This is the End

Another end of a year is here. The children are older and smarter. I'm fairly certain I'm just the same. It was a year of projects that didn't quite pan out and it ended with on a rather disappointing note. I suppose that's the best way for a year to end though. It gives you hope that the one upcoming can only be better. Unfortunately I am fully aware that it can, but I'll chose to the end the year thinking greatness is ahead.

Let's see, what did I actually accomplish this year. Well, there was that art project that I got paid for, but never heard if it was ever even displayed anywhere. Then I managed to create and list a new pattern for sale and I guess that went over fairly well. I can't think of any one piece that stands out, except for maybe my first completely original collar design, but I did design several new ones this year. I'm sure I'll think of other pieces I'm proud of as the day wears on, but it's early and this post is completely unplanned.

I think the highlight of the year for me was having a pair of my ankle corsets included in a museum show over the summer. I may not have made much money this year, but having something I made with my own two hands in the Denver Art Museum, well that feel pretty good. So maybe I will just dwell on that achievement today and block out all the disappointing.

Here's to a wonderful New Year ahead for all of us. May your thread never tangle, nor have one of those cut and tied sections in it that make me want to cut someone. May we all get frequent visits from the Muses and create new things for the world. Finally, here's to another year with the ever so slight chance for fame, wealth and glory. Look, I have to put that in here regardless of how silly it sounds. It could work one day...you never know.

Creature of Habit

Happy Monday all. I think we are about to get back to normal. The weekend was slightly more active than normal. More video game playing, Lego assembling and more shopping for things like storage. By Sunday I had put together two cube storage shelves and found a place for all the kids new games. I also managed to lure the children away from their new video games long enough to them Chess, adding another board game to their options.

There was no tatting over the weekend as I used any couch time I got to work on the newest crochet project. It's taking far longer than the knitting one, but I am halfway done now. That is I have one legwarmer made and I have yet to start the second. I decided I hated the way the pattern transitioned from foot to leg, so I rewrote the pattern. When I say rewrote, I don't mean I actually wrote it down as I changed it though. This means it'll take a little while to remember exactly what I did so that I can repeat it. Luckily it wasn't too long ago so I should be able to recall it and match the second to the first.

The kids are technically still on vacation for two and a half more weeks, but since the husband is back to work today, we're just going to get back to schoolwork too. It'll be a light load for them, but at least it'll feel like routine and we all need that back sooner rather than later.

Speaking of routine, as soon as I get the foot to leg crochet issue sussed out, I'm back to remaking thing for the shop. There aren't as many pieces missing as I would have liked, but there are still plenty that should get back into the shop. I figure getting back into production mode would be easier than trying to be creative again right off the bat. The rhythm of crochet is nice, but I am beginning to miss the meditative rhythm of tatting. So here's to a week of mostly routine for all the creatures of habit out there.

Almost There

Okay, we are still nowhere near normality around these parts. The husband wanted to hit the clearance shelves at one of the stores so we were up and out before the sun. The children got to witness first hand crazy in the holiday section as people grabbed past each other 6 bodies deep for heaven knows what. We strolled right past to the things we were there for and left within a half an hour. Then we were back out to the book store later to spend gift certificates. The book store was crazy people free. All this was followed by going out to lunch and concluded with a viewing of Pacific Rim, one of my Christmas presents, with the kids. In between there we played the first game of Monopoly with the kids. There were tears, but aren't there always.

Somehow around all those things I did get back to some tatting, though I didn't finish the custom order. I was just so bloody tired after days of cleaning and entertaining that I was actually tatting with my eyes closed for a spell. No, I'm not kidding, I really do that. I do have to open my eyes for the joins though I'm sure I practiced enough I could feel my way through those too.

So today I'll have to finish this necklace and get it in the post. There haven't been any other orders lately so I might work on some of the pieces that sold over the holidays, or I might work on the crochet tights that I bought yarn for. No, I really don't know if I will actually wear crochet tights, but making them sound like a bit of a challenge and I do enjoy one of those every once in a while. I also enjoy stepping back into the crafts that I don't get time to do much anymore. I would hate to forget how to do them. Thank goodness for muscle memory, it usually kicks right in. So here's to a nice, quiet weekend and back to a real normal by Monday.

Aftermath

Happy aftermath all. Yesterday went about as I expected. After the first round of gifts, it was finish
cleaning the house and start cooking. That was followed by a rather enormous gathering of family, loud raucous children, eating, running about, and wrapping paper flying. When they finally departed there were countless dishes and counters to clean, but then I was left with just my immediate family and my brother, who is staying with us, my new Tardis blanket and the Doctor Who special on television.

There was no tatting, nor knitting, but I ended the day completely exhausted. Today we're braving the shops again, then there are Lego kits to put together and new video games for the kids to play. I do have one custom order that came in on Christmas Eve that I need to get made. This is the reason I post a nice long lead time for orders, so I don't have to rush at a time like this. I'm certain to find something else to distract me from work again, but I really do love structure, so I'm going to at least start that custom order.

I hope everyone who celebrates had a lovely time and honestly, I'm just glad all the madness is almost over. This was a really bad holiday season for the shop and I'm glad to see the backside of it. Here's hoping it'll turn around next year.

Merry, Happy

Let me first start off by saying Merry Christmas to those of you that celebrate and a happy Wednesday to everyone else. I bet you're wondering why I'm bothering to write at all this morning. Well, it is a weekday and it is my deeply ingrained routine. Besides, the cats refuse to let me sleep in for more than a half an hour even on weekends, so I'm up and the rest of the household, save for the cats, still slumbers.

I'm afraid the only tatting I managed yesterday was another snowflake for a gift. The rest of the day was a ton of cleaning and the family trip to the dentist. Yes, I am aware going to the dentist for just a checkup on Christmas Eve is a little weird, but what else were we really doing? Nothing, but cleaning. We ended the day with a viewing of Scrooged followed by the cartoon version of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. The youngest said the title was misleading as he didn't actually steal Christmas. She's awesome like that. She also lost on of her front teeth yesterday making her one tooth shy of a perfect holiday cliche. This also brought on several comical conversations regarding the meeting of Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

So there was yesterday and today will likely be a complete wash. There will be cooking and cleaning, then too many people and cleaning up after those people when they all shuffle off home. Then of course there's the Doctor Who special, winding down for the day and getting ready for normality to attempt to return on Thursday. I really do miss those days as a child when all I had to do for the holidays was show up. Those were simpler times. I guess it's time to get on with it all and again, I hope everyone just has a lovely day.