Monday, January 09, 2006

knitting recap 2005

Yep, I've got a little time today, as opposed to last week's crunch. So, I'm going to look at my knitting goals from last year. :)

Knitting Goals: (Yes, this is the 'reduced' list. This is in some rough chronology of deadline.)
* Finish current project of Gypsy's baby blanket. (Amelia is due in April, but I want to work on other things.)
* Mary's Christmas Hat IOU (I will put off Amelia for this one.)
* Finish Elizabeth Zimmerman's pi shawl that I've started. (The lovely red vareigated and the Addi Turbos make this currently addictive.)
* Mom's scarf requests.
* Give Mom the sweater she asked for for Christmas. (This is the epic project for 2005.)
* Make myself the Beaverslide Hogwarts scarf I've given away three times now, in the Azkaban pattern.
* Other small misc projects that come up throughout the year.
* If there's any time left, reduce the stash by giving away yarn or knitted small things. After that, consider Knitty's tall garter socks, and do the 'more than circular' shawl from Best of Knitter's Shawl Book.


Amelia blanket... check! Mary's Hat... check! Some of Mom's scarf requests... check!

I did make Mom a sweater for Christmas. Unfortunately, a) it was not the pattern she chose, as that one is still a Major Pain (tm) and b) it wasn't done in time. I did manage to finish the knitting and finishing work on the Ribbi Cardi as of New Year's Eve. I just have to sew in the zipper. (Obtaining said zipper was my albatross. However, now I HAVE the zipper, so I will work on basting that sucker in tonight and either hand sewing it in or seeing if dontcallmemolly has packed her sewing machine yet. ;)

The pi shawl was interrupted twice by yarn shortages. Once I ripped and re-did the fringe, because I'd done the pattern wrong and there was no way I'd get all the way around the circle with the yarn I had. The second (fixed) time I ran out anyway and had to order more from The Fold. (I'd HAD it at that point.) However, the pi shawl is finished now (yaaay!) and I need to figure out a way to block it. Any reccomendations on blocking superwash merino would be welcome.

I started the Beaverslide scarf and then got irritated with it due to pattern/yarn weight issues. I'm going to have to tinker with that and see what can change, but I do want my own Beaverslide scarf.

I did do some stash reduction this year, but I probably did an equal amount of stash enhancement, so we'll call it a draw. :) With the exception of Mom's Christmas sweater, I did meet all my Christmas goals, which was a big success for me this year. :)

What do I have on the needles now?

Mom's Ribbi Cardi - Zipper me, baby!

Pot Holders - I found out while at my mother's house that she's gone and cremated most of the pot holders I've given her. (This made the Christmas cookie requests a bit irksome. At least I only burned myself once.) I made two blue ones for my little brother for his birthday, and I'm making a few more green ones for Mom for ValDay. (A couple might find their way into the sweater box.) I've been making these out of stash Lion Brand Bulky Kitchen Cotton, held double. I can crank out a pot holder in very short time but then I need to stop and do something else for a while as my hands hurt.

Knit Pick's Dancing Twisted Rib Socks - I got some Dancing (Jig colorway) for my birthday, and while I was at my mother's I didn't want to give away her surprise, so I worked on the Dancing socks. I've got about 4" so far into the leg bit. (They're top down.) As these are my first pair on size 0 needles, they're going a bit slowly but I'm pleased with how they're turning out. (Pattern free from the Knit Picks website.)

The Dancing Vines lace scarf. I put that down for Christmas knitting and I suppose I really ought to find it. :)

That Beaverslide scarf is taunting me. I must finish it this year.

So, what are the knitting goals for this year?

* Finish above cast-on projects.
* Figure out Something To Make out of the Scads of Christmas Acrylic that can't be worn on the body. I've got 1 200yd skein in each of eight Christmas colors, so if they're socks they'd better be darn small. (to wit, Herrschners's brand Peacock Christmas Traditions and Victorian Christmas.) I've been thinking wreath, but I'm not sure how to go about that.
* Decide if I *really* want to do that evil cabled sweater for Mom. Hrrrm.
* Make one of the sock patterns from Knitting on the Road. I'm thinking Conwy in one of the Sock Landscapes I got for my birthday.
* Use up some of the Lion Cotton stash, possibly by making myself a Shapely Tank top out of the shaded blues. This will involve some design work, but I think it'd be a quick knit once the math is dealt with. (The math shouldn't be too too bad anyway, since I had such success with the boob short rows once before. :)
* Send Mom a good deal of the scarf yarn stash.
* block the Pi Shawl, and decide for real if I want to make the Wool Peddlar's Shawl from Folk Shawls. (Esp since I have a fair bit of Cranberry wool left over from Mom's Ribbi Cardi.)
* When I get bitten by the felting bug, make more kitty beds. :)

Not too many knitting goals, since this year will hopefully be the year that the science takes off. I know the DH has been encouraging me to read more and write more as well. I've been a reading fiend over the last couple weeks. :)

I guess I'm being more of a Bad-Ass Knitter, knitting what I want, when I want. :)

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