Project 200

So, regular followers of my blog will know that for the past couple of years I've been setting myself a year-long challenge type thing. In 2009 I did 52 things I'd never done before. And this year I did 52 individual challenges. For 2011 I was going to do New Things again, and then I saw an interesting movie.

The movie is Julie and Julia, and it tells two stories simultaneously. One is the story of chef Julia Childs, and how she came around to publishing her cookbook. The other is a modern day story of a lady called Julie, who decides that she's going to cook all of the recipes in Julia Childs' book in a year, and that she's going to blog about it.

I liked the idea, but I'm neither proficient enough nor rich enough to do the cooking thing, so I had to think of something else. I considered working through a whole book of cross stitch patterns, or knitting patterns, or muffin recipes. I narrowed the idea down to making 52 different scarves, or shawls, or even blankets. Then I came up with the final idea. I took one of those display folders with fixed plastic wallets and filled it with patterns.

I have got a MILLION patterns. I cross stitch, knit, crochet, sew, blackwork, etc... and I collect books and patterns for all of them. I didn't think it'd be hard to fill a book with 200 patterns. It was. Once I'd been through all of the patterns I have, and picked out the ones I was interested enough in to actually do, I had about 50-60. So I went hunting the internet for more. It took me a while, but eventually I filled the folder.

So, next year's challenge is Project 200. A folder full of 200 different cross stitch, embroidery, felt work, crochet and knitting patterns. I have some rules...

1) ALL projects must be started AND finished between 12.01am January 1st 2011, and 11.59pm December 31st 2011.
2) Patterns cannot be changed. I can't find a nice pattern in July and take out one from the folder and put the new one in.
3) Once I finished the list, I emailed it to Cayden, and it became final. No more edits.
4) Additional projects may be made, but do not count towards Project 200.
5) Projects do not have to be done in order.

For a while, I wasn't sure if 200 was a ridiculous amount of projects, so I looked back at my project book. Between November 25th 2009 and November 25th 2010, I started and completed 91 projects. I started and didn't finish another 12, and I started and frogged 3. Bear in mind that I was also working on the Mammoth Secret Project, which took up a lot of time. So, 200 isn't that far a stretch. It's enough to be challenging, without being an impossible amount.

There are a variety of projects in the folder. Some blankets, and some jumpers and things, but then there are also several dishclothes, and some smaller cross stitches, so it balances out. There are some techniques I've never done too, like making socks, and intarsia. It should be... interesting.

Final detail of course, is incentive. I'll be giving Jen or Cayden a special money box, because they can be trusted to not break into it, and I can't. Then, every payday, I'll aim to give them £1 or £2 per completed project. I'm also going to gradually give them the money I've earned this year. By the end of the year I should have a nice pile of cash to spend at a nice yarn store. There's a place called K2Tog near me that does some gorgeous yarns - it's where I got that Noro, and the llama - I just haven't been able to afford to go there in over a year.

So, that's the plan. All that's left to do is wait until New Year. Watch this space.