• Crochet

    Rhythm and Flow

    February 17, 2022 - By 

    There’s just a rhythm to crocheting, not just the stitches or a pattern but the time that is spent crocheting. Recently, I realized that I complete more sets when I have a few hats made and then make the scarves later. For the past couple of weeks I have made a few hats and then made the scarves later in the week and found that I was more productive that way. When I made a hat, then immediately started working on a scarf, somehow the flow was interrupted and I completed fewer sets in a week. Not that it’s a race, even though I set yearly goals, I realize that by having several projects in progress at a time makes me more motivated.

    From Friday to Sunday of Super Bowl weekend I finished four scarves. A couple had already been started with a few rows already completed on a couple of them. The routine starts with a few rounds of a hat on Sunday night so I can mindlessly crochet during webinars or large group meetings on Monday. Then Sunday through Wednesday make a few more hats. Then, Thursday through Sunday work on the scarves to match the hats and the cycle starts all over again. This pattern and rhythm has worked since the last weekend in January. I’ll keep working at it and see if the rhythm of making a few hats in the beginning and then the matching scarves works.

    Maybe this new plan works or it could be that I can now go into my working stash and pull out yarn that I know I want to work with and just go. I don’t have to sort through skeins of yarn that I don’t want use for a project. Once I finish something, I can pull out enough for another project and work. The remaining yarn is being set aside to make individual hats, and it’s not put back into the working stash unless I have a lot of the yarn left or a coordinating amount to use another item.

    This week I’ve finished five hats and may complete another to add to the “inventory” before transitioning to scarves. There’s no set schedule, I might start another hat and then start working on scarves since this is a long weekend or maybe make a bunch of hats and then switch to scarf mode not following a hard switch because of the day of the week. The rhythm of a group of hats then scarves is a more natural flow rather than finishing a complete before starting another.

    Either way, I’m making good progress on the 2022 set goal – 14 sets are complete and I’m waiting for a good snow day or mental health day to just make a bunch of hats. The odd balls and remaining yarn from previous projects are being set aside for hatapalooza 2022.

    Happy crocheting!

  • Crochet - New Yarn

    Addendum

    January 13, 2022 - By 

    Even though I have several projects in progress, new yarn arrived today. The allure of the new yarn was too great and I started a new set. The colors are pretty, easy to work with and washable* (which is a request from some organizations.)

    Also, as I was looking for something on my computer, I saw something that jogged my memory about other things I made last year, I’d forgotten about the blue hats for #hatnothate. I should keep a written tally of completed items, some of the donations are to the same groups or similar items from year to year. The hats, like the mittens and infinity scarves were amuse-bouches or palate cleansers to keep the crochet love alive.

    Hello Gorgeous yarn
    Started a new hat for a set…

    That’s it, I think those are the only things made that I forgot about from 2021… (Until I’m looking for something else on my computer.)

    Updated 2021 tally:

        • 118 hat and scarf sets
        • 12 red scarves
        • 5 infinity scarves
        • 12 blue hats
        • 3 pair of mittens

    *I’m going to stop counting for 2021 because I may have missed something else.

    Happy crocheting!

  • Crochet - Donations - Hat and scarf goals

    Crochet Goals 2022!

    January 5, 2022 - By 

    I’ve finally made an complete (read: accurate) tally of what I made last year and set a goal for this year.

    Last year the goal was initially 60 sets, that was extended a few times and I almost doubled the original goal.

    2021’s total of donated items was:

      • 118 hat and scarf sets
      • 12 red scarves
      • 5 infinity scarves
      • 3 pair of mittens

    For 2022 I’m setting a goal of 100 hat and scarf sets, 25 hats and 12 red scarves.

    There are a few “passion” projects that I’d like to work on, which makes this goal seem reasonable. So far, I have one hat made and the accompanying scarf is in process so I’m off to a good start and we haven’t even had a full week in the year. [The photo of the hat and scarf in progress just looks like a fuzzy blob but in real life, the set is nice and soft and should be very warm for the recipient.]

    Plus, this goal allows me to add make items for other groups or any projects that pop up later in the year. Infinity scarves and mittens weren’t on the official list but I made 5 infinity scarves and 3 pair of mittens – who knows what projects will fall into my lap.

    Happy Crocheting!