WIPs in crisis

My task for this weekend was to get my WIPs into order: do an inventory, assess the priorities, and formulate a plan for getting them off my worklist so I could get onto all my wish-list projects without too much guilt.

Oh dear.

It seems I have a teeny-tiny problem with finishing stuff I've started. But then anyone who has given up checking on the WIPs and FOs list on my sidebar might have twigged to that.

I'm not going to do a pictorial inventory (no point killing off your download limit as well as mine); a list will give you sufficient idea of the magnitude of my problem. We know how much I love a list.

In no particular order:

1. Isabella - cast on 21/10/07, 20 rows completed

2. Dashing - cast on July; 1 mitt and about 15 rows of second mitt complete

3. Spider socks - turning heel on second sock

4. Monkey socks - cuff and one patter rep complete

5. Beloved's Jet jumper - cast on 1/12/07; about 50 rows of back complete

6. Cable vest for PJ - cast on 2/01/08; half of back complete

7. Branching Out - cast on January 08; only half a dozen rows complete and will probably be frogged

8. Adult cable beanie - up to decreases but still need to work out pattern

9. Checkerboard dishcloth - one pattern rep complete, but using 2 strands 4 ply together and cant memorise pattern

So you see, I have some work ahead of me. To borrow a turn of phrase from Beloved, this needs a little more thinking. I would welcome any advice on how to approach what has become a very hostile knitting basket, full of truculent and nasty WIPs.

And all the while there are a dozen more projects calling to me, and yarns in the stash begging to have some attention paid to them.

While you're contemplating that, I would like to canvass opinion of the final WIP, as I have been undecided about it for some time.

10. Baby singlet in Happy Spider hand-dyed.

This is most of the back of a baby singlet in Ms Spidey's Pansy colourway. I'm not convinced.

So if you comment on nothing else (and let's face it, I don't really need more grief on that list), answer me this:

Frog it and go for socks or a BSJ, or persevere?

The lines are now open.....

Taking aim

The mere fact that my promised post about my thoughts on the incoming year is 2 days overdue (4, if you count the fact that I should really have posted on the first) should give you a hint about the sort of things I'd like to tackle in 2008. Does it count that I've basically broken the resolutions aims I haven't even formally made yet?

I've never been one for making resolutions, since I'm both very bad at deciding what I should resolve to do (aside from inanities such as "be happier" or "world peace") and very bad at keeping anything more specific. My resolution for 2004 was "to give blood" (remember that one, kms?) and I still haven't done it!

So this year, I am making some aims rather than resolutions (thanks, Donna Lee!).

I know I am a procrastinator of the highest order, which can lead a lot of useless diversions, laziness and "can't be botheredness".

Whether it's cleaning the bathroom, going that extra mile at work, starting a new knitting project (especially on a deadline - make that doing anything on a deadline) or unpacking those boxes from the move in February (that's Feb 1997, when I moved to Darwin), I would quite often rather hang about and think about it than get stuck in and just do it. If I do start, chances are I'll get part-way through and get distracted and it never gets finished. (OK, between you and me, usually Beloved finishes it. One of the myriad reasons I adore him!)

It's strange, because I feel compelled to be organised; I have been know to make lists of lists I need to make, and am never more productive than when I have clear goals, tight deadlines, and (perhaps most critically) people who will be affected by the outcome.

So for 2008, I aim to live more consciously, instead of just thinking that I'll deal with it tomorrow. By this, I mean consciously make the decision to suck it up and do whatever task is at hand. Consciously work at my parenting skills; consciously identify and work at my weak points at work; consciously plan so that the week goes more smoothly.

I think, for me anyway, the key to this is be more organised: keep a running list of tasks, use my diary religiously, consider myself as one of those who will be let down if I don't complete a task, make tasks short, focused and realistic.

Another important part of this aim will be to declutter the house. I am a world-class hoarder. No further evidence of this is needed that the fact that it took us TWO shipping containers to move our belongings from Sydney to Canberra earlier this year. Two adults (who have cohabited for 7 years), one toddler, a dog and a cat should not have that much stuff. No wonder I can never find anything.

I'm not going to sign up for a seven-things style declutter (yet!), but will try and include one task each week that moves towards this. Lets just see how we go with this one, shall we? Remind me to check in in about a month!

Of course my 2008 aim extends to knitting. The first 10 weeks of pregnancy really knocked me about and knitting made me feel worse; I fell out of the habit of picking it up at any spare moment.

In the vein of being more organised, I want to use tools such as Ravelry and this blog to keep track of WIPs, plans and stash more rigorously. I aim to set aside time to maintain and nurture both these things without feeling guilty about neglecting other things. I would also like to use the blog to try and document goals, tasks and progress, knowing that someone will read it and know whether or not Ive at least tried to do them.

I will also (please don't read this bit, Beloved - I know you'll use it against me) knit as much as possible from my stash. This isn't by any means a full-on commitment, just a promise to check what I have and try and knock over some of my planned projects before I buy more yarn.

So, there you have it: a wishy-washy non-committal kind of almost-promise to think about trying to work towards becoming a better person.

It only took 4 days of procrastinating to get there!