With my scarf for the 2011 Special Olympics USA Scarf Project completed, the amigurumi Cardinal Richelieu nearby watching over my work, and a colorful dodecahedron to remind me to use my equally colorful 2011 Moleskine calendar, I ventured into my guestroom/yarn empire to figure out what comes next.

I started the year by finishing a crocheted mandala that had been on my mind for months, and I as I went through the available projects from which to choose, I kept in mind how these projects would help to set my crochet intentions for the year.

To that end, I have decided to focus my next efforts on three projects that are in medias res and learning a new technique that has been tempting me for ages.

Of the three projects I selected for completion, two in particular have bedeviled me and resisted my efforts to finish them.

The first candidate to be pulled out of hibernation (yet again) is a project known as “The Big Rug.” As it is currently envisioned, it will be composed of 221 squares (of which, as of yesterday I had completed 57) and will measure 6.5′ x 8.5. Finishing it will result in two other bonuses: I will have a rug in my living room that coordinates with my 2009 North Carolina State Fair Afghan which will be hung on the wall. Additionally, finishing the rug will empty four cubbies in my yarn empire which should result in improved organization.

Last night and today, I finished 3 more squares for this project and got nearly halfway through a fourth one leaving me with just another 160 squares left to go!

The second candidate for completion is the ever defiant Mamy bag which, when finished, will be composed of 48 African flower hexagon motifs. For reasons I don’t understand at all, this project is taking me forever to finish. I was somewhat reluctant to pull this project out because I was concerned that it might defy me yet again and, from a finishing crochet projects perspective, jinx the year, but I decided that I really want to use this bag, (I envision it as an all purpose Mary Poppins sort of bag where I can throw everything I need into it and set out on an adventure) and until I finish it, that won’t be possible. So with a combination of determination and trepidation, I have pulled it out of hibernation for what I am determined will be the last time:

The third item I chose is a project I call “The Great Granny Square.” It is being made entirely from scraps, and as I have not worked on it in quite awhile, I have quite a few scraps cluttering up my crochet empire. Like the Mamy bag, I get the sense that this project is destined for adventure, so if that is going to happen, I need to get it done:

The last thing I am going to focus on for the foreseeable, is learning a technique developed by Todd Paschall that he calls Crochet By Numbers. CBN, as it is sometimes known, is a crochet technique that allows the crocheter to literally create a picture with yarn. For just $50, Mr. Paschall can take your favorite picture and convert it into directions that allow you to recreate a favorite photo in the form of an afghan.

As it happens, there is a project in particular that I would very much like to do, and it absolutely, positively requires me to learn this technique.

I am looking forward to finishing and learning a lot in the upcoming year, and while I don’t know where these projects will lead me, I know that it will, as always, be some place interesting.