Monday Mayhem - 2018 - the year in review.

It's the last day of the year and time to look back on what I have achieved and what I want to achieve in the new year.

Two years ago I gave myself a weight loss target of 40kg. At that time I was 131kg. At the end of last year I was down to 129kg, which wasn't exactly a major milestone. This morning when I weighed myself I came in at 126.4kg. At this rate, it will take me about 20 years to lose my excess weight, but, on a positive note, I am moving in the right direction.

On the crafting front, my achievments are a little more impressive. Here is a list of all the items that I have made this year.

52 Comfort Bears
2 Jug Covers
4 Beanies
16 Appliques
4 Simple Owls
4 Shopping Bags
4 Tea Pot Cosies
4 Graduation Owls
3 Wash Cloths
3 Plastic Bag Bags
21 Sheep
16 Octopuses
1 Dog Coat
2 Sunhat and Bootees Sets
3 Small Penguins
3 Blankets
2 Toy Bears
1 Mouse
1 Bird

Looking to the new year the plan is to continue losing weight by increasing the amount of exercise I do, set aside time each day to practice my music (especially the piano) and continue crocheting.

On the crocheting front, here is my current to-do list.

Things to make to replace stock for my market stall:

Matinee Jackets in pink and purple
Tiny Dogs
Heather Hippo
Large Witch
Large Penguin
Small Rabbit
Panda
Frog Keepsake Pouch
Ankylosaurus
Bottle Cosies in more team colours (Bulldogs, Geelong, Essendon and West Coast)
Medium Bunny
Tiny Duck
Large Bunny
Small Turtles
Platypus x 2
Koala x 2
Tommy Tortoise
Towel Toppers (Tea Towels)
Small Jug Covers

Commissions

Sheep (I have one of each of 6 colours)
Animals from "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?" which include:-
A red bird (made one)
A yellow duck (made one)
A Blue horse
A green frog (one already in stock)
A Purple cat
A white dog
A black sheep (made one) and
A gold fish

Current Work In Progress:

Comfort Bears
Tunisian Spiral Blanket
Yarn Eater (Hungarian Crochet) Blanket
Story Time Blanket
Double Knit Butterfly Blanket
Corner to Corner Picture Blanket 
Large Jug Covers
Simple Owls
Sunhat and Bootees in white & pink
Short rows knitted scarf

Things I'm itching to get started on:

Crochenit Knee Rug (same as Cot Blanket and will also use up some of my stash of 8ply)
Table Runners for each Australian state and territory (currently trying to design the ACT one).
Tunisian Crochet Intarsia Table Runner
Picture Blanket (need samples so people can see what they might be getting)
Article in Broomstick Lace
Article in Hairpin Lace
More dinosaurs

While the sheep started off as a commission it may be time to move them to a new category, along with the comfort bears and jug covers. The new category will be for ongoing projects, things that I seem to keep making because they sell really well or just because I want to continue making them.

I will continue trying to make one comfort bear every week, continue making sheep until I have 2 of each colour and continue making the animals for "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?" until I have 2 of each, which could take a while since my sister has asked for a full set.

That's about it from me for this year so I will take this opportunity to wish all me readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 28.12.2018

It's the last Friday of the year and I have some more finished objects to show off before the year is done, and here they are.

A Red Bird

Another in the series of animals from the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See?" This is the one that the Brown Bear sees.

Comfort Bear No. 52 for 2018

My 52nd Comfort bear for the year means that I have finally managed to make one bear every week for a whole year. We will see if I can repeat that next year.

I was hoping to have a yellow duck finished this week but ran out of yellow yarn while making the head so you will get to see that next week.

That's it from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 21.12.2018

I have a few finished objects to show you this week, and here they are.

A Brown Bear

I now have a Brown Bear, a Green Frog and a Black Sheep to go with the book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?" I still need to make a Red Bird, a Yellow Duck, a Blue Horse, a Purple Cat, a White Dog and a Gold Fish.

A Purple Sheep

After selling a few sheep a couple of weeks ago I needed to replace the purple one to make sure I had a full set. I will be making more as soon as I have a full set for the Brown Bear book.

Comfort Bear No. 51 for 2018

Another week, another bear. With one more week to go I should have one for every week of the year. Something that I haven't acheived in previous years.

That's it from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 14.12.2018

It's time, once again, to show off my finished objects. I only have one to show you this week, and here it is.

Comfort Bear No. 50 for 2018

Another comfort bear ready for service.

That's all from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 07.12.2018

It is time, once again, to show off my finished items, and here they are.

Comfort Bear No. 49 for 2018

One more bear in my efforts to make one every week for a whole year.

A Black Sheep

While I still had the pattern in my head I figured I might as well make a blakc sheep as one of the animals featured in "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?"

That's it from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 30.11.2018

I managed to get photos of my finished items before I headed off today and here thay are.

A Mouse

A little mouse for a friend with a name similar to "Mouse".

Comfort Bear No. 48 for 2018

With only 4 weeks of the year left I have 4 bears to complete for this year.

A Yellow Sheep

This now gives me a complete set of these sheep to sell, but that doesn't mean that this will be the last sheep I make. The next set of animals that I will be making includes a black sheep.

That's it from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Wednesday WIPs - 28.11.2018

I thought it was about time I showed off some of my WIPs, and here they are.

Story Time Blanket

I started on the boarder a few weeks ago and it's already starting to flatten out the bosy of the blanket.

Tunisian Spiral Blanket

I'm almost finished the border on this one. Soon I will be sewing in the ends.

Yarn Eater Blanket

It has been a while since I worked on this one but I have made good progress in the last couple of weeks.

Sunhat and Bootees in Yellow

Another in a series of Sunhat and Bootees sets.

That's it for now. I'm going away on Friday but I will try to post my finished items. If I don't, then you will get a double dose next week.

Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 23.11.2018

Because I forgot one week and was busy the next, it has been a couple of weeks since I last posted so I have three weeks of finished items to show you this week. Here they are in order of completion.

Comfort Bear No. 45 for 2018

This is the bear that I finished two weeks ago.

A White Sheep

One more sheep, and this one is already sold.

Comfort Bear No. 46 for 2018

Last week's bear.

Another White Sheep

I still have more sheep to make.

Comfort Bear No. 47 for 2018

Here is this week's bear.

A Blue Sheep

Another sheep to add to the collection.

A Purple Sheep

And yet another sheep to add to the collection. I'm trying to get to the stage where I have one of each colour, but I'm happy to keep selling them.

That's all I have to show for now. My sister has given me another book to make animals for, it's call "Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do You See?" so expect something different soon, especially if I stop selling sheep.

Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 02.11.2018

I have been quite busy this week with 4 finished objects. Here they are in order of completion.

Here is the Green Sheep

For those that like to ask the question "Where is the Green Sheep".

Comfort Bear No. 44 for 2018

Another week, another bear. Only 8 left for this year.

Here is another Green Sheep

 There seems to be a demand for these so it is probably a good idea to have a couple ready.

A White Sheep

This one is a prime example of me not being able to attach things exactly the same every time. This is what makes every toy I make unique.

That's it from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 26.10.2018

OK, so I forgot to post last week's FO, that means that you get two week's of FOs this week, and here they are.

Comfort Bear No. 42 for 2018

This Bear is the only object that I finished last week.

A Red Sheep

I'm still making sheep that are featured in the book "Where is the Green Sheep". This one will be for sale shortly.

Comfort Bear No. 43 for 2018

Another Bear ready for service.

That's all from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 12.10.2018

It is time, once again, to show off my finished objects, and here they are.

Pram Blanket

This Pram Blanket is made using the same stitch used for Corner-to-Corner blankets but worked from the centre. I was taught this technique by the guy that used to teach crochet at the community centre where I currently teach.

A White Sheep

Another sheep ready for sale.

Comfort Bear No. 41 for 2018

Another bear ready to be given away.

That's it from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 05.10.2018

Another week has passed and it's time to show off my finished objects. Here are this week's offerings.

Comfort Bear No.40 for 2018

Another bear ready for service.

A Blue Bear

A lady from church wanted a blue teddy bear for a friend's baby that is due in about 5 weeks. I think if I were to make another of these I would make the arms and legs longer and taper them.

Small Owl

I was checking through my photos and realised that I had another owl to finish, and here it is.

That's it from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 28.09.2018

I was out late last Friday and got home too late to post so you get two weeks of finished this week. Here are last week's finished objects.

Corner-to-Corner Pram Blanket

I bought this yarn at last year's Craft Alive and thought it was about time I used it.

Comfort Bear No. 38 for 2018

It was "Sunshine Week" at one of the community centres that I go to so I decided this one needed to have a bright yellow  shirt.

A Flat Yellow Octopus

This is yellow for the same reaon the bear has a yellow shirt, it's flat because one of the ladies at the community centre wanted it that way. She intends to use it as an applique on a kids sea themed blanket.

And now for this week's finished objects.

Yellow Sheep No. 2

Having sold one yellow sheep I figured I needed to make another. I will be making all the other colours soon.

Comfort Bear No. 39 for 2018

Another week, another bear.

Sunhat and Bootees set in mauve

I decided to get the bear out again to model this sunhat and bootees set.

That's it from me for now. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 14.09.2018

I have managed to finish a couple of the objects that I had the ,akings of last week as well as a couple of objects that were started this week. Here are my finished objects for this week.

Penguin No. 3 for 2018

My third penguin for this year.

Comfort Bear No. 37 for 2018

We're almost 3/4 of the way through the year and I'm still managing to finish a bear every week. I'm starting to think I can make it all the way to the end of the year.

Octopus No. 15

Another octopus to add to the collection. I will be giving the hospital a call soon to see if they will take them off my hands.

Small Simple Owl

The last of the objects that I have finished is an owl. I have another ready to finish but didn't get time this week so it should be done for next week.

That's it for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 07.09.2018

Well, I forgot to post my finished objects again last week, so you get two weeks of finishes this week, and here they are.

Comfort Bear No. 35 for 2018

Last week's bear.

Octopus No. 13

Last week's octopus.

Comfort Bear No. 36 for 2018

This week's bear.

Octopus No.14

This week's octopus.

I have a few items that are almost finished so I hope to have them done for next week. In the meantime, have a good one.

Richard.

Friday FOs - 24.08.2018

I have been just a little less productive this week as previous weeks, having taken the day off, yesterday, to go up to Wagga Wagga to have lunch with my sister and father, however, I actually have 4 finished objects to show. It's just some WIPs that have suffered. Here are my finished objects for this week.

2016 CAL Blanket

This has taken a while but is finally finished. I'm not sure if the people that were working on this CAL will be expecting a finished blanket this late.

Comfort Bear No. 34 for 2018

Another week and another bear. I'm still on target to finish one bear each week this year.

Octopus No. 12

Another octopus to add to the collection. I do hope the hospital will take them.

Penguin No. 2 for 2018

The first penguin is already sold so I might need to make a few of these.

That's all from me for this week. Until next time, have a good one.

Richard.