Frogalong Phase 2: Let's Finish Up!
Frogalong Phase 2: Let's Finish Up!
February 27, 2018
A mere two months have passed since the start of the new year, and yet many of us have already given up on those promises we made when we were sentimental and hopeful.
So if you're still hanging in there with your resolutions, I want to congratulate you! You're in a small, elite minority!
My personal goal was to complete all my works in progress that had graduated to the unfinished object title (I hadn't made any progress in a while on them) by the end of February. I set that deadline thinking that would be MORE than enough time to complete said goal. I'm happy to report I have, indeed, finished all but one pair of socks. However, I never would have dreamed that in my various bins, bags, and totes I would have 35 projects lurking....THIRTY-FIVE. I am loth to confess that this did NOT include projects I ended up frogging.
Some things I noticed about these project were that they were usually things for myself, which does not surprise me. Secondly, they were usually not with Briggs and Little yarn, in fact it was usually yarn that I didn't enjoy working with, which figures. Thirdly, many projects that I had laid down in disgust thinking they were awful -terrible! - no help for them: when I picked them up I couldn't find anything wrong with them.
At any rate my craft room feels lighter, I feel less overwhelmed with projects, and my family is sporting 12 new pairs of socks, plus hats, mittens, gloves, and more. Totally worth it!
I also discovered in Phase 2 a way to organize needles. Now, this requires a warning. This needle storage solution is not for the tidy, casual crafter who owns just a few pairs of needles. This is for the straight-up needle-and-hook-hoarder who refuses to part with a single mis-matched, bent, or uncomely needle.
Before, I would keep my needles and hooks in this:
I think the picture speaks for itself.
So, to keep things together and my tools where I could see them, I ordered these metal buckets from Amazon, and no I don't get paid anything if you follow my link to buy them, though that would be neat. They accidentally sent me 4 dozen instead of 2 dozen, so I think a mini indoor herb garden is also in my future.
To hang them I got pegboard hooks, which also came with these little yellow bins which were perfect for darning needles, stitch markers, and tape measures. If you don't have a pegboard, a simple board with cuphooks will do. I got some chalkboard adhesive paper (1 roll is about ten dollars, you'll have a lot left over for many projects) and wrote the needle sizes on each bucket.
Maybe it's a little pretentious, but this system has worked so well for me to have everything right in front of me.
But there's more! If you're lucky enough to have some space, put your works in progress out in the wide open. I found this clothes rack in the cellar (our house was an old farmhouse, though mostly rebuilt, I find treasures now and then). It's a little large, but I'd rather reuse than buy new. I hang my project bags on the arms and then grab a project when I need it. See, look! Just one little project left!
You're familiar with the old cliche of the poor husband waiting for hours for the wife to finish her hair? Well that's me except instead of hair and makeup, hubby has to wait for me to agonize over which project I should bring, if I have all the parts I need for it, if it will be enough to work on, if it's portable, if it will get dirty, ect. Now I can just grab a bag (or two) and be on my way.
A stack of these bags are almost finished. I've just been making them from leftover quilt pieces.
Now I am swatching for the next and last phase...our dream project! This Dale of Norway sweater is my goal, and the charts for it are crazy! I'm having trouble deciding what colors to make it in. I really like the white but I know better than to be a mom and dress myself in white. Sport will be the perfect yarn for this, but the amount of colors available is a tad overwhelming.
They usually only knit this sweater to sell, but have put the pattern up for free! I'm so excited!!
GIVEAWAY CLOSED congrats Michelle!
Now, if you would like to be entered into the giveaway for the Frogalong, if you're already shared the initial frogalong post, all you have to do is share on the Maritime Family Fiber Facebook page, or tag us in a post on Instagram telling us what your dream project will be! It's a small group of you so I plan on going all out with your prize to award your tenacity.