Getting Back to My Routine???

The kids are all back to school (DS went back yesterday - YAHOO) and maybe now I can get back to my routine!!  Okay, you probably think I'm a horrible mother.  I love my son!!  But I don't love all the extra laundry, constant piles of dishes in the sink and the basement looking like a frat house and him thinking that noon is too early to get up!  But I'll be missing him.  A lot!  He's always so much fun.   But now that everyone is back to their respective routines, I can get back to mine and the more crafty things in life - like stitching.  I haven't done a lot of that.

But as each new year arrives, I think we all think about starting something new.  That was my first thought as we all know that I love starting new things.  But I decided that after my severely lackluster performance in the January Challenge last year (starting 15 projects) - of which I completed a big fat goose egg - I decided to go a different route, and make 2012 the year of the WIPS.  Why not - there are all those projects started from last year.  Makes sense, right?  So I joined Measi's WIPocalypse.  Get those WIPS all off my plate (well, maybe not all - that would take about 10 years!!!).

So I picked up AAWFAA.  When we last left this sampler at the beginning of last year, this was where I was - did I happen to mention that I HATED this cloud?

And this is where I am now (I'm loving the colors):

Not a huge amount finished, but not too bad for the first week of the new year.  There's a lot of backstitching on this puppy, and on 40 ct. fabric no less.  My eyes are having a hard time adjusting, but since I'm about to get a new pair of glasses, I think that it will be a lot easier to see and I won't get out of my chair cross-eyed.

Then, as usual, within a few days I was dreaming about starting something new.  Figures, right?  Well, a solution presented itself.  I happened to be reading blogs one day and saw Becky's challenge for the year - start something new, post updates during the year, and win a prize!  Okay, I'm all in for that!!  What's ONE new project?  Just one little project?  Well, it has to be 10 x 12, so not that little, but absolutely doable!!  So I've got my project picked out, but can't decide on the fabric - I've had two false starts as I didn't like my fabric choices, so I'll reveal it in my next post.  But I'm giddy about starting something new.

On other needles, I've been doing knitting.  After I finished the Guernsey shawl, I proceed to start a scarf for my daughter.  Could I get the pattern?  Could I make the yarn overs right?  NO!!!!  I sat there pulling out my hair wondering why I couldn't do it.  It's not like I haven't knit before.  But the correct way of yarn overs eluded me.  Even with YouTube videos.  I kept telling myself I've done this before, but it just wasn't working.  To prove my point that I can knit, I pulled a couple out of my son's drawer that I made for him when he was a little boy:

So there's your proof.  I once knew how to knit.  But those skills have flown out the window it seems.  So I have been knitting, but simple things - no yarn overs.

Gathered Scarf

Crazy Zauberball yarn

Combined Patterns

Boneyard Shawl and So Easy I Can't Even Stand it Triangular Scarf

The Gathered Shawl is my "take with" project when I take my daughter to dance because there isn't too much you can mess up on something that is just stockinette stitch.  Well, I shouldn't say that.  I was a lot further along on that scarf and did mess it up and had to take a good portion of it out, but I think that I'm back on track now!

Oh, and I have to mention that a couple nights ago I was laying in bed and it came to me how to do those yarn overs the right way!!  Figures.  So once one of these projects is finished, I can get on with something a little more elaborate.  

So that's my first week of January.  Not tons, but a good start.  Now I need to get some quilting in!!!

How are you doing on your goals so far?  Do you have any?  Did you join a Challenge or WIPocalypse?