This has been a week of future plans, so I have been caking up some skeins of yarn for knitting and weaving projects. It has also been dominated by the start of the 91 day decluttering challenge.
Knitting
I have knit some additional sections of my ADVENTuresome shawl. The colours this week have been Batmobile, Star Wars, Scalextrics, Teddy Ruxpin and I have just started Rubix Cube (I think).
Other News
Well not much crafting really but the decluttering is going well, although it is exhausting making so many decisions. With us being in lockdown the charity shops are shut and so the spare room is piling up with bags of things.
I have completed my wardrobe and drawers of the master bedroom, our bathroom, our guest room wardrobe and the drawers of my hats, scarves and gloves. I’ve also done books that were in another room wardrobe on the top shelf. A two day task was one of our cupboards on the landing which is home to suitcases of clothes, overflow from the bathroom, make up (which I haven’t worn for years), suntan lotions, heated rollers 😂 and other random things I found in there. Of the 4 suitcases in there only one still has clothes in and that’s summer holiday abroad clothes…the sort of clothes we wouldn’t need in a Scottish summer, swim suits, beach wraps, etc.
My husband’s wardrobe and drawers need a good clear out but he gets stressed and angry if I start trying to get rid of his things. There were 2 tubes of eczema cream that were prescribed to him 13 years ago and were expired 10 years ago and we had to negotiate them going as he wanted to keep them ‘just in case’. I’ve just avoided his other stuff as it’s too stressful even trying to discuss it.
This is a Year of Projects post. Officially the Group is in its 10th year, but this is my 3rd year participating. If you would like to find more about the Year of Projects Group on Ravelry.
HighlandHeffalump 
“You never know when it might come in handy” is certainly a real criterion with my husband. He still occasionally mentions a crimplene sports jacket he wore in Russia as a school pupil in 1972 which I disposed of in ignorance in 1987, as I didn’t think it needed to be included in our move back to the UK! (Did I mention it, erm, no longer fit…?) Clearing out is stressful at the best of times, so good on ya for sticking to it. Once you can shift all those bags, I bet things get easier, too. *removes armchair psych hat*
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A few years ago I did a big clear out and did throw away my first school blazer from when I was only a few years old. Old school ties, diaries, etc. I just want the weight of the clutter to be gone. I’m not sure given all the other stress going on it was necessarily the smartest rime to do the decluttering but now I’ve started it would be a shame to quit now. Sunday’s are a rest day though on the 91 day plan.
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Clearing out is totally exhausting, but always so worth it when it is done! You will be glad you did it 🙂 Your shawl is looking lovely!
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I’m amazed how exhausting it is. How frustrated I am getting with myself at not being able to make quicker decisions. How easy it is for me to get annoyed at Allistar wanting to keep random crap when I have kept some for so long. I really would like to have a less cluttered space though. I guess because we have been on lockdown so much of the past 10 months it feels claustrophobic in the house now.
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I think the current situation is not helping any of that. I know what you mean for sure. I often look around our house and think about what a tremendous amount of crap we have. And it is not easy to make those decisions. We have our stuff for reasons, and really do need to think those reasons through 🙂
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Well one of my ‘reasons’ for having kept things was I collect Winnie the Pooh things, and then I thought but why do I collect them…why have a stack of books in the craft room wardrobe that I won’t read again just because they are WtP themed or actual books? So they are all in the donate pile and hopefully someone will read them to their kid and they’ll fall in love with the bear stuffed with fluff. However, all the cuddly toys (except 2 pooh bears I’m donating) sit on my own wardrobe top shelf and since the dog sleeps in the bottom of my wardrobe the sliding door is always open so they are on display and bring me joy. I did finally throw away the Owl that Allistar’s parrot chewed the beak off! He bought me a replacement but I’d kept the damaged one and all that did was remind me how annoyed I was at the time the parrot chewed it. Isn’t it strange how our minds work!
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Yes definitely! I do things like that with stuff I collect as well 🙂
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Poor you with the hubs. I think men hoard more, just in case. My husband has ‘stuff’ that might come in handy. I live in a small (2 up, 2 down) house and all clothes live in the house. We only purchase if one has gone out. I have been doing this for years. After watching Marie Kwondo, my mantra is ‘does it bring me joy’ and ‘does it fit’. I will also add, ‘when was the last time I wore this’ and ‘will I ever wear it again’. 🙂 I still have Tango shoes I haven’t worn for years but can’t bear to part with. When I open the shoe closet, they are like little jewels of joy staring at me. They also cost a fortune and still fit, even though I might not wear them, I can’t bear to part with them as they are a reminder of such a joyful part of my life. There is a saying, ‘If you can walk, you can dance Argentine Tango’, so you never know. Probably best to focus on his stuff last.
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You can hear the joy those shoes bring you in your words, so they are definite keepers. If I try to persuade him to get rid of something quite often I find it has just moved to the loft, like the PS2, when we have a PS3 and a PS4 that neither of us play on. I think trying to tackle his clutter would be a nightmare and arguments galore…definitely with everything else going on I’m not up for that. 😉
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smart lady
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well done you! Yes, clearing out is stressful – I do manage to keep clutter relatively low only because we have been moving relatively frequently, which forces to declutter. I do suffer from a serious form of “just in case” too, so I do sympathize with your husband, it is is difficult to let go.
Once you do, you feel lighter – if you haven’t used it for two years, it doesn’t exist 😜
On a completely different note – I haven’t been able to add likes to your posts for a while, not sure what I am doing wrong!
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Hi, I switched of the function of Likes, I didn’t want to get caught up on how many likes each post got. Please don’t feel you need to comment on everything instead – it was just part of me trying to slowly reduce the amount of social media obsession and time checking stats. 🙂
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Ah, I get you Liz – that thought had crossed my mind, but as I have quite a few issues with my browser since last time, I wasn’t sure. You are indeed very wise, so now you’ve given me something else to ponder on 😍
I still follow your posts, it is just that work has been manic, but you are an inspiration to me!
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You are making excellent progress! When things finally reopen for you, it will be quite a breath of fresh air to take everything to the donation shops! What is it about men?! 🤣 My DH has shelves of notebooks from graduate school that he has not cracked in 15 years, but the look he gave me when I suggested he might go through several each week and maybe trash the ones that he didn’t use….ah well, the seed has been planted!
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He read my post and started clearing out some clothes woo hoo. 😀
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🥳
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Your shawl is looking so yummy!
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It’s fun, and reassuring, to read about the common problem of husbands that hoard. Mine too won’t let things go. Ironically my kids keep asking me to clear out old toys but then when I say I want to throw them out they beg to keep them. Last one moves out this spring so closets are going to get cleared!!
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My husband has numerous Top Trump packs and rusty toys in boxes he won’t get rid of. But he started on some clothes today as he read my blog post woo hoo
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Well, decluttering can put a marriage to a test. From what I have read on the 91 day declutter challenge, they say to leave your husbands side of the closet alone. I take that to mean, don’t touch any of his ‘stuff’. I tried to do this declutter about 3 years ago. But, someone that lives in my house was not on board at the time. This time, I had a loving talk with that person and he now sees why we need to do this together. Infact, while I am typing this, he is shredding items that have needed to be shredded for years! I think he has caught on LOL. If you can just clean out your ‘stuff’ that will definitely life a weight off of you and you can feel good about that. As a side note……..When doing this declutter a few years back, I would actually go through some of his things when he was not around and managed to remove quite a bit of his clutter. To this day, he has not missed anything I have disposed of LOL. Have a good week, Liz.
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Discussions with hubby about decluttering? Been there, done that, never want to go there again. LOL. Well, it’s not that bad really, just a bit annoying that he tells me to get rid of stuff because I tend to hoard, but whenever I put the laundry away, his t-shirt drawer is a complete mess because he just pulls out two or three shirts, decides he won’t wear them, shoves them back in and picks another one. I’ve put a bag right in front of his wardrobe and asked him to just drop the shirts he doesn’t want to wear anymore right in there. No can do. I told him I refused to tidy up his drawer until he finally got rid of the shirts he really doesn’t want to wear anymore. No can do. I pretend it doesn’t bother me but inside, I’m fuming. Just keep concentrating on the things you want to get rid of, maybe he’ll come round some day, and if he doesn’t, at least your side of the bed will be clean and fresh and open space.
And that shawl really is lovely.
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He read my post and started clearing some of his clothes woo hoo. Maybe try blogging your frustration andyou may also discover your husband reads your blog lol 😂
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That shawl and those yarns you chose are so wonderful! Love it! I don’t have a husband but I argue with myself about getting rid of stuff but the older I get the more I realize I am never going to need most of this stuff “down the road”. You did good! I have the cheat sheet so I am following but I will still be on the first week next week.
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Your shawl is gorgeous! Is that the one by Ambah O’Brien? If so I’ll have to add it to my list– I love her patterns.
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Yes it is, ADVENTuresome but she has a great selection of patterns.
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As a teacher, I do hoard things….but my mom’s side of the family also has hoarding tendencies, so I have to be really careful not to let it get too bad…..I wish you luck with your decluttering…I am still decluttering the in-laws things…luckily the spouse is not emotionally tied to anything…and we have no kids to leave things to…so chucking or donating, but it’s a long haul project…40 years of the inlaws things……
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It can be so hard to clear out all of the things . . . Spencer and I are both keepers–in the kindest sense of the word–and I feel like the minute I let something go, I end up needing it the next day 😉 Ahhh, such is life. It can be so cathartic to clean out the stash, though!!
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So are you now wishing the bus was there for you to do a wee trip in 😉
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Wow, I love the colors in your ADVENTuresome Shawl. And I finally checked out the 91 Day Challenge. Maybe it will be the thing I need to move me out of my inertia. I got stalled last month.
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It could be a whole new de-cluttering challenge – getting your husbands to discard ‘things’ – success would be measured in 1 item a month if my hubby is any example. Hang in there. You are doing great. I love you Adventuresome Shawl. The colours are amazing!!
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On the opposite spectrum, my spouse LOVES to get rid of stuff! If I casually mention we should think about getting rid of something he is ON IT IMMEDIATELY.
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I don’t know how I missed replying to this one. I honestly don’t think I read it when it came out. This post totally hit a nerve. We have a family room downstairs that gives me such angst. My issue is that I want to give items away, but it is difficult with restrictions on time and mobility due to COVID. So it sits there. And I fester. Then I reach the tipping point where I want to throw all the sh*t away. I have fantasies of renting a big dumpster, opening a bottle of wine and spending hours HURLING crap into the bin. A girl can dream, yes?
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It is liberating and some things going in the pile to donate really does feel like a physical weight being removed from my whole body. Especially things that have sat around making me feel guilty about x, y or a. A small start would be worth trying, the more that goes the more energy I’m finding to tackle other areas.
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Your shawl is beautiful, well done on making a start on the decluttering!
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