New Years Resolutions, a bit like buying a diary never seem to last for me and I suspect for a great many other people too. All those clean crisp pages waiting for our most inner thoughts to be spilled out onto them to be read back in years to come, or perhaps appointments, to do lists etc. I've always started with good intentions but in the 30 odd years that I have attempted diary keeping I have failed. I'm really good at filling out the personal details bit and probably the first week then that's it. Life takes over and the diary is fotgotten and becomes a scribble pad for the child of the household instead.
This year has however been different. I know why, circumstances aside the pandemic, have caused me to look at my creativity and my long held wish to turn it into something more than just a hobby have really pushed me to be more focused on it. The 2021 diary has become my commander in chief, the thing that tells me what I should be doing, what blog posts I could write and what special celebration days in the year I need to make something for. Now, this is not some crafters diary with this all written out in I have actually got myself organised and written up two weeks ahead of myself to make sure the making and creativity continues. Some days I am just working on my own thing which is fine, continually designing could take the enjoyment out of just stitching. I also have a number of works in progress (WIPs) that need attention and the small matter of 13 balls of sock yarn needing to be turned from a ball into a wearable object.
I do have days where the mind is willing but the body wants a rest so without any feelings of guilt I move things to another day. Its OK to delay and put off. If I need to binge watch TV or just sit with a hot chocolate that's OK too. Home schooling some days can be challenging, especially when fractions are the main stay of the mathematics for the day or its just one of those days when neither of us are in the school mood. I am fortunate to have just one to home school, I cannot imagine having any more and really do take my hat off to both those parents and our amazing teachers who have classes of them to manage and appease.
So, with a nod to the importance of my diary this year I have made this bookmark. The Bluebird I made as my very first pattern in 2015. It accompanied a simply daisy granny square cushion (pattern is over on my Ravelry store). The Daisy came about after an invite to be part of a Friends Around the World CAL by CAL Crochet A Long. Unfortunately the CAL never did quite take off that year but I didn't want to just leave Daisy sitting there unused or seen. The bookmark was born, it was a quick make in the end but I'm hoping that its presence on my diary will enable me to forge ahead with the plans for this year which are slowly but surely being filled out in this book. I know that it is working, today I have written up this pattern and have done this blog post, two ticks. I'm heading back to my current crochet along design for the rest of the day.
The pattern is below, or can be picked up from my Ravelry store.
Be kind to yourself, diary or no diary, to do list or no to do list, if you need to stop, sit back and take it all in just do it.