ELEVENTH Self-Imposed Year of Projects: That's a Wrap! (Wrap-Up Post)

Well kids, this year has been.......well, it's been a year. Let's just say that. I've been doing this a long time and some years are harder than others. This was one of those hard years. Between moving back to Wisconsin, multiple illnesses, going back to work, and losing Puppy....it's just been a difficult year. But we do what we need to do and keep pushing forward as best we can. 

When I started out on this journey just a scant few months after Little Man was born, I had no idea what I was doing or where it was going to take me. I learned things about myself over the years, including how much I could handle and when I needed to step back...I'm still not very good at either one but I'm doing the best I can do. 

This year feels like an incredibly light year, in terms of what I actually finished. But, given that I spent the first few weeks of the new year unpacking, trying to find everything, and replacing items we got rid of, followed by two bouts of Covid throughout the house, new endeavors, new surroundings, and starting a new job, I feel like I did okay, honestly. 

So, let's look at what I actually accomplished this past year!

 

FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Baby Blanket: started 22 April 2022; finished 4 June 2022
2. Herbivore: started 15 November 2018; finished June 2022
3. Baby Blanket: started 4 June 2022; finished 25 August 2022
4. Venskab (test knit): started 12 September 2022; finished 16 September 2022
5. Vanilla Socks: started 12 December 2021; finished 17 September 2022
6. Baby Blanket: started 4 September 2022; finished 25 September 2022
7. Pattern for Baby Blanket: started 25 September 2022; finished 26 September 2022
8. Colorfun Hat: started 7 October 2022; finished 1 November 2022
9. Vanilla Socks: started 9 August 2020; finished 12 November 2022

Like I said, this year was a light year. I only finished nine things, though three of them were gigantic baby blankets. Part of the reason for this was that we had literally just moved cross-country. Again. My stash was all over the place, my projects were in boxes....it took awhile to get everything unpacked, much less sorted out. To be fair, my stash was sorted but not updated so while I have a pretty good idea what I actually have, it's not 100%. And then, of course, I added to the stash because she was demanding to be fed. So the stash was fed. 

Anyway, back to what I did....

I started and finished three baby blankets and wrote the pattern for one of them. 

The first two matched, except for color, because they were for a set of twins. One was pink and grey, the other was purple and grey. 

The third one was mostly grey with some pink and purple, leftovers from the above two blankets. It was also smaller because the first two were the size of a twin bed.

 

In addition to that, I wrote the pattern for the third one. It's free and you can find it on Ravelry. If Ravelry is not a safe place for you and you want to knit the pattern, let me know and I can send it directly to you. 

I also finished up the Herbivore shawl, which I started in November 2018. I might still have to weave in the ends....but it's been blocked, so I've got that going for me.

 

I also managed to squeeze in a test knit hat. I used up a lone skein of madelinetosh MCN worsted in the Molly Ringwald colorway. I borrowed my friend, Sarah, for modeling. It really is that light.

I also finished up another hat, which Stormageddon claimed as his own. The yarn was relatively new stash. I don't even think it made it to my Ravelry stash page, to be honest.

I'm not even sure where this hat is hiding at this point. But he says it's his hat and I'm not going to fight him. If he is willing to wear it, I don't mind one bit.

To round it out, I finished up two pairs of socks. The first pair were started in December 2021 and the second were started in August 2020. Both are destined to go to California....not that they're there yet. But that's where they are heading.

Huh. It appears I do not have a photo of the finished pair. That's likely because they're a titch too narrow for my feet so I didn't try them on. And Little Man's feet are too big. And Stormageddon's are too small. Oh well.

 

WIPs (Works-in-Progress) *These are carried over year after year, as needed*
1. Wink: started 5 January 2015
2. Shetland Neck Wool (support spindle): started 8 September 2017
3. Returning: started 14 January 2018
4. Faerie Mountain Fibers Crazy Batt (EEW Mini): started 13 April 2018
5. Granny Square Blanket: started 28 April 2018
6. UW Ski Hat: started 11 July 2018
7. Purl & Loop Weaving Project: started 28 August 2018
8. Linen Stitch Scarf: started 2 June 2020
9. Sand Drift Blanket: started 17 January 2021
10. Dishcloth: started 25 February 2022
11. Mixed BFL (Annie): started 18 March 2022
12. Lakeline Tank: started 18 March 2022
13. Socks: started 28 September 2022
14. Bonbon 2: started 15 October 2022
15. Smile & Wave: started 15 November 2022
16. Josh's Winter Hat: started 20 December 2022
17. NEYCO Hat: started 31 December 2022

Because this is a wrap-up post, we'll also talk about my WIPs.....including the newest one, which I literally started last night. 

I ended the year with 17 WIPs, which could be worse but it could also be better. There are several that haven't been touched at all this year, partly because we were moving, and partly because of who I am as a person. 

My oldest WIP is, of course, my Wink cardigan. I don't know that I actually worked on it at all in the past year. I know I pulled it out and tried it on at one point but that was about it. I may need to make this one a priority as I started it eight years ago. 

My Shetland Neck Wool on the support spindle....I know I saw it when I was unpacking and moving things about but I didn't work on it at all this year. 

The Returning shawl made a resurgance a few weeks ago and I've been working on it here and there. It had been on time out for far too long and I finally just decided to figure out what was going on. I'm still working on the stockinette section but I know what I want to do so I've got that going for me. 

My Faire Mountain Fibers batt, nor my little electric wheel have been touched, other than organizing them into a bin. I thought about it for a hot minute but I was busy cleaning. So, that's where I am with that. 

I finished all the crocheting on my granny square blanket, which is good. All the squares have been put into a bin, with the contrast white yarn that I'm going to use to seam it....and that's as far as I got. 

My UW Ski Hat goes in spurts. Because I have to translate the project from the chart into something I can actually read, it's a bit slow-going. It doesn't help that I found the directions for the cast on and crown jammed up in our recliner and half-eaten. I can fake the crown decreases; that's not an issue. But if I ever want to make the hat with ear-flaps again, I'm going to need to see if I can figure out the directions. It'll be fine in the end. But for now, that's where it's hanging out. 

My little weaving loom is cute but I just haven't worked on it. Sue me. I have other things going on. Maybe this year....

The Linen Stitch Scarf grows when I pull it out and work on it...but I haven't pulled it out in awhile. It's a simple, rather mindless project that's great for TV knitting. And it's not going to be a scarf when I'm done because I'm going to seam the ends together and make it an infinity cowl and call it good. I'll get there someday.

The Sand Drift Blanket is....well, quite frankly, it's a pain in the ass. It's not like the pattern is difficult or anything like that but holding the yarn double and two colors means I have four strands hanging around, getting tangled, and I'm not a huge fan. If I wasn't knitting it for a friend, I would have frogged it and started it a bit differently. I may actually still do that...just frog it, change the needle size, and use one strand instead of two (meaning I'll be working with two strands total instead of four). I also don't like how loose my cast on actually was. 

I also started a random dishcloth this year. It's not going to be a dishcloth, though. It's going to be more like a long scarf with a loop on one end to hang it. Basically, it's something for washing your back in the shower. So it needs to be long enough so you can hold on to each end and rub it on your back, either side to side or up and down. Nothing difficult....just haven't worked on it. 

And then I bought a new spinning wheel, Annie. She's been wanting to go and I started a ball of mixed BFL on her but I just haven't gotten down to my craft room to spin like I want to. Sooooooon!

The Lakeline Tank was all the grand plans. A college friend had made one as a test knit and I loved hers and thought, "hmmmmm, this should knit up quickly." In some ways, I am still a sweet summer child.....I am almost to the part where I split for the arm holes. But it's bottom up so I feel like I've done a good chunk of it already. 

I started a pair of socks for Little Man. He requested blue socks. So I'm making him blue socks. But I'm not there yet. I'll get there....

When my SIL's house burned, all the kids' toys were tossed as collateral damage from the smoke. I probably could have taken care of it but insurance companies don't work like that. So, the toys were tossed. I promised her I would remake all their toys so I started Bonbon first. I've got his legs, arms, and tail finished. I think. Regardless, I'm at the point where I'm going to start his body soon. Or maybe his head. Whatever, I'm working on it.

The Smile & Wave fingerless mitts are currently at the point where I'm doing the thumb increases on the first one, and they're almost done. That means that the first one is at least halfway, which is a delightful feeling. I know that they take less time than socks, but I didn't realize how much less time. 

I'm at the crown decreases on Josh's Winter Hat. I just need to find my DPNs and finish it. That goes with the socks in the FO section for a trip to California. I just hope it fits his head. 

My last project was started last night...the New Years' Eve Cast On Hat. It's made using the same brand of yarn that I used for the hat that Stormageddon claimed in the FO section, just different colorways. This one is going to be a black and blue/green striped deal. I just started the second color so I've already finished the brim, which is fantastic. 

After all that, I had lists...and they were a bit hopeful, shall we say. 

 

OMGLSGWTFBBQ

Design WIPs:
1. Messed Up Moss: started March 2009 - write pattern as PDF (iterations: first, second)
2. Susan's Hat: started 31 August 2010 - need new prototypes & write the pattern (iterations: first, second, third, mini, fifth, sixth)
3. Little Man's Baby Blanket: started July 2010 - need new prototype & write pattern (iteration: here)
4. Chunky Scarf: started 6 October 2012 - need new prototype & write pattern (iteration: here)
5. Pacific Waves Hat: started 9 March 2016 - need new prototype & write the pattern (iterations: first, second, third)
6. Fall in San Francisco: started 18 September 2016 - need new prototype & write pattern (iterations: first, second)
7. Stomping Grounds Collection: started 26 February 2017 - need prototypes & write patterns
8. Unnamed Hat Design: started 14 August 2017 - need various weight yarn prototypes & write pattern (iterations: first, second)
9. Paradiddle Socks: started 19 October 2017 - write pattern (iteration: here)

 

Design Ideas:
1. Christmas Stocking for Husband
2. Christmas Stocking for Little Man
3. Christmas Stocking for Stormageddon
4. Baby Blanket
5. Stomping Grounds Collection

 

Items for ME (Selfish Knitting FTW!):
1. Park Slope (fingering weight - Mountain Fibers Crazyfoot in Shamrock)
2. Flax (worsted weight - Misty Alpaca in the Harry Potter colors)
3. Musselburgh (any weight - likely DK or worsted)
4. 3 Color Cashmere Cowl (fingering weight, 3 colors)
5. Gradient Band Cowl (fingering weight - Safronie Fairy Tales gradient and a solid)*
6. Fine Tune (fingering weight - uses minis so maybe a rainbow type one with the Canon Hand Dyes?)
7. Stashbusting Helix Hats (worsted weight - bits and bobs of worsted)
8. Hüj Tüb (laceweight - maybe that 100% lace cashmere I've had forever?)
9. Undone (bulky - maybe the reclaimed Freeport Vest yarn?)

 

Children's Items/Knitting for others
1. Flax for Little Man (worsted weight - likely Baah Yarns Shasta in London Blue)
2. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
3. The Mandolorian (sport weight - need grey, white, and green...which I might have)*
4. Zelda Beanie (worsted weight - black or grey and yellow, which I'm sure I have)
5. Wasabi for Mr. K (worsted weight - Cascade 220 in Moss Agate if possible)
6. Bugle for Miss E (worsted weight - multicolor; htNEVELE in Reverie if possible)
7. Baby Bear for Mr. T (fingering weight - anything will work)
8. Pig for Earle & Duane (worsted weight - need pink, of course)
9. Hippo for Sweet Girl (fingering weight - purple & pink)
10. Elefante for Sassy Girl (worsted weight - maybe if I can find the original...)

Utilitarian/Household Items
1. On-Trend Chair Socks (worsted weight bits and bobs) - I have a lot of chairs that could use these
2. Garter Chevron Blanket (KP Mighty Stitch - may need to get some more black or white)
3. Diagonal Knit Dishcloths (cotton of some sort, possibly a cotton/bamboo blend, depending on use)
4. Reusable Produce Bag (cotton or acrylic of some sort - worsted)
5. Harry Potter Blanket (worsted weight - based on several dishcloth patterns to make blocks)
6. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth (cotton or a cotton/bamboo blend, again based on use)
7. Pop Blanket (worsted weight - a little of this and that?)
8. Holiday Countdown Stockings (worsted weight - various colors)

 

Spinning:
1. Wonderland Dyeworks BFL in Stream Bed
2. Wonderland Dyeworks BFL in Winter Night
3. Timber Ridge Farm Alpaca Roving
4. Ashland Bay Fiber 100% Merino Top in English Garden
5. Anne's Fiber Expressions Elynenium

 

Dyeing:
1. Sock Blanks (I think I have 5 left)
2. Random worsted/sport skeins (I have maybe 2-3 left)
3. Anything else I find along the way (I have a small bin with all my "stuff to dye" in it)

 

Other Fibery Endeavors:
1. Stash Fit
2. Create a project bag inventory
3. Update library inventory (on Ravelry)
4. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry) and reorganize yarn
5. Stitch markers: make kits and individual for Etsy shop
6. Destash as necessary/needed

 

 

 

Yeah. About that........um, yeah. I need to ponder how I'm going to go about this before next week's post. 

 

With that, Happy New Year, happy whatever, happy happy. We survived the weird week between Christmas & New Years with wonky temperatures that were creeping into "Shorts Weather" territory, the boys home from school, me going into work, and all the other things....which really wasn't a whole lot, actually. 

And thus, I'm wrapping up my 11thi Self-Imposed Year of Projects. I'm coming back next week to start the 12th. Wish me luck.