Welcome to the Second Quarter, Gentle Readers!
I am wondering how on earth I am welcoming April… no fooling! This year seems to be moving at a pace slightly faster than warp speed… sigh.
However, my Blog Calendar tells me that today is the day for my Currently Check In! I am excited to be documenting my year in this way. This feels better to me than the monthly review… which, for me, felt like Blog Overkill. For me it feels better to check-in with a current list that allows me to see what I am doing now and where I was with the hope of perhaps holding myself accountable for things that “fall off my radar” for whatever reason.
Decreasing: Stashes… of all sorts. I spent some time at the end of March going through my “Yarn Closet”… reorganizing and, yes, removing a good portion of The Stash. It felt good. I also went through some “unpacked boxes” left overs from my move from Michigan almost 10 years ago…Yeah, I should have just tossed those boxes but I went through them. Thanks to one of those boxes I have a new set of pjs and I will soon have another pair completed! But most of the stuff I unearthed is gone… or is waiting to be donated. Some time ago I started a box for each of my kids and then promptly (conveniently?) forgot about them. But those boxes are back on my radar and I am going to spend this quarter working on getting them filled (which I hope will empty more boxes!)
Increasing: Play Time! Thanks to Karen Abend’s Sketchbook Revival, I have been spending some time each day practicing not being perfect. Playing. Coloring outside the lines. Trying new things. Contemplating creativity. And it has been so much fun! This is a thing that I want to keep on doing… because it is such a great release! Because it is so much fun! And because I am inspiring myself.
Anticipating: Spring. Really. Mother Nature has teased us with some hints of spring but I fear that we are going to go from Winter to Summer… wham, bam. Boo, because I like the in-between seasons… spring and fall. A gradual easing into what is coming next…but I might need to disavow myself of that wish this year. Sigh. Instead, I am looking forward to April Poetry and an April Trip to Erie… things that I can be sure of! Ha! And speaking of April Poetry – you will find Kym, Bonny, Sarah, and myself sharing our love of poetry on Thursday’s this month!
Meanwhile, in the oven: Yes, I am still mixing up a “Tub of Dough” roughly every 20 days…and baking baguettes, boules, and lots of pizza! I just love the ease and simplicity of 5-Minute Bread… This was absolutely one of the best things I am continuing from the start of the year. I hope to figure out focaccia this quarter…I have a recipe, I just need to make the time to make the recipe!
The Bandwagon Knitting Ban: Yes, that is right… In January I jumped on the bandwagon to knit a Musselburgh Hat… and… it was a failure on a number of levels. First… my yarn was too fine… so my hat might have fit a shrunken head. Second… Bandwagon Knitting. Yeah, sometimes it works… but, for me, it has not worked for a long time. I end up with a thing I won’t use or wear. So yep, I have A Bandwagon Knitting Ban… for the foreseeable future.
Projects for Success: This idea really resonates with me. But what is it… well, for me, it is making things I love…and wear often….again. Sort of like a Uniform Wardrobe…pieces that wear and play well with the other wardrobe staples. In that frame of mind… I started another Tegna, this time with a warm weather yarn. I also want to knit another Fall/Winter Marsa Alum. (Ravelry Link) I also plan on sewing another Esme Tunic… in a summery linen. I am also contemplating knitting another Ranunculus, (Ravelry Link) most likely not out of linen yarn this time… but I don’t have any idea on what yarn I want to use, but I am thinking about it… lots.
Reading: My reading life is so much better this year. I stopped reading for a “number” and started reading more spur of the moment reads. These little changes have really inspired me! And the books I am reading are staying with me longer… which might be the best change ever. Sometimes small changes make a huge difference in the quality of ones life. That is certainly true for me and reading this year!
And there you have a snapshot of my currents… Have a great weekend everyone and I will see you all back here on Monday!
Great post Kat and fun! I like your idea of a bandwagon ban. I’ll be looking forward to the Thursday poetry posts from all of you!
Interesting thoughts on books. The last 2 years I numbered books I’d read. It showed me that I could’ve read one book a week… If I tried harder. This year I’ve not been at all focused on books, only managing a handful so far. I got several out the library, so for this month at least, I’ll have to read one a week.
It sounds like you are in such a great place right now, Kat! XOXO
Second quarter oh my goodness me. What a Good plan to do goals and reviews quarterly. I shall give the idea some thought. Spring seems to bring out a need to destash and remove the clutter. I should do memory boxes for my sons too. Not to give them now they have no space but as a way for me to sort out the stuff. Good idea not to jump on bandwagons. Look forward to reading how you get on.
My reading has been pretty good so far this year and I’m just reading what I own. However I just went to a library book sale and adopted six more books when I’m trying to get rid of books. It’s a wonderful problem to have!!
I think you’re really in a good place as far as what you are making and doing and reading — all because you have gotten more aware of what works for you and what doesn’t.
As far as your Musselburgh, you’re reminding me that I still have to write up the pattern for my interpretation, which will have a specific gauge. (Sometimes I find those “any gauge” patterns to be a little too loosey-goosey.)
Your currents are all delightful! I’m actually having some fun cleaning things out and getting rid of four or five boxes of stuff each week. It would be more fun if I could convince others that live here to do the same, but small steps. This Tegna is lovely, and I’m with you on the reading. I joined the library where Ryan lives and it has been wonderful! There is rarely a long wait for anything that I’ve requested and they’ve kept me supplied with so many spur of the moment reads that I’ve hardly had any time without a good book.
Your quarterly check-in is very thoughtful. I am trying really hard to knit and make the things I want to make and not get distracted. Easier said than done for me. I tossed the yarn stash in January and then culled a little more when my LYS put out a call for donations to an agency that serves young mothers in their rehab program. It felt good to pass that yarn on to a new home.
SO MUCH darn good stuff, currently!! This brings me energy + joy just reading it. Yay to Esme + Ranunculus (I remember those projects you posted, and loved them). Yay to Play!! I need to keep your attitude in my back pocket. (‘practicing not being perfect’…hallelujah chorus.) And–as I’ve said to Kym when she’s shared a knitting woe…I can’t tell you how encouraging it is for me–a consummate mistake-maker–to hear that highly skilled, seasoned knitters also make a mess of things once in a while. So thank you for sharing that side of the story…
And finally…enjoy your Erie trip! I love that, on occasion, we’ll practically be neighbors. (Westfield, NY to Erie, PA…33 miles)