What About MY Project?
Okay...
Up until three or four days ago, my life was...well, MINE. I woke up in the morning, and had my coffee, while watching re-runs of television shows that were not all that great, the first time around. Then, once I was full awake, and had enough of a smart-ass perspective to effectively write, I would come to my blog, and let my fingers dance their way, across my keyboard. After writing my daily post, I would indulge in a bath...meditation in water. Then, once my dry cycle had finished, and I had got dressed, I would haul out the yarn, and go to town.
It was wonderful.
It was blissful.
Yes. It was...
Then, it all changed.
Earlier this week, my sister (the one who finds MY project, and THIS blog, just plain ridiculous,) decided she needed my help, with a project of her very own. Her, and this friend of hers, have come up with this new idea for a product (of which, I will say no more.) She needed my help, to design the logo, for this product.
No biggie, I thought, as I signed on, for this mission. It will be fun.I have always had a THING, for art, and so, I thought this would be a blast.
I came up with a schedule...one that included MY project, as well as hers.
Okay...work on my crocheting, until about 2 pm. By then, I can be done with my square. I will also have worked on my Pillow, and Halloween Bag, enough, for the day. Then, from 2 pm, onward, I will work on what SHE needs. It sounds like the PERFECT plan, doesn't it? A perfect balance of working for me, and for her.
Well...,apparently, what seemed perfect for me, was less than, for her.
Her idea, as I quickly discovered, was to ROB me, of my days, COMPLETELY!
First thing, in the morning (before I had even finished my coffee), I was getting calls from her, telling me how I needed to work on the artwork...how it simply NEEDED to be in her hands, ASAP! So, good-bye, peaceful awakening. Good-bye, plans to start my day off, crocheting. Apparently, when I signed on...I gave her TOP PRIORITY, on my days.
At 3pm, I thought I was finally finished being the Art Slave, for the day. So, I pick up my yarn, thinking to myself: THANK GOD! I can FINALLY work of MY PROJECT!
I would start working on a granny square, or my Pillow, or Halloween Bag. And, just like it was a plan, to destroy my hopes of completing my yarn projects, for the day...my phone would ring.
It was my sister. There was some FATAL flaw, in how I had designed the artwork. So, I needed to fix it...CHOP-CHOP! I needed to get on it, immediately, and email the new work to her, within the hour.
For the past three days, my phone has been ringing, CONSTANTLY! I have threatened to put my phone in the sink, and drown it. Instead, I answer, with a voice that is, sad to say, less than enthused: "Hello..."
And now, Saturday is here...and so is my sister. On the plus side, my phone will be silent, for the weekend. On the down side, she is now here, physically, and I fear that this weekend, I will COMPLETELY become her BITCH! She will, I honestly believe, rule this house, for the weekend...with an iron thumb, I might add. NO CROCHETING...NO YARN...NO TIME FOR YOU, AT ALL! ART WORK...ART WORK...ART WORK!
I swear, I am going to FRIGGIN SNAP!
I am fine with helping her, with her project. Really, I am. But, I am not okay, being an official member of SISTER'S LITTLE SWEAT SHOP!
Honestly, what about MY project? What about MY deadlines...MY blog...MY life? What about the goals that I have set for me? When do I friggin get time, for those?
And, then, there is the big problem, here. I wish I could escape, thinking this. I really do. Part of me feels like a total ASSHOLE, thinking this. And now, here I am...I'm going to do more than think it. I am going to write it.
SInce the beginning of The Yarn Project, my sister has not shown me ANY support. At least, none that I have been able to find. Lauging at my fascination with yarn. Calling my blog silly. When I talk about yarn, and she hears it, she sounds completely BORED.
And yet, here I am...taking interest in her project. I am not calling it silly. I am not scoffing at it. Instead, I am sacrificing my time, for it. I am working for her, so that she can have the happiness of seeing her goal, met.
How is that fair, at all?
Ok. Enough. I am sure you are reading this, and rolling your eyes. Enough BITCHING, Michael. Get on to the GOOD STUFF! Talk yarn, to me.
Fine, to the yarn, this entry, shall now go.
Yesterday, at 4pm, I FINALLY got some time, to myself. And, the first thing I did, was take out my anger on a sad little granny. Poor granny...she didn't stand a chance.
Granny 50 was on the chopping block, yesterday. She is an 8 round granny, that incorporates the cluster.
I totally THOUGHT this square woule be easy. I had banked on it, being easy. I NEEDED it to be easy. My day needed some relaxation.
This granny was a flipping beast!
Ok...ok. I didn't have to redo any part of her, so that is good. And, the instructions did make sense. But, she was such a tedious little bitch. And, the book...gotta love how it hides this fact.
The sample, of granny 50, seen in the book, is done ENTIRELY in soft shades. This results in the the square, being damn near INVISIBLE. It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to see the detail in the granny, by looking at this sample. So, you go into the whole thing, thinking granny 50 will be super easy.
She isn't.
And, all I can say, about the pattern in the book, is this. I F-ING HATE THE WAY YOU HIDE SO MUCH OF THIS DAMNED GRANNY! I swear, to God...it is like the sample in this book, is showing you the square, through frigging rose-tinted glasses.
Anyway...
I decided to work this square in three colors: yellow, brown, and green. You know, go all retro with it. All I can say, is this. I am so HAPPY to have this granny out of the way. WHAT A PEST! I actually allowed myself a little victory dance, when I finished working this little bitch!
Anyhow, here she is. Unlike the book, which makes all her little stitches so VAGUE, my square shows it all off.
www.flickr.com/photos/theyarnproject/4913530678/
After my spastic celebration dance (which I am sure, looked like I was having a seizure,) I pulled out the orange and black yarn, and started working on my Halloween Bag. After the hell it put me through, the day before, I was not exactly THRILLED about the idea of working with it. I threatened the project, as I held it in my hands. "Don't make me hate you. If you get all SHITTY today, I will pull out the FRIGGIN scissors!"
I think my threat worked.
Afraid of being cut, this project gave me no grief at all, yesterday. It went back to being the fun little bag, that I enjoy working with.
Lastly, my Pillow.
Well, the hell that happened here, I cannot blame on the pillow. It was not the pillow's fault. It was the FRIGGIN yarn's fault.
My yarn got tangled, in a way that is so not ok. There was no way to get the tangles out. Well, ok...there was ONE way.
SNIP!
Thats right. I had to cut the yarn, at three different places, where tangles were the ABSOLUTE enemy. Then, I spent an hour-and-a-half, balling the yarn, into three balls. Then, after tying one of the balls to the project, I resumed work. And, once the tangles were gone, so was the GRIEF.
Maybe that is why this project has been such a bitch. I know tangles aren't fun. Maybe the tangles in the yarn were pulling the project, in a painful way. And, when in pain...don't we all get a litttle bitchy. I know I do.
So, there you have it. I managed to find time to myself. And, in that time, I worked my three projects.
And, just so you know. As soon as I put the Pillow away, for the evening, guess who called? Yup...my sister.
As for today...
I will try to do a square, as well as get some quality time with my Pillow, and Bag. But, I am not sure that this will actually happen. I am now under HER thumb, completely. I fear I may be doing the LOGO all day long, and MY project may, sad to say, get put on time out.
I really hope this isn't the case.
Anyway...time to go.
Happy crocheting!