A Bitter Knitter

It's amazing how much importance we give to the magic date that is the first of the year and the mystical event of trading a calendar with one number on it for a calendar with a number one greater... In the year 2013, I knit 6822.6 yards.  This is more than any previous year by over 900 yards.  Having knit 6822.6 yards is also significant because I bought 6530 yards, which means I just about broke even on the amount of yarn I knit vs. the amount of yarn I bought, even managing to stash down just a smidge.  I have been working this past year on decreasing the size of my yarn stash.  Presently my stash is just over 40,000 yards.  At my current rate of knitting, this means I have a stash that could last me a couple of years...  My goal in 2014 is to actually stash DOWN and buy less yarn than I knit, rather than just breaking even.  Don't get me wrong.  I love  yarn.  But I have finite space and finite yarn budget, plus I have all sorts ...

I've been keeping secrets... Secrets about a "stealth project" and I've been keeping them for months now... That's the reason that I've gotten nothing done and haven't written any posts... I might've spilled the beans... But now it's bean-spilling time.  Oh, it's still a work-in-progress, but I've reached the point where I'm willing for it to not be so stealthy anymore... This WIP is about two-thirds done and should be finished in January: (The photo is a few weeks old; it's time for a new one.  My bump has gotten much bigger since!)  Oh, and for those of you who will ask, it's a GIRL! As such, I have reexamined my knitting goals ...  (I was off knitting for a few months when everything  made me nauseous and caused motion sickness, including watching TV, being on the computer, or knitting.  I read a lot...)  I set a goal in January to complete at least 24 knit projects.  I have thus far completed fou...

We're now over a week into the new year.  I've been mulling over the past year and what I want to "resolve" to do this year, so here's my 2011 knitting goal: Complete at least 24 knit projects. That's an average of two a month.  (Last year, my first complete year as a knitter, I finished 20 projects of various sizes, so I think this goal is extremely reasonable, as I was also in school for half the year.) Among those projects I want to: Knit a project with beads. Knit a pair of mittens. Knit a pair of gloves. Knit a pair of toe-up socks. Among my list of things to knit "someday" are the following: Knit an afghan Knit with 100% silk Knit with cashmere Knit a drop stitch pattern Knit a pullover sweater Knit a cardigan with buttons Knit something that has steeks Knit something with entrelac Knit something intarsia I also want to learn how to knit Continental and how to knit and purl backwards.  If any of these happen this year, great...

Alright, let's see... Christmas has come and gone.  I'm still finishing Christmas presents... the only gift that was finished in time was the pair of mitts for my Sister-In-Law , modeled here by my husband:   Oh, yes, see that in the husband's hands?  That is the present we were keeping hidden for Nephew #3.  Yup- we got to be foster parents to a kitten for a week and a half.  (She's cute, but I was pretty much over having my feet and fingers attacked... she'll be happier having lots of nephews to play with and a cat and a puppy for buddies.) I still need to finish Red-Headed Sister's Hufflepuff scarf & Mom's mitts .  One mitt and a few stripes (and then tassels!) to go.  Here's how they're progressing: We spent a few days up with my grandparents and some extended family after Christmas.  It was interesting having four generations in the house, and a little confusing for the fourth generation, as the three little ones (two years...