Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A kind of review of 2011

Dec. 28 at 10PM

Yesterday it started raining in the morning, which quickly turned into icy-rain, and later snow, but it was too warm, and wet to stay snow, once on the ground. It was slush everywhere. Then later in the afternoon, it started to turn white. We enjoyed being outside a lot. At around 10PM we went outside the last time for the day. It was sticky snow, and you could still hear water dripping down the eaves-through.

Dec. 28 at 10PM

I didn't use flash light for the photos, and they are not too sharp, but you get the idea of the "funny" light out at that time of day. There were lights on, at the back of the house though.

Dec. 28 at 10PM
sticky snow

Dec. 28 at 10PM

Happy is the one, who loves the snow most. He was totally pooped at the end of the day.

Dec. 28

Seeing Maggie on this sofa is a joyous event.

Dec. 28

Since we've got house guests, she's been spending most of her time in the crate in the basement. Door open, but she rarely got out, only when I opened the door to the backyard. She's totally freaked.
Our guests left for the day, early morning, only to come back sometime this evening. So she didn't hear anything weird from upstairs, and she got courageous, and played with the boys, and even went upstairs with me.

The boys initially loved the newcomers, but on the second day, they found out that the guests are smokers, and since then they don't go near them. I can't think of an other explanation, since they still greeted a non-smoking guest enthusiastically. Oh well, soon the house will belong to us again, and they can relax.

***
Now here's my sort of review over my year in spinning, and knitting, concerning my private sock club.

I took a picture each month of what I've spun.
Review over my 2011 spinning year

This turned out to be a total of 21.5 pounds or 9.75 kilograms.

Not bad. Surpassed all my expectations!

My goal for my private sock club was, to knit a pair of socks each month, from one of my many sock books, or single patterns bought. I did not quite achieve that goal. Apparently it's hard for me to follow instructions; I just have to do my own thing once in a while. Only seven pairs are from books or downloads.

My 2011 peronsal sock club

I'm just finishing up my last, and 19th pair of socks for this year. Not bad either, considering, that I've knit and finished 60 projects total.
hats: 10
shawls: 17
scarf: 1
cowls: 2
full pairs of mittens: 6
fingerless pairs of mittens: 5
pairs of socks: 19

I've had more FO's in the past years, but I didn't spin then, or spin that much.

I can say, that my hands were never idle. There were maybe a few days, you can count on one hand, where I did not knit, spin, or crochet (which did not amount to anything, got ripped).

***

So, for the coming year in crafting, I'm going on a fiber/yarn/pattern buying diet. I'm stocked up quite nicely. I'll still be getting fiber from two fiber clubs I'm in. For the first three month of the new year, I'll be getting fiber from a third club, which will not be renewed. One really hard decision was to let go of Hello Yarn Fiber Club a few month ago. Once you are out, you are out. Her waiting list is a closed one, but I just had too much fiber coming in, and I had to decide which I wanted to keep, and which club I could let go.

I'm also signed up for shawl clubs, which will go into the year 2012 (looking forward to all of them. There's Romi Hill's Second Year of 7 small shawls, Westknits shawl club, and Anne Hanson's Bare Naked Knitspot club, just the patterns, not the yarn).

I wont be buying magazines, and knitting books, or single patterns for download on ravelry (very hard indeed), but I really want to knit from what I already have, and enjoy it too.

Since I'll be spinning again throughout the year, I'll be creating new yarns to knit with too.

***
Well, there you have it! That's what I'm planning to do, and I can be weak, but also strong willed! :o) Lets see how it goes.

***
So this morning the pups had fun in the snow.




BTW- Wandering Cat Yarns has a sale going on. I've already got my share. :o) Just saying.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, such a prolific pile of FO's! I've been looking back on what I did in the past year, and it is nowhere near that much.

Alexandra said...

Ooh I love your pictures! It really looks like winter! :D

You're really amazing, so many projects and so much yarn! Wow! Love the socks!

I also want to knit more from the patterns I already have, especially for socks, I have 4 or 5 sock books!

CelticCastOn said...

now you get the snow and we get 10 degrees and tons of rain. No snow left on the Ridge.
I told you I'd share it but I wanted to keep SOME :)

Anonymous said...

What fun videos! I'm so glad you have snow!

Michelle said...

I hardly got anything done this year but I somehow kept buying. I'll be doing mostly like you and no new yarn/fiber except I'll be keeping HY fiber as my only club. Even unjoined the groups on Rav to remove temptation! Good luck with your working from stash!

Wanderingcatstudio said...

I'm always amazed at how much you are able to accomplish! Leaves the rest of us in the dust. All those socks are lovely!

We got the tiniest bit of snow - now it's just really cold and icy. Sun is out though, so it nice too look at from inside.

Cambria said...

it's truly impressive how much you've finished this year! I hope to be half as productive next year as you were this year :)

Beverly said...

You've had a very productive year. I can't say the same but I have enjoyed seeing your projects knitted and spun.

lexa said...

We've only had a light, light dusting of snow two days before Christmas, nothing to shovel or sweep away. Just enough to partially cover the ground and give us a kind of white Christmas. Today it rained, so it's all gone. My dogs love snow, but so far they haven't had any to play in!

I know I am down in FOs this year, but I don't spin, so I can't use that as an excuse! lol

Knatolee said...

Pretty snow, pretty dogs, amazing knitting!

Lynn One, Purl Two said...

beautiful post monika!
congratulations on a year of knitting (and spinning!) well done!
:)

Sharon said...

Happy New Year!

I wish I had done as much knitting and spinning as you've done. I have so much stash. Hmmm ... I see a new year resolution in there.

Your pups are wonderfully comedic, as usual. I love to see them at play.

Stephanie said...

Looks like a very successful knitting and spinning year. Best wishes for a wonderful 2012! (sjn821 on Ravelry)

AdrieneJ said...

I love that backyard photo... that light IS really strange. I don't think I've seen anything like it before, and I KNOW snow!

How interesting that Queen Maggie was so freaked by your visitors! Equally fascinating is how big she's become... almost a mirror image to Happy. How time flies!

I fell off my yarn-diet wagon. Back onto it for me. I shall watch you for inspiration in the coming year!

Mokihana said...

I love your snow photos and am totally in awe of all you got knitted or spun this year! I love all the socks, and your doggies look like such fun!

I could use a little snow here, but not for a couple of weeks yet.

Virginia G said...

I'm very impressed with your productivity this year. 21 pounds of yarn!

Also, all those FOs. I'm totally jealous. I made just over half of what you did. :)

2paw said...

There's always someone who wees in the video!! They are having such a wonderful game in the snow. I love how Happy plays with the toy, is is a broken frisbee??? Maggie looks so happy on the couch, she's very brave!! What wonderful things you have knitted this year and your spinning is just gorgeous to behold.

Anonymous said...

I thought I was the only person in the world who has a dog named "Happy". 'cept mine is a mini-dauchshound.