I have a cunning plan...

I have been reading about Paisley Womble's idea of knitting from her book stash. She chose six knitting books that she had not made any projects from, and picked a project from each to knit during the year.

I haven't had a 'plan' this year, not really. At the start of the year I was recovering mentally from finishing three years of studying for the Studio Stitch Diploma (now more appropriately named Diploma of Textile Art), and then preparing for the exhibition at the Substation in Newport. After that I sort of slumped, coping with family issues (like Baby Bear coming down with Post Viral Syndrome and having six months either not attending school at all or attending half-time) and pootling around making textile jewellery which I have not had the energy to put up on Etsy.

I did have one 'plan', which is under control, sort of. I was going to reread all of the Wheel of Time books by Robert Jordan, one a month, until the final one was released in November/December. That was going fine until a couple of hiccups along the way - in November I realised that I had borrowed far too many library books, most of which looked too interesting to return unread, and missed my November fix of WOT while working my way through them. I still have three of them to go but then will read Volume 11. And I will certainly read Volume 12 in the near future after that, though it may be January holiday reading. The other 'minor' hiccup is that Volume 12 is not, after all, the final one - there will be 13 next year and 14 the year after! So much for the trilogy he planned some time in the 1990s. (Oh, and the last three are being written by someone else, using his copious notes, 'cos the sod went and died before finishing it!!)

So my plan for next year - I considered doing projects from books, but I don't really do that any more. (Except for some knitting patterns). So I have decided to trawl through my books (of which there are altogether far too many!) and choose 12 techniques or 'things' that I want to work on over next year. Hopefully each attempt will produce at least one finished item that is worth displaying. I have already chosen two of them, and they aren't from books - at various times this year I have bought a microwave kiln and glass for doing glass fusing; I did a workshop so technically I have already 'done' the technique and produced a rather nice brooch, but I want to work on it at home and see what I can come up with. So that's one of them. And I have also bought a kit containing a bracelet mould and resin and instructions and I want to have a good play with that. In the meantime I am looking through books thinking about things. A full list will appear either late this month or early in the New Year. I wonder if I can carry it through!!