I think I need to get my big camera out just so I start taking some horizontal pictures. I don’t know what it is, but I only ever take vertical shots with my phone.
We’re settling into 2020. My office is a disaster. My to do list is too long. I picked up some bad habits while coping with holiday stress and both my house and my head feel very messy and resistant to order. I also feel very…content and happy and loved. So there’s that.
Knitting: I’m kind of stuck with Jesse’s sweater so I have one sleeve complete but nothing else and I can’t bring myself to tear it out and I can’t bring myself to keep going so…socks. I did a quick and dirty yarn/project inventory and am trying to balance out the big projects with socks for the year. My piles make it clear that I think I have more knitting time and knit faster than I actually do.
Watching: Jesse and I watched Ozark on Netflix. I really liked the cast and the story but it gave me really weird dreams and was just dark and disturbing. I know I won’t watch the new season when it comes out. I’m thinking of cancelling my Netflix and HBO subscription. I cancelled Hulu last year and haven’t missed it and really want fewer screen hours.
Reading: I didn’t read nearly enough toward the end of 2019. I enjoyed Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky and found that when I incorporated some of their ideas I like them but I have a hard time sticking to them. I’m currently reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel while Get a Life, Chloe Brown, The Water Dancer, and Topics of Conversation (all BOTM picks) are on my TBR pile. Try as I might, I’ve never been a “listen to a book” reader, but I want to make more of an effort with that this year to cut down on screen watching while knitting. Do any of you have audible? Do you like it?
Making: I’m *almost* done with my Washington D.C. cross stitch. Finally. It’s been over a year but considering how much I’ve picked it up and put it down, I’m forgiving myself. I want to do three and have them framed for our guest room. I can’t decide between Chicago (a place I’ve been) and San Francisco (a cooler pattern and a place I’d love to go). I also committed to a year long workbook to creatively journal the year and have been playing with paints and watercolors and markers. Basically, I’m making lots of bad art (which is better than no art). I’d like to get back into the kitchen and try my hand at bread again (my first couple attempts weren’t pretty but I bought a book on it that is very exact and scientific and I think will help me get some basics down). I guess with a word like practice for 2020, I just want to make all kinds of stuff.
How about you? What are you making, reading, watching, and doing?