Good Intentions

As each weekend approaches, I plan out all the things I'm going to work on. Knit this, sew that, finish such and such, but come Sunday evening, I'm dismayed at how little I've actually achieved. Mr. Strange thinks that I'm too hard on myself and blames my Yankee upbringing (he's "from away"). Whatever the cause, I am once again at that point when I have to admit that I just can't do it all. I did finish the tote bag to give away at the Area One meeting on Wednesday night. I think it came out very nice, but I'm not tempted to keep it. I may also donate this little penny rug wool applique I made several years ago. It's cute, but I don't really have the space for it, and have others that I like better.

I will not, however, be wearing my mystery project sweater. Here it is with only so much of the first sleeve done. Considering that I have a whole other sleeve, blocking (yuk), weaving in of ends (double yuk) and the collar to knit, it's not going to happen. Unless I fall suddenly ill and have to stay home from work for the next two days.....

I also managed to tea dye* fabric for some little stitchery projects I've been meaning to do. While rummaging around in my sewing room, I came across a number of UFO's from Autumn's past. For as many things I've finished, I seem to have twice as many that I haven't. There are a lot of people who make things a season (or more) in advance, but I am just not one of them. As the end of August nears, I am still trying to cram in one more summer project. I can't even begin to think about fall until the leaves start to change and pumpkins start appearing. When that happens, I think of a bazillion autumn things I want to make but can only finish a few before it's the day after Thanksgiving and I'm forced into Christmas mode. The pressure of it all! So that's my excuse for having so many unfinished fall themed projects. I have good intentions every year, but I run out of time. I could finish some of them up, but the lure of a new project is just so strong. I guess it doesn't matter whether it is knitting, quilting, or stitching, I have seasonal FDD: "finishing deficit disorder"

I think that the reason I prefer knitting over any of the other fiber arts is that once you complete the parts, the actual finishing is much less labor intensive than the making of the individual parts. Whereas with quilting, piecing the top is only the beginning. I would much rather weave in ends than sandwich, baste and quilt any day. In addition, if you don't like the way you've seamed a sweater, it's easy to undo. Have you ever tried to cut out machine quilting? It's horrible. For those of you out there who have piles of sweaters that only need to be sewn together, I sympathize. You should see the piles of quilt tops I have!! It's a shame I tell you!

I think we need one more day of the week. Let's call it "Someday". That way, whenever we say "someday I'll finish this" or "someday I'll try that", maybe it will actually happen. Better yet, let's replace Monday with Someday, and have it be a national holiday.

* How to tea dye fabric to look antique: Boil water in a small sauce pan. Add 3 to 4 tea bags (I use Lipton). Allow to steep for a good long time (20 minutes or so). Wet your fabric and scrunch it up. Place in a small bowl. Pour tea in bowl over fabric, but not to cover. Let sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse fabric and allow to dry. Works best with natural fibers like cotton and linen.