Monday, December 31, 2007

2007: A Year in Review

It's been a good knitting year for me, and I'd like to squeeze into the final 7 hours of 2007 a look back at what knitting I got accomplished.

9 Sweaters
3 Short sleeve sweaters
1 Sleeveless sweater
2 Baby bootees
2 Baby Sweaters
1 Shrug
2 Hats
5 Scarves
1 Fingerless gloves

The biggest loser of 2007 was definitely Rusted Root, with its droopy body and nubbin':

Most of my other knits were definitely winners, with first place definitely going to Juno, for its wearability, design and non-handknit look:

A close second is Something Blushy, because it was a fun knit with modifications that worked.

At the beginning of 2007, I made some knitting new year resolutions. Did I stick with them? Well, let's see. Here's the list:

1) Give double pointed needles a fair chance. They aren't so bad....right? Maybe I'll make a pair of Fetching and see for sure.

2) Knit something with intarsia

3) Then step it up a notch and knit something in fair isle

4) Instead of being on a yarn diet, allow myself to buy and stash yarn. I am generally a stash-phobic, so this is a good one for me.

I did pretty well - I nailed #1 and #4. Never got to the fair isle or intarsia, so I will make an effort to cast on for something with some simple colorwork this year.

I am glad to report that the knitting mojo is on its way back. I've been in quite a knit funk lately. I hadn't even updated my Ravelry account in almost a month! Things are winding down at the house and I go back to work on Wednesday. Before I go, I do want to show you some jewelry making I've been doing. I tried a new technique recently: hammering. It's fun and you can create some pretty things with heavier wire and a mallet!

Fresh water pearls on sterling silver

Crystals, amethyst and iolite drop earrings

Turquoise, crystals and pearls on a sterling silver rectangle

Bill & I are having a quiet New Year's Eve at home. I'm making an apple pie and seafood scampi for dinner. Knitting will happen, too. Happy 2008! See you next year.

Monday, December 24, 2007

'Twas the day before Christmas

And all through the house, not a knitter was stirring . . . not even me! Hello out there, dear readers. I apologize for going MIA for the whole month of December. I told you in my last post that we were starting a bathroom remodel. I am happy to say that the bulk of the work and messiness is over. We have 2 working (and beautifully tiled) showers and floors, 1 toilet and 1 sink all hooked up. A glitch with a large home improvement store that shall remained un-named (hey, it's the holidays) means that we still have to install the cabinets and countertop in my bathroom, but the house is clean from top to bottom otherwise and I am happy to be home!! I was living with my parents for 2 1/2 weeks, and Bill was at our house. Although we didn't decorate or do anything Christmas related at our house, we can't complain about a Christmas gift of new bathrooms!

I was very busy the past 3 weeks, but today is my first day where I could get out of bed and not rush out the door. I haven't done a lot of knitting in the past month, but here's what I've got.

Christmas gift #1: Bill's reversible cable scarf: Finished!

Christmas gift #2: My brother's farrow rib scarf: Finished!

That's all the holiday knitting I did for others. I'll write a proper FO post for these when I get some modeled shots on their recipients tomorrow.

I also finished up Fetching, knit with exactly 1 ball of Cashmerino Aran in color 25, without an inch to spare! These were my first dive into the hand accessory world, and I really enjoyed it. I'm going to try and make some gloves next. A HUGE thank you to Janet over at twistedknitter for giving me the yarn. Yes, she GAVE it to me. All I paid was shipping. Thank you, Janet!

Another blog reference I haven't mentioned is Claudia, who last month named me as a blogger who makes her smile!

I read so many blogs that is it hard to choose even a handful who specifically make me smile. Thank you, bloggers, for sharing your knitting woes and triumphs with us this past year. Every blog I read, I read because it makes me smile!

Here's the sole Christmas decoration in my house this year. Hope you all have a wonderful, blessed Christmas and all the best to you and yours.