How Many is too Many?

I remember a time, not so long ago, when I would limit myself to one project at a time, focusing on nothing else, until completed. Fearing any deviation from the adventure I currently undertook, would result in me loosing my way. Until I began to realize that the monotony, of any large project, would cause it to become a real chore, which, in turn, would incite me to rush through to finish . Was I really doing that project any justice? I could almost visually detect the urgency in my work, and stress, manifesting in many different forms, never lends to anything good.

Reluctantly at first, when I found myself bored with one more, yet unfinished project, I started work on something completely different. Since I enjoy many different kinds of fibre adventures (spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, felting)....I could find some real variety going back and forth between, say knitting and embroidery, or spinning etc. Soon I found myself surrounded. In nearly every room in my home you could find something lying about that I was working on, but had not quite finished, a nice celtic cross project on the tapestry loom, several spools of different kinds of yarns I am spinning for various projects, a pair of socks for dh, an Orenburg lace headcovering I have been working on for some time, a bedjacket I have ripped out more than once, a knitted gift for my Godmother, which I won't announce until I have given it to her when I visit the Monastery next month, and an embroidered Pascha basket cover and small crewel piece. But now I am beginning to see by working on so many, a little at a time, has really slowed progress.

I am not quite sure which course is best, going back to one project at a time or, trying to limit myself to a managable number that can be completed in a timely manner, I suspect the latter, but until those I am actively working on now are complete it is going to be a bit difficult to get a handle on just how many are too many.

Catching Up

It has been sometime since I have contributed to this blog, not for lack of want, unfortunately not only is life not always about fibre, but there are even times when we find it difficult to enjoy more than a few minutes of the day with it. Oh well let's not dwell on the unpleasantness of that possibility and move on...

Though life has kept me very busy these past few months I had devoted whatever free time afforded me, when I was not too exhausted from other activities, for fibre.

Since my last post here was about DH socks, let me start where I left off. When May approached I had made some real progress but since it was evident that the weather would not be conducive for sock wearing anytime soon I put them down to work on other projects.

Now, as we prepare to say goodbye to August and even though the temperatures have been consistently in the triple digits, we won't even discuss the heat index, I need to get finished with these socks. It is my hope to have them finished by our 29th wedding anniversary but that only leaves me a couple of weeks. Who knows...miracles do happen.

I am getting ready to start decreasing for the toe. Our new fibre sister Nancy has been so helpful, especially when I faced the dreaded "turning of the heel", EM was right, she told me it would not be as hard as most people fear, but without Nancy's guidance it would have been that much more difficult mainly due to the anxiety of anticipating what lie ahead from listening to others talking about how the heel was the most difficult part. But once shown the proper way, along with the invaluable tips she passed on to me, learned through experience, it all seemed to make sense. I have said it before, one of the greatest gifts anyone can offer is knowledge taken from their experiences.