Done and Done

Daily, I make lists for myself. Things that have to be done, things that should be done and things that I would like to do. I keep a small notebook for myself with all things listed. Just about anything can make it to the list, from the perpetual, "laundry", to the less likely, "lose weight". As projects are accomplished (or abandoned) they are crossed off the list, until the list is an unreadable mess of scratches, then I tear the page from the book, destroy the old page (or pages), and start fresh with a new page and a new list. I always find the tearing up of the old list a small, cathartic experience. Three or four times a year I start a new notebook which is very cathartic. I feel a sense of progression and moving forward.

The downside, I've realised, is that because there is always a list of what needs to be done, and no clear list of what's been finished, I've often found myself feeling that I'm running in circles and accomplishing nothing.

So...recently, I started, not one new notebook, but three!

I have a "book of to do" notebook - all the things I'd like to do, a "whenever", "no-time-line", "I-have-the-rest-of-my-life-and-if-nothing-gets-done-no-one-will-care" list of projects.

I have my regular notebook of things that I'm actually working on, a "book of doing" - laundry and grass mowing will make that list, as well as which ever project I happen to be tackling - the garden is a current favourite.

And I've started a "book of done". Not everything will make it into this notebook, but I think having a tangible list that I can hold and read and say "ah, yes, so that's what I've been doing all this time" will put to rest the feeling that nothing is happening.

The first thing to make the list was a re-covering of an old office chair.



It use to be fuzzy, grey and tired. Now it's bright and spiffy, and makes me very happy!

Also finished, but not making the list of done, is the simple ribbed scarf started way back in April. It didn't make the list because it's on my Ravelry page, where all my knitting projects reside.



Also making the list, is a new dress for Kiltie!



Kiltie is one of my Sasha Dolls, her new dress is made from one of Nigel's old shirts. This is the first time Kiltie's been out of her original clothes, you can see her here.

I've made new togs for both of the other Sasha dolls too. Here's Baby Gregor Sasha, Mum bought him for me on a trip to Scotland back in 1976 (or there-abouts).



I knit him some undergarments out of white crochet cotton on fine needles. He's had other clothes in the past, but I've no idea what happened to them. He's here in his original togs.

Marina Sasha also has a new outfit knit from the same white crochet cotton. I wound off some length of the yarn and dyed it in a strong tea bath to make the undergarments. Knickers...



petticoat...



and dress...



The knitted clothes didn't make it into the new notebook either, since they're also on my Ravelry page, but Marina's outfit was a major work, for the dress front you cast on 192 stitches, and that's just the front, it's the same for the back, and then the petticoat has 160-ish stitches for front, and then again for the back. Wheeeee.....

She looks lovely though! Here she is in her original clothes which she's never removed.

The major work is the back garden, which is almost, completely finished...



a path of crushed granite leading to the air conditioner...



the not-yet-finished trellis against the garage...



a bed of hydrangeas...



crushed granite under the spruce trees...



a raised bed with a few tiny plants...



the south side of the deck with railing...



and, the north side with trellis, clematis and impatiens.

Now , we wait for the plants to grow.

Too Many Directions?

When I started to blog, I (foolishly) thought that having all my projects revealed to the world (not that I've revealed all yet) would help me to stay focused and, in a way, contained, or maybe constrained, I'm still not sure what I was thinking. As I continue through my Tangled Yoke and Asian Cross-stitch, I can't help but find myself a little bit bored and so dash off to start new projects...

Remember those pincushions, well you're allowed to enter three, so I thought that might be a good place to start. I'm working on a knitted one:



I found the yarn at a thrift store,



It's a gigantic ball of White Buffalo yarn, super-cheap at $1.99.

I'm also making two other pincushions, by way of quilting:



All in the colours green and black. My son, Ian, is particularly fond of these colours at the moment, and I think it's seeped up from my sub-conscious. In an unrelated thought, I'm thinking black and lime-green for Christmas this year too.

Now, I haven't any photos to show, but I've also painted the sun room (an enormous room) and the fireplace and built-in bookcases in the living-room. And... I'm working on the biggest of all organisational feats. Ian's Lego. He use to play with it ALL THE TIME, but over the years he has completely abandoned it. So, I've decided the time has come to organise it all, bag it, and decide if it's staying or going. It's a big job.



A very big job.
We decided to put one together:





I'm not sure what's possessing me to start so many gigantic projects this year. I truly do like to have mostly quick projects that leave me feeling accomplished, but not tied-down. In response to all these behemoths, I thought I'd quickly work up a little instant gratification. A scarf, My So Called Scarf by Sheep in the City. It's knitted up in Manos del Uruguay, I chose the colour Bramble.



Very pretty, and sophisticated, and an easy job too. Mindless knitting, sit-in-front-of-the-TV knitting, why you could even call it plan-out-another-direction knitting.