Here we go again. Another year completed and a new one started. We’re already a month in, did you start it off running? Or slowly dip your foot in testing the waters?
New Projects and Activities!
I started the year with a couple of projects. Decided I would attempt to create a temperature blanket. Among the many different art talents I was gifted with, I also crochet. Which yes, it is different than knitting.
A temperature blanket consists of crocheting one row per day a certain color based on the daily temperature. It’s a year long project. Most people say they get bored of it or forget about it as the months grow warmer. I’m keeping up with it pretty well so far. Finished January, even though it was a rough start picking the color gradient.
I decided to go with whatever colors I already had in stock. Picked a pattern that shows off the highest and lowest temperatures of each day. I wanted this blanket to be big enough to sleep with. On one side it’s all the low temperatures and the reverse are all the high temps. I think it might come out too long for the width but we’ll see. Still have 11 more months to go. But I’m excited because I believe out of all the projects I tried to keep up with this one might be accomplished.
Crocheting has always been my fall back art medium. I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. Might be because of the calming effect or simply because I know something will come out of me finishing a design: a sweater, hat, scarf, blanket, etc. There’s something about working on something that has a physical purpose when completed giving me a deeper feeling of usefulness than just drawing or writing.
Keeping Track
A way that I found to keep on track with my blanket so far is to add another daily activity to the mix. I enjoy puzzle games so I figured why not make one of my favorites be my track keeper, sudoku.
I got the app version of it that rewards you a trophy after each month is played through. I’ve had this same app since 2017 and I never finished a full year. So along with the completion of this year long blanket I also want to complete a full year on my game.
A month in already and I believe I can do it. I think the only thing that’ll mess me up is running out of yarn and/or the store not having a certain color in stock. I’m already running into that problem since I bought this stash of yarn at the start of fall last year. They have the colors online but some won’t show up until weeks later… Hopefully the stores stock up soon or the weather gets warmer already.
Scheduling Out My Days
I don’t know about any of you guys, but I know I love to be organized and follow a plan. Well more of the illusion of having everything figured out so I feel like I have something to do other than exist. Crocheting two rows and playing a sudoku puzzle only takes up 30 minutes of my day so scheduling out more activities seems necessary.
I made it very broad so I wouldn’t burn myself out. I scheduled in drawing sections for myself. Forcing a day out of the week to just sketch something. I used to fill sketch books with ease. I’d like to do that again.
Three days out of the week I’d like to post on here. So I planned out what days I have the most time. It normally takes me 4 hours to write, edit, and promote a post. I have many drafts in back log so coming up with ideas isn’t too difficult it’s more the process that sometimes makes me just want to take a break and go for a nap.
No More Naps… 😢
Yup, no more naps… Or at least less naps. I grew up with my grandparents and my grandpa, in particular, is who I take after with my sleeping habits.
Besides being able to fall asleep as soon as we lay our heads on the pillow. We also wake up and begin our day way too early. I have a before the sun comes up job schedule so I have an actual reason but my grandpa…
He’ll take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, go to the store and be back home while everyone else is still asleep. So he’ll take a nap and wake up for actual breakfast, take the dog out and watch some TV until bam another nap. He’ll wake up to this one with lunch already made and his family taxi business is open. Ready for wherever my mom, brother and grandma want to go. And when he gets back home another nap is had until dinner is ready and he can go to sleep to do it all over again.
This job of mine has me taking naps like him. I get home from work, eat breakfast then take a nap. Wake up right before noon, make lunch, feed my animals and take a nap. Most of the time I don’t wake up until my boyfriend gets home from work. We’ll cook dinner and get ready to relax before we go to bed. At this point, it’s only 5pm and another nap is had. (Sometimes for both of us but just for an hour or so.) When we wake up from this one we are hungry again and second dinner is made or ordered before we ultimately call it a night. Too much sleep not enough stuff done besides eating.
I gave myself January to wan myself off napping so much. I’ve managed so only one day out of the week I sleep as much as I need to. But the rest I come home from work and continue to be productive. Doing anything as long as I’m awake and if it’s keeping my room and bathroom clean then even better lol.
I have this work schedule that some people would love to have and I’m not utilizing it to it’s full potential yet. Come home at 8am most days and still have a full day to do anything. Naps should be the last thing I want to do… Especially since I’m still young as my elders would remind me.
More Time for Me
Besides all work and no play, I did schedule in leisure time. I bought a game that I love very much and only used to play on my computer onto my Nintendo Switch. So now I have a reason to use my switch and leave my computer for work and art related stuff only. I can also bring it with me to work so on my midmorning break that’s sometimes an hour and 30 minutes, I can play my game.
I also have other crochet blankets I’m working on that are not as dramatic of a process to finish. And I’m bringing my sewing machine out this year! I’m going to begin making a quilt… Maybe, just setting up all the patterns and figuring out what materials I want to use for it seems more likely. But making bags seems more doable as the months get warmer.
I have a bunch of other things I want to start up again but as the time goes we’ll see where it takes me. I don’t want to turn me time into more art time. Catching up on TV shows, YouTube videos, and watch Twitch streamers is what I mainly mean by me time.
More Time for Us
Time for us, includes my family and boyfriend. I haven’t worked my way to friends yet. Making time for them has built up anxiety that shouldn’t be there. One day, maybe even sometime this year, I’ll start making plans and actually giving them their gifts since I just have a pile of them sitting in my room for years.
I’m going to try and give a day out of the week to drive over to my mom’s house and hang with my family. And maybe drive them around instead of my grandpa. I haven’t been too good at it before because of all the napping but with the removal of that I can go over more often. We can continue to watch movies and I’ll make random meals for them. I’ve gotten real big on cooking lately.
Speaking of cooking, my boyfriend and I try to every night to cut back on spending money on deliveries. We also watch new shows and movies before bed. We spend a lot of time together already but I’d really like to find a game that the both of us enjoy so we can play together. I think that’ll be just the cherry on top.
Thank You!!
Well that’s all folks. Just a few projects and activities I thought I’d share now to see if I’m still keeping up with them later on in the year. I hope you all have something you’re excited to do this year! It’s always a fresh start, not just in the new year, but at the start of the next month, week and even at the beginning of your day. So make it worth while and have fun!!
Thank you for reading and have a beautiful day!!!
It’s been forever but I just wanted to write here and say, good job!! I’m proud of you for prioritizing yourself and doing the things that make you happy. The blanket idea sounds amazing and I really hope you get to finish it! Thanks for sending me this article, it was a wholesome read.
It has been forever, I hope you’re being just as amazing if not even more amazing than I remember. Thank you for enjoying my post I really appreciate it. I hope these passed years have treated you and yours well.