A long time coming

I've been working on this craft for .... awhile.  I know I purchased it at least 5 years ago and started it, probably about a 1 year ago.  And after getting the initial parts done, I was trying to keep it hidden from my daughter, so when I gave it to her for a celebration (birthday or Christmas, depending on when it was completed), it would be at least a little bit of a surprise.  But it is hard for me to wait until all the kids are in bed or away because I'm either exhausted or it rarely happens. 

Well, last week, presented an opportunity to finish this without my daughter being around - she was visiting grandparents.  So I made sure to make time to do it throughout the week and.... finally finished it last night, in time for her birthday which is about a month away!
(And hopefully, she's still young enough to enjoy hanging it on her wall!)

Projects finished: 10
Projects given away: 3+
Weeks: about 18

Simplicity.... with Crafts. Is it Possible?

I was recently reading a simplicity book (another one... I tend to read them a lot).  This time it is Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson.  I've followed her blog for awhile - it's very informative about creating a life that involves the least amount of trash.  Some things in the Zero Waste Home sound a little bit more complicated for me but overall I like the ideas that spring forth.  I especially like her take on crafts and this quote from her book -

"As I let go of potential/unifinished projects and seldom-used materials, I let go of frustrations and expectations.  I realized that the unused art supplies had been nagging at me.  They were just sitting there, waiting to become something better, something artful, something amazing, something that would allow me to vanquish my fears and exceed my abilities."
                                                                                                ----Bea Johnson, 2013, Zero Waste Home

I completely get where she's coming from.  With all the craft items in the house, there is a pressure that I should be making beautiful artwork or beautiful jewelry or beautiful clothes or beautiful knitted items.  Instead, she goes on to say that creativity can lie elsewhere - in alternatives to buying new things, in alternatives to reusing something, in alternatives to making do with what we have. 

Right now, my crafts are not alternatives to buying new things - they are just other new things, that require time and effort to be made complete.  Sometimes the time and effort is very well worth it because I sincerely enjoy what I am doing and sometimes, it can just be, well, time and effort spent.  What really matters? 

I also love this quote from the book:
"...I believe that the art supplies do not make the artist.  It is not a wealth of supplies that gave van Gogh's work power, but rather his vision and execution."
                                                                                             ----Bea Johnson, 2013, Zero Waste Home

How true! I must remember this when deciding to get every little accessory to feel like I am truly good at a particular craft.  And from this inspiration, I have another thing to get rid of - a box of possible craft supplies, just in case we didn't have them on hand when we wanted to use them.  They've been sitting in the basement untouched for about 2 years  - a box of egg cartons, clean meat styrofoam trays, empty tissue boxes and paper towel rolls.  Adios!      

More Yarn to Give...

A few posts ago, I wrote about using the good craft supplies, specifically yarn, to make things.   And after writing that, I sifted through all of my yarn to determine how many good supplies I have.  Well, it splits up into one tub of "good" yarn, one of the bigger tubs of acrylic yarn and one of novelty yarn.   "Good" yarn to me means that the yarn is made with a natural fiber or at least part of the yarn is made of a natural yarn and part acrylic.  Novelty yarn - really???  Seriously???  What was I thinking?  I think that all the stores know that novelty yarn just sells by the plain fact that it is so scrumptious to look at.  Because all of us knitters get home and don't have a clue what to do with it. 
 
I recently learned that my daughter's friend is learning how to knit with a spool.  Her mom said that the daughter was using some all cotton yarn that she found cheap somewhere (isn't that why all Americans tend to buy stuff?) and it wasn't the best to knit with because it didn't stretch very well.  And so I came in with my cape and rescued her from knitting frustrations by giving her some more stretchy yarn, specifically yarn with cotton or wool and acrylic (even out of the "good" bin).  Still very soft but still easier to knit with. 

This is the scary part of being a craft hoarder or any type of hoarder.  This is the just-in-case scenarios that I live for.   I really like being able to supply other people with that little need they have - that one thing that they might not want to purchase or be able to find.  And that's (at least part of) why I keep things. 
So, how do I get rid of that feeling?  How do I let go of that "helper" notion? 

Projects finished: 9
Projects given away: 3+
Weeks: about 14

Yarn Wreath

Surprisingly (that's a total joke!)  I had all the supplies for this project at home.  In fact, this is the story behind why this is my next craft to complete.  I was putting away our winter comforter in this large box in our basement when I came upon a few random things, one of them a wreath form that I probably bought sometime last year for what reason ????  Not sure.  But now, it is gloriously made into a yarn wreath (not sure what that is?  just google it - some beautiful pictures are out there on the web).  And I found a Christmas gift for one of the boys - good thing their birthdays are coming up!. 

I should also tell about some of the supplies.  Craft supplies are usually my biggest guilty spending pleasure.  Even when they are second hand....
The First Lady "carefree" yarn came from a garage sale - just like the kind that I talked about two posts ago.  A lady down the street died and before her family sold the house, they had a garage sale.  Luckily, I had some of my whits about me at the sale because I only walked out with the white acrylic yarn (look at the label in the first picture - it's so out-of-date!).  I remember there was also a half-finished sweater that I was strongly tempted to buy and for some reason did not.
The felt came from another second-hand sale.  Do you remember the Clean House shows with Niecy Nash on the Style Network?  Unfortunately, our cable dropped the Style Network, so I don't get to enjoy watching them anymore.   I know they are almost all filmed in Califormia.  But, one year, the Clean House Messiest Home was in Cincinnati.  So, the premise is they have a big sale of all the things in the person's house that will not be going back into the house and whatever they make usually goes back into the decorating of the new uncluttered space, except for the Messiest Home episodes where the money all goes to charity.   My mother-in-law and I and my poor little 2 year old daughter, waited for 2 hours to get into the sale, which actually filled up an old Steve and Barry's store.  There were a lot of things - many of which were not even opened!  And that's where I came upon more craft supplies - who doesn't need previously purchased craft sticks and felt?  Well, I'm never one to pass up a good deal.  And now, 4 years later, the felt is finally getting used.
Here it is, the finished project.

 It turned out pretty well.   It's so bright and it makes me happy looking at it.  This is a pretty awesome craft.  Especially considering I had all the supplies at home....  And this is why I'm trying to stay out of craft stores, as much as I like them.

Projects finished: 9
Projects or supplies given away: 2+
Weeks: about 14

Getting it done...

Some projects, I just think, why didn't I do this earlier?  This one took me an hour tops and that's while helping 2 little kids paint.

That is also what I call Bang for Your Buck.  $2 + 1 hour = 8 homemade cards.  This may inspire me to complete the rest of these packets. 

Projects finished: 8
Projects given away: 2+
Weeks: about 11

More Knitting & Using the "Good Stuff"

If I really want to move things along with getting rid of craft supplies by doing crafts - knitting will probably be a majority of the crafts.  Those balls of yarn take up quite a bit of space and when knitted or crocheted, usually turn into something that doesn't quite take up as much space as the original balls do.   So, here it is.....A mobius twist scarf, using Lion Brand Landscapes yarn.

 Nice.  Not as pretty as the picture on the pattern page but it will do.  And this was another one of those - why did I buy this yarn?

I have an account on Ravelry - a great knitting community, but it is also a great reality check.  The pattern pictures for knitting projects are so coiffed, they look perfect, the model looks great, maybe they're pinned in the back to make them drape the best way, like on other modeling-clothing shots.  But Ravelry is the great balancer - it really helps me figure out if that picture on the front of the pattern is real - will it really look like that when I'm done?  People can post pictures of what the items look like on them - no special lighting, no special hair or make-up, just real every-size people wearing wonderful items they made themselves.  There gave been quite a few patterns that I have not done because the reality pictures are not as flattering on anyone as the pattern pictures.

I'm also realizing that most knitting patterns that I like, really do look better in the more expensive yarns.  Hmmmm.... isn't that usually true in life?  It's better to buy the more expensive quality items, than a huge quantity of sub-mediocre items. 

Have you ever been to yard sales at homes where the person has passed away?  If they were a knitter or crocheter, it's always the cheap yarns that are piled high for sale.  If people are smart, they have used the "good stuff" - the merino and alpaca wools, the silks, the baby cashmere.  Really, when I wear items, the "good stuff" is what I would prefer to wear, so why don't I knit with it? 

My pile of yarn is mostly sub-mediocre yarns.  I'm afraid to use the "good stuff".  What if I mess them up?  Well, I'm making the resolution today that I'd rather make a few wonderful items with good feeling yarn than a whole bunch of stuff with cheap yarn.  And at the end of the year, if I really am going to give away the yarn that isn't used, wouldn't I rather be not using and giving away the everyday yarns, instead of the small amount of  "good stuff" I have?

 (Except for washclothes, where cheap cotton seems to do the trick.)

Projects finished:  7
Projects given away: 2+
Weeks: about 11

Expert vs. Jack of All Trades

I am obviously, a jack of all trades but would like to become an expert at something.  And I'm still trying to figure out what that is.  I'm hoping this year will help me figure it out...
I can cross sewing off the list - definitely am not a fan of that and crocheting bead ropes. 
What do you think?  Is it better to be a little good at everything or be awesome at just one thing.  From a clutter standpoint, it definitely helps to just be good at one thing.

It always impresses me when people seem to just know what they want to do for life.  I have a cousin who has known since since she was in high school that she wanted to be a pharmacist.  She got her 4 year degree in pharmacy (this was a few years ago), worked for awhile, went back and got her PharmD and now teaches pharmacy at a graduate level (I guess, that's the only level now.)  But she always knew what she wanted.  That helped her narrow her choices of schools down.  Plus, because she is so focused on pharmacy, she is very knowledgeable about the subject and has published articles on pharmacy.

I, on the other hand, had a difficult time narrowing down colleges.  I wanted to be a biochemistry major, at first.  And then, a biology major, then maybe pre-med, but wasn't really sure I wanted to put in the hours to be a doctor, which is kind of a joke because after getting a 4 year degree in bioloogy, I went back and spent 2 years more getting a degree in nursing and then, another 2 years getting a masters in nursing (do the math - its the same number of years as med school).  And still wonder if its the best fit for me.

That's kind of how I am with crafts.  I really started with crosstitch and embroidery kits.  I see beautiful embroidery items on Etsy and think about how much skill those people acquired.  But instead of continuing with crosstitch and embroidery, I decided to try my hand at knitting, and a little sewing, some quilling, card making, then jewelry making, then crochet.  Really, why don't I just find the true passion of one craft (maybe 2) and leave the rest to the experts.  I feel like I need to be the go-to person of how to do a craft.  Isn't that kind of how hoarding starts?  I'll keep this just-in-case.....  I'll learn this craft just-in-case.....    It's why I still have a sewing maching, even though I don't really like to sew. 

In this search of simplifying, I'd like to be the expert on something.  I read a book once, the Outliers, about how it takes 10,000 hours to really become the expert in something.  In that case, I better get moving.