The other common theme my reading had this year was how many authors I discovered and then proceeded to try and read as many of their books as I could! John Boyne won the year with 6 novels (many 5-star and one very indelible read: The Heart’s Invisible Furies) Louise Erdrich came in second with 4 of her books on my list, including one indelible: The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. Nineteen authors all had multiple titles in my year of reading – I have learned that a good writer is sometimes a prolific writer!
2019 was the year of social justice or at least my efforts to learn more about how to be a good ally, an educated citizen, and not just a “watcher from the sidelines!” Nineteen of the books I read this year helped to educate me about many things from the Mueller Report, to White Privilege, to the Whistle-Blower Complaint and even a book about Global Warming. Being an informed ally is important to me but all this reading has shown me how much I still must learn, so you can expect to see more of this kind of reading in 2020.
My standby of a good mystery was reinforced with seventeen novels read in 2019 and most of these were parts of ongoing series with characters that I have come to know and love deeply. These books are the best therapy on earth for me! A few pages in and I am off on a journey to figure out who did it and how will it all come together!
And, finally I listened to 88 books this year – a significant number and I am so grateful to my library for having so many audio book choices!
And, in case you think I have done no knitting… I got a Sweater Quantity of yarn for Christmas from Steve and almost immediately cast on a Felix Cardigan – the body is almost done and sleeves are up next – this will be my first finish of 2020! I love the yarn color (Galaxy) it is black, but not quite with a purple-ish, teal-ish hue. I spent an hour after dinner last night learning the sewn tubular bind off – I think Steve has it memorized too from me saying it out loud over and over and over and over. Hahaha!
That is all I have for today! If you wrote a post to share today, please leave your link below and thank you!
Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make us. — Richie Norton
As you all know, my word for 2019 – focus – made a huge impact on my life. I do not want to lose that in 2020, so I spent a good bit of time thinking about where I wanted to go.
Words like purpose and intention kept turning up in the most curious ways. I spent some time “trying on” these words and as I began to plan where I wanted to go in 2020, it became clear that intentional was the path I wanted to travel.
Miriam-Webster defines intentional as something “done by intention or design.”
I have spent a year honing my focus and I have some good habits to show for it! This year I plan to be more intentional in all things…making, reading, and yes… living! And I am very excited to embark on this new journey – a journey of my own making!
Finally, I would like to take a moment to thank Juliann for her brilliant hosting this year! Without her initiative, I am not sure that I would have had as much success this year as I did!
What about you? Did you choose a word for 2020? Please join Honoré and share your word!
Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person you should have always been. — David Bowie
First… a little music for this post because yes, today is my birthday…
And while this song is a great pick-me-up I must confess that I have been struggling greatly with the idea of this birthday… and this is quite the confession from a person who never cared one iota about how old I was. 30 was not hard and 40 even less so. And I don’t even remember the big 5-0 so how come 59 is giving me fits? Good thing I have an entire year to get comfortable with the idea – that and those words of wisdom from David Bowie which I am counting on to guide me in the process!
59 year-old me… yes, wrapped in my Regan
However, birthdays be damned! It’s the Season of Selfish Knitting and of course I have some ideas with which to tempt you!!
Today, you get an update on some top-secret Christmas knitting and my Year in Knitting review!
First up, I knit Steve a pair of Simply Skyp Socks. The yarn I used was a bit heavier than sport weight, but I love how they turned out!
I also made Steve a pair of those Woodland Loafer’s slippers – even with figuring out gauge to knit a men’s size 14 slipper, they went much quicker than that first pair did! If you are interested in the gauge for a much bigger slipper, you can read my notes here.
2019 was a very productive year for knitting! I set a goal to make 18 projects on Ravelry this year, and I blew past that goal with 27 28 completed projects! (somehow one pair of socks for Steve never got entered!)
Deschain
Early Bloomer
One Color Marsa Alam
Tegna
Lovely Regan
Morinne Short and Sweet
ADVENTurer
Rachel's Birthday Mini Maximization
Coast Screen Door
Silk Screen Door
Golden Chardonnay
Half Every which way cowl
Rachel's Velvet-y cowl
Heidi's Velvet-y cowl
Vivi's Velvet-y Cowl
Beneath the Rocks Headbands
Frida headband and matching mittens
Steve's sock head slouch hat
Socks for Steve
Trap a Zoid socks
Montadale hand spun plain vanilla socks
Slippers for Sam
Gnome...thank you!
Brother and Sister Bunny
It was a year for “repeat knitting” though! You know I made 2 pairs of those Woodland Loafers but there were many more multiples of things made! There were two Beneath the Rocks Headbands, two Velvet-y Cowls (and one mini Velvet-y Cowl so Vivi can match her momma!) There were two Screen Doors as well! And there was a pair of Bunnies for Genevieve!
A good pattern is one that you want to knit over and over and over again!
There were six sweaters knit in 2019 – a number I am most happy with! I have some plans for at least one sweater repeat in 2020 – I absolutely love my Regan Sweater and I wear it almost every day! I think a second one would be perfect (especially this mod!) and I have some yarn that I think might work for it. I have not swatched yet – but I will be as soon as I have finished my Evening Dew Cardigan which I think this can be finished easily in January and that leaves lots of winter left to knit another sweater! As you can see, I have roughly 2 inches of the body knit – just 12-ish more inches to go!
No book updates this week – next week I will share my Year of Reading!
If you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below!
I am so thankful for all your participation over the year and I hope that your day is full of the joy of Christmas, the love of friends and family, and LOTS of knitting time! XO
