Summer Syllabus

Though there are two weeks until Labor Day, I woke up this morning and decided that summer has wound down. I am not talking about the season, as I am still excited for warm weather, but more the mentality. Steve and I have had a wonderful, jam-packed summer full of amazing activities and I have finished some solid projects. But now, as I wrote yesterday, is more of a time to refocus for a new season.

While I am now finished with school, I still work best when I have a syllabus, and one of the reasons I know that it’s time to think fall is that I have almost finished my summer syllabus, which I wrote back in May and that has been hanging on my bulletin board for several months.

To me, a syllabus is more than a project list. It’s more a way to chart a structured lifestyle in a small, achievable way. On my seasonal chart, I think about my lifestyle and what I want to accomplish, both in ways of projects and fun.

Last night I finished a project on the syllabus that I have been working on for a long time.

Crochet Fall Bag

I’ve been working on this bag since March (I began it on our Vermont trip), and I found the pattern in crochet today! (in the mag it was called the Sunny Shoulder Bag). Though I am not sure how much I’ll use it since it’s a little flimsy and too hippie for work, it was a great learning project, as I had not followed such an extensive crochet pattern before.

To read about my summer syllabus, click below.

Rainy Day + Studying = Anxiousness

We’ve got a classic rainy day here in Philly, which would seem to be perfect for studying. However, I have to say I have reached a point of anxiousness with the school work. The stress of the week to come is seeping in a bit and I am also starting to think about all of the projects I have on my plate right now! So, what am I doing to curb the anxiousness? Starting a new project, of course!

The Sushi Wallet

I have never tried felting before, so I thought it would be good to start with a kit. I bought the sushi wallet kit from One Stick, Two Stick, and I hope to start and finish the project this week. Given my obession with Polka Dots, I may decide to leave the “sushis” as one color each.

I hope to post the finished product soon!

The Ithaca Scarf

I am trying to work my way through my giant yarn stash and, given that I haven’t exactly been knitting/crocheting for the last few years, it’s gotten pretty big.

To relax last night, I decided to conceive an idea for a project that would use up some of the botique yarn I bought when I lived in Ithaca (which was, at least, four or five years ago). Therefore, the Ithaca Scarf was born.

I am finding myself a bit obsessed with ruffles, and I hope that I wear this in the near future. I think it would look great with a cardigan that needs a bulkier accessory. Plus, the mohair ruffle feels very nice on the skin!

A Crochet Glasses Case

Two things converged this week to inspire me to whip up this project. First, Steve gave me The Friday Night Knitter’s Club book for Christmas and, while taking breaks from my grad school-heavy reading list, I motored through it in the last few weeks. While reading the book (a bit saccharine but good for entertainment) I was itching to work with yarn. So, last Saturday I got out my stash of nice boutique yarn that I purchased in the summer and tried to think of a small project to keep me busy (but not too busy!). And the last thing I wanted to make was another scarf. While thinking of a small-scale project, I realized that I needed a case to hold my sunglasses in my purse, since I have to buy new sunglasses all of the time because I don’t take care of them.

Viola! That’s how my idea for crocheting an eye glasses case came to be.

I am pretty happy with the final product (I especially like the ruffle edging) and think I may continue with crochet for the next few weeks, given that my sewing projects are much more time consuming and I have to be in my workroom for those projects. With crochet, I can sit in front of the good ol’ tube and catch up on my Martha’s or watch some ESPN. It’s a good way to multitask in my free time and keep me relaxed.