Year-end Recap

I haven't been blogging (for more than a year!) because I was beginning to feel like all I wrote about was what I'd just finished. We've got Ravelry for cataloging our finished objects now, so doing it here doesn't seem as necessary. However, I do like a good list, so here's my list of completed objects in 2015. Since I haven't blogged since August of last year, I'll also do a 2014 list.

2015
1 baby sweater (the only sweater I completed this year!)
1 blanket
1 dishcloth
1 bag
1 sleep mask
1 headband
1 shawl
3 toys

2 pairs fingerless mitts
6 cowls
14 hats
32 completed projects

I also frogged one sweater and have one baby sweater on hold. Both of those were cases of making mistakes enough times that I needed a break from the project.

I guess it's safe to say I knit mostly hats this year. I didn't knit as much as I usually do, which is surprising since I've been laid off for six months. For 2016 I'd like to complete at least one adult-sized sweater.

Some other fun statistics for 2015:

• Nearly half of these projects were knit using only one color (two projects were with variegated yarn). 
• Two hats were knit with six or more colors. Both of them were by the same designer, both because I added additional colors to what the pattern specified. I also knit two hats using self-striping yarn paired with a white yarn, which could count as more than six colors.
• 28 used fewer than 300 yards; 14 used fewer than 150.
• Blue and white are tied for most frequently used color, though no single color was used most often for single-color projects.
• Size 7 needles were used most, with nine projects. Only one project was knit on needles larger than a size 10.
• I used worsted-weight yarn 15 times, fingering-weight nine times.
• I finished the most projects in September (six) and none in June.
• I learned brioche this year. I really enjoyed that and plan to use it more often.
• I purchased 16 skeins of yarn this year and was gifted one.
• I taught one friend how to knit and helped another move beyond the basic knit stitch.

2014
1 child sweater
1 washcloth
1 pair of slippers
1 tie
2 baby sweaters
2 pairs fingerless mitts
3 toys
3 cowls
21 hats
1 each frogged or hibernating project
37 completed projects in 2014.

Adrift

I was catching up on some other blogs yesterday and many of them had apologies for not posting in a while.  I guess I'm not the only one who let February get away from her!

There has been a lot of soul searching happening around here.  I did have a revelation or two, and I took some time to express gratitude to people who have made my life a little easier.  I also got a part-time job to help with the bills.  This is completely a throw-away job (no offense to the people who work there for better reasons than mine) that may not cover all my expenses (only about half) but it gets me out of the house and interacting with people.  It's just what I needed.  Now I need something a little more meaningful.  Smiling while handing over the receipt for clothes that cost more than my weekly paycheck is getting depressing.  I don't think I ever thought about how poorly paid everyone in retail is.  Only the managers make a living wage, and I'm guessing that it's not a great salary either.  There are no holidays, and no holiday pay, at least for the part-time workers.  I only make about a dollar more than minimum wage, so the saying "at least you have a job" really gets under my skin.  Is it worth it to spend even four hours peddling something I can't afford?  I could be job hunting for something better during that time.  I feel really sorry for the people who work three of these kinds of jobs just to get by, especially because this is really a forgotten area of our economy.  We talk about how consumer confidence is up, but we don't really look at what cost to the worker.  I definitely appreciate anyone who is working part time in a low-wage job much more than I did before being that person myself.  The bright side for me is that I know that it won't last forever.  I am not stuck in this job.  It gives me what I need for now and I will move on when I have the chance.  I know there are many others for whom this is not the case.

Back to knitting.  I'm still following my no new yarn rule, but the last time I was able to buy yarn I bought for two projects.  I am trying to decide whether that's cheating or not.  Perhaps I'll make seven or ten things before the next purchase, to appease my self-imposed guilt.

Here are a couple of the latest FOs.

Made from leftovers from a cowl and some baby things.

More of the same leftovers, plus some other stash yarn.

Legwarmers for Sarah.  One of these days I'll mail them to her.  The pattern is Laced Legwarmers by Jenise Reid.

Speaking of Jenise, I won a copy of her new pattern book, Between the Trees!  It is beautiful.  I always joke that I'm not a winner, but this is the second thing I've won in the last six months (and about ten years, but who's counting?). 

Keeping Resolutions

I did pretty well on my resolution to knit five projects from stash yarn before buying new yarn.  Brian started complaining that he doesn't have a pair of slippers, which made me pretty annoyed since I've knit him two pairs, including thrummed bunny slippers, which are really warm.  He wears them all the time.  How dare he say he doesn't have any slippers. 

Turns out he meant slippers that he could wear outside, like when I ask him to take out the compost.  Oh.  So I knit nine projects from stash yarn (because I counted my December purchase of yarn as new yarn for the resolution), and then took Brian with me to Jimmy Beans to get yarn for a third pair of slippers.  I've knit this pattern before, and even though it's a bit fiddly, it is in worsted weight held double, so it goes fast.  In two days, I had slippers ready for some leather soles.  Alas, the soles I had don't fit Brian or the slippers.  I still hear about how Brian doesn't have any slippers to wear.  Still rankles me.

I've knit some fun things.  A present for my new favorite little guy.

 A bunny for a birthday girl.

A puff for a friend (the "for a friend" part came after I knit it and had no idea what to do with it.  It was fortuitous that this friend just happened to need a knit puff).

Some cowls.

Hats.

My favorite knit so far is my current project, Simple Sprinkle.  It is so fun!  I don't usually like to knit cowls flat, and I rarely knit scarves.  They just get so boring and repetitive.  I'm also not that crazy about knitting endless garter stitch.  But.  But!  This is so fun to knit.  I love the short-row sections the best.  I love that it's using up some bits of skeins that are too small to be useful.  You can't tell in the picture, but the yellow and blue striped section has three different blue yarns.  It's going to be a very squishy cowl when it's through.