The Final Push to 2013

First of all, Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you are enjoying the holiday season and it isn't too stressful for you.

This will probably be my final WIP post for the year. On Friday I sat down with my list of projects I have going and picked out some that I do want to finish for sure. As a sort of mini challenge, I set goals for each to have done by Christmas evening. We are only celebrating Monday night with Chad's family so the rest of the time is to ourselves.

I actually was going to post about this Friday but time got away from me. I have made good progress so far which makes me think I can get them done. Anything above and beyond the target is even better. Here are the projects getting my focus right now and where I want to be with them by Tuesday evening:

• Kaleidoscope quilt (yes, from that QAL last summer... 2011...): get the rows pieced. I have the blocks all done and a couple rows done. I do have to take the seam ripper to one because it doesn't line up quite right, but that's no big deal. That is the real reason I put this aside.
• Drunkard's Path quilt: block units are all pieced, now to get them sewn into blocks. I am about half way there.
• Loverly shawl: get up to row 111 (of 144). This will be done as I am already to row 107. They do take time as I have over 200 stitches on the needles (and growing) but I have faith I can push through. See photo of it below.
• Sundry shawl: I have 1 1/2 balls left and would like to get that half ball done. I may bring this with to Chad's sister's house to work on as it is a design I don't need the pattern in front of me to work on.
• Five by Five cowl: finish. (And I did!) I do still have to wash it and take photos.

If I finish all of these projects before the end of the month, I am going to work on the other WIPs from my 100 Day Hustle list. Only the WIPs, though as I do have projects on the list that aren't started. Otherwise, I can work on winding the yarn I will need for my January projects. The only exception is the test knit I volunteered for. Not sure if I will be doing it yet or not, but it is a sweater that needs to be done late January.

In an effort to get even more organized I have started utilizing two things: a planner and a notebook to track the yarn in my stash. I haven't used a planner in any other context than school, so it's a slow start to see how it will work for me. Right now, it is allowing me to have a list of what I want to work on each month. Having it on the computer isn't enough as I don't always have it on. The notebook for my yarn stash is a simple in and out tracker. This will tie into one goal I have for 2013 (which is not stash reduction, by the way) and it may be eye opening to see how much yarn I bring in and that I use each month. Skeins are marked in on the day I receive them and out when a projects comes off the needles. Leftover bits, even half a ball, are counted as a whole number. I like both new things so far and hope I can keep up with them.


I will be back after the holiday with some FO photos, a look back at my goals for 2012 and my goals for next year. See you soon!