I have finished project #2, the granny square blanket! It is done and dusted–yay! I hope you are making some progress as well!
Continue reading Project #2 from the Use Your Stash Challenge
Project #2 from the Use Your Stash Challenge
Author: Karen Stewart
Project #1 is Done!
It is finished! Project #1 is done!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I really dislike this hexi blanket. However, my family likes it so it will stay around. But I’m still really celebrating finishing this blanket…. so I’ll say it again:
Project #1 is Done!
Use Your Stash 2017 First Project
In my last post, I bared my soul and told you the dirty truth about HOW MUCH yarn and partially finished projects that I have in my stash. And seeing it all really has me wanting to use my stash first. As my first project sat there, staring me in the face, I felt myself becoming really overwhelmed. Then I thought, If I am overwhelmed, you probably are, too. Some of these yarns and projects have been around for years! (Which means I have spent years wondering why I bought this yarn, or why I thought starting that project was a good idea.) So I thought you might need a little encouragement to use your stash (like I do).
Use Your Stash 2017 Work Line-Up
You and I are eyewitnesses to the huge backlog of WIP’s and stash yarns. The enormous challenge sits right there, in front of us, taunting. The last remaining step as we get started is to create a “2017 Work Line-Up,” a step-by-step list of our work in the order of completion. As I said in an earlier post, I am working on the project which can be finished the quickest–this will give me some encouragement right from the start. It is also the biggest project, the one that I utterly dislike the most.
Welcome to the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017
Welcome to the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017!
I’m so thrilled you’ve decided to join us.
- Are you ready?
- Do you have your projects planned out?
- Do you know what you will work on?
Continue reading Welcome to the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017
Stashed Yarns and Setting Goals
This is a scary post for me to write: It is full of UnFinished Objects and Works-In-Progress and plain old skeins of yarn. It seems as if all the stashed yarn around my home is multiplying! Have you ever read the children’s book, Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag? If you substitute the word yarns for cats, that’s about what I’m feeling these days! (Please tell me I’m not alone!) But, I’m going to do it. I need to wrap my head around all the UFO’s and WIP’s and skeins of yarn that are stashed around my home. The Use Your Stash Challenge starts in a few days, and I need to get a final count of stashed yarns.
Keeping Track of Skeins of Yarn and Using Them
Keeping track of skeins of yarn in my stash is hard. I struggle with knowing what colors I have and the amounts left in each skein. Then there are all those partial skeins and balls of yarn that seem to spill out onto my desk and clutter up my life — do I even need to mention what happens when the yarn basket gets full? Maybe it’s just me, but I’m convinced those pesky balls of yarn unroll themselves and tangle up for no reason other than to spite me. Then I seem to forget what I have and where it is. It can really be frustrating!
Continue reading Keeping Track of Skeins of Yarn and Using Them
Creating Hanging Organizers for Your Craft Area
Remember my Pegboard and how bare it looked? Well, I created these cool hanging organizers that will help in the Use Your Stash Challenge. I thought you might like to see what I’ve done, in case you need a little inspiration for your own organizational needs.
I’m a visual person. Having things stored in hanging organizers (out in the open instead of in cabinets or drawers) keeps things in front of my eyes. Seeing what’s available to use gives me inspiration, and helps me stay on track for using up my stash.
The following is just a quick tutorial keeping with the theme of using your stash.
Continue reading Creating Hanging Organizers for Your Craft Area
The Year in Pictures
Here is a look back at the year 2016. Yup, it’s the year in pictures of what happened over the past 365 days at Chocolate Dog Studio. Enjoy!
This is actually just a sampling — there are so many other things that have happened this year! We added grandkids to the family, did some deep cleaning and some home repairs, spent lots of time together as a family, and graduated one from college. We have laughed more than cried; crocheted more than torn out; loved more than ever. It’s been a good year!
May your New Year be better than last year and full of love, joy, and laughter.
Happy New Year,
Karen
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Is it time to get out of your comfort zone? Are you setting goals for the New Year? I am. Stepping out of my personal box has been on my mind almost constantly these days.
Last month, Hubs and I spent time (together) out of our comfort zones. It was a business conference (which was out of my comfort zone) for women. Yes, Hubs was definitely out of his comfort zone, but he wasn’t alone. When we pulled into the parking lot, another couple was getting out of their car. The man looked at Hubs and said, “I’m so glad to see you! I’m glad I’m not the only one.” There was instant brotherhood bonding going on. I thought they were going to high-five and fist bump right there in the parking lot.
Despite the obvious gender differences, the teaching was great. Hubs and I came away motivated and encouraged.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
I’m sharing this story because many times being out of your comfort zone is the only way to grow your business, grow personally or emotionally, or even grow as a crocheter. It feels much like hang-gliding naked. I know that is a horrible visualization, but it’s exactly how it feels.
So, let’s step out of our boxes, get out of our comfort zones, and write some goals. There are many different ways to do this. Some examples:
- Word for the year
- Write them down in categories: personal, spiritual, health, business
- AÂ bucket list
Set Audacious Goals
Don’t procrastinate, just pick a way to record your goals and do it! But, make sure your goals are big and audacious enough to be dreams.
Last night, while I was at the gym, one of the machines in front of me had a tv, and there was one of those shows on. You know the kind, where the multi-millionaire businessman helps some dinky home business hit the big time. Yeah, that one. The takeaway I got from that show was DREAM BIG. Dave Ramsey said it, too, in his talk at the business conference Hubs and I attended in November: Dream Audaciously. Set your goals high! If you only make it 1/4 of the way to your goal, at least you are 1/4 farther along than you were last year.
Organize a Path to Your Goals
Take your audacious goals and divide them out into monthly steps and then start walking — one step at a time — in the direction of your goals. Even if you don’t meet any of your goals, you will at least be further along the path. The key to this, when you don’t reach your goals the first month, is don’t be discouraged. Keep going.
Develop a plan and make it happen! Something amazing happens in our lives when we take the time to write down our specific goals, not just keeping them intangible thoughts in our brains.
~Dave Ramsey
Why am I Talking About This?
You may be wondering why I am even talking about this. I hear you saying, “But, this isn’t crochet. Why is she talking about goal setting and business conferences? What is the deal?” Actually, this does apply to crochet and your yarn stash. I have been setting goals as I figure out what I have on hand for the Use Your Stash Challenge.
Think of Your Goals as a Gatekeeper
If everything you do is pushing you toward your goals, then everything you decide to do will go through those gatekeeper goals. This sounds a little wacky until you really think about it.
If using up a good portion of your stash is your goal, then set some audacious goals about what you will make. Challenge yourself to work as hard as you can to finish up those projects! Get ’em done, move ’em out! Commit to doing it, even if you don’t love the project anymore.
What are Your Audacious Goals?
I’ve been hard at work on my goals. I set all the partially finished stuff on my ironing board (because my 6′ x 3′ table was already full), and took snapshots of each of them. The good. The bad. The downright ugly. The stuff I’ve fallen out of love with. All of it.
It’s all stretched out there, teasing me to get started. Quite frankly, I am intimidated — and a little embarrassed that I let my WIPs get so far ahead of me. They’re almost out of control.
There’s these …
And then there are these granny square centers…
Then I found these granny squares that I tested and neglected to do anything with…
And let’s not forget the scarves, hexagons, and potholders that are unfinished…
While this may all seem like a lot, I haven’t even shown you all the yarn I have squirreled away. I am pretty sure I could go a year without buying yarn. (Ha! Like that would ever happen.) But, I do need to get the stash smaller.
So, one of my audacious goals is to not buy any yarn in January and the first half of February.
My second audacious goal is to finish as many of these WIPs as I can in that same time frame. Why don’t you join me? The official start date is January 15, 2017. It will be fun to hold each other accountable, and also to encourage each other.
Talk to you later,
Karen