Fall Projects

I am a project girl. I like to have at least five projects up and running at any given time. That way, when I get bored with one, I can hop over to another. I hop around like a little bunny with half a brain, finishing things up, starting new projects, so I always feel my life has purpose and meaning. There are projects to be completed! Fear not the void!

My Fall Project List as of August 28 (officially speaking, still summer, but why procrastinate?):

1. Start and complete a rough draft of a new book. I write children's books, middle grade fiction to be specific, and this fall I'm writing a sequel to a book that was published a few years ago. I keep trying to get started, but until Fine Young Son No. 2 starts preschool, there's not much chance of any meaningful work will get done.

2. Finish knitting the sweater I started this summer. The back is done, the front is halfway done. This is a Christmas present for a recipient who shall remain unnamed. I made great progress on it earlier in the summer, but when it started hitting 100 degrees every dang day, well, the thought of a lapful of wool was not enticing. However, I'm back on the pony and plan to have this sucker done by the end of September.

3. Finish the Amy Butler throw also started earlier this summer, another Christmas present. The material was purchased, washed and ironed in April. It got boxed up, moved to the new house, and retired to a closet until two weeks ago. Re-ironing was necessary. Then the measuring and the cutting of many, many different sized blocks of fabric (see above picture). Now I'm ironing seams. Next: the laying out, and then--scary, scary--the actual sewing. I'm sure I'll only have to rip out stitches eight or nine hundred times before I get it right.

4. Knit socks for various folks I love for Christmas. I love knitting socks. In fact, I've knit so many, I don't need a pattern anymore. You can take socks anywhere, you can get the most wonderful, funky yarn without have to sell your first born to afford it, and everyone loves them. Every once in awhile, I knit my ownself a pair, just because there's nothing like a homemade sock. It puts all other socks to shame.

5. Have at least two dinner parties. Next week (please, please) they are going to start building us a screened porch ("they" being the builder guys we contracted with in July). When it is completed, there should be plenty of warm weather left to have some folks over. It has always been my dream to have lots of dinner parties. It just seems so grown-up somehow ...

That's a preliminary list. Standing in the way of its completion will be travels to visit schools in Kentucky and South Carolina, various church committee meetings and commitments, school volunteer stuff, and the sheer necessity of cleaning a toilet or two. I will keep you updated as to my progress.


Two projects that most likely will not get done:

1. Clean out the closet in my study.

2. Make a scrapbook from various papers and artwork produced by Fine Young Son No. 1 in second grade. 'Nuff said.