I love my lists and my plans and planning in general. I used to have very specific plans for my quilts every week and I did the Monthly OMG, and the weekly short lists, etc. etc. But at some point, my to do’s weren’t getting done and my lists were simply a repeat of things I didn’t do each week. So I stopped. It was partly because I started doing multiple crafts and there’s only so much time one has dedicated to crafts. Last year (2020), I started allocating time for each craft and each thing.

In 2020, my time for Quilting was on the weekends. For knitting, I did my morning sock knitting every morning. Ricky’s Weasley Sweater every evening and on Thursdays, I knit on everything else during knit night. I cross stitched every day about 100 stitches depending on the project and the amount of time I had available to stitch. That’s about all the crafting I could do. It really put things into perspective, when I know I want to do all the things but I don’t have time to do it. It sounds so simple and easy now. I’m sure I realized it before but never to the degree I KNOW now. And, it makes it easier to not buy yarn or fabric just because. Don’t get me wrong I still buy the stuff and I try to make rules to prevent me from buying extravagantly. But I still fall down the rabbit hole of buying for the sake of buying. I’m trying to not do this as much this year.

So what does this mean for 2021? Right now I am seeing and hearing a lot about planning and goal setting, etc. etc. And I want to jump right in with every one else. But I know that I can make all the goals and it won’t make a difference because I only have so much time to do the things I want to do. So, it’s a matter of reviewing my current schedule, evaluating how effective it is, and updating it for the coming year. Don’t get me wrong I still make lofty goals and lots of lists. it’s just formatted a little different and my focus is more on allocating the time to the craft as it works.

Having a schedule in 2020 worked. And I think I’m going to keep the schedule as is. I do want to add quilting more during the week and so I need to figure out how that will happen. Here’s my schedule as I’m planning right now:

Morning sock knitting. I used to do 5 rounds every day but depending on the complexity of the pattern, that may or may not happen. My minimum is 15 minutes. I have to knit 15 minutes and to finish up whatever round I’m at when my timer goes off.

In the evenings, I do my 100 stitches on whatever cross stitch I’m working on. And generally, that’s all I can do on a day to day basis. I also have my Weasley Sweater to work on each evening as well. And the plan is to do two rows each evening and 10 rows on Thursday’s knit night.

On the first Mondays, third Tuesdays, and Sundays, I meet via zoom with members of my mini groups and quilt guildies. I usually do any quilty handwork during that time. Right now, that’s my Hawaiian block that I started many years ago. I’m almost done with it and as with everything else, I’ve got a list of things to take it’s place when I get there.

Knit night is on Thursdays and I basically work on the following: Weasley Sweater (10 rows), Jimmy Bean advent shawl (2 rows), Water Lily (2 rows), Tranquil Mist (2 rows). Depending on when I’m able to join, I may or may not even get to Tranquil Mist but as one project is finished then the other projects move up the line and I get to add more to this list.

So each time block/craft has a list of things for me to work on and I try to start with whatever is at the top of the list as that is usually the priory project. But depending on how I feel and whatever the circumstances are I allow myself to switch around. I’ll be going through the lists as they currently stand over the next few weeks.

With my craft schedule laid out it’s clear that my days are pretty full and I just don’t know how to add anything else unless I remove something. And I’m not ready to remove anything. I’d be happy to remove work but I need that so I can buy all the fabric and yarn!

Happy goal planning…

Melanie