Sunday, March 29, 2009

On the needles and In the Air!

It could be said that I am a compulsive starter. Actually its true, I love the thrill of a new project, casting on and the new wool and what it could be... Then I get knitters/crochet block! Half way through and then I think MEH! Boring! and start something else. I know that there are plenty of people out there that do this I just don't want to anymore. I finish socks for others, dishcloths for others, jumpers for others, just nothing for me. Well the task for April is to finish.

It seems like a big task at the moment I have 2 pairs of socks on the go (both for me) and Mr Greenjeans sweater and I am participating in a Vanna's Choice Block exchange through Ravelry.

The blocks are blocking now ready to send tomorrow probably, weather is in the low 30's (celcius) so it should dry quickly and woosh they will be away! So now because I have finished the blocks my head went into new project mode.... Now I am itching to start another blanket. I haven't even finished the one I am participating in. I have seen the Lion Brand Circles to squares blanket done in brown with coloured spots by a fellow raveller Julieanny and it looked so great its all I can think about. Trying hard to focus though on finishing socks and the other blanket that I have on the go and to finish the Mr Greenjeans for myself.... but the itch desperately wants to be scratched..
Squares I have recieved and Squares I am sending

The other thing I want to start is a vegetable garden. I have always had a crazy notion that I would LOVE to be self sufficient. To grow all my own vegies, to have solar panels on the roof for electricity and to have about 3 more rainwater tanks to provide water for the veg and for rinsing my washing etc. I would also love to have fruit trees in the back yard or even the front yard. The price of food is going up with the global economic catastrophe that everyone is ranting about, and it inspires me to chase the dream I have always had. I don't work, I am a stay at home mum at the moment and I have the time to garden. So my dad lent me a book called "One Magic Square" by Lolo Houbein and to say that I am inspired is an understatement. The book is simple and the author is from South Australia and so knows what works here (yay!) when to plant, how to prepare, how to rotate crops, how to mulch, manure, and fertilise and how to keep pests at bay without chemicals. So I am going to get organic seeds so I can propogate from plants I have grown for future plants and jump in. Even if I just grow onions and garlic first (hopefully potatos and corn too, oh and carrots.....) it should help the family budget and maybe encourage Mr 3 and 3/4 to eat something other than vegemite toast and rice!
The compulsion to start hits me again - I should clean my house, I should do many things (like the preparation required for a vegie patch) but all I can do is dream about vegie gardens and afghans that I am not ready to start in a practical sense, emotionally I am there! So being practical means I have to wait a little bit for the vegie patch (mostly because I don't have the seeds and am trying to get a compost bin going) and I will control my afghan desires and will finish Mr Greenjeans and the socks and complete the swap blanket (oh and the other blanket I started before all of this that is sitting in a tub somewhere...) and then I can start fresh again.
Good luck to me because I just remembered I also promised mittens for the boys for Gumdale, and have a scarf on the go for Zak too and they want socks also, and a replacement sock for the sister in law, and I meant to make my sister a pair of socks for her birthday (April 15). Hmmm ..Anyhoo watch this space... see how we go!

Puppy in a pram and an out of focus sock I started :)