More Monochrome

Working on a monochromatic afghan means I have to have something colorful and small on the side to relieve the "boredom". 

still having color problems

I'm making half the squares using the Sunny Spread pattern, but still am searching for a pattern for the other ten squares. Luckily, I have tons of time to finish. The debate is between going with all circular designed squares, or to have the others be more square. My top contenders are Spiky Circle, KISS-fist, or Cat's Claw. 

This week, I read a great post about taking better photos. As you can see from the above photo, I'm still working on some of the ideas--- I tried the "uniform" background (kind of), but obviously still need to work on it a bit. My biggest problem is my broken digital camera. I only had a point and shoot, but I dropped it on the beach over the summer while on vacation. And my iPhone takes fine pics during the day.... So a new camera investment may be in my future... We'll see. 

In other news, I'm likely to be staying in my current job, unless a middle school position opens at my home parish's school. My principal may be getting me into some Advanced Placement training this summer, and as that's something I've been interested in since high school, I'll be staying where I am for now. But my husband and I are looking at houses closer to my job, and we would love continued prayers in that area. 

Christ's Blessings,

Mary

Is this nesting?

Pulling things out of hibernation and finishing them is extremely rewarding. Over the past week, I have totally frogged a project and am on the verge of finishing another.

The overcast skies and dimly lit kitchen do not help my poor photography skills.

I have a feeling that this might be the extent of my pre-baby "nesting" that seems to happen to many people. I'm at 33 weeks, and living in a new apartment means there are lots of messes. Focusing on the crafting messes seems to work better for me, because I have control over those. 

So over the past week, I finally frogged my Stephanie's Wrap, which has been "in progress" for at least a year, if not longer. I love the simplicity of the stitches and the pop of fun with the striping, but I think I picked the wrong colors. Somewhere in my future is the time and motivation to make another one, but not today. 

My other "out of hibernation" project is a shallow triangular shawl. The end results are not my favorite, but I couldn't bear to frog another project and I really want to experiment more with the design. For me, the hardest part is deciding on a border. 

Actually, the really hard part for me is not crocheting and trying to get everything else settled. A few women from my church came over yesterday and helped with that- I have a clean bathroom now, which is wonderful! 

Reading a new book, but haven't gotten far enough to form an opinion. It's a WWII era historical fiction/romance. I do want to finish a few fun books this summer, and seeing as it's halfway over, I'm trying to get a good start with this one. (I'm dreading going back to the textbooks).

Joining Tami & Ginny today!

Thoughts on the Move

Of all the things I will miss about my first apartment, I think I will miss my library the most. In nice weather, it's barely just across the street. And while I'll be the first to admit that I haven't done as much reading over the past year as I normally do, there's something about a library being close that gives me comfort.

There is still a library close by, but we're going to be more in the city and less in the suburbs, so no pretty gardens to sit in outside the library.

Also, moving results in living rooms that look like this:

Yes, before you ask, the chair in the foreground is tipped over. Still. You'd think with 5 able bodied guys around, furniture would get fixed. But I digress. 

Tomorrow I may bike to my new library, and assess the change. We shall see. 

Longer Rows

I've reached a point in my current WIP where each row feels like an eternity, and the prospect of frogging is extremely daunting.

Long rows  and short rows

The first row of the final section. If I had worked this pattern all the way through the first time, my mishap might have been avoided. But at the time, I was content with the size of my shawl. This time around, part of my goal is using up yarn and with several hundred yards left of yarn, I really need to go on and complete the final section. I've learned that charts are a wonderful addition to a written pattern, but only helpful if you actually look at them. In my haste to keep moving, I misread the pattern (forgetting to look at the charts) and will be spending my afternoon frogging the last row. 

And of course, I only think to take picture in the evening, so the colors are out of whack. As I've mentioned before, I'm using three yarns for this pattern. 

The little bit of blue at the top of my photo is my start on the Hexy shawl in Knit Picks CotLin. To combat the tedium of the long rows, I started this shawl which has been on my list for a few weeks. This shawl stuck out to me because it had an interesting stitch pattern while also not being triangular. 

My reading has been intermittent, as this week E and I have been focusing on moving. The final day is Saturday, with a number of his work buddies coming over to help with the larger furniture. I'm really anxious about it, but I'm trusting that everything will get done in good time. 

Joining with Tami & Ginny!

Getting the Garden Started

Zinnias

Moving at the end of June means finally having a place for herbs and flowers and vegetables. My husband is a big believer in starting early, so we had seeds and pots and dirt way at the beginning of May. A week or so back, we planted everything. We started the vegetables in pots, but will transplant them in a few more weeks when they are bigger. The non-transplant plants are my flowers and herbs. I'm starting with rosemary, basil and oregano- two pots of each. My zinnias are in a longer window-sill type pot.

So far, three of four plants have sprouted. I'm really excited to have fresh herbs, and am hoping that they will do well. Luckily, they are not in my apartment, but rather outside at my in-laws. If I was keeping track of them day after day, I might over-water them, or over thin them, or generally hover in an unhealthy manner. When we finally move, it will be better, because the plants will be larger. 

Basil

If I can get my three herbs to make it through the summer, and keep them inside this winter, I may add a few more to the bunch. My mom grows both parsley and garlic, so I might branch out into non-food herbs and try lavender. I'm also thinking about lemon balm, simply because I like the smell. My maternal grandmother had this beautiful bay window in her kitchen where she kept African violets and cactus all year round. My dream is to replicate that some day, but not with all flowers. I'd like a combination of useful and pretty.

Oregano

Business as Usual

Something in my personality always seems to lead to many, many projects in progress. I've been really enjoying my sock blanket, but am very reluctant to use full skeins of yarn on the project. This leads to the pulling out of sock yarn for other various projects, in the hopes of having leftovers that can be added into the blanket. Also, I can sometimes find knitting tedious, as crochet is my first craft love, and I always come back to crocheting something.

Even with a weekend away at my parents', I barely had time to do any crafting. Baby registries, shopping with lil sister, sleeping, and other family shenanigans took up most of my time. It was nice though, to get out of my tiny apartment and see people.

The weather these days has been helping my mood a lot, though I'm still feeling tired- we haven't decided if it is work or the baby. Except for the last 2 days of rain, we've had a decent amount of sun and warmth, which I am really grateful for. I'm starting to ache for summer, which is only 6 weeks away now. Between now and the end of the school year, there are only 2 full proper weeks of school, where all five days there are classes. This week, we have field day on Friday, so while I still have to drive to work, I don't have to teach. The following week is our full week, then the next week has a half day to lengthen the Memorial Day weekend, with the following Monday off. Which leads to the last full week of school, then the three day week that ends school. It seems complicated and confusing at times, but it also helps put things into perspective . Can you tell I'm anxious for the end of the year? I will be honest and say that the school year has been rough, and there are no guarantees it will be better next year, but having a whole summer to prepare for it will be better than what I had coming into this year.

I just word-vomited.

Writing has always been therapeutic for me, and it's just been one of those years when I've been too quiet. Life isn't all sunshine and butterflies- it's real. I miss my old home, I miss the consistency of my days as a student. But I love my husband, my job, and establishing a new life. It may be a few more years before the turmoil of this life change dies down, but by then, I'm sure the next change will be coming. I need to remember to embrace it, trusting in God's plan for my life. Knowing that God has it all worked out and be comforting, but sometimes I need my little details filled in. Relax. Trust. Be at peace. 'Be not afraid'- St JPII

A Happy Finish

Not really true to color.

I finished my sister's birthday present this morning, with just the ends left to weave, and a light blocking if I have time. Seeing as she picked out the color & yarn, I'm really hoping she likes it. Working with Knit Picks Stroll was lovely- I have worked with similar before, but not the plain Jane Stroll. I have to find a place where I can capture the true color of the yarn; it is much richer in person. Also, my couch is not a good staging place. Nor is my iphone a fabulous camera when I need it to be (it takes great pictures when I dont need it to take great pictures).

 

New wardrobe in the first bedroom

Yesterday afternoon, E and I spent quite a bit of time assembling the above wardrobe. E was having a bit of trouble, but once two heads were involved, it came together fairly quickly. It looks great with the new paint too. Assembling this was one of the last steps in having the apartment move-in ready. My parents have a baby crib for us, which we are picking up this weekend, and after that, there is just a bit of cleaning left. We won't start moving in earnest until after the school year is over, but we are getting there. (Also, I'm making new curtains.... Hopefully)

Again, colors don't work, though this does give you an idea.

My sock blanket is progressing slowly but surely. I came to the conclusion last night that this will most likely NOT be for the baby on the way. While I'm not big on gender colors, this blanket will definitely lean girl, based solely on my own personal choices of yarns that have pink and purple in them. There has been no firm decision yet, but I'm pretty sure even if this doesn't work for baby, it'll work for someone else another time. I have many other more neutral options open to me. 

 

I really enjoy the sock blanket as a project, though, more than I thought. A quick knit for me, though still not up to speed just yet. The project as a whole may take a while, but the little squares will come together fairly quickly. It makes me want to start another crochet block project.... But I shouldn't get ahead of myself.

 

It's a happy Friday today, for me at least. Many things are getting finshed- both cleaning and crafting, we celebrate the sacrifice of Christ through his crucifixion, and Sunday we celebrate his rising from the dead. Overall, a good way to end the week.

Socks and Needles and Birthdays

This week, I actually have more of a variety, as I am trying new things to make the best use of my stash. Confession: I love sock yarns. They come in such a wide range of colors, are nearly always machine wash and dry, and the skeins come in a size perfect for a quick project. Problem: I don't knit socks. I mainly crochet shawls and scarves, with a tiny bit of knitting thrown into the mix. So this new project is a bit out of my zone of comfort. I've started the Sock Yarn Blankie. So far, I'm going no where near the speed that the designer, Shelly Kang, says she went (20- 30 minutes per square), but I'm finding a small, extremely portable project something I need right now. And there is the more instant gratification part of the project too. I can knit one small square and still feel mostly accomplished.  

My selection of sock yarns at 6 am.

I'm not neglecting the crocheting front in any way, I'm just at the awkward, non-portable point of my current hooking project. My sister's birthday gift needs to be finished before the weekend, and I'm hoping to finish tonight after I get out of work. I'm really loving the Stroll for this project- extremely squishable! (See also-- I'm using sock yarn for crocheting. Again!) And the color really fits the name of the shawl- Shallow Waters. This really is one of my favorite shawl patterns- a soothing repetitive pattern, with excitement at the end with the border. My sister is more petite than I am, so I'm thinking only one or two more rows before moving on to the border. She will definitely wear this as a scarf too, so I dont need to worry about making it bigger for shawl purposes. 

A nearly completed gift

My younger sister's birthday is tomorrow, but due to drive time, work, appointments, and Holy Week services, I am not going to see her until Easter Sunday. Even though I hope to finish tonight, I do have a bit more wiggle room with this project. 

I'm still reading the Scott Hahn book from last week, as it is written to be read in bite-sized chunks. There is still the hope that I can find a good novel to read, but it would probably be better if I wait until summer.

On the moving front, my husband installed the new gas stove this weekend, so we are nearly at the point where the new apartment is livable. Also, all the old, junky, left-behind furniture has been removed, so we can really start to move in as we want to. The next few months will definitely be a time of slowly transferring the winter clothes, the unused books, and similar things out of our old apartment and into the new one. I will be grateful to be out of the old one, especially since we have a deadline (the lease expiring) for this move. Any later moves will be as gradual as the first-- slowly moving things to a new place (hopefully, God-willing, a new home) from the current place. 

Yarn-Along

WIP Wednesday

A Mostly Relaxing Wednesday

Multiple things in progress this week, especially since I am on spring break!

I'm hoping to use both of these yarns (and eat all the pretzels!) and get their projects started tonight. I've been hunting for the right pattern for my laceweight for a few days now. My hands are itching to start another project. The yellow bit is for a hat that needs a flower. So tonight it shall get a pretty yellow fluffy flower. My husband was giving me a list of color suggestions when I asked, most of them were just him goofing off, but when he called out yellow, and I knew I had yellow, etc, it worked out. He can be such a goof with colors, and usually is the one asking me for matching/color advice. And most times when I ask for color advice, I'm just looking for someone to give me a list of colors, and hope that eventually they will hit on the color I have in my head but can't verbalize.  

The moving and painting process is going well this week, though mostly it's been painting. Today we did a lot of moving of furniture, etc. Husband's siblings may be claiming some of the furniture, so we're hoping to begin moving more of ours in over the next few weeks. 

Itty bitty baby bump. Nearly 20 weeks now, and we had our first ultrasound. Fortunately for us, we picked the right color for the baby's room!!! (It was going to be blue no matter what, but we thought it was funny) So now I get to hunt for baby boy patterns! Any suggestions? There are so many cute girl things, but I find its more difficult to find boy things. So I will definitely need help. We have some friends who were team blue as soon as we found out we were pregnant, and we told them straight away. Todd has predicted gender correctly for the last 3 of his friends, so he was quite excited to know he was 4 for 4.

So, baby in progress :) I hope everyone has a Wednesday that was as exciting as ours :)

WIP Wednesday
Yarn-Along

Moving again- a much needed update

After prayer, discussion, and a very clear answer to our 'laying out the fleece', we are halting our house search and switching apartments.
In order for this to all make sense, you'll need to see a layout of my life since last May, in the simplest terms possible.

May
- College Graduation- the job search begins
July
- interview for two possible jobs, neither of them what I expected.
- offered two possible jobs
- take the full time teaching position, even though it was not what I had planned- not my subject, and further away from home than I had hoped, split between middle school and high school... the list goes on
August
- finish moving into new apartment (ish)
- got married
- left my hometown, my home, my family to my husband, in his town.
- honeymoon
- start teaching the day after we got back from our honeymoon
October
- husband takes volunteer fire department job on top of his other job
- my schools announce that the middle school is moving into the high school building for the next school year. My job goes from fairly secure to completely unknown.
December
- plans continue for school consolidation, everyone's job is still in murky territory
- we decide to start looking at houses
January
- we find out we're pregnant
- job looks slightly more secure- one of the principals really likes me as a teacher and person
- approved for a home loan
February
- the house we really liked came back on the market. We went through some informal inspections, etc, and put in an offer
- my in-laws kicked the tenant out of their upstairs apartment
March
- our offer on the house was completely refused- they had gotten a way better offer from someone else.
- we talk about husband going back to school in the fall for another (better) certification
- in-laws offer/we ask about the upstairs apartment.

We've decided to move into the apartment at my in-laws' house, which will be a huge change. However, we do feel that God is putting us in this place, and that we are working with his will. So cleaning and painting has commenced. And as soon as the last of the furniture is removed (stuff from previous tenants, etc) we will begin moving our own things slowly over. This, fortunately, will be a more relaxed move than we had planned on, simply because we are able to move as we feel like it is necessary. Things in our current apartment that aren't being used will get moved as we clean and paint.

All the changes can be both exciting and scary, but still so good. I'm getting ready for June, and the chaos that is all the time post spring break and the end of school.
As much as I loved my library job, I love my teaching job more. It's pretty typical for people to insult teachers, saying that they get the easy job, with summer vacation built in, but I'm pretty sure all those people would feel burnt out if they didn't get a vacation from the madness of pre-adolescents.

New Home WIP

While I have been working on some crocheting and knitting, this weekend I've been working on a piece of furniture for my/our new apartment!!!

There are no before pictures, just halfway to step one pictures. 

On the first day, I got to play with paint stripper, a power sander, and ended with really sore hands, arms, and back. Being liberal with paint stripper (not that I have experience) was difficult, and I ended up probably doing more work than necessary. 

All the white paint is gone, but still needs work!

Day two was work on the drawers, as well as paint that I missed on day one. I also put stain on the top (the only bit that is completely sanded and stripped of paint), which is helpful in motivating me to work harder on the other bits. 

The reason for this dresser makeover? Fiancé really dislikes painted furniture. It was in a little girls room, and it needed either a new coat of paint or a complete overhaul. I counted at least 4 layers of paint, plus the most recent color. If I slapped another coat of paint, it would've needed to be touched up the next time we moved. So I'm striping all the paint, sanding, staining, and then topping it with a coat of poly. It's a lot of work, but I enjoy it. 

Even though I've been busy with home projects, I do have some yarn to share!!!

Decorating my books: a scarf and a shawl

My stack of books increased yesterday, as I decided to pursue the historical fiction section on Amazon. I didn't expect to get them all at the same time. Titles, in case you can't read them: The Age of Ice, The Light between Oceans, The Kitchen House, and Red Templar. It Starts with Food is obviously not fiction, and I'm still working through it, a bit at a time. 

And here's a close up of my crocheting, Hitchin' a Ride. 

Lovely self-striping Felici!

Linking up with Tami & Ginny!

Still Here!

Over the past month or so, I've found myself on my laptop less and less. A new phone for my birthday and my borrowing of Fiance's tablet, both of which are way more portable, means I don't often sit in front of a screen with a proper keyboard. All of these things means less blogging.

But I'm still around. I'm checking out Yarn-Along, WIPW,  and FOF. I'm seeking a happy meduim, and hopefully I'll find it.

So for now, even if I'm not posting, I'm still around. Weddign preparations are getting even more busy than I had guessed, and with that comes moving and job searching. I just have to remember:

"For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Goal Setting

July Goals:

• Finish the knit poncho that I didn’t finish last month
• Make at least 5 craft show items (to beat last month’s total of 3)
• Start on commissioned hat
• Beat my dishcloth total from last month
• Use at least 2000 yards from stash (down from last month because I know I’ll be really busy this coming month and I dont want to be too optimistic)

I'm a planner. I've made these July goals to guide my crafting for the month, and they are a bit lighter than my normal monthly craft goals because I know the next 2 month will be busy. However, I find it is still worth it. I just need to hold myself more accountable to checking back every once in a while to make sure I am staying on track.

June In: + 2618
June Out: -3448
June Total: -830 (not as good overall as previous months)

I love my stash of yarn, but I don't want to move it all. So the idea is to use up as much as I can, and start fresh in my new apartment. Hopefully it will work.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

Weekends and Time off.

The kiddos

running ahead

sibling love

beautiful sunshine

More Sibling Love

Japanese yumminess

It's not til the end of my Spring break that I get out and about. I spent some time with my cousin and her kiddos, because we are both on break right after Easter. Her family is so much fun to be around. E and I had to meet with the priest, and his church is just down the road from my cousin's house, so I like stopping over there when we meet with him. E & I went with T and the kiddos to the park after our meeting. It was quite the adventure. Being out in the sun was just lovely. 

T's two girls are going to be in the wedding, and the younger one, A, is super shy. So E & I spent some time trying to get her comfortable when we were out. She warms up very slowly, and I think having E around made her quiet, even though she contentedly walked with us and held my hand. 

That evening, E wanted to take me out to a nice dinner, so we had Japanese. It was one of those restaurants where they cook everything in front of you, and it's a bit of a show. Definitely a fun experience. 

And now I'm spending the rest of the weekend finishing up a unit plan for my student teaching, and preparing to go back to school. I love teaching, but I'm so glad that the tedious stuff (paperwork, etc) will be done in 2 weeks. And then GRADUATION! WOO!

Also, there are slow preparations for moving out of the house-- 6 boxes of stuff went to E's house (because his parents have the space, and we're planning on living in his town instead of mine) and there's another stack to go already. About 4 months left to go!

slow but steady progress

As the end of my student teaching draws near, I get busy with wedding plans and house-cleaning. It should be properly called room-cleaning, but you get the idea. I spent a good few hours in my room on Sunday, sorting through piles and attempting to weed things out. I filled a decent sized bag with clothes and other miscellaneous items to be donated, and filled the wastebasket and had a stack of recycling. It feels good to move things around and out.

Listening to Chronicles of Narnia on audiobook still-- I just finished Prince Caspian and started Voyage of the Dawn Treader over the weekend. Listening gives me time to crochet, and I worked through another skein of Lion Brand Homespun, making my Giant Granny blanket almost half the size of my twin bed. I'm mixing it up, project-wise, though mainly sticking to crochet, as it uses up more yarn (And I knit SO slowly!)

4 skeins of LB Homespun so far

 Sunday evening found me in front of the TV with my mom & sister, watching Once Upon a Time. I've missed so much of that show that I'm not quite sure what's happening, but it's entertaining at least. That was followed by an episode of Sherlock. Both shows gave me plenty of time to sort out a slouchy hat! I've seen a number of different ones on Rav, but I figured that I knew what I wanted so should just make it up.  After frogging several times, I came up with something I liked. And stayed up way too late finishing it. And wore it to school Monday morning, even though it still needed an end woven in. I'm going to test it in a few different yarn weights before thinking about publishing it. (IF I publish it...)

My ears are warm!!

 I feel like I am finally making a dent in my stash, as somehow, my room feels more organized. We'll see if it stays this way.

Four Day Weekend

I have just totally lucked out with my student teaching placement. Two snow days on either end of my weekend!! This should mean that I am super prepared for the rest of my week at school... But I'm partly prepared, is that enough? I sure hope so.

With all this free time, I've been able to plan for both classes I am teaching this week, 11th grade government and 6th grade Social Studies. I love my 6th graders quite a bit. They still aren't quite teenagers, but they aren't little kids any more either. Because I am able to see the difference in middle school and high school every day I go in, I am most definitely leaning more toward teaching middle school, or at least the lower grades of high school.



But enough about my teaching. I have had some time to knit and crochet this weekend. I started the weekend off strong by finishing my Snowdrop! Friday night, during our weekly viewing of CSI: NY, I reached the end of my yarn. Toward the end, I thought I would never see the end of the yarn. But I did!

Throughout the weekend, I made other attempts to finish some of my long-term projects, and while I did not succeed, I still made headway on them.


in the picture above, you can see the purple-pink of my knitted Citron, my first big lace project that has been on the needles since January 2012. Underneath it is a knitted poncho, in Knit Picks Bare Stroll (Superwash wool & Nylon). The poncho is a commissioned item for a friend, paid for and everything. The pattern, which the recipient picked out, calls for 18 or so "wedges". Over the weekend, I started on the 3rd. Both of these projects need to get out of my room in FO form before I move out in July/August. So I do have a deadline for them, and with the way I've been knitting this weekend, I seriously hope I can have them both done before the end of the school year.

All in all, my four day weekend has been productive. I'm hoping to make more throughout today, but we shall see.

An Update from the Weekend

An increase in my stash occurred this weekend. It wasn't anything terribly excited, just more Homespun yarn for the infinity scarves I sell at craft shows. But, it was an incredible sale, and a few colors that I haven't used before.

Being on vacation from school for 2 weeks is nice, as I am able to finish up Christmas gifts and mix in a few "work" crochet projects too. I've also been cleaning, and managed to get rid of a large bag of stuff, just because it was NOT going to get used, and I did not want to move it into another space in 8 months time. Lots of stuff is disappearing due to that reasoning, and E totally supports it. However, he did come to the conclusion this weekend that I actually don't have as much stuff as I think I do.

Speaking of this weekend, E was here for the day on Saturday. We got our Christmas tree (with my parents), and then ran some Christmas and wedding errands. My mom wanted some sugar cookies decorated, so we helped with that too. We tackled more books after that, and I have regained some of my closet space. He took a large box home with him (we are planning on living in his hometown) and I took two bags to the library.

                                            

Sunday after Mass, I cooked some breakfast before heading down to my cousin's for the day. Her two girls are going to be the flower girls in my wedding, and we wanted to try on dresses. David's Bridal adventure! (Looking at dresses was marred by my frustration in searching for the perfect shoe. They advertise a nice pair online, but apparently are discontinuing it. What I can't understand is why they don't make a comfortable, attractive shoe with proper support. Oh well. Rant over) 

The darker blue is the color I am using

On the chance that we might find something cheaper  else at the mall, we spent a bit of there too. Nothing at all. Actually, we found this dress at Justice, but the color combo was just slightly wrong (we needed a blue base, not a pink base)

Monday, Mom & I ran errands, and then I wrapped gifts. The tree was put up, and some decorating has occurred.

Thinking about the Future

It's  December, and I'm thinking of goals for the new year. Right now, I live with my parents, in the room I grew up in. It's tiny, and my yarn overwhelms me. But in less than 9 months, I will be moving into a new apartment with my new husband!!! However, I don't really want to start married life with a whole slew of WIPs and lots of yarn that I will never use.

I really want to get a head start on my craft show stock, something that I NEVER do. Let's face it, we all have goals that we never follow through on, or that remain incomplete for a while. Truly, I want to make it a goal to get through all of my Lion Brand Homespun yarn before I move out of the house. I definitely need a count of how many skeins I have-- I bought 9 skeins a few weeks ago, but am not sure where that puts my grand total. It takes me about 3 hours to crochet an infinity scarf, and some days I've been able to make 3-- especially when I'm sitting through several hours of lecture. Though, without hours of lecture in the coming semester (*me* lecturing, instead of me sitting through someone else lecturing), and more hours of lesson planning, it might not be as easy as I want it to be.

However, I do plan on keeping track (to the best of my ability) of my "Cold Sheep" progress. I joined the Cold Sheep group on Ravelry, and they are an inspiring group. The Nov-Dec "Cold Sheep Along" is helping me keep track of my stash reduction. BUT, it's only been one week since I last bought yarn. At the beginning of this year, I stopped buying yarn, and I believe that lasted about 6 months. i'm not really sure if there is a best method to solve my yarn-buying problem, especially since I work fall craft shows.

So far, the best method I can think of to effectively reduce my stash and still build up my craft show merchandise supply is to stick to my yarn budget. Like, really stick to it. And to do that, I really need to watch sales and clip coupons. Even though the *really* good sales tend to happen around this time of year (especially on yarn) if I only buy yarn with Michael's and JoAnn's coupons-- which would be 2 skeins of yarn a week, at the most--I think I would be keeping under budget. And it's also a matter of knowing my stash, so I can buy yarn that will be the most helpful for my projects. (If you're wondering, my current yarn budget is about $10 a month-- but I'm also working minimum wage/part-time, and going to school).

A List-- because lists are easy to look at--

1. Use 250 yards a week (minimum)
2. Make one craft show item for every personal item
3. Make one afghan square for every skein of yarn finished
4. Keep within monthly yarn budget

I'm not sure if I do better when the goals are broader or narrower. (I shall re-assess in 3 months)