here’s looking at you 2018

So here we are, the last day of 2018. New Year’s Eve is always bittersweet isn’t it? We are having a quiet night at home, munching on appetizers and chilling out. I was in the mood for the classic rock music of my childhood so there’s Boston, Rush, Queen, David Bowie & Journey playing in the background as I knit on my cozy memories blanket and reflect on this past year. It’s been a fun one knitting-wise. My box o’ sox for 2018 is filled with twenty pairs of colorful socks. Plus I surprised myself by finishing three sweaters! I am hoping to knit more sweaters in the new year because there are quite a few beautiful patterns in my queue that were set aside amidst the sock knitting frenzy that occurred during the latter half of the year.

I hope that you all have a Happy New Year. Let’s fill it to the brim with lots of fun knitting and creativity!

reflections

Thank you for all of your well wishes. Happy to report that my back is slowly getting better. I ended up taking all of last week off from work after not being able to get out of bed the day after New Year's Day. I overdid it the week before and ended up with a ruptured disc in my lower back which was pressing down on a nerve. It had gotten so painful that I couldn't sit up and could barely walk. So the first week of 2017 ended up being a pretty dull affair with no knitting accomplished. On the bright side, I managed to get a head start on my reading goals. 4 books in one week!

Now that my back is truly on the mend, I'm excited to cast on some new projects. But before looking ahead to what this year will bring, I wanted to briefly reflect on some things that I learned in 2016:

15 pairs of socks, 3 cowls, 2 sweaters, 1 shawl, 1 ornament

Socks Socks and more Socks: I will fondly remember 2016 as the year that I got bit with the sock knitting bug. It has been so much fun learning a couple of different heel techniques (Afterthought & Strong heels) besides the traditional heel flap. Plus I gave toe-up socks a try. Designing a pair of tabi socks was also a highlight. But the number one most satisfying thing that I learned from a year of sock knitting is being able to do the Kitchener stitch without having to refer to written instructions or diagrams ever again.

Improvising a top-down sweater: This was a huge accomplishment for me. Still can't believe that I managed to pull it off. I learned so much in the process, such as the importance of planning but also being flexible when certain parts of the plan didn't work or needed to be changed.

Thank you for all of your support and kindness! Even though my blogging has been sporadic at best this past year, I still treasure all of the wonderful connections that I have made here. Looking forward to what this new year will bring for all of us! Hopefully lots of love, good health, beautiful yarn and shiny new projects :)

here's looking at you 2015

Although I thoroughly enjoy the excitement, togetherness and fun that surrounds Christmas, it's the quietness and peace of the week after that is my favorite part of the holidays. The guests are gone, the house is still relatively clean and the fridge is full of yummy leftovers. There's nothing too pressing that needs to be done. I love having the time to reflect on the year just past and to set some goals for the new year ahead.

The overriding theme for 2015 was knitalongs. Such a surprise to see that I had participated in ten KAL's! I guess my inner social butterfly was waiting until this year to find its wings and fly :)

Also taking note of the fact that there were a lot fewer finished objects this year than in previous years. However, I can honestly say that I love every single thing that came off the needles. Both the process of making them and the items themselves gave comfort/pleasure/peace in a year that saw many personal challenges.

For 2016, I intend to keep things pretty simple: continue to whittle down the stash, knit garments that can be easily incorporated into my everyday wardrobe, dust off the oh-so-rusty crochet skills, knit down the WIP pile that's been slowly growing over the past few months:

.... and most importantly, have FUN!

Wishing you all a happy, creative, healthy and peaceful New Year! Thank you for all of your kindness and friendship!

seasonal goals :: winter

One of my favorite things to do in January is to read about everyone's resolutions and goals for the year ahead. So many wonderful intentions and inspiring ideas. I love the feeling of having a blank journal just waiting to be filled up. This year, I have decided to set seasonal goals instead of year long ones. Hopefully, thinking in the short term will result in more success and most importantly, be more fun!

So here are my goals for the next couple of months:

❄ Be more adventurous in the kitchen and start cooking recipes from my large collection of cookbooks. At least two new recipes a week. Different variations of spaghetti does not count.
❄ Start a recipe journal or box. Write down the ones that are tried and true family favorites for future generations to gush over.
❄ Work on Vietnamese language skills at least 30 minutes a day in preparation for my upcoming visit in March.
❄ Finish the following WIP's: Pine bough cowl, Amanda cardigan, Kraken pullover, Spirograph headband the second.

I think that all of the above goals are realistic and achievable. One caveat: since there won't be any shiny new projects to show off for awhile, things might get a little boring around here. However, I am hoping that my diligence pays off and there will be more finished objects to show you in the next couple of months. Otherwise I might have to resort to posting bad photos of my weekly recipe attempts.

here's looking at you 2014

2014 finished projects (and yay! 4 original designs!)

I hope that you are all continuing to enjoy your holiday festivities. Our days have been quiet and peaceful, just the way I like them. After a whirlwind visit from Grandma L. we have been settling in to a calm, relaxing routine this holiday break: sleeping in, quiet play and lots of movies & knitting time. The only personal drama being a bit of a Poor Rudolph Hat withdrawal which resulted in the creation of these mini ornaments. And look! I finally figured out how to use my Clover pom pom maker. Such a clever device, although I have a tendency to overly fuss and trim the resulting pom poms too much.

I also finished a pair of mittens for my niece just in the nick of time (they were literally cast off on Christmas morning). She had sweetly requested a pair of blue mittens but I over thought the project and could not decide which shade of blue to use. So I decided to raid the stash and came up with three shades with a pleasing gradient effect. The mittens were a mash up of two patterns: the Cozy Purl Ridge Mittens with its afterthought thumb construction and the beautifully simple colourwork from the Hiro Mittens design. They were a big hit with the niece and I might knit up a pair for myself in the same colors in order to use up more of the stash.

In fact, looking back on the projects from this past year, knitting from the stash was a common theme. Giving myself a pat on the back for this, although at the same time, I am not so proud of the basketful of WIP's and UFO's carrying over into the New Year. I think that my low FO count this year is mainly due to having too many projects going on at once. At one point there were four or five sweaters simultaneously on the needles even. So the main goal for January and February is to come to terms with my impulsivity and to deal with these on-going projects one way or another. Either finishing them or ruthlessly frogging them, because they are putting a damper on my knitting mojo right now. So the big lesson learned in 2014 and the goal set forth for 2015? Be more mindful of what gets put on the needles!

What kinds of creative goals are in the works for you in the new year? Any lessons learned from this past year? Here's to a brilliantly fun 2015 and thank you for continuing to share in this creative journey. You are all a constant inspiration to me!

lessons learned in 2013 :: looking ahead

Cowls

Shawls

Accessories

Ornaments

Sweaters

2013 could best be described as the Year of the Turtle for me. It felt like a slow meander through the days and months leading up to this point. My total number of finished objects (just 23) reflect this.

But I have learned from previous years that it is not the quantity but the quality of the projects that matters most. I started the year with only one set goal: to enjoy and have fun with my projects. I can happily say that I have accomplished this goal. It is also interesting to see that despite giving myself such directionless freedom, I have actually learned more new techniques and skills this year than in the previous year:  brioche knitting, three dimensional knitting, dyeing yarn, spinning with a spindle, designing (just a little).

Looking ahead to 2014, I would love to continue to play around more with spinning, dyeing, designing (and actually learning how to properly write up my patterns) & fair isle knitting. Also, this year will be the Year of the Steek! I know I say that every year but this year I really mean it ;)

And guess what was under the Christmas tree? A trip to NYC for Vogue Knitting Live in a few weeks! I am very excited to be taking classes with Franklin Habit and Nancy Bush. These are two people whom I have long admired and look forward to learning from. A big thanks goes out to my hubby who will be holding down the fort while I get a jump start on my new year of learning. Also a heartfelt thank you to all of you guys. You make this crazy creative journey fun! Happy New Year!

possibilities

...that is what I love best about this time of year. The possibility of learning new things, of having new experiences, starting new projects, meeting new friends.

Finally sitting down to take the beginning Craftsy spindle spinning class that I had purchased months ago. Extremely excited to start learning how to spin. I have been reading this informative book, but as with any new crafty venture, the learning is in the doing. Here is my first attempt so far:
 

I wish that I had videotaped the comedy of errors involved in spinning the leader yarn. Almost broke my spindle in the process. Now, though, it is pure fun! I am spinning a worsted weight yarn using the park and draft method.

My Chance of showers cardigan is on hold until more yarn arrives to complete it. Yup, I ran out of yarn again! Second project in a row for this to happen. Looking on the bright side, now I can start on a new fall sweater.

Simple pattern and bulky yarn should make Agnes a quick and easy knit. Plus I couldn't resist the pockets. The knitting on this one is going so fast! It took just two days to finish the body. Probably one more day for the sleeves. Knitting them two at a time. Can't wait to finally get something off the needles. It seems that this past month or so I have been knitting and knitting but not having anything to show for it.

Looking forward to this Sunday and attending my first "knit in the park" hosted by looped yarn works at DuPont Circle. I heard that looped carries Quince & co. yarns, so will have to indulge in some yarn retail therapy while I'm in the neighborhood. Since my LYS closed its doors a few months ago, there hasn't been many opportunities to meet people with a shared interest in fiber and knitting. So this event will be a fun chance to make some new friends!


(Linking up with WIP Wednesday)

Lessons Learned in 2012/Looking Ahead

New Years Eve was a quiet and cozy affair here. Just the way I like it! We spent the day cooking up an army's worth of appetizers and the evening eating & watching the ball drop. Today has been just as lazy with my only plans being to eat, knit and maybe watch The Sound of Music, if I can wrestle the t.v. remote away from the guys. But first, I wanted to take a moment to look back on the year just past.

Despite the fact that the total number of projects made in 2012 were lower than in previous years, each and every one of them were fun to make and brightened my days with their colors, textures and patterns. I loved both the process and end product for each project. Being more selective in choosing what I spent my precious crafting time on was a valuable lesson learned.

I also learned that in spite of good intentions of wanting to challenge myself with new techniques, what I craved after a long day was a simple & mindless project to work on. And so 2012 was the year of easy, unfussy projects.

Shawls

Sweaters

Cowls

Mittens/Hats

Crochet

Of course, I couldn't end the year without making some fun softies.

Henry couldn't pass up the chance to photobomb.

These cuties have quickly found a place in my home and heart. I know that they will bring many years of smiles to come. And that is what crafting should be after all. A source of happiness and enjoyment, an outlet for our creativity, a haven from the stresses of our day & world. I am looking forward to the blank slate of days ahead and to filling them with joyful projects. Here's to the promise of a bright New Year. Thank you for continuing to join me on this creative journey!

Looking Ahead

Another year, another new set of wishes:

*2012 will be the year that I will conquer The Stash. Just as soon as I remember where I hid all of it.
*I started a crochet project in 2011. Hopefully it will be finished in 2012. Without me having to relearn how to crochet (again).
*Learn something new.
*Knitted FO's in 2011 = 32. Books read in 2011 = 6. Read more books.
*Continue decluttering and organizing the house.

Wishes or wishful thinking? Don't you love having a blank canvas just waiting to be filled up?

My favorite Christmas present: A picture for the craft room created by my niece.