Keep it simple. More simple. More...

I had a moment the other night when I looked around and started to feel down about how much I had and had not accomplished last week.

I did take down the Christmas tree.  I did not vacuum.  

I did clean the bathrooms (thoroughly).  I did not wash the floors.

I did clean the kitchen.  The dining room is still a horrifying mess.

And as I looked around and took stock, I began to realize something.  There is always more to do. Sometimes, the more progress you ACTUALLY make, the less it looks like you have made any.

I am not, by nature, an organized person.  I am not good at setting priorities and sticking to them.  When I start on one path, it is very hard to divert my attention to other things that need tending.

On that note, though, I did take my Christmas tree down.  And that's pretty awesome.  I did clean the bathrooms, and that feels good.  My kitchen was tidy for almost 24 full hours.  That's almost a personal best.

Elaine (my Traddy wheel) sold and is being picked up tomorrow (Monday).  Her accessories sold and are being mailed tomorrow (Monday).  So that is one less thing that is taking up space.

4 boxes of fiber have been almost compacted into 2.  My 3 large bag of wool scraps is being processed into wool batts and rolags.

This:

Became this:

Which became this:

Self doubt told me that I was wasting my time on the things I love instead of the necessary tasks.  And reality reminded me that this week was a particularly rough Migraine week.  And the above is necessary.  Turning a big bag of scraps into a skein of useable yarn might be the fun side of necessary, but it is still necessary for compacting my life into a more manageable state.

A skein of yarn takes roughly 1/4 or less the amount of space that a bag of wool scraps takes.  And that's not nothing.

Simplifying through small

Here I am with my soon-to-be new-to-me Majacraft Little Gem spinning wheel.

This was an almost accidental purchase.  When I went to the last Project Fleece spin-in, I was captivated by the Little Gem.  I asked if I could borrow her for a bit and ended up spending the whole spin in with her.

She is a delightful wheel.  A Mercedes to my Ashford Traddy's Corolla.

I've heard people name their wheels, and I've tried it.  I named my cute little castle wheel "Bridget" and my Ashford Traddy is officially named "Elaine".  But I've never really called them by name.  They are merely tools.  Nice tools, but just tools.

I've thought about selling my Traddy a few times.  She's just... Big.  And when my goal this year is to compact, compress, organize, destash, and simplify, big isn't best.  

From there, convincing my hubby of the need for a smaller wheel was incredibly simple.  I had all my pros lined up, and "small wheel" and "amazing deal" were all it took.  Then he saw the picture and was as captivated as I was.  Then he saw a picture of a folded Little Gem and realized... She fits in a drawer!!  I suspect he'd willingly pay full price for such a delight.

Jemma comes home with me next week.

"Elaine" and "Bridget" are for sale.  I've had some surprising amount of interest, but neither is actually sold yet.  So if you or anyone you know wants a beautiful, well kept wheel, I have two at very different budget points.

I am also selling my Indian Charkha, in likewise excellent and loved condition.

2016 - Controlling the Chaos

Life last year got a little crazy.  Overwhelming. Tiring.  Exhausting.  A lot happened.  Much of this threw my ADHD out of control and what I'd always presumed were careful controls were shown to be utterly ineffective.

The last several months have been spent taking stock of my current systems for task management and accomplishment, working with 2 different counsellors to learn how to control my own chaos, and trying to make sense of the mess that is my house.

All of this put together has reignited my interest in blogging.  I figure if I am struggling, so are others, and maybe...just maybe... I have something of value to say.  Maybe my experience can help.  Maybe controlling the chaos really does start with rolling out if bed and throwing away one tissue today.  Tomorrow, you can do two.  

My biggest struggle as an adult with ADHD come from two directions at once: impulse control and task prioritization.  I can't look at a ball of yarn without desperately needing to turn it into something.  I need it on the needles, even if all my needles are in use.  Even if I have 13 projects in the go.  Even if the dishes have been sitting piled up in the kitchen for 2 days.  Add that impulse to my natural "pile" personality (my house is a series of piles), and you get something like this:

This is my storage room.  The left half of the room belongs to my husband and is a series of tidy shelves with stockable unperishables like soup, toilet paper, and laundry detergent.  The rest of the room... And the floor is mine.  Boxes stacked on boxes, and yarn stuffed and tangled into every crevice.

Priority one this year?  Turn that storage room into something more reasonable.  Find the floor.  Put the yarn in bags.

It is a slow process, learning to control the chaos.  It is a series of baby steps that starts with a donation bag in the corner of a room.  Don't need it? Can't bear to toss it? Donate it.

It is a process of repeat appointments in my daily calendar reminding me that Monday is for the kitchen, Tuesday for the floors (vacuuming and washing), Wednesday is for finding homes for things left out on random surfaces, Friday is for the bathrooms.  Saturday and Sunday are for laundry.  And Thursday?  Thursday's are mine.  Thursday's are for knitting, weaving, blogging, playing catchup, visiting friends, etc.

And if I get my daily must-do out of the way?  The rest of the day is mine, too.

I've been on the system for 2 months.  That's possibly the longest amount of time I have ever spent on any system.  The way I figure it, if small messes add up, maybe small changes will, too.

Welcome to November!

Halloween is done.

I woke up this morning to a light dusting of frost everywhere. Halfway through breakfast, it started to snow.  Mouselette was absolutely delighted and ran to the window shrieking about the snow and snowmen and Christmas (already?)

I am not done her new mittens yet.  I need to really get on that.  I have a thumb to finish on one mitt and then the second mitt to do.  I will be attempting to finish them tonight.

Last night was fun.  Halloween is always a little fun.  Despite the Facebook drinking game challenge regarding how many Elsas to expect, I had only one Elsa at my door last not. One Anna, too.  Lots and lots of Ninja Turtles, a Tenth Dr (complete with awesome tweed coat and red bow tie), loads of superheroes (girls and boys), lady bugs, policemen, firefighters, etc.  Very few princesses, though.  I think it was too cold for princesses.  It was pretty cold last night.  And rainy.  It is always cold and rainy.  This is the third Halloween in a row that it has been cold and rainy.

Mousehusband braved the cold and rain with Mouselette for over an hour while I stayed home and handed out candy.  I got some awesome knitting time in.  Plus, since I got the whole house vacuumed and floors washed yesterday afternoon, I have extra knitting time today.

My favourite pumpkin of the year was carved by one of my knitting friends:

Yarn barf!  Truly terrifying!  (I hate yarn barf... It is the bane of my existence.)

I woke up to an email from usps letting me know that my new (to me) tri loom is sitting on the other side of the border in New York.  It is my experience that once a package is processed there, it is about 3 more business days until it reaches me.  It's got to clear customs, get up to the main sorting facility, then make it on to the truck to get to me.  I am counting on seeing it by Wednesday afternoon or Thirsday.  For sure I will have it by Friday.  I am pretty excited.  I have a first project all planned out.  Haven't decided 100% on the yarn yet, but I am pretty sure I know which yarn I want to use.

Winter mittens!

We are supposed to be getting snow on Sunday.  Right now, the forecast is calling for "wet snow".  It has been glove and mitten temperature lately.  I have a pair of knit mitts for me, but Mouselette is lacking in the mitt department.

I think I need to get a pair cast on pronto.

I got an amazing deal on kids clothes yesterday.  There is a thrift store right next to my daughter's preschool, so I pop in frequently (too frequently, to be honest). I walked past yesterday and spotted a 50% off kids clothing sale. In I went to refill the ever-growing child's winter wardrobe (she may be petite over all, but she has monkey limbs like me, so she needs a full size above her age just to fit those long lanky legs and monkey arms of hers).  Among other things, I found a snowsuit for her for a mere $3.50!!  It has a tiny rip in the crotch, but nothing a needle and thread won't fix.  And for $3.50, I think I can deal with a tiny rip.

I also bought her a pair of winter mitts - the thermal kind.  Got them home and realized... Toooooo small!  So now, I think I need to get a pair of thrummed mitts knit up for Mouselette.  I have never actually knit thrummed mitts before.  I have plenty of awesome roving for thrums, but it is a new endeavour for me.

Cold mornings, warm blankets

I love the fall.  I love the late fall, when the trees are stripped bare and the frost covers the ground.  These are my favourite knitting days.

It is still relatively early.  There are as many leaves left on the trees as there are on the ground.  But the mornings are colder now.  The air is crisper.  The sun rises later.

I am bundled up with a very warm blanket.  My daughter is watching tv while she nibbles her breakfast.  I feel extra motivated to finish a particular pattern I have been working on.  

Today is going to be a knitting day.  

More pumpkin carving

Such a dilemma for a dedicated knitter.

We have two pumpkins.  One was carved with a picture drawn by my 3 year old.  The second isn't carved yet.

Do I carve a Hello Kitty for Mouselette's enjoyment, or a pair of knitting needles in a ball of yarn for mine?

Do you carve pumpkins for Halloween?  Show me your pumpkins in the comments!