Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Car Bound. . .Rake Up #10

Yesterday was one of those days I feel like I was harnessed to my car.  And it's not even soccer season!  I just felt like I was driving everyone everywhere, with a short breaks to run around in the house doing chores or getting dinner together before dashing off to the next place and task. 

I didn't get my homework done for my knitting class.  However, since the bulk of learning was over, and it was more helping people in their projects with where they were, I was able to sit quietly and just knit.  Which means not only did I accomplish the nerve-wracking adding a new color (in the round), but I added two colors!  In the round.  We won't discuss the extra row I knitted because I wasn't paying attention.  Hopefully, I'll carve out some time to continue working so that at the last class I can be far enough along to get the help I'm sure to need to complete the process.  Otherwise, like I was telling the teacher, I need a part two to the class to finish it up. 

I did realize that knitting was taking hold though, because as I stood in line at the grocery store I saw a Gooseberry Patch Holiday book and while flipping through saw a knitting (or what I thought might be a knitting) project inside.  I flipped to the back looking for knitting instructions, while my mind started thinking of color combos to use.  Turned out it was taking apart already-knit sweaters and creating a cozy blanket.  I know I've got the hook because not only was I planning colors, but when I saw the easy-sweater approach, instead of heading to the thrift store, I thought, "I can do that by knitting my own sample blocks and assembling."  Of course, the appeal may have been the blocks were nice, square, on straight needles, simple-stitch knitting (aka stitches I know), but I'm still wanting to create the blanket (the photo below isn't the actual one that spurred all this mind-whirling thought, but the concept is the same.)


Rake Up #10 is for those of you who have organizing your crafty-space on your list.  I'm again borrowing information from Professional Organizer, Geralin Thomas, and the informational series she posted on her blog.  While sorting through your stash, answer the question: "Have I used something similar in the past?  I have a soldering iron, which I’ve never even taken out of the package. This makes me sad because when I bought it, I had high hopes for making jewelry! Unfortunately, I’ve never gone further down that particular path than just saying, “Wouldn’t it be cool to…” It may be time to send the soldering iron (and the accompanying wire, etc.) to someone who will appreciate it and USE it."  In essence if you haven't used it in the past, and it's still sitting unused, chances are good, it's not going to be used.  Let it go.

If you're not doing a creative purge of your stash, use the blanket image to motivate you to work on the next item in your list.  Cards?  Emboss different blocks, use different patterned papers, stamp different images, etc. to create the blocked affect.  The same can be said for your layouts.  Look for different textures - paper, embossing, misted, canvas, cotton, etc.

If you haven't left your list of Rake Up Goals and you want to take part, you can leave your comment attached to the post HERE. I am reading them and looking for ways to help you complete your lists. And you just never know when I may select a name and reward your accomplishments ;) I'm kooky that way.

Note: As you complete your projects, leave a comment under any Rake Up post sharing what you completed. If you've got a photo to share, include the link.

Happy Wednesday.

2 comments:

Donna Nuce said...

Lori I would like to encourage anyone who lives in the Denver area to consider The Craft Box in Golden, CO to get rid of unused craft items. They will buy them from you (or give you store credit. :-) It is a great place to go to pick up some bargains. Also the do a craft donation project every month. Just a thought.

Lori said...

I used to work in Golden. . .where is it?

I donate a lot to the kids' schools, but even they can only take and use so much; I'd love an alternative.