Hello Again

Yeah, it's been awhile since I even looked at my blog dashboard. I've been really, really busy.
That's motherhood for you.

Anyways, while my son naps on this dreary, rainy, thunder-y Sunday, I took the opportunity to peruse Ravelry. I do this often. I have a bit of a knitting and corchet addiction, if you hadn't noticed. (I have a sewing problem, too, but when you're chasing a crawling baby around, it's a lot easier to pick up & put down knitting.) I also have a bit of a yarn-buying habit, which I am assured is perfectly fine as long as I intend to use said yarn to make something fabulous. Which I totally do. I just don't always know what that something fabulous is when I buy the yarn.
Hence I peruse Ravelry for inspiration and ideas.

This leads a pattern-hoarding problem. Which made itself known when I downloaded yet another shawl pattern, and looked at my library to see the count: 999 distinct patterns.

Whoa.

In my defense, I probably do not have enough yarn to knit all 999 patterns, and I have several books of patterns, which all contain several items that I have no intention of ever making. (Although each book has at least two or three patterns that I totally do want to make.)

I immediately clicked over to another webpage, so that Tim wouldn't see the count. He gripes about the yarn taking over shelving (which is only slightly true; my sewing supplies take up much more of the tatami room closet.) If he sees the pattern count, he'll probably flip, because that's what husbands do.
(For those of you who don't know our family, I'm not spending my husband's money on any of this. I work my tail off to provide for my family, and this comes out of my "mad money.")

But really, I surprised myself when I saw the number. And I thought, "Is this a sign? Can I actually do something with this?" The answer is simple.

Of course I can.

But I need some parameters.

First, any pattern for which I have a finished object, is dropped from the list. (That seems like a no-brainer, right?) I will (eventually) put together the list of what has already been accomplished.
Second, is a way to account for books: For a book to be counted, I need to produce at least two projects from it. (In this case, I will count two projects from the same pattern the same as two projects from two distinct patterns.)
Third, if I don't have suitable yarn on-hand, I will not purchase it. (At least, not until my current stash is reduced significantly.)(Of course, this is me, so "significantly reduced" may well mean "I ran out of Malabrigo.")
Fourth, Christmas and Birthday knitting take priority. They have to. I have six nieces and nephews who live in the Midwest, and Target and Walmart don't really carry hats & scarves meant for cold. And my sister-in-law appreciates handmade items.

So what is left? Ah, yes. Record keeping. I may need to go back to my week-end round-ups. And I'll need to photograph everything. And catalog my yarn. And...

...How about I check in sometime this week, ok?