A bit of a dialogue was going on this week on Knitting Novices (a Yahoo group) regarding how many UFOs people had and how they bring the numbers down. LizzieK8, whose "Lizzie's Loose Ends" is one of my favorites reads in blogland, said several things that I want to quote here:"Another thing to help with finishing is to dedicate a specific amount of time to each project. Say work on the top one of your list for four hours. Then work on the next one for four hours and work on down
the list. Keep track of the time on note pad or with an electric analog clock set at 12:00. Just unplug the clock when you get up from working on your project.
"When you've finished a given number of projects, say, two, then reward yourself with CO a new one. Put the new one in the rotation and give it four hours every time it comes around till another two have been finished. It allows everything to get worked on and keeps boredom at bay.
"Also give yourself permission to frog a project if you really don't want to finish it. No sense punishing yourself by being forced to work on something you don't like anymore. Contrary to what our teachers told us, it's not a sign of bad character to quit on a project, it's a sign of good character to realize you don't want to finish it and recycle the yarn for something you do want to work on."
Having spent a fair amount of time while cleaning up and organizing the stash, and discovering all the WIPs I had amassed, feeling sheepish [heheh], I loved both Lizzie's suggestions and her reminder to accept ourselves as we are as knitters--everyone has her/his own style and needn't apologize for it. Thanks, Dearie. Now where did I put that old plug-in clock?
In other news, I wanted to show you this:
which makes these:
and enjoin you to find a solar-powered suncatcher that throws rainbow spots in the room to magic up your crib. (OK, I'll stop that now. It's too weird.) When the crystals start spinning on the two we have in the kitchen, where we get lots of late afternoon sun, I can cook dinner in the happiest of environments, almost a fantasyland. I hear that cats love to chase the spots but apparently our four haven't gotten that memo. 8^(
Here is a gadget that I got on a whim and have found indispensible ever since! It's sort of a mini rug-hooking thing, sold as a snag fixer, and it's part of my finishing process on anything I knit. Now I see that one can be purchased that is lighted! Even bettah.
Saturday the Vegan Girl made her friends a pineapple-upside-down cake that was just too pretty not to photograph. I guess even vegans eat cherries preserved in red food dye. ;^) Word is that it was tasty. We never got to find out.
And my study, sometimes known as A Work in Progress, is gradually becoming organified--here is the latest effort, compliments of a sale at Target, some self-reliance in the assembly department (while DH was up camping with his guy friends) finding tools, reading directions, and executing the assemblage. Then--voila!-- perfectly located on my desk return. I have heavily distributed cedar blocks among the skeins too, since it's not sealed away. Somehow having my yarn out as beautification all its own seems just right to me.
And here is a lovely gift from DMIL for both DH's birthday and our 29th anniversary:
Isn't it something truly unique? Apparently the artist uses a saw to cut it into pieces but it is not actually disassemblable (OK I KNOW that's not a word!). The parts articulate though and that gives it an almost realistic vibe. We loved it and the girls are also in awe--everyone picks it up and plays with it, tries to find out how it "works," etc.Too much time playing ketchup. Now for some knitting!
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