It's a year and 2 months of knitting because I'm late with this post.
I thought I was having not-the-greatest-knitting-year but when I put it all together for this post it didn't look half bad.
Things look a bit rumpled and not everything shows up very well but there are more photos below. It was really cold this morning and by the time I got this all organized I could no longer feel my fingers.
The list from top to bottom:
Mohair Shippo Scarf (purple) - knit with Sweet Georgia Yarn, Snow Day Hat (white) - details and another photo below, Mr. & Mrs. Mouse, Guernsey Skirt, Bobbled Topper and Baby Moccasins - details and another photo below, Wristies or Camera Mitts, Mr. Lagerfeld Enjoys a Beer Jacket, Cotton Gima Cardi Redo, Yoked Cardigan.
Missing from the pile is the Moorish Diamonds Wrap in grey alpaca that was given to a friend, a pair of socks knit for my husband and the Gossamer Stars Scarf knit for my daughter.
The Snow Day Hat was made recently with a strand of Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri and a strand of Habu A-63 Paper Ring.
I cast 72 stitches on size 6mm (10US) needles and knit it flat sewing up the back when I finished knitting. I was aiming for an oversized pillbox hat. It's perfect on snowy days with no wind but not practical for windy days because it blows off. I have enough yarn though to knit another hat and may go with the Orchids and Fairy Lights hat by Tiny Owl Knits. If you haven't touched the Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri yarn yet let me say it's the softest yarn I've ever worked with.
The Bobbled Topper is one of Kat's patterns from her book Boho Baby Knits. This was so much fun to knit! It along with the Baby Mocs from the Purl Bee blog are for the new grandbaby. They are knit with a mix of Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino and some left over sock yarn.
In the end I think I learned a lot this year. Not so much about techniques but more about my knitting and wearing preferences. I wanted to knit a Victorian style wrap for ages and found out with the Moorish Diamonds Wrap that while I loved knitting it the finished item was too Victorian for me. I hope to explore a more contemporary approach to lace knitting soon. I'm really impressed with Alison's (sixandahalfst) Cobweb Lace Stole.
I also wanted to knit a yoked cardigan for ages. And upon doing so discovered - great shoulder shape - not enough chest room for me.
My favorite weight to knit with is lace or thread weight. Worsted works well for wearability in our climate but I love the delicate feeling that comes with picking up my knitting in these lighter weights. I predict there's more Habu yarn in my future knits.
My favorite knit in this pile is the Cotton Gima Cardi Redo - I'm really pleased with how this turned out in the end. The Guernsey skirt is a favorite for wearing - warm and comfortable - a workhorse skirt. Another well-loved and well-worn knit is the 'camera mitts' - the yarn was sent to my by Luisa in Portugal and I dyed it the perfect color of pale pink with Lac.
The toys and baby items are perfect for working your way out of knitting slump.
Another learning - buttons are not for me - I don't mind buttons on my store bought clothes but I don't like them on my handknits - recently I've been searching through my trinket boxes for old pins to use for closures on sweaters. I should post a photo of the pins sometime.
I'm not sure what I learned about knitting with variegated yarns - gosh they're fun to knit with - color excitement built into every stitch without the hassle of stranded work - but wow they are also pretty flashy to wear. Honestly at my age I think wearing too many variegated knit sweaters could come close to the 'dotty auntie' look. All that color and pattern looks great on the 14 year old Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu and Missoni models in a their towering heels - but a little riskier in your 5th decade with your men's brogues.
Are you thinking of doing a 'year of knitting' post? Let us know in the comments below - I'd love to read it.
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