Hi, my name is Donita and I have personal & crafting goals. This year, my mantra is “More of what makes me happy.” I’m trying to choose my focus and hoping my mindset will follow.
Despite the 0, count them, ZERO sunny days we had in June, I’m still trying to enjoy the summer. Thankfully, most of my hobbies are available indoors, so our monsoon season hasn’t hampered that aspect of my life. The dogs are tired of walking with the hubs in the rain, but we can’t really do much about that. They would rather walk in the rain than stay cooped up.
So, my super broad goals were:
- Not yet hit by any vehicles
- Literally, living on a prayer here!
- Resolve both legal matters from the last time(s) vehicle(s) hit me
- Hopefully the second will go away soon. Any prayers, good karma, juju, you name it are accepted on this one!!
- Try yoga as the next phase of rehab from when vehicles hit me before
- Utter fail on this.
- Walk more
- Inherited the hubs’ FitBit when he upgraded. I’m not walking as much as I should be, but still more than I was! Not moving without pain yet, but slowly & surely…
- Knit more
- Check!
- Spin more
- Check check!
- Design more
- In May, I published the double knit designs that I used in the Avengers blanket. You can find them all here!
- Get current design ideas on paper & published
- A hat and a cowl and then maybe another cowl are on the horizon
As for the crafting goals, I made those a little more tangible for the year.
- 20,000 yards in FOs worked
- More sweaters in my sweater chest
- Fewer languishing UFOs
- More socks in my sock drawer
Here’s where I am:
9476 yards in FOs by June 30 – 47% to goal.
ETA: As of 7/9, I’m at 10,101! Right on track!
23 FOs!
(All the links lead back to my Ravelry project pages, where you can see info about the patterns, yarns, needles & mods I used.)
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| These socks accompanied me to the NCAAM BB Round 1 games, where I met another knitter! |
6 more pairs of socks! 10 for the year, but due to a knitting attack, only 9 were added to my sock drawer. The 10th pair went to live with my friend Melissa.
- Fork In The Road
- Ninja Chop!
- Won, Not Done!
- Vanilla Bean #6368
- Vanilla Socks #6366
- Spoilers , rehomed
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| I worked on these socks while attending a Franklin Habit class. Naturally, they are my new favorite socks. |
2 cowls and 1 hat:
- Zuzu’s Petals
- Swirling Cowl, from handspun
- Barley for my dad
3 shawls:
- Nuvem
- 22 Little Clouds from handspun!
My progress this last quarter was absolutely driven by Stash Dash 2015, hosted by The Knit Girllls. I’m over 4K of my 5K goal, so victory is within my reach!!
Speaking of handspun, I finished 5 spinning projects this quarter! I had a love-hate relationship with spinning this winter & wasn’t sure how much I was in love with it. After a rough week at work, I came home & just wanted to spin. My wheel was fighting me & the fiber wouldn’t draft and I may have threatened to throw my wheel into the fireplace and be done with it. When the hubs calmly asked what I would do with all the wool I’d acquired to spin, I quickly responded that’s what de-stash on Ravelry is for. He played his trump card then and challenged that I wouldn’t be able to sell that luscious, perfect gray merino… and he was right. Gretchen was saved (from the fireplace or equipment de-stash, whichever came first).
One session with the Spin Doctor at 614 knit studio, and I was back on the wagon. Changing how I thought about drafting just a little helped TREMENDOUSLY. (Also, watching and re-watching all those Judith MacKenzie DVDs I’ve been stashing every time Interweave has a sale hasn’t hurt either…) Since making a few small adjustments & quoting Judith like she’s Scripture, I’m starting to get the hang of this spinning thing.
Targhee x CVM/Bamboo, 8 oz. from Morro Fleece Works on eBay
BFL sample, 2 oz. from Willow Fairy Wool
BFL, 4 oz. from Fibernymph Dye Works
Polwarth/Silk, 4 oz. also from Fibernymph Dye Works – This fiber blend makes my heart SING!! Resisting not buying ALLLL the Polwarth/Silk I can find, now and forever.
BFL, SAL/KAL with The Knit Girllls & Three Waters Farm
If you want to see progress pics, follow me on Instagram @inagaddadonita – it’s mostly pictures of my knitting, spinning and sewing, my dogs, and things I love like tea, Lo-lo bars, my favorite hippie products, etc… And if that sounds like something you’d like to see, I’m your girl!
Donita Westman 