The Year in Review

So as we come to the end of another year it is time to reflect and consider on the last 365 days. According to Ravelry.com I had 40 projects for 2009 and despite my intermittent posts, I have posted photos of most of them on this blog.

Let me start with what I didn't do in 2009 - crochet. I don't crochet very much but this year, I didn't crochet one thing. Not sure why this was apart from the obvious, if I'd really wanted to crochet I would have.

Of the 40 items, there was one I started and completely unpicked just before I finished; one I started in 2008 and still isn't finished; and there were a couple of items started right at the end of 2008 that were finished in 2009.

And I have already lost one glove from a pair I knitted.

The Dishcloth group I belong to has instructions for 2 dishcloths each month. Out of a total of 24 I made 21 cloths with another currently on the needles.

So to sum up my 40 items are as follows:
21 dishcloths, all for my house;
4 pairs of socks, one pair still in progress, one pair for spousal unit;
5 scarves or wraps, all for me which sounds a bit excessive when counted up!;
3 pairs of gloves or mittens, one pair for spousal unit and one glove has been lost already;
1 hat for me;
1 bag for me;
1 sweater for spousal unit;
1 tea cosy, a gift;
1 baby jacket; unpicked;
1 baby blanket, gift;
1 shawl, still in progress;
Oh and I've remembered the charity sweater I knitted this fall.

It is surprising looking at this list as I felt that all I have knitted this year are dishcloths but it would appear that I have made a lot of things for myself. Didn't realise how many scarves I had made although one is still wrapped around Winnie the Pooh.

The other thing that this list doesn't show is how much stash yarn was used or, in other words, how little new yarn I bought for these projects. And when I bought new yarn, any yarn left over was immediately used for another project. The yarn for the sweater was purchased especially for that item and the left over yarn was immediately used for the bag. One of the scarves and pairs of gloves were from yarn left over from old projects; another scarf was from yarn left over from gloves; another pair of gloves was from yarn left over from socks. It actually feels good to use up yarn rather than put it into the stash for who-knows-when. The only other yarn I bought was dish cloth cotton when it went on sale and the yarn for the baby blanket.

Currently on the needles are a dishcloth (which would be finished except I'm on the computer!), a shawl, a sock, and a sweater for charity. Although this frightens me to think I have so many projects on the go, they range from super easy to need lots of concentration so they each have their place.

On the reading front, to save you counting all the books on my bookshelf, I have read 103 books. Not quite 2 books a week but that number includes picture books which shouldn't really count as a whole number for each.

And on a personal note for the year, I still have a wonderful husband. Happy anniversary dear one.

Year End Dishcloths

Here are the dishcloths from November and December.

November had a Christmas theme with a tree and an angel. I like the tree but am not sure how practical the angel will be. It is hand size so may turn out to be useful.



This cloth is a simple cloth that turns into a gift bag but I will be keeping it for myself - note the Christmas yarn which I also used for the pattern for mid-December.


I like this pattern although I dislike patterns which produce a curved cast on edge and a straight cast off edge. This pattern would look very nice in a scarf if you knitted two halves and joined in the centre.

Nothing Like a Sale To Force a Decision

A little while ago I wrote about wanting a new stove and how hard it was to make a decision. When we went out yesterday, I suggested going to Future Shop "just to see what was on sale". They had some stoves that were on sale for just two days. Thanks to all my research I knew which one I wanted and now I have a new stove. (Well almost I have to wait a couple of weeks for delivery.)

Oh and I did buy some sock yarn on sale but more about that later.

Boxing Day

Today in Canada like many other countries of the Commonwealth is Boxing Day. Which is the day for sales but I'm thinking it is a day to stay indoors and do your own thing. The sales will still be there tomorrow.

We had a really nice day yesterday; at one point, boy child was playing PS3, spousal unit was reading a book on art and I was knitting a sock. All happy doing our own thing and then getting together periodically to play games. I stomped on the opposition in a word game but was truly beaten in monopoly.

The cats slept through the whole thing.

Happy Christmas