I am changing plans and projects all the time at the moment. That’s just the way it is until I find my crafty rhythm again.
So, I did decide to ditch the Year in Pictures thing on Flickr, too many photos for me. I also ditched the first design challenge on the Project Yarnway group. I don’t have enough time to do something good, so why stress about it?
But, as it turns out, with the Olymics going on and all, one does watch a lot more television than usual (which is not difficult because usually it’s like none, except DVDs) and I need my hands to be occupied. So I am participating after all in the Ravelympics. I started Serena, a knit and crocheted cardigan from an earlier Yarn Forward Magazine. The knit part is perfect mindless knitting (perfect for when you actually want to WATCH). The crocheted yoke will need a little more attention (I’ll just do that during something boring).
By the way, what are your favourite winter sports to watch? I prefer everything that’s outside where I can see a bit of scenery, mountains and snow. I don’t like the ones taking place inside much.

There’s a point at which I feel I have too much going on, WIP wise. And at that point, I feel like I really must finish a couple of things because they are weighing me down. Now is such a moment.

What do I have going on?
- First of all, the first sweater of the year is still not finished, should have been finished at the end of January if I had kept my goal of finishing a sweater by the end of each month. This is part of International Sweater-a-Month Dodecathon .
- 2 secret projects for next Xmas. If you’re on Ravelry, the projects are up on my page, but no pictures will be added before they are gifted.
- A little dress I am making for another fun group I found on Ravelry:Project Yarnway.
- 2 sewn dresses, one awaiting buttons (which I forgot to order) and one awaiting a zipper (which I ordered, but now I have to learn how to put it in).
- A little sewn tunic that’s cut out which I need to sew and put an appliqué on.
- 2 design UFOs which I really should get done at some point.
- Oh, and yes, another cardigan I started, worked a couple of rows on, and put aside for no other reason as that there are too many other things I want to work on.
- And then there are the Ravelympics, starting tomorrow. I had planned to participate. But now, I kind of didn’t have the time to check in what way that participation works (tags, events, …. don’t really understand all that.). I will watch and knit and crochet anyway, though.
- Ah! And the pattern I should already have sent to an editor… It isn’t even all that complicated, I just have to do it.
Now, the only question is: what gets finished first?

Still not feeling the blog love at the moment, still too tired to come up with any ideas. But, today, I have something to share. I finally finished editing this little hat pattern and it’s now up for free on Ravely.

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Somehow I am not in Blog-mood at the moment. But here are a couple of links and pictures I wanted to share.

Link to all the patterns donating to charities for Haiti on Ravelry. I put mine up there, too, and bought a bunch for myself (startitis is in the air).

Ysolda’s Blog Post about the whole thing.

YIP, the knitterly and crafty types, a Flickr group in which I am participating this year.

And some stuff I’ve been working on:

Barboteuse des « Intemporels pour Bébés”, taille 3 mois rallongé de 3 cm.

The first of the 52 (planned) sewing projects of this year:
A romper, size 3 months. I made up a new paper pattern using the “barboteuse” in the book “Intemporels pour bébés” as a start. This one is less wide and I changed the bottom part, so the button band is not a different piece to sew on, but already included in the back and front. For the first time I used double sided interfacing for an appliqué and I am sure I will use this technique a lot in the future. The fabric is cotton velvet from Tout Coudre.

Le premier projet (sur 52 de prévu) de couture de l’année : Une barboteuse “maison”, taille 3 mois. J’ai fait un nouveau patron en partant de la barboteuse des “Intemporels pour bébés”. Celle-ci est moins large et il n’y a pas de patte de boutonnage séparée, mais c’est déjà inclus dans le dos/devant. Pour la première fois j’ai fait un appliqué avec un thermocollant double face. Technique que je vais exploiter encore plus dans l’avenir. Le tissu est du velours de coton de chez Tout Coudre.

Happy New Year everyone! Let’s kick off International Sweater-a-Month Dodecathon.

Here are the 2009 Xmas gifts, there wasn’t much handmade this year. At least not by me, though I did buy a lot of things on Etsy. Next year should be different as I’ve already completed one present for next Christmas and cast on for the next one. (Admit it, you’re impressed.)

Anyway, there was a Knotty but Nice hat for the husband and a pair of socks for each kid, that’s it.

J’ai participé à mon premier swap couture. Je suis soulagée, le résultat semble plaire : Les swaps des Citrocopines.
Il s’agit du modèle Donald de Citronille en taille 6 ans et une robe trapèze un peu modifié en taille 2 ans. Quelques photos supplémentaires :

All designs published in 2009 can be found in this Flickr set. My favorites in this category:

Samira from Inside Crochet issue 5

I am planning on making one for myself, possibly a cardigan version in 2010 and release the pattern myself as well.

The one that’s getting the most wear is definitely the Omaha Beach Sweater.

I am making another one right now, working out the pattern which will hopefully be published early next year.

2010 will probably bring a little less in terms of new designs, although you never know when inspiration strikes. But I do want to fill up my wardrobe and that of my family a little bit, and working from existing patterns does get the job done a lot faster. Plus there are so many lovely patterns out there, especially in knitting I might say, I’ll probably still end up designing some crochet ones. But I am not setting any specific goals for next year. I’ll just see what comes along. I am not submitting as much as before because I really don’t want to be too stressed out about working towards deadlines, parcels to be send oversees, pattern errors etc etc, not unless I’ve really adjusted to the 3kids thing (how come 3 are so much more work than 2, by the way?).

Oh, one thing I’d like to do though is finally learn to write my patterns in German and French, too. Or at least find someone to help me.