Bits and Bites

There's too much school work on my plate for me to get any crafting done, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I'm hoping to use tomorrow to carve through two stacks of undergraduate exams and one stack of senior essays, and then I'll be mostly finished for the week.  However, I have been thinking about what my next projects should be.

First, I need to make the Emperor's bed socks.  Since they're made with a light worsted yarn, I can probably get them knitted up fairly quickly using size six needles.

Next, I really do need a pair of new fingerless mitts.  The first pair I made are (checks Ravelry) now OVER TEN YEARS OLD.  One of my earliest projects, they have been my most frequently-worn knit, and now it makes perfect sense that I have worn holes in them.  Yes, it's time to make a new pair.  I've got some lovely ruby-red wool in the stash, and I was thinking of developing a pattern on my own.  No matter what I do, those mitts need to be my next project after the bed socks.  And after sewing the front band on the Jupiter Cardigan.

Sewing-wise, I have three things I need to work on.  First, I should make up new flannel pillow cases for the Emperor and myself.  I've had the fabric for a year, and it's right over there -- no excuses.  Once I start, I can finish both within an hour.  Second, I should figure out a new window covering for the bathroom.  There's a Roman shade on it now, but over time it has deteriorated from sunlight.  I've got the fabric in the spare bedroom -- all I need to do is figure out what I want to do with it, and just make it.  Third, I have some lovely chiffon fabric in tiger colors, and a very simple pattern for one of those "kimono" open-faced jackets.  I should take the fabric with me to school toward the end of the week and use the big conference table in our meeting room to cut it out.  Then, I can just sew it when I like, and I'll have it to wear next semester.

Among all the other things I need to do is housecleaning.  This place needs a good vacuuming, the floor a good mopping, and a general picking up of stuff and getting rid of piles of papers here and there.  A little discipline during this upcoming winter break would not go amiss.

Also on my plate is the creation of those two online courses I'm teaching beginning in January.

It's looking like the next project I actually should tackle is setting up a schedule so I can get all of those projects done!