Less is More

Less is more, I've been hearing that a lot lately. I haven't totally figured out what it means yet, but I'll get there. Meanwhile I've made some plans for January. I plan to work in 15 minute segments, very Flylady-esque, but it's a system that has worked for me in the past. A 15 minute segment keeps me from getting overwhelmed and crashing. It also fits in with my energy level right now.

Household goals:  Master bedroom
1. Declutter closet, dressers, dresser tops, banish piles o stuff
2. Move computer desk to the den to create sitting area
3. General cleaning-dust, dog and cat hair

Crafting goals: Knitting
1. 3 WiPs:  Gansey Socks, Knee-high Mandelbroit, and Mittens de
2. Organize my tools: Needles, hooks, darning needles, stitch markers, cable needles, notebooks, calculators...
3. 2 long term projects-FLS and Goldberry at Dusk

Personal goals
1. Make my bed every day
2. Walk for 30 minutes every day

And my priority for this week is to solve the missing camera battery issues because Pictures or it didn't happen is the rule!

It's a start.

What's on your plate this month?

Yakira

Playing Tourist

Okay, so maybe his parents don't think I'm certifiable. We had a blast, and I was having too much fun to drag my knitting out. The funny thing is I shlepped it with me, I had a sock and a scarf in my little canvas bag. I tucked my wallet, phone and keys inside and off we went. I didn't pull it out once. Weird, I know.

And yes, that is the Stellar Bamboo Lace Scarf on the right. I did a few more inches and had too many mistakes to keep going. I frogged it and started over. It's a quick and easy knit so I'm not worried about finishing it.

The left is a sock I started a month ago, almost finished it and then frogged it. It's my first attempt at a toe-up sock. I realized a few weeks later that I had made a mistake on the heel wraps. I couldn't understand why I had to YO while I was bringing the old YO and stitch pairs back into the sock. It didn't make sense to increase stitches while I was trying to decrease. Had I read the pattern all the way through... And so, I didn't follow the advice of another knitter. At any rate I kept going and almost got to the cuff (it was supposed to be a knee-high) when I realized that I had forgot to increase needle size (twice) in the lace pattern to accomodate my chunky calves. And neither of my older daughters have stick-like calves so I couldn't even give the finished socks to them.

Larry and I were watching some show about alternate and parallel universes on the History Channel when I started ripping the sock. He stared dumbfounded as I tucked the toe of the sock under my hip and started winding it back into a ball. I told him my alternate, and evil self made me do it. I just happen to agree with the advice of Grumperina and her five favorite techniques. As funny as it sounds, unabashed ripping can feel good. I know when I start that pattern again, or find a different pattern for that yarn that it will turn out better than expected.

So what did we do in the lovey city of Baltimore with Larry's folks? We wandered around Inner Harbor and then took the Water Taxi to Fort McHenry. For those of you who don't know Fort McHenry is where Francis Scott Key wrote the National Anthem.









We got lucky on our timing too. It was a fee free weekend and we could not have ordered better weather!





















I think the really exciting part was the fact that they had reenactors in the uniforms of soldiers of the war of 1812. I love that geeky kind of stuff. They even fired the cannons, well one anyway.














Only two of my kids came with us. After looking at the pictures the other three wish they had come too.

Yakira