Taking Stock and Binding Off

Don't worry, I'm not here to lay out all of my resolutions, crafty and non, for next year. Because I don't know what they are. The only one that I have firmly in my mind is to craft more.

Create more.

Do more.

With the recent flurry of needles around here, I may actually accomplish it.


However, I have a mountain of works-in-progress that I'm determined to get through next year. Determined, I tell you! So maybe that's my one resolution, to have all current WIPs finished sometime in 2011. I don't even have all of these listed at Ravelry because for some reason, I thought that if I laid it all out, I'd have to really face it, and maybe I wasn't ready to face it. But I am now. Please, cheer me on in finishing these languishing projects next year...


This wriggly and cushy thing that resembles a sea creature of some sort is (sigh) Girasole. It’s been on my needles, in one form or another, since 2008. I messed up at one point and had to frog it, I had to buy more slippery needles to continue working on it in comfort and a whole host of other excuses which I’m not going to go into here. Long story short: I need to finish!

Next up is sock #1 of a pair. Nothing fancy here, it’s been a wonderful traveling project…but again, my feet are cold, I need to finish.


Then there’s the stack of granny squares. I have nine to go before I have enough for the afghan I’m planning. Only nine. As you can see, I tend to lose steam once the end is in sight.


Is there more? You bet. There’s:

• My Modern Quilt Wrap, hanging around since 2007 (really, this is getting embarrassing)
• The Sienna Cardigan, waiting patiently for over two years now
• A Friendship Scarf
• A Lizard Ridge Afghan

Woo. This taking stock was cathartic. Now that I've laid it all out there, I think the accountability may help me work through all of these in the coming year. To help me out, I've created a Binding Off 2011 page (see tab above). I've listed all of these projects there and I'll be crossing them off as I complete them.

Want to play along? I've also created a button...

...and a code, which you can grab off the sidebar. Copy it, paste it on your own blog and we'll get all those unfinished projects finished, together. Plus, if you leave a comment on that page with a link to your blog, I'll make a list of participants and link to you from there. Every cheerleader helps!

Have a Happy (and safe) New Year -- see you on the other side!

Pin It Now!

Enough

Post-holiday thoughts, in light of our annual Christmas Eve family dinner and a house full of loved ones, old and new...

 

We've moved our fire adventures from the backyard fire pit to the indoor fireplace. Brrrr. I'm not crazy about our fireplace because our last home had a wood one, which I loved. The current one is gas, which I don't love. But, since that's the one thing about our home that I really don't care for, I'm trying to focus on everything else I like.

There was a time when I didn't exactly embrace this house. I kept thinking it was a pit stop before we moved into our real home, our big dream house. Then of course the real estate market took that drastic downturn, I began to read more about living simply and being in the moment, and things changed. I asked myself "Is this house big enough for our family as it is?" The answer is really yes. A big yes. It's not huge, it's not a McMansion by any means, but it's enough.

We have space to spread out and everyone has a place they can go if they have to get away from everyone else. It's not always easy; sometimes there's a body in the playroom when you don't want a body there. But on the flip side, especially now that everyone's on school break, there's almost always someone around if you want to play a game (or just move pieces around). 

 

Or have a cuddle. Or talk. (Or fight with, but that's another post for another day.)

I remember that my grandparents raised five children in a house smaller than mine and with only one bathroom(!). I see how close those children still are. And really, that's all I want for mine, that same closeness.

Since deciding that our home is enough, I've been much happier in it.

Pin It Now!

New Toys

My kids weren't the only ones who received new toys this Christmas. I got one, too.

As befits my beginner status (very beginner), it's not fancy, but I love it to pieces already. I practiced a lot yesterday, after reading through the manual and viewing the video that came with it. So my first practice stitches looked something like this...

 The back is even worse.  Seamstresses, you may want to look away.

But by the end of an hour (or two -- time really flew by), I think I made some progress. The back of my newer practice stitches weren't as horrible. Still not seamstress-worthy, but since I haven't touched a sewing machine in over twenty years, I guess they'll do for practice.

I hope Santa was good to all of you as well!

Pin It Now!

The Last-Minute Busies

I'm not even going to try and delude myself or you that I'll be here the rest of this week. There's simply too many last-minute things to take care of, big and small. (I know it's the same date every single year, so I'm not sure how I end up doing this exact same thing every year.)

However, we all have to find some peaceful moments in these last hurried days, so what I'm going to do, whenever I can snatch away some time, and what you should really try and do, too, is:

: : Roast a marshmallow or two
: : Read at least a chapter of a cozy book
: : Snuggle with whoever's closest
: : Catch a snowflake on your tongue (I can't do it, but I kind of envy all of you who can)
: : Soak in a warm bath surrounded by candles
: : Eat without worrying about calories or fat (holiday fudge is calorie-free)
: : Dance with someone...or all by yourself
: : Make something for yourself
: : Give yourself permission to have an imperfect Christmas

Last-minute hat for Dad

Merry Christmas, all!

Pin It Now!

Looking for Calm

It's starting. The Panic. I said I wouldn't panic, but it seems I'm being pulled into it anyway. What began as a small, simple gift-giving project bloomed into more. Much more. So a low-key day morphed into a harried one where I didn't even cook dinner, and everyone had to fend for themselves.

The good news is I finished these small gifts.

 

I found the Hot Cinnamon recipe here, but like one of the commenters there, I also found Peppermint Mocha creamer and made a batch of that, too. Everyone received one Hot Cinnamon and one Hot Peppermint, both of which I tested and loved. I played around with the Peppermint recipe and added more creamer than the other recipe calls for -- you get more peppermint flavor this way; I also cut back some on the sugar because I don't use sugar-free creamer. Or sugar-free anything, for that matter. Life's short -- eat well.

Hot Peppermint Mocha Mix (makes 1 quart)
2 cups powdered milk
1 1/2 cups Peppermint Mocha creamer
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Mix together. I made more than one batch, so I divided the mix between quite a few half-pint jars. Affix labels which read: To enjoy this yummy treat, add 1/2 cup hot water and 1/2 cup hot milk to 1/3 cup mix. (I omitted the plain water directions because as far as I'm concerned, the creamier, the better.) Tie on cinnamon sticks and peppermint sticks as desired and voila, quick and easy hot drink gifts.

The panic hasn't subsided, but at least I have something good to drink while I lose my mind.

Pin It Now!

A Creative Type

I've struggled this past year with creativity. There were many moments where I wanted to be doing something creative, but couldn't always work up the motivation to pull out paper or yarn or needles or a pattern. When I wasn't creating, I didn't feel satisfied, but I didn't take the steps to create -- that was one weird, vicious circle.

When I did finally sit down to knit or crochet, I still struggled because I felt that all I was doing was executing someone else's pattern; how was I being truly creative when I was only following directions?

Recently, I had an idea, an idea that I'd never have thought of two or three years ago. I tried to dismiss it, but it kept sticking around, swimming around in my mind and telling me to "do it." It bugged me during all hours of the day when I did other tasks, so I gave in and started on it.

There were plenty of starts and stops, ripping back and re-calculating, but eventually, the idea that started in my head gradually took shape. It had a form.

It's still a work in progress, and I haven't decided what I'll do with it in the end, but I'm enjoying the process.

 

Knowing that we often tend to be harder on ourselves than others, I also reminded myself that just because I follow directions and execute someone else's pattern, I'm still being creative. I'm still picking up sticks and string or hook and yarn and I'm making something out of it. It doesn't matter whether I follow someone else's direction or craft my own -- I'm still a creative type, just like you're a creative type. I guess I just don't want any other crafter out there to be too hard on herself like I was hard on myself. Between work and family and life and everything else, our creative time shouldn't be wrought with guilt, you know? Create when you can and enjoy it.

How do you define being creative for yourself?

Pin It Now!

{this moment}

Joining in with SouleMama: {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Pin It Now!

Nothing But Hats

 

I've been on a bit of a hat jag lately.

 

That's what happens when we get 30-degree weather in Florida.

 

All the hats I plan to make for now are done.

 

Just waiting on the models to do their bit.

Before knitting, I never knew there were other uses for dinner plates outside of dinner.

Pin It Now!

New Eyes

I don't like to admit this, especially since I do love Christmas, but sometimes it takes me a while to really get into the festive spirit. Maybe it's because I don't go Black Friday shopping and because I avoid the mall during the holiday season as much as possible -- I don't get caught up in all of the buying and that's fine with me. Weedinator and I have been having quieter Christmases these past few years, which is perfect for me.

Still, we have kids and I have to put on a smiley face for them when it's time to decorate the tree, right? We pulled out boxes of ornaments and garland and lights. This is probably the second year that our youngest has really understood more about the season and I was so thankful for that -- because his infectious happiness allowed me to look at those boxes full of ornaments and trinkets in a new light. Suddenly, these same holiday accessories weren't Old Hat anymore; I wasn't bored looking at them and wondering how long it was going to take to hang all these things.

Some have been around so long, I can't remember where they came from.

 

Others remind me of earlier times, when the older children were much younger, and still found it incredibly exciting to paint a face on a gingerbread man

 

or collect a ballerina from our annual excursion to The Nutcracker.

But probably the best moment, the one that made pulling out all those dusty boxes truly worth it, was the Dimpled One asking if he could put the snowflake ornament on the tree. He didn't just ask, he begged when he saw the snowflake in the box. He wanted the special honor of putting this plastic, inexpensive, non-sentimental ornament on the tree. And when we told him yes, he was soooo excited and happy to be able to hang it there all by himself.

Just like that, the non-special snowflake, which had no real meaning for me because none of the kids had made it or decorated it; it hadn't been passed down to me from anyone -- well, just then, it became special because new eyes looked at it and made it so.

I hope next year, it doesn't take a child begging to put a piece of plastic on the tree for me to see just how beautiful this entire season is.

Pin It Now!

Shifting

I'm not here to make excuses about where I've been for the past half-year; I don't like it when other bloggers feel obligated to explain themselves, as if we readers pay them or they owe us something, because they don't. However, I will tell you that over the past six months or so, I thought about whether or not I wanted to continue blogging here. I even checked out other blogging platforms, weighed pros and cons, actually tested a site out for a while, but in the end, you see where I ended up.

At a place that feels like home.

What I've learned these past months is that homes are made to be redefined. A baby's room becomes a toddler room; a toddler room turns into a young child's space; then a teen bedroom and afterward, when the nest is empty, perhaps Mom's craft room? A guest room? An entirely different space. Same room, but it serves a different purpose.

cozy's place started as a knitting blog, but like a room in my home, its purpose is changing --  slowly, subtly -- but definitely shifting. I still love to knit, but I love to do other things, too -- crochet, read, make cards, take pretty pictures, bake, write, run, play...and I wanted this place to shift with my changing needs. Rather than take up roots and move into an entirely new room, I'm redefining this one. I hope you don't mind.

It won't always be just about knitting (was it ever?). If you look at my new banner, you'll see my description "Finding Beauty in the Everyday" and that's my "room's" current focus. Whether that Beauty is to be found in a quiet cup of coffee, a knitted hat, my garden's tomatoes, my kitty's paws, my children's hands, or a tiny glimpse of new discoveries -- I'm determined to find it. And share with you.

Pin It Now!