Happy New Year - 2011

Yes, I know, there's about 12 hours til the New Year but haven't we already started looking ahead? Don't we wonder what this new year will bring? We know that only the calendar changes yet we do entertain the notion of change and new beginnings.

This year passed unbelievably fast. I made resolutions for this year and I think it would be fitting on the last day of the year to review what I said I would do starting the first day of the year:

1. Don't buy any yarn unless it is to match up with yarn already in the stash which is being used immediately on a project.

I am giving myself a B- on this. For the most part, I stuck with that and stayed within the exception guidelines. But there were a couple of moments where I did not - like a couple of days ago when I was in Joann looking for buttons. I didn't find any buttons I liked better than the ones I had but I did notice Joann has redone their brand yarn and I saw the new Love Bug yarn (new to me) and I thought, 'Bridesmaid shawl' so I picked up a couple of skeins. Though the intention is honorable, that was not in the rules, so I score down a little.


2. Do projects which require the use of scrap yarn - such as squares or leaf patterns or learning how to make that darned elusive granny square.

Well, score a big whopping A on that one. Not only did I make several square afghans, I also made several granny square afghans. Didn't do a thing to harm the stash though.


3. Stay out of temptation's way by not going to yarn stores.

Flunked that big time. I've been in yarn stores more this year than any year past and I'm happy to break that rule. I said back then Melissa would laugh at me for making this resolution and would work towards my demise and in fact, she introduced us to a couple of new yarn stores this year - enabler to the core. She just can't help herself.

So the new resolutions for 2011:

Face my fears - I have a much greater fear of success than I do failure. Given my age, I really don't have that much time to live to my potential so starting today instead of waiting until the magical 1-1-11 gives me one more day to move forward.

Finish the books I'm writing and find an editor to look them over.

Kill the stash - a holdover from mid year this year and still worth doing. I would like to replace stash shopping with real fiber shopping when I start a project and given how fast I knit and crochet that could be a fun outing several times a month.

Get back into shape - hard to believe I was a high school and college athlete. Can't go way back there but can do way better than where I am now. No magic numbers - just improvement.

That's enough to keep me busy for more than a year, but I'm giving it a shot for the next 366.

Whether or not you make or break resolutions, I wish you every good thing in the coming year - the love and joy of family and friends, the appreciation of the laughter of children (yours or someone else's)the comfort of a warm bed and a good book. Warm and breezy summer days, the willingness to help someone in your community, the country and the world and the peace you desire in your soul.

This is the only 2011 we'll get - let's make it a great new year.

Leave Your Lights On

My drool of the day is this necklace by Amber Nicole Designs. Love the color. Love the design. Sigh. I need to be rich.

Mr. Honey has been on a go out to breakfast tear this week. We went out for breakfast twice. I remember my mother-in-law telling me something a long time ago. She was married twice (and engaged in her eighties!) and she used to be a homebody. She didn't want to go out or do things but in her second marriage that all changed and she said to me, "If your husband wants to go somewhere; go."

So, I went out to breakfast twice this week with my husband. During the second breakfast outing he wanted to know what I was going to do now that all the shows were over. First, I am waiting for the check to arrive from the last show so I can close out the folks who participated.

Second, I told him of my thoughts, idea, plans for 2011 and getting ready for January, February and March. I am working on a poncho for a kid: I am thinking towards outings with the little one (female) and thought a cute poncho might be a nice item. I am thinking I should embellish it with some sort of motif but I don't know what would go on the front of a poncho: puppy? heart? Then again, there's nothing wrong with something simple, elegant and plain. I know I will be pulling out the pom-pom maker and adding at least two of those. It should be a relatively quick knit. I started this one last night and I should be able to kick it out by tomorrow - it's for a two year old after all, how big can they be? I am thinking of making a version for Valentine's and St. Patrick's Days.

I started fleshing out the notes for the sermon on Sunday. Believe it or not, I am pretty shy so delivering a sermon is a difficult feat for me. I really love doing it but I love it more when it's done.

I hope this weekend before Christmas finds you ready for the holiday. Christmas Eve is one week from today. It will mark the 9th year of my father's passing. I have a portraits of my father and mother on the top of our china cabinet. They are young and they are beautiful and they are watching. They were beautiful even as they aged and they watched us as well. I do not believe that has ended. But I am saddened. I know next Friday will be a bustle of activity as we prepare for the Christmas Eve service so it's this moment in time I think of my dad and miss him.

I am going to work on the kiddie poncho and hopefully put the finishing touches on the sermon and kick out another page of the book. That will round out the day and begin the weekend quite nicely. This month is messing with my mind - it's the 17th but it's also the third Friday of the month - isn't that weird?

Rhapsody In Blue

This is my drool of the day. They are Antique Lace Earrings by Beyond Jewelry. Now that I had all my hairs cut, it gives me the chance to wear big earrings that make me feel great!

I ended the throw a few inches early because I just couldn't do it anymore. I was ready to move on. The truth is, I was ready to move on a couple of inches before I stopped it but kept going until it was at least the same size square. I could wrap it around me so it's not so bad and I'm looking at the photo thinking how lovely it is. What you don't see are the sequins I tied into the fringe. Peacock blue sequins in every eighth fringe. Happy with it I am.

But here's the thing. I know I said it was a stash buster and that I was noticing some skeins were getting smaller. I turned the lights out and I guess that meant it hooked up because it doesn't seem like I nicked the stash at all. I have a bag of blues.

The foundation for 2011 is being set. I won't be adding anything new to the shop until 2011 and I am pushing out the old items! Miss April doesn't understand why I am not content with having the clearance items. She doesn't get that I want the entire store to be new. I'm not sure either other than I want the slate as clean as possible. In order to make that happen, I am really discounting what's in the shop right now.

I sold about ten items during the show so I still have a good sized inventory that I would like to see go to good homes and I have two afghans ready to start the new year. I am looking in the pattern books for items that would be connected with January - March. So that would be some winter items, Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day and the beginning of the Easter season. Looking through the pattern book I noticed a scarf that I can do in red that would be a lovely, soft gift for Valentine's day. I'm thinking of adding heart charms on the edges. It's a lovely lace pattern and I think it would make a beautiful gift for a new girlfriend or someone who loves red. I'll show it to you when it's done.