…To not be making things is to be dead. — Donna Druchunas, comment from Melanie Falick’s blog.
Greetings dear Unravelers and Happy New Year!
Welcome to a new year of unraveling… one which I plan to continue exactly as we have been… sharing peeks into our making and what we are reading (or have read!) I look forward to our posts… our community of making is the best part of my week! I love to see what you are making (you all inspire me!) and what you are reading (you all help me add to my TBR list as well!)
This week, I will be sharing some stats of my year of making! Some might say it was not the most productive year… but I am happy with my time spent making and I am excited to see what I will make this year! Right now, I don’t have much on my radar… I want to finish the Great Cabled Sweater that I started last November… I am close, I have begun the second “front” and after that I just have the collars to knit. Happily, I took excellent notes on how I accomplished Pocket #1 so Pocket #2 has been a breeze! Once that is completed (and it is!) the knitting is a breeze of ever shortening rows… the right front should be done SOON! Then the Great Seaming can begin… which I am a bit nervous about, to be honest! I don’t seam much… but I do know how and I know how to “set a sleeve” in for sewing… it can’t be that much different in knitting… right?
My first “finish” of 2024… the last circle was completed on the 1st!
I did some swatching in December… a bit of “gift” swatching! LOL Steve picked his favorite and I will soon cast on a vest for him! It is a vest with some new techniques as well. Learning something new is always a good thing!
Swatch #3 was the winner… a marled mix of the two above!
But my year of making was very good! And like my Best of Reading, this list will work up to my favorite make of the year! So let’s get started!
- I finally finished a crochet scarf (and have not used it once.) This speaks volumes about crochet in my life.
- I crocheted one Bucket Hat… I wore it once. I think that it is safe to say that I have moved beyond my crochet fad.
- I did some sewing this year… I made 3 sweatshirts. I love them. They are in the rotation on the regular. I also sewed a “pencil’ skirt… it got some wear in the warmer months but I don’t think the skirt is a “good” style for my “bottom heavy” body type.
- I took classes for painting… and I painted some. But this last class confirmed for me that I need to go in a different direction than classes. I am not sure if the path forward includes painting… maybe it does, I do not know. I do know that I need to jumpstart my own creativity…. find my inner artist and give her permission to fail… or succeed…
- I did some “improv” quilting and sewed some Heart Coasters for us to use in February.
- I knit 5 pairs of socks… not a great number, but perhaps just enough. Although, I am contemplating knitting 6 pairs this year (heaven knows I have MORE than enough sock yarn to easily accomplish this! And I might have even stumbled upon some inspiration to make it fun!)
- I managed to do some spinning last year… and I KNIT with what I spun multiple times! I confess that my favorite handspun knit might just be a Hitchhiker! Or my Hitch On The Move knit with handspun *and* commercial yarn. I want to spin more this year but something might need to shift off my list to accomplish that with any regularity.
- I did have an epic spinning/knitting project last year… I knit a Saglan with handspun yarn. I love this sweater so much. I wear it All.The.Time! It fits well! My yarn is wearing well! And it just makes me so happy to wear it!
- There was LOTS of hand stitching last year as well! One Temperature Project and one set of hand stitched autumnal coasters. Honestly, the Temperature Project became a bit of a drag… There was no impromptu sitting and stitching with this thing. I needed to have written down the highs and lows for the day… iNotes FTW here! I am NOT doing another temperature project this year… but I really love the result I got after stitching diligently all year! My favorite stitching time though was the “do my own thing” stitching.
- As the year began to wind down, I gave in to the lure of sourdough with success this time! (For me, the third time was the charm… as well as the sourdough “house” to regulate temperature!) Since my success, I have been baking weekly loaves and I love it! I love every part of it… the process is slow… and I like that slowness. It has become a mindful practice… I love the intervals of being alone with the dough and the quiet!
- Gnomes… there were so many gnomes this year! I also knit some trees for those gnomes, some birds, and a rabbit! The gnome count for the year ended in the double digits! I love the December Mystery Gnomes, yes plural! They are perfect additions to Gnome-Land! I sent a good number of gnomes out into the world (one for each of my grands!) And, then came Mean Gnome Greene! Knitting gnomes brings such delight… I expect there will be more gnomes this year.
- My best knit of the year however, is a simple skirt (but such a smart pattern!) I wanted to knit another, but the yarn gods did not smile on my second attempt. I plan to rectify that this year… I need another in my wardrobe!
And there you have my year of making and here I am in a New Year… New Opportunities… and I am so excited!
Lord Gnapier, on the right, with his dear friend Mr. Gnettles. The 2023 Mystery Gnomes!
Mean Gnome Greene, with his trusty Terrible Towel, sporting his favorite jersey… #55! He is now living on Steve’s mom’s mantle!
What about you? What are you excited about as we begin a New Year?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link and thank you!
Happy new year and thank you for continuing to host. This is my favourite link up!
Sharon
Happy New Year Kat – like Sharon just said, thank you for hosting and providing a link up. It’s great seeing what everyone else is up to.
What am I excited about- well don’t laugh but learning how to knit backwards 😊
This year might also be the year I discover the art of gnome making!
I love seeing so much joy in your round up, because reading your posts brings me joy too! I’m so grateful to you for hosting us every week and very much look forward to seeing your crafty adventures this year 😊
Oh my gosh, Mean Gnome Greene! So perfect! I also adore your temperature circles, but I also totally understand not wanting to do another temperature project. I hope you will do something lovely with the finished piece, though. I have to confess that though I bought the mystery gnome pattern, I did not knit it. I was planning to make one for my brother but waited to see what it looked like, and I do not think it was gnomish enough for his tastes. But it’s good to have some options, and certainly the patterns will be there when I’m ready for them.
love the terrible towel gnome, lol. A vest for Steve!! I cannot wait to see what you knit. as I slowly start to feel better I’ve been perusing patterns for a cast on.
Happy New Year. I just adore your gnomes and I love that they are out in the world. Thank you so much for hosting. I agree the third swatch was the nicest.
What a wonderful list and a wonderful year of making! I can’t even pick a favorite because they’re all great – from the plethora of techniques to the projects themselves (of course the gnomes)! When I wonder how you’ll come up with another original gnome, you top yourself each time. Your future making plans also sound exciting, and that marled swatch is gorgeous. 2023 was a terrific year, and 2024 is looking pretty good too!
Another great summary Kat! I will echo others and say a giant thank you for continuing to host Unraveled Wednesdays. I always come away from the Wednesday posts inspired with new ideas for making and reading. The vest for Steve will look marvelous in the marled yarn. Your Gnomes!!! You now have a village I think. Currently I have 3 projects on the go (which is so unlike me – lol).
This post is so chock full of joy and energy. What a delight to walk through the year with you! (At first glance, I thought you’d made sgnowmen!! I can’t get over it — double digits. Wow.)
Your temperature project is truly something to behold, AND I can imagine how glad you are to be done. B/c it wasn’t a quick + simple one, that’s for sure. What will it become? Will you frame/hang it? Could be a great throw pillow? Curious. You inspired me to give it a go this year. But on a fraction of the scale…otherwise, I know it’d last a week for me.
Thanks for hosting this wonderful space. I’m so glad to be joining you.
Mean Gnome Greene literally made me laugh out loud. I had to have Steve come and see him too. He is simply amazing!
Oh my, that Steelers gnome! haha. And there is no denying the AWESOMENESS of your Temperature Project! You’re right, there is nothing “impromptu” about a project like that, but… WOW!! Here’s to a wonderful & creative new year!!
Mean Gnome Greene and the terrible towel is fantastic! As are the other gnomes. I have to finish my 2nd gnome and I’m hoping to get it done this weekend. It really was a fun knit along and I’m glad I did it and there are def more gnomes in my future. This whole post was a wonderful look back at your year of making, Kat.
The swatches for Steve’s vest are perfection. I like them all. Your Temperature Project is just beautiful but I can see how one year might be enough, said she who has never done even one. The Gnomes are darling. I look forward to seeing what you make this year. Thank you Thank you for hosting this space. Through it I have found a very welcoming group of women. Believe it or not, I’m excited about using yarn from my stash this year and knitting my first colorwork yoked sweater. Remind me again of that stash comment about May. 😉
Wow! What a year, Kat! I love that Temperature Wheel project AND can see why you’re not doing another temp themed project this year. They seem like so much work! But I’m impressed you stuck with it and finished it on time!
Here’s to another fabulous year of stitching!