The Year Ahead

With the turning of the calender's page I begin to think about the projects I'd like to complete before the end of the year. Of course my list is a few miles long, but I know that I have to be realistic about it. After all, as much as I'd love to churn out a sweater each month, I know that I am just not that fast.

However, when I told Brianna that I do plan to have 12 pairs of socks finished at the end of the year, she smiled and suggested that they each have a theme for the month. I think it's a great idea! My January socks are Sunny Skies. In a way, they represent the roller-coaster of emotions that we are both going through. The ups and downs of realization that she will soon be out there on her own and I will be living alone for the first time in my whole life. The colors of the socks are cheery sunflowers against the vivid blue sky (this is a NerdGirlYarns colorway and it's even more bold in person).

While I do plan to have a pair completed each month, there will have to be an exception during Tour de Sock. Even though I know I won't likely finish each pattern in the time given, I do know that I'll have them all started and hopefully finished soon after the TdS ends. I'll be a sponsor again this year and have some awesome skeins to add to the prize pool.

I am currently working on a sweater for myself and will have that one finished by the middle or end of March. Strangely enough, I have a short story to go along with it and I'll share that with the final shot of the sweater.

In the meantime, I'm also working on Brianna's birthday blanket. It's not a quilt since the top is all one piece, but there will be two layers. The bottom is this soft, black, fluff fabric I found on clearance and the top is a red flat sheet that has been trimmed to fir the fluff. I'm embroidering around the edges (the picture is the design for the corners), then I'll sew the pieces together. I think it will be pretty cool when it's all done. Since the time is of the utmost importance right now, I'm hoping to finish it within the next week so that Brianna can use it before she heads off to boot camp. After that, she won't be able to use it again until she gets to wherever she is stationed and that won't be for a few months (boot camp, MCT, then the school for her field). Well, at least she will have it for next winter.

On to the plan of the year:

• Twelve pairs of socks (at least 4 will be TdS)
• Dragon Scarf
• One sweater for Brianna
• One large shawl
• One sweater for me
• Embroider my bath towels
• Finish Brianna's blanket
• Embroider my own blanket
• Two rounds on the Universal Love blanket
• Finish and mail the Craft it Forward gifts
• Spin all the dyed fiber I have (leaving the bare stuff for a future plan)

Whew! That looks like a lot when I write it all out, but I am pretty sure I can do it. What's on your crafty list?