New Year = New Finished Projects

It is time for self assessment to see my progress and what I have achieved so far even it is only the second month of the year.
Just want to make sure that I actually will manage to achieve the resolutions which I have set in the beginning of the year.

Started with this test knit project that I signed up sometime end of last year.
This project has actually change my opinion about cable motif which I find bit annoying when you always need cable needle to work with.
Thanks to this test knit, I now find cable actually is a fun motif to work need especially when you can work with any help of the cable needle.

My second finished object for this year was doily which was part of mystery KAL in my local knitting group and was a very quick knit.
Planning to knit another piece so I can actually combine both pieces into wearable but yet to have the time to do so.

Things in February 2014

So what have been happening around this second month of the year.
It has been pretty hectic month frankly speaking.
With Chinese New Year started on 31st January 2014, my preparation to welcome this horse year just as busy as every other year.

As usual, I always do my very own baking but the only difference this year is I only bake about 3-4types cookies which considered lesser than the year before.

got the inspiration for this cookies from a friend of mine 

hubby did help out to emblish those doggie cookies that I made for sale

decide to make something different with the look of this cookies this year and again hubby was helping out while baking this 😊

my very first attempt on making this design and just glad on how it turn out

made this for the 9th day praying ceremony

And the celebration this year could not be more special as it was our first time to held the praying ceremony at our own home, since all along it has always been at my parent's place.

Excited to start this horse year with all the necessary preparation, I just wish me, my family and friends to have a great year ahead fill with luck and joy abundantly 😄

The Beginning of 2014

Happy New Year 2014!!!
It is a new day, another new beginning in each everyone chapter of life, I believe.

As what I always practice yearly since couple years ago, I like to set some resolutions to make sure that I actually have something to achieve in that particular year. Just as my guidelines on how well I have been doing along the year.

Of course,  before I set a new resolution, I do reflect back to my previous year's resolutions too, so I can evaluate my very own performance.
And this year, since it has been my second year of me posting it here on this blog, I have actually captured my 2012 resolution and mark those points that I have managed to achieve.

Let's see my evaluation in last year resolutions then:
   1. Knit at least 5 pieces of adult size wearable, using the pattern I have purchased all this while. ~~~ I did manage to knit more than 5 pieces of adult wearable project throughout 2013, but the only issue is it was mostly for a testknit that I volunteer in and not from pattern that I have purchased. So still need to work on this.

   2. Focus more on handling the business of my yarn shop. ~~~ going steady with this since I am now have passed my 2nd year in running my offline shop and still going strong.

   3. Stop spending recklessly on yarns and pattern books, which I know for sure, this will not be as easy as I thought it will be. ~~~ though that I only manage to do this since the past 3-4months, I just couldn't be proud of myself that I am now a better spender than before.

   4. Clearing the projects kept in the WIPs bag, have start to decide to finish it or just rip it of to make some other project. This includes to finish one WIP before starting the new one, unless there is some exceptional case like this one - not enough yarn of the same colour. ~~~ still need to work on this actually. I did rip some of my WIP but that doesn't mean it getting any lesser than before. And again I still have the habit on creating extra WIP when I already have one or two ongoing project.

Referring through the mentioned above, I think overall, I just managed to achieve 50% of my set targets for 2013.

So now come the time to set the new target to achieve on 2014 :
   1. I am planning to actually design my very own knitwear and have it published in ravelry. Having a full year experience of helping other designer in test knitting their patterns, I think I have enough knowledge and ready to come out with my own design now.
   2. *Repeating my last year to-do-list* I again have to knit at least 5 pieces of adult knitwear with pattern I haven purchased earlier.
   3. To have not more than 3 WIPS by the end of the year and aiming to have maybe NO wip at all which means I am going to finish whatever I have started and not going to let it frogged.
   4. To still controlling my reckless spending on books and yarns, even I have successfully done this for the past few months.

Anyhow, I am not gonna bit too harsh with myself this year as I have bigger plan upcoming in my life but will definitely giving my best in accomplishing those 4points mentioned above.

And to everyone who is reading this at the moment, I would like to wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR again and hope that your year ahead will be great and may even be better than year before.

2013 has been a GREAT year.

So today will be the very last Monday on 2013. And it has been sometime since I published my last writting on this blog.Time has been passing really fast as I always been saying. Cos there is only one more day to go to 2014.

My 2013 has definitely been amazing I would say. While I was doing my house chore this evening, I managed to reflect back on what I have been through for the past 12 months and I just couldn't be more thankful for it.

Why did I say so? In 2013 I was lucky enough to have four incredible holiday trips with my beloved hubby and little girl, not to forget that I also had my family member companion in some of the trip.

My little girl has also start her school and ballet class during mid of the year, where I was struggling hard to get her entering the classes without crying almost everyday for the first-two months.

And come to my very own business,  surprisingly it also been growing through out the year, by the increasing amount of customer I have now compared to last year.

As from my productivity part, my baking and knitting has definitely been growing a lot too along the year.

The only regret that I have is that if only can maximise the time usage in order to be more creative and productive which I believe I could have done more.

I know that I can never bring back time to fix what I have done wrong but I am confident that I can give my very best to be better in the upcoming year.
So let's get ready and be prepared for another incredibly amazing 2014 ahead.

September is ending.

So today is the last day of September already and it has been more than a month since my last post. Been reminding myself to spend some time to write but sadly I still can't find spare time for it though.

The moments of yarn cuddling has been very limited for the past few weeks. I think I have been affected by the laziness syndrome. I still try to be as productive as possible though.

This month I am able to complete two hats order for a one year old. With only a given picture as sample but no pattern to refer, I am actually managed to make it look alike.

Since the time is waiting for nobody, I am now picking up myself so I will be able to finish some of my work in progress soon enough.

It has been a while...!!!

I remember few months back, after I clean up my blog, I promised to always spare some time to write in about what I have been up too. But too bad, I believed that was not happening for the past month.

My little girl finally enter school in the beginning of July and that means I have to add another remarks in my everyday to-do-list for sure. Not to forget a little bit time management issue has also become another problem of mine.

So what I have been busy with for the past six weeks? Well, I have been involving in lots of kitchen work for sure since the little one has started her school. I found that I have been quite excited with the meal box (Bento) preparing moment for her to bring everyday to school. A friend of mine has inspired me a lot with this, as she always prepare cute and nice looking bento for her soon everyday. I am still in learning process to make it even cuter for sure.

Some of my Bento that I have done

I also get to do some bread baking, at last. Thanks to recipe I found online, I have finally conquer my fear of baking bread and loving it for sure. Been baking few time since then, especially when hubby said he loves my bread hahahaha.

My favorite baking recipe for the month

And I also have managed to finish two knitting project which had moved quite slow in the knitting process comparing to my usual speed though. A vest for test knit - Merewether and a blanket - Baby Chalice Blanket.

 

So that what has been going on with me since July up to today and it has been a great experience for sure. Hope you will have a great day ahead too :)

WIP Wednesday Post #5

Whoaa... it's been my 5th WIP post on the blog, amazingly since I decided to join along posting my work in progress weekly, I have not yet skip writing on my blog every week.

Thanks to these two great crafter who encouraging this to happen Tami's Amis and Small Things. Do visit their blogs for more stories on what other crafters are doing for the past week.

So, my week been moving bit slow, since our city is currently attacked by heavy smoke haze for almost a week and still going on till now. The weather been extremely foggy, humid and hot which definitely creates big impact on our health and also our mood. Really praying hard for rain to come, but still yet to happen.

I am continuing knitting my blanket which I already started since last month. The pattern I use called Baby Chalice Blanket, a simple lacey blanket but looks elegant and beautiful. I am targeting to finish it by this week cos it was not supposed to be a long frogged project, considering the size I am knitting is only about 100x100cm.