July Goals: The Stash Down Month

Well, it's finally July. I can barely believe it. Where has summer gone? How have I gained so much weight? And most importantly, how is my house such a disaster?

In doing some spring summer cleaning this morning, I realized that I have just too much going on in my realm of crafting. Most of these projects are blankets that I need to finish crocheting, but there are other projects, too, like my cross stitching and scrap booking. So, to follow in the footsteps of another craft blog that I was recently reading, I'm setting out with my goals for the month!

1. Use up all of the remaining cotton yarn in my stash, roughly one cone. (I see a lot of dishcloths and hot pads in my future.)
2. Add 2,000+ stitches to Home Sweet Home Yoshi.
3. Finish one pokemon ornament, most likely Ivysaur.
4. Add at least 20 rounds to Ian's blanket.

Ambitious, but doable if I put my mind to it. Now I just need to learn how to crochet and run. Have you ever seen the marathoners that knit scarves while they run? It's incredible.

A Video Blog!

I couldn't figure out a faster way to update everyone in regard to projects and life-hiccups, so I took a gamble and decided to try my hand at video blogging. Please let me know what you think. Is this a good medium to use, a poor one? You tell me!

A Good Reason for Hiatus

So, obviously my last post is the poster child of how my school semester went for Spring. It was busy, it was hectic, and it was intense. Luckily, there have been lots of changes in my life recently. (And I've actually got my summer off this year!)

As of yesterday, I officially have a new job position at work come August. This comes with a huge pay raise and a new supervisor, but I am very excited for the new experience--and I have to admit--the pay raise. Plus, I'll have my own desk!

In terms of crafting, I have also been busy, lots of scrapbooking. I promise to post about all of that sometime soon, but because it's still a secret until the end of the month, I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet.

Break Please!

I know that I've fallen off the face of the Earth recently and for that you have my most sincere apologies. March was Hell Month for me: midterms, back to back running races, papers, job applications, and now the worst bout of flu I've ever experienced!

I have actually done some crafting over the last month, but it really has been put aside while other things have taken up my time. Technically, I'm on Spring Break right now from University, so the extra time to recuperate has been wonderful. I'm just hoping to get back to work by the end of the week and crafting by the end of the weekend!

Life, Work, and Companion Cubes

Well, things have been a bit hectic lately, but midterms are finally over and I think that I'll be able to get some more work done on Yoshi, soon.

My biggest two issues in terms of crafting have been time management and safely transporting my projects around with me during the week. Between work and classes (and applying for an amazing position that just came available at work this week), crafts haven't been at the top of my list. They've been toted along with me recently, but not much attention has been given to them, I'll admit.

I've always felt fortunate to have a boss who is also a fellow crafter. She has always been comfortable with me bringing my crafting with me to the office every day so long as all of the office's day-to-day tasks and special projects are completed. And I'm lucky that I can multitask while making our courtesy calls every afternoon, especially Friday. Here's how my week in crafting went: twenty-six  granny squares waiting to be tied and sewn in on my Companion Cube blanket.

Despite a hiatus, I've been able to get quite a bit of work done on this blanket since starting it last April. I've made 192/212 off-white squares and combined I only have 145 total squares left to make before I begin sewing. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Home Sweet Home Yoshi: A Conundrum

Well, it seems like I've screwed up a bit. Somehow, my WIP photographs have gotten out of sync and I may be missing more than just WIP 011 like I originally had thought. So, today is a bonus day! Pictures all the way through yesterday, February 25. (For the record, the 25th is my anniversary, so this post is a bit special.)

I suppose today is a bit of a HSHY treat for those of you who are following the project.

Looking pretty good, huh? Yoshi's getting a fireplace, one brick at a time! I'm hoping to finish the fireplace completely by the end of March, but that involves finishing all the black outline and filling in all the bricks. It's doable, but ambitious.

Pokeball Keychain

Over the last few months, I've been fortunate enough to attend a number of Street Pass San Diego events in the area and meet a lot of other local 3DS players. It's a really neat group and because they do so much for the local community, I told them late last year I would craft some items for them to give away at their monthly meet ups. After finally getting my act together in terms of time management, this is what I came up with. When coworkers asked me how long it took, all I could say was "two episodes of Mad Men," but this was a really fun project and I can't wait to make one for myself in the future.