The 10 Year Rule

But first socks.
It's becoming very easy to love Kroy yarns. They work up so fast, it's very rewarding. These are for my father-in-law, nice workman like simple comfortable warm socks (searching for more adjectives). Of necessity they will have a peasant heel, unless, I magically learn how to work a short row this evening. I'll probably try it and see what happens, just for fun. I probably should practise with some scarp yarn first. But I am yearning for completion of something, anything.

I did work on the shawl. Time trials reveal that a knit and purl row pair are now taking about 20 minutes. I'm working slow though and keep going back obsessively to make sure I have not lost the centre stitch again, and that my yo's are where they need to be. Soon. The ball does look a little smaller today.

I may have spoken about the 10 Year Rule before, indeed I may have blogged it before, but well, I'll talk about it again.

Over a great many hand worked string things, over a very long time, I've come up with a rule that allows me to forgive myself when I fall out of love with a project. It began with a huge crewel work picture given by an aunt when I was 16. I just was not ready for it, and many years later, I put it for sale at a garage sale. I felt bad about that, but I reasoned I was never going to finish it, and it had been at least 10 years since I touched it, other than packing it in moving vans. So I now apply the rule to things that sit around for 10 years.

The quilt top is getting perilously close. The top is a Grandmothers Fan , though I was going to orient the fans facing one way with a border of blue between every square, and an outer edging of blue. In my mind, it is beautiful, but in reality is is in parts. The squares are all assembled the borders are all cut and are ready to go, I just have to sew it together. In fact, about half of it IS sewn. I touched it last about 3 years ago, when we were putting cabinets in the laundry room. Even then, I only touched the bag it was in.

I really don't want to put it on the 10 year pile, I really want to finish it, but...

I have this dream, and like the embroideries I showed yesterday some dreams die hard. I dreamed of a lacy bedroom with embroideries and doilies, and a lovely quilt to top it all. White sheers, and blue ruffly fouffy curtain swags. I dream of the kind of bedroom that makes you think of warm comfort and old fashioned snugly goodness. I long ago gave this room to the status of guest room. Maybe that is why the dream dies so hard. A guest room is not really for using, it's mostly to look at, with occasional people sleeping among it lacy bower of goodness. It was going to be my girly space in the house, the showcase for things I love and do.

After 10 years is it still a possibility? A probability? Well...maybe... just maybe.....sigh.

I can't seem to let the dream go. I'll keep these pieces for a while yet. Maybe I'll invent a 20 year rule.