Annual round up of 2015

At the beginning of 2015, Let's Knit magazine wrote a list of twelve things that knitters should do over the year 2015.  Rather than go through each one individually, it's probably easier to make a list of the ones I didn't manage. 

• Knit a top-down seamless sweater (Not sure why this should be better or worse than a bottom-up sweater) 
• Try steeking
• Learn to crochet
• Take part in a yarn bomb
• Try a new craze
• Dye your own yarn

All good ideas, I just never got round to them.

Of the rest....

• Join a knitting group

Sort of.  There was a knitting group of about five or six people from work.  I went along to one meeting. 

• Take part in a knitalong

I thought I'd considered it, but turns out that was in 2014.  

• Knit in British yarn

Yup, Shetland yarn for the last project I started in 2015

• Design your own pattern

Yup, the Frances sample scarf.  Didn't work, but I did learn something from it. 

• Go on a knitting holiday

No, although a knitting retreat has been booked for next month

• Knit socks

Only sort of  I have yet to conquer the heel. 

A quick look back at my personal resolutions gives a similar picture:


I did try to learn how to turn the heel of a sock.  The first Youtube video confused me (despite the number of comments saying how helpful it was).  It didn't help that the person narrating said to use half the stitches - and then only  after I'd started knitting, said that this should be an odd number.  The first time I tried to get a friend to teach me, I was ill and tired.  The second time I was just tired.  Neither of these were good times for learning, so it's still an unfulfilled resolution.

The 'not buying yarn' thing also did not go to plan, even excluding the get-out clause for souvenir yarn.  In trying to find something before Christmas, I found two balls of sock yarn I totally forgotten I'd bought.  This officially makes me a yarn slut (from the old English slattern.  Why, what do you think I do with my yarn?)  Over the Christmas holidays, I've been back to what was my local yarn shop and got even more sock yarn; one for fun, one for a project I want to knit.  Which nicely goes back to me learning to turn a heel. 

Basically, what I'm trying to get at, is that I'm recycling my resolutions from last year.  This year, I want to:

• Learn to turn the heel of a sock
• Knit an adult jumper (not even fussed whether it's for me or my husband any more)
• Reduce the stash, especially of sock yarn

I've actually tried to be organised this year and made a spreadsheet of what knitting I want/need to do and by when.  You know, birthdays, Christmas and the like.  Hopefully this will keep my mind and fingers focused.  I'm not going to share it, as I don't want the shame of having to admit that none of it went to plan).  

In the interim, please excuse me.  I have a Ravelry stash  stash to update....