goals

I've always loved goals. Even as a kid, I loved setting and acheiving them. Even if I wasn't successful, I was always trying. Whether knitting or chores, I'm forever making lists of what I want to have done, and become angry at myself if I am not successful.

Too bad I didn't fully reach them this time.

My goals this month were fairly simple. I had four:

1. Use up all 8 skeins of Bernat Softee Chunky
2. Use up my one skein of Bernat Baby Softee
3. Make eight squares for the Warm Up America campaign
4. Send out another 'knitting angel' package to my friend

It all sounded so simple when I wrote the list. I had 30 days; certainly I could finish it all by then. Yet here I am, lamenting that I did not. Where did it all go wrong? Perhaps a breakdown is in order.

1. Use up all 8 skeins of Bernat Softee Chunky? YES
You know when a knitter loves a type of yarn by how much is in their stash. While not my favorite, the Bernat brand does rank high up there. The problem was, I had no real use for it. Being really soft though, I thought that making it all into scarves might be a good idea.

I had thought originally to send them to a local shelter, yet none of the ones I spoke to needed scarves this time of year. I emailed the Scarves with a Purpose charity hoping they could use them, yet no one replied. I then turned to my fellow members of Crafting for a Cause, who suggested the Dulaan Project. After reading over the information, this seemed the best choice. They will be sent sometime next week.

2. Use up my one skein of Bernat Baby Softee? NO
I was so close on this one. I told myself that I would use my one skein of Bernat Baby Softee to make preemie baby bonnets. A friend of mine who is an intern at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati suggested sending them there. I contacted the women in charge of donations, and she agreed that they could use them. I thought that I could easily use up my one skein; it is one skein after all.

Except, the Baby Softee yarn is what's known as fingering weight. There's about 333 yards to a skein. After making 12 bonnets, I still have enough left over to make at least one more. I now have a new goal for May.

3. Make eight squares for the Warm Up America campaign? NO
Once again, I was so close. Warm Up America is an organization that collects blankets for various shelters. They also collect 7x9 inch squares which volunteers then make into blankets. A member at Crafting for a Cause offered to sew together any squares that fellow members make this year.

Once again, having two skeins of yarn for the project, I thought I could do it. Once again though, it just didn't happen. I suppose I will just have to up next month's total.

4. Send out another 'knitting angel' package to my friend? YES
When you talk about something long enough, eventually you attract some attention. Such is the case with knitting and various friends of mine. Over the past few months, there have been a growing few who have shown interest in learning.

To help, I've been sending what these friends now dub 'the knitting angel packages.' Inside is the knitting book I learned from, a binder of patterns and tips I've collected through the past year or so, and as many skeins of yarn and needles I can manage to shove into the box.

My latest 'victim' was a friend of mine who lives in Washington. I'm still waiting for the responce.

With that is my full list of goals for the month. Not a complete success, but a start I suppose. As the eve of another month comes and goes, it brings with it the dawn of yet another. What sort of goals will I set for May, and will I succeed in finishing them? Who really even knows.

pink yarn

Had you asked me two years if I would be excited to recieve yarn, I would have given you a look of confusion. Yarn? Think again.

Add in that it was pink yarn, and I would drop my mouth open in shock. Pink is just about my least favorite color, especially the bright neon kind. Even as a kid, I wouldn't wear it. The only way you'd catch some on me was if it was mixed in with other colors.

Now, fast forward to this weekend, as a lovely little parcel arrived in the mailbox. Inside was the yarn that I had ordered about two weeks ago from Ebay; Rowan Cotton Rope in cyclaman.

You guessed it; I'm completely excited beyond belief. At the risk of sounding like a fool, I nearly let out a yelp of joy when I saw it, and yes, ripped open the package right away to see it.

Also as I'm sure you all have imagined, the yarn is pink. Bright pink to be exact.

To explain, let me say these two points. First, this color was the least expensive available, by a whopping four dollars. Second... okay, there is no second. It was cheep, and I was blinded by that.

I do realize that a mass majority of people do not share in my excitement over yarn. If you think about it, yarn is one of those items in daily life that doesn't really recieve much attention. It's uses generally are for grade school craft projects and tieing things together. Mention how much one skein can run, some over $10 apiece, and you get blank stares of utter confusion.

The masses are right, the basic idea of any form of yarn craft, knitting included, does seem rather silly. To knit, one uses two sticks to put a bunch of yarn into a series of knots. That's it; nothing more to it on the surface. It also takes a long time to do. A simple scarf, for instance, usually takes me over two days.

So then, in the age of machines and advanced technology, why do it? See, it is more the idea behind the craft that pulls me into it. Each skein of yarn could be anything; a hat, a scarf, and sweater, or even a blanket. Such endless possibilies wrapped up in something so small.

So then, what is to become of the skeins from Ebay? I hate to say it, but you'll just have to wait and see.

starting point

Before I begin, want to take a moment to pause and reflect on what happened yesterday morning at Virginia Tech University. My thoughts and prayers, along with many of those in our nation, are with them all.

We all must start somewhere, or at least that's what I've been told. In that spirit, I've decided to sort out my inventory of yarn into a list.

• 2 skeins of Sugar & Cream cotton in sage green
• 1 skein of Red Heart in sage green
• 3 skeins of Bernat Softee Chunky (2 sea foam green, 1 pink)
• 2 skeins of Bernat Boa in peacock
• 2 skeins of Moda Dea Ticker Tape in monet
• 1 skein of Bernat Baby, color unknown
• 2 skein of Bernat Cotton Tots (1 mixed berries, 1 pink)
• 1 skein, divded into two small balls, of Cascade Quatro in jamacia
• 1 skein of Wool Ease in green heather

Not pictured: 2 skein of Bernat Baby Coordinates in pink, 3 skeins of Bernat Softee Chunky, and 2 skeins of Bernat Boa. All have been used already for projects.

With all this yarn, what is a knitter to do? To be honest, I'm not fully sure. I have ideas, but what will actually happen is anyone's guess.

One thing is for certain; I need to finish the scarf I promised my sister around Christmas. The top picture there shows it; the green item on the needles. It's about halfway finished at this point. I made the mistake of letting her decide what yarn she wanted, and sure enough she chose some of the thinnest yarn available, which means it will take longer.

I can't blame her fully. My lack of progress can also be blamed on my working on other projects. I decided at the beginning of the year that 2007 would be what is known as a 'destashing' year. What it means is that I am not buying any more yarn, with a few exceptions, until I have used up what I own now.

Good idea, right? To be honest, I was skeptical that I would be able to do it, just because I owned many skeins that I really no longer wanted. Most were sitting untouched for months.

Then I found a group called Crafting for a Cause, or 3000in2007. I was extremely touched by their mission statement, found towards the bottom of their information page. It reads:

"As of the end of 2006, approximately 3,000 US soldiers had died in the war for Iraq. There's a lot that you can say. There's a lot to cry about. But we feel that instead of adding more negativity to the world, we could do something great to honor those fallen soldiers."

The last sentance stresses something I really strive for in my life. I know for myself, it is so easy to get wrapped up in all the bad things that are happening. It's simple to get the 'I'm just one person' mentality. Yet, here is a chance to change that, even in some small way.

My appologies to my sister; that scarf of hers will have to wait a little while longer.

project... spectrum?

When you hear the phrase "project spectrum", what comes to mind? Some sci-fi movie perhaps? A strange Skittles advertisment plan?

Well, not exactly.

Started by Lolly, an online blogger, Project Spectrum is an eight-month open craft-along. The idea is for members to celebrate color around them through various projects. There are no set projects to work on each month. During each two-month span, though, there are set colors to work.

I first stumbled upon the project in early January. What attracted me to it was how open the idea is; no set projects, no certain amount one needs to finish, not even a set craft. The possibilies are endless. Maybe not, since my abilities in the arts contains knitting, photography, and some cooking.

Still, the ideas keep coming, and with it hopefully the postings here.