Monday, September 14, 2009

I have a cunning plan...

Well, I'm working on one, anyhow. The rate I'm posting this year seems to be working out at one per season. Hopefully this become more, but this is not what I am referring to when I mention the plan. It's a stitching rotation. Before I elaborate, I will quickly update family news, so that you can read and move on, if you have no interest in my stitching & knitting.

We survived winter quite well-it was not that cold and quite wet- which was good. Kids continue to grow and do quite well at school. We had our house re roofed and insulated (note-not reinsulated, because we found when we got the bathroom renovated that we had NO insulation whatsoever-just the tin attached to the roof beams!!) which has made a huge improvement in the temperature in the house as well as markedly improving the look of the house. Last month we had the sad news that my Uncle Albie passed away. After a bit of juggling, I hitched a ride with my brother down to the SE and then over to Western Victoria for the funeral. It was a bit surreal at times as it ended up part of the trip with Mum, Dad, me and my brother & sister-just like old times?! It was also a bit strange catching up with other relatives that I haven't seen for 20-25 years. The summer holidays (gasp-so soon?) are starting to come to mind as we will be having Christmas lunch with my family here this year (and also those who don't live in Adelaide will stay with us). Early January Luke will be heading off to Jamboree for 2 weeks, and Ron's parent will take Caitlin on a mini holiday for 1 week of that time. This means that I will be child-free for 1 week of the school summer holidays. I'm not sure what we will do, but Ron & I plan to have a mini trip of our own.

Enough of the chit-chat, now to the stitching. I have recently felt my stitching mojo return-I don't think it has been fully back since I've recovered from my tendonitis in my elbow. Along with this urge to stitch, I have felt the need to get a rotation started. I have used one in the past, with some success, and want to get stuck into some old WIPs as well as a few new projects. I've rummaged amongst the WIPs and charts, and come up with a starting list. For my first run through of the list I will work on each project once, just to see how I feel with each project. I may possibly decide on a focus project (one that is worked on more than once each time through the list) or not-I will decide after the first run through. I may even ditch some projects (not really likely as I looked at all the WIPs and still like them). Because a lot of the projects (all right most of them) are on the large size, and none are close to being finished, I'm introducing a few smaller/simpler projects so that I will get some finishes in the near future. I've still got some Christmas ornaments to get done (have done 2 and have 2 that are partly done) because I will have exchanges later this year, as well as teacher presents, and I want to send off at least one to the Vic. bushfire families. I'm not sure how I will work this into the rotation-maybe one night a week until I'm caught up? For the rotation, I'm going to give the "min 5hrs/max 10 hrs" timing thing a go, and tweak it if need be. My plan is that I will take a picture before I start stitching on a piece, and then post again with the progress.
I am still knitting, and will continue to do so as it is handy when less concentration is needed, but I do find that I knit less in summer. Our local knitting group is still going and a few new people are attending, so at the very least I will knit there each week.
I think I will stop there, before this post just stretches on & on........ Off to stitch for a while is it quiet.

2 comments:

2paw said...

Glad to hear you re well and still here!! Sounds like an excellent crafting plan, My Lord!!!! I must instigate a cunning plan in order to get things finished too I think.

Anne S said...

Sounds like you've got a good plan together for your rotation! I've added your blog to my newsreader so I can keep up-to-date with the progress piccies :)

All this talk of rotations has made me decide to earnestly start mine back up again - as you say, when used in the past I got soooo much more stitching done! The XSers discussion thread has been really motivating!