Some 2016 Yarn-Related Goals

I posted some de-stash goals in a Ravelry group earlier this year.  I'd been thinking about it more recently as I've been making progress on dishcloths.  I have other yarn related goals as well so I figured I'd share my list with you all here. :)

• Two major commitments at a time should be my limit this year:
• 1) the MKAL I’m running [still in progress]
• 2) my pet ferret'€™s health [done!]
• 3) Working on next pattern
• Write at least 2 more patterns
• To try to use some of my current lovely yarns for my new pattern designs
• Spin enough of my stash to knit myself Awilda B.’s In Time and Space [starting combing]
• To start to sew together larger hexagons out of my itty bitty hexis for my the beekeeper’s quilt
• Continue to use up the excessive amount of acrylic yarn in my stash
• Make a stash of dishcloths out of my existing stash of dishcloth cotton [Current count is 4]

Is life going the way you thought it would?

A friend asked me a random question today. I felt moved to share my answer with all of you:
"Is life going the way you thought it would?"

I hadn't thought about it for quite a while but I immediately knew how to answer:
  
My life in general? Nope, not even close.  I thought I would be working full time at some graphic design place, living middle class.  Where am I actually?  I'm a full time homemaker taking care of my special-needs kids, homeschooling my oldest while my husband works very hard at a job that covers our basic needs.  Anything extra we have to work doubly hard at.  Both of us have tiny businesses that we are trying to get going so we can improve our situation.

Have I been disappointed in my life? Many times yes, many times no. 

What it comes down to is that God has a plan. I made my own wishful thinking as a kid:  "What do *I* want to do when I grow up?"  Instead I should have asked: "What does GOD want me to do?"  Once I stopped fighting his vision for my life it got a lot easier. :)  

Because this what me wants me to be: flexible, creative, a helper.

How can I be available to help people the way he wants me to if I'm busying working a 9-5 job?

He gives me the gift of learning. I can pick things up pretty quickly and learn entirely new skills. If I was well-off would I have practice being so resourceful?

As for helping; he gave me a heart to help others. Sure I get hurt a lot, but I also gain huge satisfaction and love by building relationships with others. smile emoticon




This is *my* journey that he has sent me on. Each of our journeys will be different.  Your
walk will look very different than mine.  They're supposed to!  Embrace the plan the Holy Spirit is whispering to you and you may find rich satisfaction and joy in your own life.

 

Sale!

Hello, everyone!  

I'm in a generous mood (not rare) and feeling un-modest (very rare.).   ;)  

I know my designs are fun and enjoyable otherwise I wouldn't have bothered making them.  lol  I have a high standard for myself and have included ALL the goodies in these patterns, including how-to videos on all the techniques required.

I want you to be able to join in the fun, too!  So to that end, I've made a code "LUCKYME" that will get you 25% off any/all of my patterns on Ravelry though St. Patrick's Day, March 17th.  

(This won't get you a discount on Etsy, though, sorry.)

I am half way through the MKAL for Stitch & Story: The Case of the Missing Yarn.  It is a mystery knit along like no other; there is an actual accompanying mystery story!  

Rachel's Cozy Knits & Designs on Ravelry

Catching Up to Date

In my last blog post I was talking about all the crazy things I had going on last year that overwhelmed me.  I left off at the end of August just as I was being buried alive in projects...

I have always loved September.  For me it represents so many new beginnings;  the first day of school, my birthday, it is even Jewish New Year though I've not particular celebrated it that way.  September 2015 was all about just getting through the next step, one little bit of progress over the mountain path, carefully as to not cause an avalanche.

Here's what I worked on month-by month:

September

Searched through lots of pattern books for ideas for my design

Hand knitted socks for my sister

Used Jamberry nail wraps to quit biting my nails

Started knitting socks for my daughter

Started spinning this SAPGAP yarn order

October

Working out pattern details

Finished my daughter's socks

Wrote, tested and published this hat pattern

Started socks for my son

Hand spun and mailed out all this yarn

November

Sewed box bags for a fiber festival

Sewed a special order bag and an new cube-sized bag

Hand spun and hand dyed this yarn

Hand knit this adorable dragon

Started a fund-raiser for my ferret's surgry

Finished writing the pattern, and got it test knit

Sent off my Geek-Swap package

December

Make custom-order slippers

Dyed wool

Sewed more bags

Sewed a different style bag

Designed new fiber graphics

Hand-combed LOTS of wool

Learned a new style of art-yarn

Dyed this wool

Went on vacation to visit my family!

January

Designed something I haven't revealed yet

Hand knit a skirt for my daughter

Made a custom order of two hats

Finished this SAPGAP art-yarn order

Finally finished my son's socks

Got my ferret her life-saving surgery

Started an MKAL for my latest pattern

Whew!  All that was tiring!  That gets us all caught up!  My husband is still on swing shift so I am still 99% a single parent.  However I am going to be careful as to not overload myself to *that* point again.  I am enjoying my freedom of sitting and enjoying an evening of MY choice instead of trying to keep up with that frantic pace.  I still have a lot to get done, but at a much more reasonable pace. :D  I have lots of exciting things to share with you!