Big Plans...

I've pretty much got my craft list for 2012 in order.  I was originally going to try to do "12 in 2012" concerning knits, but I realized that I have a few old dusty project in my sewing bin to drag forward, plus a few that I need to make for presents this year.  Luckily the people that read this blog know most of the things that they're getting (I'm horrendous at keeping any secrets when it comes to crafting projects!) so I'm not really ruining anything here... :)

UFO Projects to finish:

1. Dad's Dale of Norway Sweater (Knitting)- this is by far the biggest UFO in my bin right now that has been around and needed finishing forever.  It's actually pretty far for progress- I have most of the body knit up, and I'm almost halfway through the fair isle on the shoulders, plus most of the way up the first sleeve, so in reality this shouldn't be that hard to finish.  It would be a huge sigh of relief if I could cross it off the list, not to mention stop getting crap from all my family since I "gave" it to my Dad for Christmas back in '08.  Oops...  Projected Finish Date: Hopefully by summer, so I can bring it down when I go to visit him in Florida.  Otherwise even by fall would be fine.

2. Cheryl's Apron (Sewing)- I told Cheryl a long time ago that I would make her an apron when she first got married that had "Mrs. Read" embroidered on it, with coffee cups surrounding it and a big ribbon to tie in the back.  I started it, then for some reason after I pinned the hem it got shoved down.  I'm blaming starting Grad School for this one.  Once I'm done moving stuff in, I'm pulling this one out and making a game plan.  Projected Finish Date: As soon as frickin' possible...

3. My TShirt Quilt (Sewing)- I don't even remember when I last worked on this, though I've been steadily adding more and more Tshirts to the pile to go into the quilt (it's going to be massive when it's finally done)!  I have quite a few with interfacing on them- I just need to figure out exactly what size I'm going to cut them to, and where in the quilt they will all occur.  I feel like this one won't be too hard, it's just going to take awhile.  Projected Finish Date: Ideally before Spring.  Let's say March?

4. My Whisper Cardigan (Knitting)- My gauge was horrendously off on this cardigan, so I ripped it out and left it in the bottom of the bin to sit in time out for a long time.  A very long time.  I do indeed still want it, though if i find another use for the beautiful Malabrigo Lace I used, I might switch projects.  I have other sweaters that I have on my mind currently, plus I'm a little more adverse to having a white cardigan floating around.  Projected Finish Date: If I stick with the cardigan pattern, I want to have it finished by May.  Otherwise it's pretty flexible.

5. My Poseidon Adventure Shawl (Knitting)- I'm about halfway through this beast, and I'm on the simple YO K2tog that occurs for 500 something stitches per round (plus adding beads), so this is going to become my go-to project to grab when I need something mindless that I can slug through.  Plus it would be a great thing to throw over the back of the couch when it's done, or throw on my legs when it's chilly.  I'm hoping to have it done by the spring.  Projected Finish Date: Spring

Projects to Start and Finish:

6. A Dance Bag for Stacey (Sewing)- Last year I gave the director of the dance studio I work at a pair of Owl Mittens, and she loved them!  I was having trouble searching around for a good knitting pattern this year, but I noticed one night at the studio that her dance bag- stuffed with tap shoes, ballet slippers, costume books, and goodness knows what else- was falling apart.  Enter Amy Butler's book Style Stitches and a search for some appropriate dance fabric, and I'll hopefully have a pretty gift by the time the season is finished!  Projected Finish Date: By the studio's recital in early June.

7. A Hat and Scarf for Reed (Knitting)- Reed is making me a website with all my resumes, papers on teaching, and even climbing pictures and videos of my dances for me to use in exchange for a cozy hat and mitten set.  I'm doing a modified version of the Thorpe hat (my favorite standby) and Jared Flood's scarf pattern Pavement- both very guy-like and hopefully not terribly difficult.  The Pavement pattern I can use for gift knits down the road (though I abhor knitting scarves- no patience for them), justifying getting it.  Projected Finish Date: Hopefully early spring- this is one I'll need to crank out pretty fast.

8. Kim's Wedding Hat (Knitting)- One of my good friends Kim recently got engaged, and since then she and her fiance have decided on a winter wedding.  Her sister will be knitting I believe mittens for her, and I'll be knitting a hat to keep the bride warm between the church and the reception!  Projected Finish Date: I still have to talk to both Kim and her sister to figure out logistics, and this won't have to be done until her wedding (at least a year), but it's good to keep it in the mix. :)

9. 4 Pairs of Socks for Myself! (Knitting)- I realize this is 4 things, but it takes me awhile to make socks and the ones I have in mind for this project are a tad more elaborate and will probably take the whole year.   I need to finish the Addiction socks, start and finish the Bridge of Roses socks (which I already have the pattern and yarn for), make the Hundred Acre Woods socks with my threeirishgirls yarn from yarn club (yes, I am that dork!), and challenge myself with some awesome Norwegian Stockings (which will take a million years).  Projected Finish Date: January 1st, 2013!

10. Sweater for Myself (Knitting)- Since I finished the Vivian sweater, I've been looking for a great pattern to start for myself.  While I have a lot of other big things to finish, I would love to have a pretty warm sweater ready to go for fall for myself.  I have a few in mind and time to narrow it down- I'm thinking either the Coastal Hoodie, Jared Flood's Tinder pattern, or the beautiful Velvet Morning by one of my favorite designers, knittedbliss!  Projected Finish Date: Fall 2012

11. Cowl for Kendra (Knitting)- My brother's long-time girlfriend is an amazing artist, and we have a bargain where she's going to paint me a Van Gogh-like painting for my new apartment and I'm going to make her something out of tasty luxury yarn!  I'm thinking the Stockholm Scarf (again by knittedbliss), probably in the Fresco yarn by Classic Elite (soooo tasty!) since I loved that pattern so much the last time I made it!  Projected Finish Date: As soon as possible?

12. Gift Knitting/Sewing- This last one is a lump of all the Christmas gift knitting and sewing I'll be doing that I have in mind but haven't started yet.  It's a mildly big list.  Surprise, surprise...

Uff da... big blog post, big plans, and a year to do it... I'm going to be busy...
(Oh, and I apologize for lack of photos in this post- I couldn't even find old pictures of some of my projects.  Shows how long it's been since I've done anything with them... oops...)