picture this past weekend.  They are Socks on a Plane by Laura of the Knitgirllls made with a yarn I have never seen before (Schoppel in Wunderkleckse), but am enjoying very much.  I am also using Sock Rockets, which I have not tried before either.  The project keeps getting stuck on the join, which I am not too pleased about, but they are nice needles otherwise.

My oldest pair on the needles was started last year in January.  They are my HRH socks from the STR Sock Club.  I am not sure what to do with them.  I don't remember where I left off.  Should I rip back on the started heel, change the heel, and finish them up, or should I try to continue with what I was doing?  I did buy buttons for them and would like to see them completed.

I have 12 completed projects so far this year.  I started off with a shawl thing, but now that I don't want to wear shawls at work anymore and 2 of my shawls have gotten holes, I have switched to a sock thing.  I do wear my socks now to work and I need more selection.  I also did 4 hats for someone else.  It looks like I got into a hat thing, but that was only 1 weekend.

This is my start again, I have some ideas that I need to flesh out first before I will mention them.  Hello world!