Happy November!
November is the month of turkey, gratitude and crazy big group projects. Something about all that impending time with extended family seems to draw us to gathering online to accomplish ridiculous goals.

Today I'm embarking on two (um, three?) big projects:

  • NaNoWriMo
  • NaKniSweMo
  • Holiday Sanity

I'm hoping I can convince some of you to join me in the craziness, let me know if you're also doing any of these in the comments!

NaNoWriMo

For the uninitiated, NaNoWriMo is a yearly endeavor to write 50,000 words (or, a small novel) in the month of November. Thousands of writers, the world over, participate and it is a beautiful thing. You can read more about it here.
I'm not writing a novel, but I am challenging myself to write 50,000 words this month (these right here count!), in the hopes of giving you what you've been asking for: more CraftyBiz written material to go with the classes.

Gettting it done

I'm using 750words.com to keep track of my daily words. My goal is to write 2,000/day every day that I can, since I'll be traveling a lot in November and I'm sure there will be several days when I can't write at all.
I'm still a little sketchy about WHAT exactly I'll be writing about, so if there's something in particular about crafting a business you'd like to read about, let me know.

NaKniSweMo

As if 50,000 words weren't enough, I'm also attempting to knit 50,000 stitches.  Or, a whole sweater. This is a knitter's version or NaNoWriMo, NAtional KNIt a SWEaterMOnth, in it's 4th  year and is organized by the inimitable KnitGrrl, Shannon Oakey.

Gettting it done

I'm knitting the Featherweight Cardigan by Helen Fettig. I spent, oh, an embarrassing amount of time thinking about what yarn I would make this in, before settling on the designer's own kit. It comes with the fabulously squooshy Malabrigo laceweight, which I got it in Pearl.
No special stitch-counting or knit-progress-tracking with this, I just plan to work on it All. The. Time. All the time I'm not working or writing or crocheting cute amigurumi.
first amigurumi

(Not a knitter? Check out Art Every Day, a sort of NaNoWriMo for artists.)

Holiday Sanity

Unlike the other two projects, this has no big goal line.
It's simply an accountability and planning group project that I put together to help myself get through the holidays. It's my hope that it'll help you do the same.

Tools

I'm creating all sorts of (optional) worksheets to help me (and you) figure out what, exactly, has to be done (and by when) in order to have a great holiday season, both in my business and in my life!
To figure out what to include, I put together all the tools and tricks I know help me get stuff done and I talked to other crafty people about what's worked for them.
What we came up with is simple and not too time-consuming (the goal is to focus on our work, not on the planning.)

Each week will have a theme to help focus our work and we'll follow up in a (private!) chat room where we'll check in and ask questions.
I'm looking forward to it because I know just the *idea* of checking in with someone pushes me to do better work. I've seen my gentle email accountability do wonders in other crafty businesses on projects as big as starting their first shop to making art on a regular basis.
You can join us right here.

Are you doing any crazy big projects this month?

Tell me about it in the comments.

4 Comments on November is National Do Lots of Stuff Month

  1. MonetteSatterfield
    November 1, 2010 at 8:14 pm (13 years ago)

    Wow – NaNoWriMo! I don’t think I’ll take that one on, but I might knit a sweater this month 🙂

    I am (sorta, kinda) doing the customerlove challenge from LaVonne Ellis over at TheCompleteFlake but that’s all.

  2. Xiane
    November 1, 2010 at 9:03 pm (13 years ago)

    I’ve done NaNoWriMo before, but I’m not this year, because I’ve been brain-deep in my business and want to keep that momentum. However, the idea of doing 50,000 stitches in a month does appeal to me, for getting LOTS of gift knitting done! Hmmm, I may warp that idea to my plans [muahaha] and just apply the total to all the things I get done. [like socks! I owe my husband a pair of socks for the holidays.]

    I’m looking forward to reading about your progress in these challenges!

  3. Anonymous
    November 3, 2010 at 8:33 pm (13 years ago)

    Oh, don’t even mention socks! I’m putting Jay’s socks aside to embark on
    this sweater 🙂
    But a pair of socks (in sock weight, at least) TOTALLY has 50,000 stitches!
    You’ve officially been granted permission!

  4. Anonymous
    November 3, 2010 at 10:38 pm (13 years ago)

    Monette,
    I’d love to hear how the customerlove challenge works for you!
    I try to love on my students and yarn-lovers every day, but really focusing
    on it always sounds like a good plan!