After looking at the knitting I completed in 2008, it really feels like I should have more knitting to show for it! There were a number of things I started and frogged (and don’t think I ever even posted about). Seeing a number of knit-bloggers post about their fibery accomplishments for 2008, I decided to do a little wrap up of all the projects I completed in 2008.
– 7 pairs of socks
– 4 hats
– 3 amigurumi’s
– 2 shawls
– 1 scarf
– 1 sweater
– 1 cowl
19 projects. Really?? I swear it seems like I knit so much more, but there was a month or two that I hardly knit at all. I felt a bit of a knitting slump a good part of the year. I’m sure this has something to do with it. Ah well, I did FEEL like I knit a lot and I did do much better with not finishing items I wasn’t totally happy with. I think that led to a lot of frogging of projects I did spend a fair amount of time on this year, but I am quite pleased with all the things I DID finish this year!
I don’t do resolutions at all. Mostly because I never stick to them. Sometimes I do goals, but I don’t always stick to those either. This year I am going to make one goal: read 12 books this year. I know it will probably end up being more, but a book a month for me seems pretty reasonable and attainable. I just want to read more and not really sure why I’ve been slacking so much with it most of this year. I started out reading quite a bit, then just fizzled out. I think being part of the book club off-shoot of my knitting group will really help with this!
Aside from the one goal I’m giving myself this year, there are other things I want to work on. This year I’ve decided to do the 365 project. I did it once before and got pretty far with it, but then there was a lot of personal stuff going on and I didn’t finish it. Since I have a wonderful new camera Matt gave me for Christmas, I want to learn how to use it more, learn how to take better pictures, and learn more about photography (which I’ve always had an interest in). I’ve joined up with some Plurk friends to do the Plurk Craft 365, which does have a focus more on the crafty bits of life (but doesn’t totally have to be, either). I think that will help me blog more, which is something else I’d like to focus more on this year.
I also have some knitting related things I’d like to do this year. I really want to do more color work. I keep admiring all the wonderful fair isle projects in Ravelry and that other people are working. So, in this coming year, I’d like to do more with color. I want to try steeking as well. I want to knit, and wear, more socks this year instead of just knitting them and letting them sit in the Things I’ve Finished bag. I also want to do more lace and more sweaters.
I’m already getting off to a good start with the knitting related things I’d like to do this year. I ordered from Knit Picks today. I almost didn’t order anything simply because I feel bad spending money on myself when I’ve been working hard to get my debt paid off. But, if I continue to not “treat” myself to anything, I’ll begin to resent paying off debt (even more) even though I know it’s a good thing to be doing. At the end of 2008, I was really beginning to want to buy everything I wanted and just forget about paying off debt because I was behind (my own fault), felt like it was going to take forever to catch back up and get back on track, and feeling rather “deprived.” I’ve decided, that this year I will pay off my debt as I’ve planned, and I’ve budgeted in “fun money” for me to spend on whatever I want. I’ll be on track and not feeling deprived. I suppose that goes down as something I’m accomplishing this year, though not something I really intended to write here. But anyhow… I got side tracked with all that. Right… Knit Picks order…
I am dying to make the Rainy Day fingerless gloves from the Fall/Winter 2008 Knit.1 issue, so I’ve been looking all over for yarn that would be suitable and not cost me a small fortune. Knit Picks seemed to keep winning out with their Palette yarn, so I decided to order it. With Knit Picks, it always seems to be better to just order enough stuff to get free shipping. I was trying to decide what else I wanted to make, keeping my “more color work” decision in mind. I went browsing through Ravelry and all the projects made with Knit Picks yarns. I came across the Little Birds cardigan that someone was making with Knit Picks yarns and I absolutely loved the colors, so I added the needed Palette yarns to my cart as well. Still being under the amount for free shipping, I decided to replace the DPNs I lost (but really liked) and finally get one of the Chart Keepers they have (lace and color work being what I really want to do with my knitting this year, I figure this will be quite handy). Yarn is on the way for TWO color work projects and I’m really excited about it!
I want to knit a sweater so badly and while I do have one sweaters worth of yarn in my stash, it’s just not speaking to me at all. It doesn’t want to be knit into anything yet it seems, so it just sits there. I think I may have decided on a project I want to knit with it, finally, but I’m still looking for the right pattern that really speaks to me. In the mean time, as soon as the yarn arrives, I will be swatching for the Little Birds sweater! First major project of the year and I’ll be tackling steeking AND color work. EEP!! Someone hold me!! Just a wee bit scary!
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I meant to post about this yesterday, but completely forgot. For Christmas I got a new camera from Matt (as mentioned above and in my last post).
I took a picture of my new camera with my old camera:
It’s a Cannon PowerShot SD880 IS. I got that little camera bag behind it from Circuit City so I can carry it around with me everywhere. It fits nicely in my purse making it much easier to take pictures wherever I might be. It was a totally unexpected gift, but I’m incredibly thankful for it! My HP camera was really on it’s last leg and I was always worried that it was going to die any second. Have I mentioned how much I love Matt? It’s a LOT. He’s definitely a keeper ;o)
From my family, I received two Build-A-Bears – a Hello Kitty and a Moose. I love both of them and they will fit nicely with the rest of my collection (if I ever find space to put them somewhere besides a box). I also got a Best Buy gift card and cash. I bought a new jacket and dress at Kohl’s with the cash and still have money left. The jacket is a really nice 3-in-1 kind. It’s light grey and pink. I really needed a better winter jacket and this one is definitely a good fit. Of course, since I bought it, it hasn’t been that cold, nor has it snowed!
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Currently I’m working on a pair of socks. I’m doing the Spring Forward pattern from Knitty.
Yesterday I finished crocheting Mrs. Cactus from Amigurumi World. The only thing not pictured here is the flower.
Hopefully my yarn will arrive before I try to start any more projects!
Ms Lindz - My little corner of the internet 
Ooh, a new camera, how exciting. Happy new year!
That’s a lot of good goals. Keep it up and you’ll make them. The debt thing is hard sometimes but totally worth it. And I’ll be right there with you on the colorwork thing!