The other morning, I was inspired to grab some chunky, springy colored yarn and thick needles to make a scarf. Mind you, I live in southeast Texas, so we don't get many cold, scarf-wearing type days. I basically concentrated on that project only for a few hours-finished the skein, made a 30ish inch long keyhole scarf. Bonus-if needed, it can be worn as an earwarmer/head scarf too! My reasonably quick progress made me grab some worsted wool and size 7s to try and make a quick scarf for Christmas at Sea.
I forgot how long worsted takes to knit up.
Two hours in, 32 stitches across, I had 8 rows of garter stitch and 36 rows of a basketweave pattern. My progress at this point was something like 6 inches long. Slightly frustrated with my slow progress, I grabbed some smoother chunky yarn and size 10s to start a garter stitch scarf. I could at least pay attention to the tv with garter stitch...
Ninety minutes later-about 6 inches worth of scarf. Took 30 minutes less, but wasn't as...impressive. Was just kind of boring.
When I picked back up the needles today, I grabbed my green worsted basketweave scarf. Why? It was prettier. It was more interesting. It was going to take longer to finish, but it would be something I'd like to give more in the end.
Too many times, we find ourselves in situations where we want to finish something, but it looks like it'll take forever-there's no clear end in sight. No guarantee that the outcome will be as fantastic as we imagine in our heads. Craft projects, work projects, friendships, relationships. Sometimes we go a different route, hoping for faster, easier satisfaction...but it's not always as pretty as if we held on to the first vision. Had I just kept working on the green scarf, I'd be twice as far along than starting today with two 6 inch projects. So I'm trying to focus only on the green scarf. Much like I'm going to try and focus on the long-term benefit with friends or boyfriends. When I've jumped into relationships of any kind without really building a good foundation first, I've always been hurt. I had the quick satisfaction, but they weren't necessarily "pretty, scrapbook worthy" times to remember.
I want the "pretty, scrapbook worthy" memories. If that means fewer completed projects, so be it. Finished is better than perfect-and everyone has their different definition of "perfect". How about "happiness is better than perfect"? That's my aim now-just to be happy :)
*and hopefully with fewer half-started projects piled in the basket!*
Showing posts with label ramble. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramble. Show all posts
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
eBay is evil.
A necessary evil, however. Being a broke-college-kid-who-isn't-in-college-anymore, finding bargains are pretty important. Add in a desire to have "pretty things"-jerseys, fabrics, etc. Over half of my baseball jersey collection & almost all of my hockey sweaters are eBay purchases. Almost all of my fancy Moda fabrics are from eBay. I guess the key is knowing what your limit is...
Which I have pushed. Several times. Usually successfully. Barely.
I like to look at what charm packs, layer cakes, etc are available and for how much. I usually pounce on jellies & cakes that start around $20. I like lots of charm packs in one listing. (I noticed they only offer up to 3-guess because a 4th would basically be a cut up layer cake? Some lines aren't available in a cake at that time though...wish they'd offer an option to add a 4th.)
Uhh...where was I? Oh yes...shopping :)
I've found several lines that I'm trying to collect enough of to make actual bed sized quilts. I think I might have enough Chrysalis and Sugar Pop to work...need more retro Hello Betty and now I want Central Park. Basically all have some combo of teal, orange, brown-which I never thought I would like as a combo. Actually, it's a pretty grown up combo, if I do say so myself. Coming from someone who was *obsessed* with Bollywood type colors and wanted lots of orange, pink & acid green, I think this might be a step in the right direction!
...assuming I actually *finish* the quilts. and paint the walls. and either frame or remove my Brad Nowell poster that I've had for 15ish years. and make some new curtains.
It's not easy trying to find pretty fabrics on a tight ass budget. Maybe someday I'll actually have a job that pays me enough so I can buy what I want at full retail price. Knowing me, however-I'll still troll eBay, thinking that extra money can buy me more ;)
Which I have pushed. Several times. Usually successfully. Barely.
I like to look at what charm packs, layer cakes, etc are available and for how much. I usually pounce on jellies & cakes that start around $20. I like lots of charm packs in one listing. (I noticed they only offer up to 3-guess because a 4th would basically be a cut up layer cake? Some lines aren't available in a cake at that time though...wish they'd offer an option to add a 4th.)
Uhh...where was I? Oh yes...shopping :)
I've found several lines that I'm trying to collect enough of to make actual bed sized quilts. I think I might have enough Chrysalis and Sugar Pop to work...need more retro Hello Betty and now I want Central Park. Basically all have some combo of teal, orange, brown-which I never thought I would like as a combo. Actually, it's a pretty grown up combo, if I do say so myself. Coming from someone who was *obsessed* with Bollywood type colors and wanted lots of orange, pink & acid green, I think this might be a step in the right direction!
...assuming I actually *finish* the quilts. and paint the walls. and either frame or remove my Brad Nowell poster that I've had for 15ish years. and make some new curtains.
It's not easy trying to find pretty fabrics on a tight ass budget. Maybe someday I'll actually have a job that pays me enough so I can buy what I want at full retail price. Knowing me, however-I'll still troll eBay, thinking that extra money can buy me more ;)
Monday, June 13, 2011
*ahem* hi.
You know those random blogs that haven't been updated in months or years? I was one of those types of bloggers. Start a lil here, a lil there...ADD and out. I've been wanting to do a crafty blog for ages-it's just being consistent that kills me. Enthusiasm dies kinda quickly here. Too many shinies for distraction....
So once again-here I am.
This is going to be mostly sewing, knitting, crocheting...I'm going to have a separate one from my baseball and drawing/painting, since most of my subjects are baseball-related :P That hasn't branched into my fiber arts.
Well, not yet, anyways.
Later I'm going to *try* and make a list of my UFOs I'd like to finish. All sewing ones-yarn ones can just be frogged. I'm not really into yarn anymore, but I have so much of it, it would be a shame to just throw it away. I've called 4 people who might take donations...nope. Anyways, back to fabric.
I wish I could be a fabric snob.Drop $35 (each!) on jelly rolls or $100 on fat eighth packs. I see all the Moda lines, the Kaffes, etc. Considering my stash was started when I was a broke college student over 12 years ago, I can honestly say there is much more chain-store cotton in there than the fancy lines. I've cut down on my stockpiling (I LOVED when JoAnn's had 50% off of remnants that were already 50% off!) and I'm attempting to shop less often so I can buy those Modas that fascinate me. Maybe barely enough for a quilt, but they're MINE.
I need to learn how to make smaller projects. I can't keep thinking I should only make at least large lap sized quilts. Baby quilts are even hard for me-I always think they need to be larger because the kid will probably be 5 or 6 by time they get it ;) I just don't see the use of wall quilts, table toppers, etc. Maybe I will when I grow up. Someday.
Anyways...where was I?
I have several projects in photo boxes (which BTW, are AWESOME for storing projects! They're pretty too-I usually stock up when they're 3/$5 at Michael's. I just cut a piece of card to label the front with what's inside. Currently I have about 15 (...yikes), and that's not including the UFOs that are in plastic bags still...
I'm scared, y'all. Maybe writing this at 3am wasn't such a great idea. Going to have fabric-filled nightmares of being drowned in dots and stripes and brights. Actually, that might be a kind of awesome dream.
So anyways, hello and welcome to my rambly world. I have 3 charm packs of Hoopla to fondle and figure out what I'm doing with them. I cut up a layer cake (which I thought was Frolic, but it's not-for the life of me, I can't remember what line it is! D:) and I'm currently on my 3rd idea of what to do with the pieces. Thankfully, it was just cut into strips, so easy to keep reimagining. I think I settled on what to do with the layer cake-simply so I have a project done! Hoopla though...I don't know yet.
Notice how I kept rambling. I do that sometimes. Sometimes meaning a lot, but whatever.
Night! :D
So once again-here I am.
This is going to be mostly sewing, knitting, crocheting...I'm going to have a separate one from my baseball and drawing/painting, since most of my subjects are baseball-related :P That hasn't branched into my fiber arts.
Well, not yet, anyways.
Later I'm going to *try* and make a list of my UFOs I'd like to finish. All sewing ones-yarn ones can just be frogged. I'm not really into yarn anymore, but I have so much of it, it would be a shame to just throw it away. I've called 4 people who might take donations...nope. Anyways, back to fabric.
I wish I could be a fabric snob.Drop $35 (each!) on jelly rolls or $100 on fat eighth packs. I see all the Moda lines, the Kaffes, etc. Considering my stash was started when I was a broke college student over 12 years ago, I can honestly say there is much more chain-store cotton in there than the fancy lines. I've cut down on my stockpiling (I LOVED when JoAnn's had 50% off of remnants that were already 50% off!) and I'm attempting to shop less often so I can buy those Modas that fascinate me. Maybe barely enough for a quilt, but they're MINE.
I need to learn how to make smaller projects. I can't keep thinking I should only make at least large lap sized quilts. Baby quilts are even hard for me-I always think they need to be larger because the kid will probably be 5 or 6 by time they get it ;) I just don't see the use of wall quilts, table toppers, etc. Maybe I will when I grow up. Someday.
Anyways...where was I?
I have several projects in photo boxes (which BTW, are AWESOME for storing projects! They're pretty too-I usually stock up when they're 3/$5 at Michael's. I just cut a piece of card to label the front with what's inside. Currently I have about 15 (...yikes), and that's not including the UFOs that are in plastic bags still...
I'm scared, y'all. Maybe writing this at 3am wasn't such a great idea. Going to have fabric-filled nightmares of being drowned in dots and stripes and brights. Actually, that might be a kind of awesome dream.
So anyways, hello and welcome to my rambly world. I have 3 charm packs of Hoopla to fondle and figure out what I'm doing with them. I cut up a layer cake (which I thought was Frolic, but it's not-for the life of me, I can't remember what line it is! D:) and I'm currently on my 3rd idea of what to do with the pieces. Thankfully, it was just cut into strips, so easy to keep reimagining. I think I settled on what to do with the layer cake-simply so I have a project done! Hoopla though...I don't know yet.
Notice how I kept rambling. I do that sometimes. Sometimes meaning a lot, but whatever.
Night! :D
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