A Year of Projects

I’ve been kicking this idea around for a while now.  I was first introduced to the YoP concept by Keri over at whendidibecomeaknitter when I first fired up this lil’ blog last fall.  Didn’t quite get it at first but I caught on eventually.  You can read more about her blog-a-long on Ravelry if you’d like more of the scoop, but the jist is on July 1, you set forth a list of projects you’d like to accomplish over the next 12 months and once a week throughout that time, you blog an update to your list.

On first glance, I wasn’t interested.  AS a mostly sock knitter who seldom strayed from footwear, I didn’t see the point. And besides, I typically select my socks based completely on mood when I’m at the half way point in the second sock of a pair. Yarn and pattern always subject to change on a whim.

Then winter struck in the great white north and I suddenly found myself overwhelmed with the urge to Knit.All.The.Things. First it was a sweater. Then a scarf. A shawl. An Epic Blanket of Insanity. More sweaters. More scarves. More shawls. And oh my don’t forget the orgy of greed knitting… You get the picture. Suddenly I want to knit so much more than socks and this means I’m buying multiple skeins of delicious wolly goodness, taking up more and more room in my every-bursting stash space, watching my Ravelry queue and favorites list positively SMOKE from the additions to them, etc…  Not pretty. So with the turn over of the new year on Keri’s YoP blog-a-long, it seemed like it might be a good idea. So I’m signing on. It’s a two-fold goal for me: 1) an attempt to manage my expectations. Keep track of the projects I’ve already bought yarn for and try to make sure I’m actually knitting them. I don’t want to anger the wool gods by ignoring the pretties for too long.  And 2) to force myself to update my blog a minimum of once per week. Its not so much that I don’t WANT to blog, I’m pretty sure I’ve covered this topic before, it’s just that sometimes everything else distracts me and weeks go by with nothing.  This is also no good. I like exploring the blogs of my fellow fiber addicts and I like journaling my own progress at my craft of choice. So after much consideration, I’ve decided to put my list to cyber-paper and see what I can accomplish in the next 12 month’s time.

A Year of Projects, Take 1 

Socks (1 pair per month is my goal)

1. Argyles for Dad (Orgy of Greed gift)
2. Celtic Beaded Socks (one of my Ravellenics challenges)
3. Baldersquash (Smart Ass Knitter’s World Domination Club June 2012 pattern)
4. Plain socks for dad (another Orgy of Greed gift)
5. Masonic Lodge (possibe OoG gift for Mr.Me)
6. Jaywalker
7. Helen Socks
8. TBD
9. TBD
10. TBD
11. TBD
12. TBD

Sweaters

1. Insouciant
2. Camden Place Cardigan
3. Emma’s Chemise
4. Elphaba the sequel

Shawls, Scarves, etc

1. Irish Hiking Scarf (Scotties’ OoG gift #1, Ravelllenics project #2)
2. Whipoorwhill
3. Rockefeller– WestKnits Mystery Shawl KAL 2012
4. Pogona
5. Zuzu Petals for April (OoG)
6. Scarf for Janesa
7. Athena
8. Charlie Chevron Scarf
9. Clapotis the sequel

Headwear

1. Dead Fish Hat– Joey (OoG)
2. Dead Fish Hat Maddy (OoG)
3. Dead Fish Hat Audra (OoG)
4. Dead Fish Hat Onna (OoG)
5. Irish Hiking Hat for Scottie (OoG & Ravellenics)
6. Turn A Square for Mr.Me (OoG)
7. Hat for James (OoG) (Pattern subject to change on a whim!)

Just To Prove My Insanity

1. EBI (no intentions of actually FINISHING this in a year, just growing it steadily)
2. Tir Chonaill

So… The total stands at 34. At the moment I’m torn between ZOMGWHATAMITHINKING and Really? Is that all? Reality will likely fall somewhere in between.   I have yarn in house or on the way for a good majority of the projects, all of them if I really wanted to stash bust, but I know that’s unlikely to happen. A better goal for me is to link up my Ravelry Projects pages to the already stashed yarns where I bought with intent and take it from there.  I’m sure the list will grow. I’m sure projects won’t be touched. I have my Orgy of Greed plan fairly well in hand, which also ties in nicely with my Ravellenic Games plan. All in all, I think I’m happy with my decision to participate.  I’m hoping to find focus and friendship in my YoP experiment. And if nothing else, it should prove a good laugh when I fail miserably, right? So anyway, wish me luck. I better get knitting.