From tomorrow

I'm starting my resolutions a little early and in fact this year I'm changing them from resolutions to a plan.

1.  Health:  The biggie and I'm talking physical health here.
I have started making smoothies, unfortunately this is going to increase the vege bill a bit till the garden gets growing properly.    Today's was a fruit smoothie cos it's my birthday and it was made by my eldest.  Tomorrow I'm back to the green ones, will have to check if Dh bought me some spinach today.  Today is the last day for sugar, warning there may be a grumpy bear in the house for the next week.

Exercise is a big sticking point for me.   I know I need to, but usually I just don't.   I'll be trying to fit something in each day to help with the RSI and my health.

2.  Spending:  I did some today, but it was new undies for Dh and some figures for him.   I sold my e-spinner yesterday and am going to endeavour to keep the money in the account and not just spend it.   No more yarn or fabric or fibre unless it's for a specific project which I don't have sufficient yarn/fibre/fabric on hand for.  There is one exception, I got a voucher today from my parents (thanks mum and dad) for The Fabric Store which will likely be spent on Saturday on something pretty.
Concentrating on the mortgage again.

3.  Crafting:   There are some things I want to work on this year. 
-I want to finish all my knitting WIP's and am not allowing any new cast on's for anything except my travel knitting till they're all done.
-I need to finish the king bed quilt, it's been sitting around for a few years now and it'd be nice if it was done for winter 2015
-On weaving I need to do the mohair rug and I got more yarn for that today (thanks mum!), so if the first one goes smoothly I might make another.   There's more weaving projects as well of course.
-Spinning - I have a bin with 12 fibres of over 2oz each to spin over the next 12 months; as well as that there is the current perendale and my East Fresian and silk blend to do too; they come first.
I dyed the EF/S today in teal, might be carding it I think and try corespinning
-Sewing - there needs to be some everyday sewing.   I need more workout gear and more everyday stuff to wear.  So do the boys.   There are plans for more historical clothing, had been thinking about 1805 but am now thinking maybe 1600's so I can look at the SCA.   Maybe both eventually, but not this year as both will need new support garments as well as the actual dress.   Hmm, should I go earlier and make a dress that doesn't need stays.....

Finished!

My RSI is playing up a little, but I wanted to finish it before my birthday and I did manage that, if only by a day!   There will be modeled shots later, but at the moment she's blocking on our bed

Soaking ready to block

from the tassel end, love those leaves

and from the patterned end

It's not quite dry yet, but it had better hurry up cos it's too big to shift!

Merry Christmas!

Well, I didn't get some things done, the original plan involved making a spiced apple cake, and not hitting my thumb with a tree and having to have bark extracted from the nail bed.   Never mind, it doesn't hurt a lot now so I've got some knitting and spinning done.   Casting on a new pair of socks for travel knitting; trying something I saw on Ravelry where a 2-colour yarn was knit up with all one colour knit and the other colour purled, I thought it was a great way to treat the yarn.   The yarn I'm using is one I dyed ages ago in dark green and purple to look like an iris.  Purple will purl and green is knit.

Before I cast on anything aside from the travel socks though I need to finish other stuff.   I need to finish the test knit which is getting closer, one edge is complete

The edge on the bottom of the photo needs doing and the tassles on the narrow end

I finished the last pair of travel socks last night, the yarn seemed to have a little prickle factor to me when I wore them for a short time, hopefully that'll reduce with wear.   They are very slippery on the hard floors though, more so than my usual hand knit socks.

Hermione's Everyday Socks blended with a double gusset heel.

I used my new lace kit for Esme as well, 20WPI 2-plied laceweight yarn is the result using a merino/silk blend

Yummy laceweight, will probably be a pair of mitts, or possibly a hat. 225m total.

George has got started on his first warp on his loom, the heddles are all threaded and next will be the reed and tying it off

This will be a scarf

And there might have been some yarn arriving as well, I hadn't planned to originally but then I sold my Little Grace Special wheel so there was yarn and Xbox games; don't think you need to see the games, but here's the yarn!

Red Utiku Possum yarn, this will be a jersey; probably Ease

The purple Max is new, it's to go with the teal and grey and will be a Pixelated Pullover

This was an impulse purchase, it has pinky tones and is probably going to be a Pirate Danger and has gold sparkles in it

More merino and possum type yarn, not sure what this is for yet, but it may well be another jersey, this will be the main colour

and this will be the contrast

Rainbow top, I was lucky to get this.

I think that's it for now.  I'll be warping up the loom in the holidays but can't start weaving till my tail detangler arrives (for horse tails, but apparently really good on brushed mohair).

Time

At this point in my life there is never enough time.   I need time to do work, to do housework (yes, that's another type of work, but unpaid so separate), be with the kids (reading to them is now requested again each night), baking, computer and of course crafting.    Unfortunately I can't fit it all in and of late the kids and crafting have been losing out.  

Last weekend we spent more time with the kids, partly because it was George's birthday party and partly because even if it hadn't been I wanted to spend some time doing stuff with them that wasn't housework or garden related.     We went kayaking and it was hard work and fun!   George was a natural, one of his friends was ok and the other took 10 minutes to get the hang of it and then took off.   Ian started in his own kayak and ended up in with me in the double.   I got very wet, Ian got mildly damp and I also got a darned good workout as I was doing all the work, lol!

George was very lucky, he got the Minecraft game from us as well as the time spent kayaking.  He got money from his friends and spent it on more Xbox games (both Lego ones) and he also got a wallet and a little robot from his paternal grandparents.   He's still to get presents from my family and also his paternal aunt.

We have plans for the holidays, aside from the holiday programme I'm taking the boys to learn weaving at the guild and George and I will be warping up the table loom too.    I don't think a lot of housework will get done in the holidays, some because we have to, but not a huge amount.   Gardening will be done because we want to be able to eat home grown if possible; we have potatoes, zucchini, lettuces, peas coming on and there's also beans and tomatoes considering the possibility of future production.
I'm also thinking some baking together would be nice, both boys love gingerbread and there's other yummy options in my books, we can take some baking down to the park and have a picnic.

I've got to do some planning for my next weaving project too, I have the yarn, but need to change some of the plan in Anne Field's book as I want to use all of my mohair yarn in one go if I can.
My test knit is getting there, I'm working on the border now, so it feels like progress is being made.  Photo's will be taken once the border is a bit further along; it's only about 1.5" in so far.

I did finish the neckwarmer though