Holiday Stashdown Challenge: Week 10

It's a week for checking in and updating how the Challenge is going!

Accomplishments- I know what I want to make for everyone-YAY!- I've finished a few projects, but nothing really for Christmas, more for the stashdown bit.
~I've found another pattern that I really want to try- over the weekend, I saw many of my relatives (on my mom's side) because my one aunt had a party, and my godmother had 2 books for me!! She found Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting and Encyclopedia of Crochet super cheap at a garage sale, and thought I would like them! One of my other aunts wanted to take a look, and found these socks that she thought were cute, so I'm planning to making 2 pair- one for her, and one for my godmother. (My godmother has mentioned mulitple times that she has cold feet more often than cold hands, so the fingerless gloves I was planning on making would not be appreciated as much)
~ Looking back at my stash list from Week 2, I can see that while I've gotten some of my stash reduced, I've also increased it in different places. My cotton stash has been decreased by a few skeins, but gained another cone. All but one skein of my KnitPicks Telemark has been used up, but I just purchased 4 skeins of Felici, 3 skeins of Shadow, and several skeins of Bare Sock. And I bought A LOT more Vanna's Choice yarn. (I also think I was lying a bit when it came to my stash- I have tons of recycled sweater yarn...)

My emptying drawer of cotton yarn!

Obstacles- LIFE- I know that seems a bit cliche, but life really has been getting in my way. My "out of the ordinary" post from last week will give you a bit of an idea, if you are curious. (Thank you to those who responded with kind and helpful words, we're still working it all out)

Starts- Mom's afghan (though I don't know if I want to put the time into something for someone that I am currently at odds with). T's scarf- I have the pattern picked out and everything, just need to wind up the yarn and print out the pattern.

Finishes- Country Blues afghan from the BAMCAL- I blogged about it several times last week, and posted the finish on Friday! I was super thrilled to be done, and after deliberation (and a variety of comments from all you lovely people) I've decided to keep it! I love blankets, and I had originally planned for this one to be mine, so I figured I might as well keep it. (and everyone in my family thought my color choices were weird)
And over 2 weeks ago (omg, I cannot believe its been that already) one of my closest friends got married, and I gifted to the happy couple a ripple afghan in their school colors. So another checked box :)

The remainder of the yarn from my Country Blues afghan and the MSU ripple

This Stashdown challenge has been helpful for me, in that I am constantly thinking about where to go next. I am a list maker, and constantly update what I think needs to get done every day/week/month. The past few weeks I have been switching between the need to prepare for the fall craft shows and my desire to get Christmas gifts done.

But I think, since the fall craft shows are first, I can definitely dedicate a bit more time to those projects. Which means turning out a bunch of scarves and hats in as short a time as possible. I'm still trying to break out of my craft show box and create more original pieces to sell, but I've found that people won't buy a one-of-a-kind item. So every time I make something, I try to make a similar item in a totally different color. Even so, I cannot guarantee that everything I make will sell, which is super disappointing because I put a lot of work into my craft show wares, and I wish people would appreciate them more.

Oops, I got off on a tangent and didn't stop. I think the point was that even with all my planning, I sometimes have no idea where to start, though I think I'm getting there. Right now, I have 2 shawl/scarf projects that I want to finish (for me) and then I will get cracking on more Christmas gifts.