Wednesday, March 11, 2015

You can do anything in 12 weeks......or not.




I finished the Exploration Station pattern by the fabulous Stephen West over Summer and as far as knitting experiences go it was a truly enjoyable one. Lots of soothing garter stitch rows to begin with followed by some new-to-me knitting techniques and interesting stitch combinations to keep things interesting. I stretched the thing to oblivion during the blocking process as I do like an oversized shawl but it may not have been the best idea as the Brioche section looks a little too stretched now. The more eagle-eyed knitters out there will also spot the mistakes - the first row of yarn-overs in the white edging is a bit off and the stripy section before that is much shorter than it should have been thanks to the Whippet destroying the remaining navy blue yarn. The i-cord bind-off took forever and a day but all can be forgiven because it did create the loveliest finished edge. I really love how it turned out and I wore it for the first time tonight at the local Village Association drinks.

I also just recently finished reading "The Light  Between Oceans" by M. L. Stedman. It is the story of a Lighthouse Keeper and his wife living on a remote island off Western Australia. It is a heartbreaking story about love and loss and about right and wrong. I had to check my own morality a few times along the way, often siding with the wrongdoers, or at least empathising with them. It's apparently going to be turned into a feature film but filmed here in Tasmania instead of Western Australia.  It will definitely make for some compelling viewing.

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In other news, we are getting to the pointy end of the farm development with just 12 weeks to go until we open. Life is going to change in a way that I can't really imagine but I do know that whenever there is a 12 week period before a deadline or a life-changing event my brain goes into overdrive compiling a list of things that need to be done. Because everyone knows that 12 weeks is the magic number. A shorter length of time isn't long enough to achieve the goal and any longer than 12 weeks then one loses motivation. This is what I plan to do in the next 12 weeks:

1) Knit myself my first jumper. 
2) Lose those few kilos that have been hanging around these past few years
3) Do a crash course in self love and accept the fact that I have been putting off 1) until 2) has been achieved and that maybe I just need to embrace this new body shape of mine as my new 'normal'
4) Embark on a complete house declutter. 
5) Train the puppy entirely and wean him off book spines, shoes and wooden toys
6) Finish painting the kitchen
7) Read the 4 novels that are sitting on my bedside table.
8) Do a course in Floral Arranging and Bee-keeping, a Barrista course, a course in small business management, MYOB accounting, a course in time-management skills, a course in 'getting back into the workforce after a decade of child-rearing" and a course in "fitting it all in" but only if I have time.
9) Read the entire Harry Potter series to the boys at bedtime
10) Be a fabulous wife, mother, dance mum, soccer mum, friend. Heck, just be fabulous all the time.

And pigs may fly.

You may be able to do anything in 12 weeks, but surely not everything. The fact that I couldn't recall any previous goals successfully reached within a 12 week period should have sent alarm bells off but it was the look on my Husband's face that alerted me to my insanity as I  rattled off all of the things I felt I had to get done.

Or not.

Perhaps instead I might just carry on as normal. Do less rather than more. I think I'm going to spend this time recovering from this stressful development period and just focus on doing one thing at a time, finishing what I've started, resting when I can and staring out the window at the view as much as I like. I'm not going to do anymore lists. Things will get done when they get done. 

I'm joining Ginny and all the other knitters and readers over here today.

Shawl notes ravelled here.



41 comments :

  1. Beautiful shawl! I don't think it looks too stretched out at all. I love the color. And good luck on your new venture! I am a list maker as well...although I can't really remember anything I have completed in 12 weeks...except making lists...those I make constantly. Hmmm...maybe that is my problem - too much list making :-)

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  2. I love the shawl and wish I knitted well enough to copy it. Take care of yourself over the coming weeks and enjoy that view,

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  3. Your shawl is absolutely beautiful! Lovely to meet a fellow Aussie here at Yarn Along! I love your neck of the woods - I would move to Tassie yesterday if everyone else in the family didn't whinge about it being too cold! That's what knitting is for!
    Good luck with your new venture, and the completion of the list! Wow, that's some list!

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  4. love your list of goals, I love listing mine and sometimes I do them :) Your shawl is spectacular! Well done!

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  5. I love your goals. Writing them down is half the battle. If you accomplish half the list - the battle is won in my book. Your shawl is just gorgeous!

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  6. Well I thought that list looked mighty optimistic for what 12 weeks looks like for me! Haha! I like your idea to pull back and enjoy the view. I think just one of those goals would keep me busy for a season!
    Truly beautiful shawl.

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  7. That shawl is amazing!! I love the colours, and it looks wonderful wrapped around you in the photos. I got a bit more than halfway through "The Light Between Oceans" then stopped reading it. It was the oddest thing really, almost like I couldn't stand to see how the book ended. I need to pick it up and finish it. As for your list, I'm glad you came to your senses. Life is short. Your time with your children being young and living at home is short. I do like #9 though. There's something very special about reading books aloud with your children. I have wonderful memories of reading the Harry Potter series to my younger three.

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    1. I know the exact part of the book you are talking about, you just know it can't be a truly happy ending after that bit of information comes to light. I was a sobbing mess by the end! x

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  8. What a beautiful shawl. :) I hope you really enjoy wearing it.
    I love lists - but I think I'd feel more than a little over-whelmed trying to fit all that in in a year - let alone 12 weeks! x

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  9. Your shawl is gorgeous! Good luck with your list of goals!

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  10. Beautiful Shawl! Good luck with your goals.

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  11. Set your mind to it and you can achieve all those goals well within the twelve week limit. Well, almost. Depending on how thoroughly you do them. If you manage them all then No. 2 will be no trouble. Mind you, achieve them all and you'll probably be carried away on a stretcher. Maybe leave them til next year.
    Looking forward to watching it all come together.

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  12. Hey Mel,
    I can't believe what you have achieved, let alone what you want to! And you knit. I congratulate myself if I get through one day without eating something sweet. As for the extra pounds... well I'm sure you don't need to, but maybe your beautiful shawl can provide a bit of glamorous coverage ;))

    Leanne xx

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  13. Your shawl is stunning! I really LOVE it! But my goodness you have certainly set yourself some big goals there to achieve in just 12 weeks, good luck! And how exciting about the farm
    Caz xx

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  14. Oh, I think the shawl turned out beautifully!

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  15. What a beautiful shawl, Mel. It really is gorgeous. You have some very ambitious goals but I think you can reach some of them.

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  16. number 1 and number 9 can stay, the rest....pfft they aren't important anyway. ;)
    cheers Kate

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  17. Beautiful shawl! I also read the light between oceans & found it as emotional as you- I didn't know they were making a movie- i'd be very interested to see it.

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  18. Your shawl is stunning! I am so impressed! I just look at lace like that and imagine my upset at a missed count!
    Reading your to-do list made me want to take a nap before I even got to the end of it. I'm glad you aren't going to aim quite that high! Enjoy your 12 weeks - it sounds like you have so much excitement ahead!

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  19. Oh my gosh, Mel, your shawl is simply stunning! (and you look stunning in it too). I found myself nodding right along with your list of to-dos, its so similar to my own only my life isn't really expecting any major changes as your is. You are wise, then, to chuck the list and rest and enjoy your amazing view instead... except maybe the knit part can stay, can't it? A new sweater would come in so handy;) XO

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  20. The shawl is beautiful and only you will know about the mistakes. That is certainly a lot of things you want to accomplish but hey, until you try, who knows what you can do. I just finished "The Light Between Oceans" also. I loved it and was in tears several times. I hope the author writes more. She certainly knows how to draw you into the story.
    Hugs,
    Sharon

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  21. The shawl is beautiful and only you will know about the mistakes. That is certainly a lot of things you want to accomplish but hey, until you try, who knows what you can do. I just finished "The Light Between Oceans" also. I loved it and was in tears several times. I hope the author writes more. She certainly knows how to draw you into the story.
    Hugs,
    Sharon

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  22. Your shawl is so beautiful!!!!!! I adore it and am in awe as always of your ability to knit and create such beautiful things. I do hope that you can achieve all of your goals, you are a wonderful woman and have a great family so I hope that together you can work to get everything done and have a wonderful opening to the farm!!! Good luck and all best wishes!!! xx

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  23. Stunning shawl! And good luck with all those projects, hope you get it all done!!

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  24. Yeah, best to carry on like normal, so much better to be sane than perfect :-) Love your shawl. This is one thing I am too scared to knit (and I don't even know why). xx

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  25. Oh Mel you are too funny! What a list to achieve in 12 weeks, can just picture your husband's face, giggle. Pick one and see how you go. Love your shawl!! Thought at first you were going to say you managed to craft it in 12 weeks:)

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  26. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!!!
    (Watch for pigs!)
    Xx

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  27. That shawl is amazing! Stephen West isn't usually my style, but once in a while there's a project like yours that changes my mind.

    I'm embarking on a total declutter as well, and I've found that it helps immensely in the "self-love" department, one that I struggle with too. 12 weeks sounds totally reasonable :)

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  28. I think just knit the jumper and relax. You look sensational, what extra kilos are you talking about woman!! The shawl is seriously gorgeous, and you know I'm all about how much I love shawls nowadays. Shame I can't knit one - I'll just drool over yours instead. Have a cracking weekend lovely lady. xx

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  29. You are one busy lady, Mel. I think another superb shawl is in order... sitting down, knitting away seems the perfect thing to do on chilly autumnal nights.

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  30. The shawl is beautiful Mel. Your knitting skills are amazing, I'm a tad jealous. The colours and pattern remind me of those round beach towels that are all the rage at the moment.
    I hope in the next 12 weeks you're able to tick off some of those things on your list. x

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    1. I saw those round towels just the other day and thought they'd make a great picnic blanket.... PS I'm jealous of your sewing skills!

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  31. Love the shawl Mel, you clever lady! Love the colours you've used. I'm looking forward to getting my hooks out again and making my girls another bonnet for winter and perhaps I'll finally finish my solid granny squares blanket.

    As for your list, I've been interested in getting a bee hive for a while now and over the last fortnight I've attended a beginners beekeeping course and attended a beekeeping festival. Both were fabulous and I definitely want to get myself a hive or two now. x

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  32. I love your shawl, and I also love that the narrow section it marks the whippet's puppydom.

    Your list cracked me up ... that's exactly what I do when deadlines loom, look for a 100 other things to do.

    I too am putting off a sweater project until the pounds are off, but I know it will take me a lot longer than you to shift mine, there are way more of them.

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  33. Make sure that list gets put away somewhere safe, and don't look at it for at least twelve years. I did this by accident once and discovered that many of the must-do items were still there, patiently waiting for me......

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  34. Oh, I was reading that list thinking 'holy moly, she's superwoman!'... that shawl is gorgeous, so much like those Roundie beach towels!

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  35. Start with reading the four books, everything else will then fall into place. Reading is the cure/fix for everything.

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  36. oh my gosh mel! this is gorgeous!! well done and enjoy your beautiful shawl! xox

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