My Creative Space: Winter Stitching

Posted on by Laura

After getting back from the Knitting and Stitching show with my stash a little increased, I decided to dig out all my works in progress in the hope of getting some of them finished.

Er.

That didn’t really go so well. Mostly I just felt completely overwhelmed and cross at myself for my terrible startitis. My original thought was not to start anything else until I’d finished everything here, but I know from experience that doesn’t really work for me. I’m an impulsive, instinctive crafter, and if I don’t want to work on a project, then I just won’t.

I had a half-formed plan in mind when Sarah’s post popped up in my GReader. And I knew what I wanted to do.

FairyFace Designs

Clicking the picture or the link here will take you over to Fairy Face Designs for the link party.

I’ve actually drawn up a plan through to the end of 2012. I’ve set myself a few basic guidelines:
~ Each month in 2012, I will work on 1 crochet, 1 quilting and 1 sewing project.
~ If I finish any of them, I can start another in the same category either from my ‘wishlist’ or from another month, replacing the stolen project with something from my wishlist!
~ If I don’t finish a project within the month, I can carry it into the next.
~ If I really don’t fancy a project one month, I can swap it with a project from another.
~ NO SHOPPING apart from for listed projects. Buying supplies to finish a project is fine. Stash busting 2012 will be a go as of January.

Joining in with others who are doing something similar will hopefully help me to concentrate, and I’m going to revisit my list at the end of March to see how I’m doing and if I still like it. Hopefully that gives me enough structure to concentrate, but not so much that I feel constricted – that tends to make me rebellious!

I have plans to build a Pinterest board for each month to help me keep track, and I have another cunning plan to help me out, which I’ll show you tomorrow, but in the meantime, my list down to Christmas goes something like this:

October
Crochet: Finish Lucy design, KAL cowls
Quilt: LC (xmas present, hence in code ;))
Sewing: Finish spotty dress
ALSO: Samples for classes, start knitted shawl

November
Crochet: Cotton All Shawl
Quilt: LC (It’s a big quilt!)
Sewing: Miz Mozelle dress, SHD (yes, xmas again)

December
Crochet: Carnival wrap
Quilt: Flowers wall-hanging
Sewing: Wrapping Paper Holder, Jelly roll wrap (pattern in Sew Hip – I’m so excited about this one!)

I do have plans for the rest of the Winter up to March, but they’re going to be changeable depending on how the time goes and how much space I have to craft in. When I glanced through the door this morning, my craft table was mostly covered in plates, DIY shop catalogues and tools. That’s going to prove challenging for quilting! But let’s just say that my plans for the rest of the time are equally ambitious and equally subject to change 🙂

To see if others have slightly saner Creative Spaces, head over to the collective here.

Ooh, and while I’m talking about things to join, look what I got!

luvinthemommyhood

Isn’t Shannon awesome? Also, scarily, she’s already finished her cowl, as have lots of others in the Ravelry group. Not to be outdone, I’ve already picked out my second cowl. Now all I have to do is finish my first…

21 thoughts on “My Creative Space: Winter Stitching”

  1. Wow – that sounds very, very organised! I hope it works for you … the not buying anything unless it was for something on my plan would probably kill me!

    In much of my life I am a planner (OK – control freak, according to my husband) and I’m trying hard not too organised with my crafting. It’s the one area of my life where I’m comfortable with spontaneity! The only time I do any planning is for the Christmas list and this year I’ve got one present done, one on the hook and the yarn for the third one is in the post … otherwise I make what I feel like, when I feel like it which is why some stuff that I cut out in August is still sat on my work bench unsewn! And I kind of like it like that. I also have a huge fabric stash and it’s not bothering me that I don’t know exactly what I’m going to make with any of it.

    The cowl is looking good!!

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    1. That’s so interesting! I’m completely the other way around. Most of my life is terribly chaotic, especially at the moment, so it’s nice to know what I’m doing on the craft front. That way, I can just pick something up and start without worrying that I’ve forgotten about something that has a deadline.

      I’m going to have a last look around in the January sales, then keep shopping to a minimum until the next K&S show, I think. It was so much fun, I like the idea of properly stocking up there!

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      1. I think it’s very important to have some of your life that is completely under control – probably doesn’t matter which part it is as long as it suits you!! I suspect I can be relaxed about crafting because it’s something I’m doing completely alone … !!

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  2. I think it’s great that you’ve got yourself a plan, I should do that myself too. Well, I kinda have one in place – no starting any new quilts unless I finish quilting and binding my current WIPs. I’ve also stopped buying fabric and having to use what I have. Good luck with your plans

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    1. I like the theory of not starting anything else, but know I’d never manage it in practice. limiting what I can start might work better!

      Thanks 🙂

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  3. Thats a great plan! Very organised! I tend to like working on one thing at a time, so when I start something new other things get left to just hang around! I am the opposite of you though it bugs me if I have lots of WIPs and then I just end up not wanting to do anything at all! So thats my plan to get rid of some! That knitting looks gorgeous! Love the colours! Makes me wish I had the patience for knitting!

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    1. I don’t think I have the attention span for one thing at a time! Having enough choice makes me much more productive 🙂

      The cowl is crocheted – I really wish I could knit! But I don’t have the patience for it either, so the speed of crochet suits me much better 🙂

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  4. I love this plan, i find it good to have a few different projects to choose between, but I get overwhelmed if there is too much- similarly it takes me forever to actually start something; I am a procrastinator, even with stuff I WANT to be doing!

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    1. I know EXACTLY what you mean about procrastinating. I’m much better at writing lists than doing the stuff on them! Having a defined list to choose from definitely helps me to concentrate.

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  5. Ooh, that’s such a good idea – I really need to do a stash busting year, I have so much fabric I need to use. Great list 🙂 Must go check out that cowl pattern, would love to do something like that. One of my main reasons for putting knitting and crochet on my list was to get me moving on those crafts again – quilting has kind of taken over, and I do love sitting in front of the fire with my knitting/crochet needles of a winters evening. Thanks so much for linking up!

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    1. Thanks for hosting the party!

      I love how portable crochet is – I can do it while walking down the street! But there’s nothing like being curled up in a chair working on something warm and soothing 🙂

      2011 was supposed to be the year of stash-busting, but that never quite came off, so I’m hoping that planning properly for 2012 will help me stay on track!

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  9. I should definitely get organised too. It’s funny how crating can be sometimes overwhelming with so many projects on the go at the same time. Love the paper bag idea. Might have to copy it if I get myself organised first.

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    1. I know exactly what you mean about being overwhelmed. I’m hoping that by not just listing, but getting things in order, I might actually get stuff done instead of just starting things!

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