If You Give an Emma a Project…

I’m taking another class at The Studio, this time it’s a needlepoint chess/checkerboard where the squares are different stitches. Part of me knows this was not a smart thing to start. I have three projects I’m trying to finish before Ren Fest is over, I promised two skeins of handspun yarn to two different friends (not to mention my sweater quantity project), I’m involved in two different KALs where I’m getting further and further behind, and I’m starting to panic about Christmas presents. And I signed up for this class anyway! I’d ask what’s wrong with me, but I don’t think I want to know. I’m sure a lot of crafty people have a similar train of thought that propels us into situations such as these.

Here is the whole thought process of me deciding to take this class, from start to finish:

1. Ooh, Lynn’s teaching a class for a needlepoint chess board! I could learn some new stitches!
2. You know what would be the cutest, I saw some crochet lace chess pieces on Pinterest. I should make the board and then the chess pieces, how awesome would that look!
3. I can’t sign up for this class, I have too much going on.
4. Now that I’ve signed up, what colors am I going to use?
5. The lace crochet pieces are actually tatted pieces. Also, it’s just a picture, no pattern. Should I design some myself?
6. Wait, there’s some patterns on Ravelry for chess pieces, way faster than trying to design my own.
7. The ones I like best are 20″ inches tall when crocheted in worsted weight yarn. Would crocheting them in thread make them small enough for my board? Saving that problem for another time.
8. You know what else you can play on a chess board?! CHECKERS!
9. I wonder if I can find checker pieces in my colors.
10. No, I’ll crochet covers for them so they’ll match! And one side will have a doily on it in the coordinating color, to be the “king” side. It’ll be the cutest!!!
11. Oh, but I can’t have the checker and chess pieces out at the same time. I’ll need some kind of storage.
12. I know! A wood box, one with an insert in the top. Then, I can needlepoint some bargello in the same colors as the board! It’ll be awesome!

Will all of these come to be? Probably not. Will all of these come to be within the next five years? Almost certainly not. So yes, my project list tends to get out of control because I get all these big ideas, but whatever. I’m never bored. That’s actually a really great thing about yarncraft. No one ever gets knitter’s block, crocheter’s block, stitcher’s block, or spinner’s block. There’s always too much to do!