Categories

Jan 1, 2017

FOs | 2016 in Review

As the new year dawns, it's time to review what's been accomplished and create a plan for this bright and promising year.

I won't bore you with the backstory, but for numerous reasons, the past 24 months have been a mad scramble. Work and life have been so challenging, knitting and designing have routinely taken a back seat. Many weeks, I knit nary a stitch (a rarity for me), so I was pleasantly surprised to find I'd completed a fairly respectable list of projects this year.

Let's take a quick look. (Click the link to see the project post.)

Accessories

Alaris Wrap

Kintra Oyster Bay





Wyndfael Mitts


Afghans

Angletyn Vivid


    
Angletyn Rainbow



Lucben Rose




Lucben Tidepool




Tikkyn Rainbow



Tikkyn Flagstone - Almost but not quite finished!



Small Things

Christmas Trees - Multiple sizes and configurations. Here are just a few:







Patterns
On the pattern front, I fell short of my ideal goal, but managed to release eight new ones for an average of one every six weeks or so. (To see the pattern release post, just click the link.)

Accessories

Afghans

Home & Holidays

NextGen Knitters
The opportunity to begin teaching my god-daughters how to knit was one of the supreme pleasures of 2016. Whether they recognize it or not, they seem to have an innate talent for this craft, so the lessons have progressed well. The combination of distance and busy schedules makes it difficult to get everyone together for family knitting sessions, but when winter eases up a bit, we might manage to do so more often.

Planning Ahead
My plans for this promising new year are still evolving, but a few things are certain. It's more important than ever to keep things simple and straightforward (KISS), so my primary goal is to knit what I want in whatever order suits my fancy, with an emphasis on focusing and finishing.

With that in mind, here's where things stand:
  • 1 new shawl ready to cast on (hopefully today)
  • 2 new afghans in progress
  • 3 small things waiting in the wings
  • 9 new designs in the pipeline
  • Too many test swatches to count
On the good news front, the yarn cupboards are relatively well organized and pleasantly full but not overflowing. The studio, on the other hand, is awash in yarn, swatches, pattern notes and WIPs, so it needs some serious attention.

To start the new year on a positive foot, I'm going to spend some time tidying the studio (and kitchen and office), finish edging Tikkyn to bring it one step closer to completion, and cast on the shawl I've been itching to make.

As we wrap up the old year and welcome the new one, feel free to share your 2016 accomplishments, your plans for 2017, or both.

Meanwhile, let me wish you and yours a bright and happy New Year filled with the joys of family, friends and fiber!


8 comments:

  1. I just want to knit all the things! But I think the start of 2017 might be the time to clear up some needles and do some unselfish knitting (some of which has been started!). Happy New Year to you!

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    1. HNY to you, too, Kat. Your plan sounds both smart and generous, a great way to start the New Year!

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  2. Happy New Year to you too :) Looking at them all together you definitely had a colour theme to last year - have you got a new one for this year or more of the beautiful same :)

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    1. Thanks, Carie, and you're right, there certainly are colors that seem to weave through many projects :)

      I don't have a color theme for this year, but at the moment all my active WIPs are either a mix of neutrals or rainbow shades, so we'll see how that plays out.

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  3. I love all of your pretty projects! I understand how you feel about not knitting as much lately - I think since my youngest was born 2 years ago I have only completed maybe 10 projects...and they were all very small. Those fingerless mitts are gorgeous! And my 8 year old wants to learn to knit. I have no idea how to teach her...

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    1. Thanks, Heather, I'm glad you like them.

      Completing 10 projects with an active 2-year old sounds very respectable to me. It's lovely, too, that your 8-year-old wants to learn to knit. I'm in the process of teaching my god-daughters (13 to 22), and we're just tackling it step by step. I wrote a little about it in The Best Gift: https://knittingwip.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-best-gift.html

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-b