The 2012 Ornament Project ~ 12 Months 12 Ornaments

I have a goal for myself this year.  This coming Christmas, that's right, just under 12 months away, I want to decorate a tree with ornaments that are all handmade.  Specifically, I want them to be crocheted and/or possibly tatted.  The rules I have made for myself are as follows:

1.  The yarn must be handspun by me.
2.  If I choose to add color, then I have to dye the yarn or finished ornaments. (I haven't decided whether I want to add color because I think a tree all decorated in ecru would be pretty.)
3.  I have to design the ornaments.  They will probably be uncomplicated, just shapes that I find appealing.
4.  I will share the designs each month here on my blog, so if you like something I design, you can make it too!

The next post on The 2012 Ornament Project will be labeled "January" and then each month to come will also have an ornament post.  

I've already started preparations for this month.  Yesterday, I spun the Merino yarn pictured above and let me say that this is the skein that finally pushed me over the edge with my spinning wheel.  I've been thinking about replacing my Louet S10 DT for some time now and I keep talking myself out of it.  By the time I began spinning the second singles for this two ply, I was fed up.  In fact, I paused in my spinning, ordered a new wheel online, and then finished up this skein as quickly as I could.  I just can't stand how noisy my Louet wheel has become and it's more than just a squeak that I could lube although there's that too.  It's the bobbin sliding and knocking around the all of the superfluous movement that the wheel generates.  Argh!

Sorry about that.  I needed to rant.  Still, I managed to spin about 115 yards of 2ply Merino.  I plied this skein a little tighter that I often do and I like how it looks and the springy feel.  I think it will make pretty ornaments.  

To the left of the yarn is January's ornament.  I've already come up with the design using the yarn I plied from my Turkish drop spindle the other day.  Now I just need to write up the pattern and make an ecru version.  I think the dye free yarn will be better for my post.  The stitches will be easier to see and I'll take some photographs along the way.  

So this is my plan.  I'll be designing 12 ornaments over the next 12 months and you are welcome to come along and join in the project.  The designs will be quick and easy, so they might be nice to do with the kids or a beginning crochet class.  Now I just have to stay on task and make my goal!