A Crocheter's Bucket List

The Bucket List is a movie about taking the time to find the joy in your life.  In that film, Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson hit the road to complete a wish list of to-dos before they "kicked the bucket."  Naturally, I have a few far reaching things I want to accomplish before I shuffle off this mortal coil, including walking atop the Great Wall of China, identifying my grandfather's father (try finding a oriental rug salesman from India who made his way to Kansas City only to have an affair with a mulatto woman from Sherman, Texas!), and getting a tattoo (okay, done that twice).


A bucket list is, in essence, a list of things you want to do or experience in your lifetime.  Ideally it will contain things that you wouldn't do in your average day.  But by keeping an up-to-date list of your hoped-for conquests, and referring to it every now and then, it stays at the forefront of your mind and therefore more likely to influence your daily activities.

Health issues have hindered my daily crochet activities this year.  So, to get my butt in gear, here are my top five crochet To-Dos:

[  ]  Finish my CGOA Master of Advanced Stitches and Techniques, a course for intermediate plus crocheters to stretch their knowledge and show mastery of advanced techniques and stitches.  Thought this would be a good way to practice those stitches I just can't seem to get a handle on . . . like post stitches.

[  ]  Make Lisa Naskrent's Stone Path Hat:  I hate post stitches.  Don't ask me why because I really can't explain it.  However, I love this little hat, particularly when Claire of Aylin's Woolgathers showed me hers done up in Berrocco Comfort Sock.  So I think I will give it a chance.  Perhaps with a little practice, I might change my mind about crochet post stitches.  Perhaps.

[  ]  Improve my knitting skills.  I know what you must be thinking:  Heresy! What's this talk about knitting on a crochet blog? I'm a firm believer that there are things I can take from knitting and use it to improve my crochet.  Knitters are encouraged to learn a bit of crochet.  I want to learn enough knitting so that I can use it to embellish my crochet.  Besides, what's a knitted scarf between friends?

[  ] Finish writing up the pattern to my Split Personality Shawl, done completely in split single crochet.  Why Split Personality, which is a neurosis in which the personality becomes dissociated into two or more distinct parts? This shawl is crafted using Split Single Crochet (split sc) in three distinct parts. The pattern shifts from a semi-solid mesh of split sc-ch to an open mesh of split sc-2ch mesh to a band of arches. In addition, split sc creates a faux knitted stockinette texture. So, thus the split personality -- crochet or knitted.  Actually, this really should be on my list of New Year's Resolutions but I will take what I can get.

[  ]  Figure out the best way to organize my stash.  Stashes of yarn can be a beautiful thing.  At least that's how it looks on TV.  You know, baskets of colorful yarn positioned in corners, on naked book shelves, that sort of thing.  Why hide them?  Currently my yarn is sitting in plastic bins in my closet or somewhat out of view in that no man's land between the bed and the window.  I think it might be cool to incorporate the good stuff from my stash into the decor.


So, what's on your list of top five crochet things to do before you bite the dust, fall off your perch, give up the ghost, or "kick the bucket"?