May Progress

Well. May sure was A Month.

I was hoping to get this out closer to the start of the month than it's ended up being. Alas, blogging is the last on the (very long) list of things that aren't absolutely critical, but that I'd like to eventually get done. 

I ended up exactly as exhausted after the medieval fair as I expected. I promised myself that I would do pretty much only what I wanted for the rest of the month. No obligations beyond "keep everyone alive" and "keep the house liveable" (no small task with both children and ADHD running rampant around here).

It turns out that "Do whatever you want" bears a striking resemblance to my regular life, but with vastly more reading (eight novels and a LOT of articles and short stories), gardening (17 hours), and weaving (20 hours 21 min). Funny that...

• Words written: 1,925
• Weaving time (goal 650 min): 1,221 minutes
• WIPs finished: 1

Goal progress

1. Writing

Not a lot done this month, but that was no surprise. I'd already promised myself that May would be "Catch Up On All The Books You've Been Saving" month, so I expected a low word count. (There was also an excessive amount of peopling over the last part of April and the start of May. I knew this was the likely outcome.)

(I often find it difficult to read other people's fiction while I'm working on my own - things from their books have a way of creeping into my in-progress stuff, and it can really throw the whole book off if I'm not careful. So during active writing stretches, I tend to stick to non-fiction, movies, and reading the archives of whatever fibre blog I've found that month.)

I expect June's word count will be just as dismal, sadly. I'm committing to revising my last book instead of working on new stuff. That way, if all goes to plan, I can go into Camp NaNo in July with no excuses, and a tempting new word count goal to chase.

3. Weaving

3.1 Weave at least 150 min/week

I did almost double my weaving goal time for the month, which was delightful. All the heddles are finally installed on the floor loom, the warp I wound back in (checks notes) the beginning of March is wound on, and everything is ready for the last bit of finagling before I start weaving proper. I gotta say, I'm looking forward to finally being able to throw some weft at this thing.

Heddles threaded, reed sleyed, all that waits is tying on to the front bar.

3.2 Finish previous WIPs

I finished one - a top-down sleeveless vest - just in time for winter. I also started sewing a set of patchwork curtains for the lounge room, and did a bunch of last-minute, "make it fit so I don't freeze" work on a wool tunic I've been sewing (and wearing to fairs) since this time last year. Perhaps, if I'm very lucky, this will be the year said tunic is finished enough to dispense with safety pins and hastily-whipstitched hems...

3.3 Sew at least two new things for me

*Sigh* still nothing started for me. It's rapidly approaching winter - we absolutely froze at the medieval faire at the beginning of the month - and I only have three long-sleeved shirts. There's an obvious hole in my wardrobe I could start with. I simply haven't made it the priority it needs to be yet.

WIPs

I finally, finally finished one of the vests I've been working on for practically ever. It is soft, and warm, and glorious. I've been wearing it just about every day that's been cold enough to justify it, and I'm still not tired of it. (Though it is going to need a wash soon.)

The yarn is BWM's discontinued "Bloom", in the colourway Tigerlily. (They've just released a limited edition Bloom replacement, called [Prism](https://www.bendigowoollenmills.com.au/prism-8-ply), that would create a similar effect. Just in less vibrant colourways.)

Literally the only picture of this glorious vest I have right now. Because it did indeed need to be washed.

I should probably stop promising that I'll "take good photos before I upload a proper project post, honest". Odds aren't looking good for that. We'd all be better off if I stop pretending that it's going to happen, and just start posting what I have, when I have it.

(Photography has always been my nemesis, I won't lie. Between a so-so phone camera and a house that is more a cave in terms of light levels, good enough will have to be - well - good enough.)

Til next time (which hopefully won't be the end of July)!