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4 simple goals

Wow…my 4 simple goals really resonated with you guys.

I’ve have found it quite liberating.  And surprisingly productive.

Healthwise I’m finally feeling like my old self again, but still get wiped out much more quickly than I did if I try to do too much.  Ask me how I know! 😉

But here’s a quick round up of how my 4 simple goals have panned out since my last post:

Eat whole

On the days where I’ve cut myself some slack I’ve really achieved this goal. I’ve been cooking from scratch again, which we all love, and I’ve really enjoyed taking the time to make something lovely.

At the weekend…it all went a bit haywire. I tried to get too much done and ended up flooring myself.  So much so that we actually ordered take-out on Friday, but instead of just pizza we ordered more healthily, so still an improvement there.

I have soup on the stove as I type so things are looking good for this week already.

Get moving

Yay!  I managed two CrossFit sessions last week and it felt good. I’m considerably less fit than I was before I started CrossFit…definitely a “two steps back” scenario. But…I’m back and I’ve a session planned today.

This one I’m taking super slow. I don’t want to force it and risk injury, so I’ve really scaled down the workouts.  But they still feel good.  Safe, but good!

Practice creativity

I’ve done a little sketching (and no…I’m not sharing…Button draws better than I do!).

I’ve finished a dress for Button…I’ve just not had the opportunity to photograph it on her yet.

And I’ve got a project on the sewing table that I’m really hoping will work out…because it will be my favourite project of the year so far if it does.  But I can’t share any more than that right now.

Organise

This has been really impactful.  I’ve just done a little at a time.  The hat drawer.  A bag of papers that needed sorted.  Slowly, slowly…and yet this weekend we put six large boxes in storage from the sewing loft.   It feels good and gave me the space to start packing up the next six boxes.

It’s an incremental change but it’s making the house look and feel less cluttered. Which is a good thing.

So this week I’m planning more of the same.

Have you made 4 simple goals?  How are they working for you?

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When OK just isn’t good enough

Hmmmm….do you ever have a project that just niggles at you but you can’t work out what the problem is?

I’ve had a few of these recently.  Bad fabric choices.  Poor decisions on patterns. Yada yada yada!

I’ve only myself to blame.

Normally I would blithely carry on regardless, but it seems I’m getting better at listening to the fabric or the pattern, wee voices in my head, and finally making progress towards being the kind of seamstress and knitter that I really want to be.

Case in point….Aislinn.

image from amyherzogdesigns.com

Now this time I’m sure I’ve got the pattern right.

I’ve done the mods and knitted the back and it’s looking good.  The fit seems spot on.

I’ve cast on the front and….

stalled!

I’ve spent the summer holiday procrastinating, prevaricating and downright avoiding knitting this.  I’ve blamed the weather, the kids, the alignment of Mars. Anything but actually looking at the real reason I don’t want to knit this cardigan.

Turns out it’s the yarn.

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran is pretty on the ball, but not so much to knit with. It’s almost too soft.  And when it’s knitted up, it pills like a bear!

At the back of my mind has been the niggling doubt that once finished I’d get little wear out of this before it starts to look shabby.  I know that has happened with my red sweater.

The thing is, the red sweater is just for throwing on with jeans and wellies for walking the kids and the dog.  It doesn’t matter if it’s a little shabby.  In fact, for those activities it’s almost de rigeur to wear a shabby sweater.

But for a cardigan that’s to be worn in more polite company…well, I want a certain refinement.  Yarn with a little dignity.  That will show up the stitch pattern more crisply, and that will get some wear before becoming a fuzzy mess.

With all this in mind, it’s become clear that I really want to knit Aislinn…just not in this yarn.

And so I’m not going to.

Simple as.

My days of forcing myself to complete a garment that is just “OK” are hereby officially over.

It’s not good enough.

I want my clothes going forward to look lovely and to make me feel great.

Like the red and blue top I’ve just completed.  Even with it’s “design feature” I feel really pulled together in that top.  I’ve worn it a couple of times a week since I finished it.  As soon as it’s on a hanger, it’s my first choice of a morning.

I want all my clothes to be “first choice” clothes.

Which makes me feel better about pulling the Cashmerino off the needles, balling it all back up and sending it off to the charity shop to find a new home.

This decision is in no way helped by the fact that I’m off to Yarndale in a few weeks with some friends.

😉

Hello again Kitty!

Whilst it took me a couple of months to embroider the Kitties, Ma was much more efficient and had the Puss in a Corner patchwork blocks whipped up in no time.

How amazing is that?

I LOVE this quilt.

And it’s not even finished yet!

There’s a pink border to add around the edge of the quilt and it will be bound in a floral print.

Thankfully there is no rush as we’ve three other rooms to redecorate before we get to Button’s.