2015 reading goals

I usually join a year long challenge or three, but I really couldn't find any that sparked my interest this year. So, I made up my own challenges/goals for 2015: or, technically, I'm rehashing old goals!

 For 2015, I'm going to:

• read 60 books (craft books/cookbooks do not count unless there is non-recipe/pattern chatter that makes up at least 25% of the book)
• continue to review at least 25 craft/cook books for the blog
• reread favorite childhood series: Little House and Anne of Green Gables. This is one of those rehashing of old goals I was just writing about
• read Robert Heinlein's books I haven't read before. He's one of my favorite authors of all times, but it's amazing how many books/short stories I haven't read by him. This is another previous book goal
• new goal for this year: Reread North and South by John Jakes, and read the rest of the series 
• continue my 2014 goal of rereading the Outlander series. Currently on #2
• continue mixing my reading: some library, some netgalley, some amazon freebies, some reviews on books I got directly from the author, and most importantly, some non-fiction. I want to really try to concentrate on reading stuff off my TBR pile, something I always, always neglect!

Wedge

intentional living: goals Dec 28-January 4

How did you do working on your goals this past week? I didn't have a lot with the holidays and I managed to accomplish everything, for once! Here's this week's goals:

Is anyone interested in becoming an accountability partner?

Alyssa's hand knit sweater: flax

My niece, alyssa, wearing her new hand knit sweater by her favorite auntie A :).

Pattern is flax; yarn is vannas choice.

Of course, as a knitter we always knit pick what we make; the body's a smidge long (but she'll grow into that, at least) but the sleeves are just a smidge too short. I actually thought I knit the sleeves about a 1/2" longer than the pattern stated to make sure she had room to grow; I guess it's a good thing I did add the length!

Happy birthday dad!

My dad turned 65 recently, though he probably wouldn't be very happy with me for sharing that :).


We got together to celebrate with my dad today, just the four of us.


We had a nice quiet day - you can see my dad holding a photo of the two of us from earlier this year, in a frame I made with sea glass we gathered from that day.










We went out to eat at one of our favorite local restaurants, Cancun's (Mexican) and of course had drinks :).



We came back home, dad unwrapped more presents and we had cake and ice cream and managed to play some wii.


A nice quiet, relaxing, enjoyable day for my dad, I hope :)

intentional living: goals Dec 21-27

How did you do this past week with your goals? I did OK considering how close Christmas is and how busy we are.

I never joined a book club, but I did join an online MOOC that I'm super excited about on Richard III of England, a king I know some things about, but mostly because of historical fiction books I've read (and because I'm a geek, I often have to research to see what's true and what's false in a historical fiction book).

For my designing goals, I never did go onto Ravelry or work on my vest design, but I knew in setting the goals it was probably pretty futile.

Next week's goals:

Christmas lights

Near us

happy holidays!

Raspberry Lace Shawl

Another recent published design of mine is the Raspberry Lace Shawl.


I used the absolutely divine yarn made by Sweet Georgia Yarns called Trinity Worsted, in a raspberry color of course!


The yarn is a merino, cashmere and silk blend, and was just so pretty, and was so much fun to crochet with.


It is also in the Crochet Through the Seasons issue of I Like Crochet (remember the afghan I showed last week? Same issue).

Advent scarf wip wed

Progress on the advent calendar scarf

Buds on my Christmas cactus

Crochet world

I'm so excited to announce my latest design in the next issue of crochet world magazine! 

Hits newstands dec 30 so please check it out!

Progress on the advent calendar scarf

Intentional living dec 14-20

How did I do last week? Well it was my first week but I did ok.

I did some wrapping, our date night was spent sleeping, I did spend a lot of time setting up the planner for 2015. I did none of designing to dos and I did not stretch at all last week (or any other exercise for that matter). I did go on facebook which I normally neglect.

For the upcoming week (not much since we are so clue to christmas)

It's official! I'm signing up for COYER! I admit it, I'm a reading junkie, and my reading has been off this year because I haven't had an official blog reading home. I've done some posting here and there, sharing reviews at goodreads and the occasional other blog, but you guys are going to get stuck with me again. I'm thinking about maybe creating a website, separating the different subjects I'll be blogging about, but for now, here goes....

I'll decide upon a more official list over the weekend, but for now, some thoughts upon what goes on my list:

(amazon freebies)

• Dead Radiance (Valkyrie, #1)

• Survival (The Guardians of Vesturon, #1)

• Roanoke: The Lost Colony (Keepers of the Ring, #1)

• Land of My Heart (Heirs of Montana #1)

(from netgalley)

• Daughter of the Reef

  Clare Coleman

• Slave Narratives of the Underground Railroad Christine Rudsel and Bob Blaisdell

I'll edit this list over the weekend when I have the time/energy to really go through my ereaders. 

If you join, please mention my name, so I can be entered to win a gift card to buy more books :)

Sinfully Simple Afghan in I Like Crochet magazine

I was really excited to design this afghan (though I do admit, the photo is not flattering).

The design is called "Sinfully Simple Afghan" because it is easy for anyone to make! I actually was rather sad when I finished the afghan, because i enjoyed making it so much (I was making the sample in the heat of August, which shows how much I enjoyed making it - in the heat and humidity of a Massachusetts summer with no air conditioning!)


It uses a few different stitches, so the pattern is always changing, but it is very easily memorized, very easy to keep your place, and doesn't involve any counting !


It is from the special Crochet Through the Seasons issue of I Like Crochet.

Intentional living goals dec 7

Family

Wrap presents

Date night

Personal

Set up planner

Sign up for a book challenge

Get flute looked at / fixed

Designing

Email

Rav

Vest design

Exercise

Stretch 4 times

Social

Facebook

Instagram

Tangles

X 

Summer Drop

I'm so very pleased to announce one of my latest designs, Summer Drop.

 Ever since Snowdrop came out in Crochetvolution, I’ve wanted to revisit the shawl.


 I finally came up with what I think is a lacier, more upscale version. It still has the same asymmetrical shape, it's still very easy to make, and you can still use any yarn, any hook size and any gauge, and make any size you want.

This version is made using a fingering weight yarn, and a larger than normal hook, and used 100 grams of yarn.

 Heavy blocking is needed to open up the lace pattern, so using a fiber you feel comfortable with blocking is a must.

Pattern is on Crochetvolution for free!