Sunday, December 31, 2006

It's been a good fiber year

Each year I designate a new page in my day-timer notes section for knitting and spinning projects as I start them in that year. I have been keeping this record in this form since 1999. I begin the new page with all the projects I started in the previous year (or previous to that) but didn't finish. This is the end of 2006 and I will share that unfinished list with you, beginning with the newest UFO's which I will not have time to finish today, December 31st, 2006:

12/26 - Swallowtail Shawl in Corriedale Handspun - Knitting
12/15 - Superwash Merino/Alpaca in rust, gold & navy - Spinning
11/15 - Merino/mohair roving, Dicentra, for socks - Spinning
06/10 - Litla Dimun Shawl in Betty's Handspun - Knitting
11/01/05 - Natural Polworth from Birkund Bros. - Spinning
10/01/05 - 50/50 wool/alpaca - Black - Spinning
09/29/04 - Top Down striped pullover w/ hood - dk wt - Knitting
08/13/04 - Scalloped Wrap for Marcia - K.S. Haze - Knitting
08/2001 - Oregon Shawl in purple D'cer et Soir - Knitting
1997 - Die Tolle Wool/Florica Fair Isle Cardigan - Knitting

Every year, before I add the UFO's to my new list, I review them to determine if I really want to finish them or not. If not, they are either frogged and re-hanked or given to another knitter who wants to finish the project. With the spinning, I will ply what I have and then either give that away or use it as is.

For 2007, these UFO's will not make the cut:

The two '05 spinning projects. I dislike the Polworth - it's got far too much VM for my comfort; the black merino/alpaca is lovely, but Peggy could really use what I haven't spun up, so I'll keep what I have, ply it and make a shawl instead of a sweater. The sweater I was planning would have been far too hot for wearing in Seattle anyway. What was I thinking???

Also not making the cut, the Oregon Shawl in purple silk/wool lace weight from 2001. I finally admit to myself that I don't like the yarn. I have a full bag of it, and must now decide if I want to run it with another yarn and start a new project or release it to the Universe. Not a small amount of swatching will be involved. It will be fun to finally use this yarn, as I love the color.

This leaves me with the fair isle cardigan project from 1997. A short history: I was designing it for the LYS I was working in at the time in order to use two lovely yarns which were moving slowly; I pulled a simple repeat from a vest pattern in an old knitting book from the '80's, used a gray solid and a variegated pink and wa-la, my own cardigan. I had only half of both sleeves to complete plus tacking down the lining for the stand-up collar, button bands and border when word came down that one of the yarns was being discontinued. BUMMER! I totally lost momenum when that happened. I am incapable of frogging it and can't finish. Conundrum.
All other UFO's make the cut for 2007. Congratulations to all of you.

I also keep a page each new year for future projects I really really really want to knit or spin during that year, a 'wish list', so to speak. We've been doing that since 2004, when Peggy and I decided we had been Fritterers. We were frittering away our precious knitting/spinning time on bullshit. Really. Here's the equivalent: instead of reading Daniel Martin by John Fowles, I pick up a Superman comic and am so pleased with the experience ~ it enriched my life and taught me so much...

Historically I haven't completed 100% of any annual 'wish list', although I love having it to refer to, to remind myself to not pick up that comic book. This year I was more successful as there were fewer items on it:

Braids Cardigan for a friend - finished 10/22/06
Knitting for the Folk Sock KAL - 3 pair finished
Knitting for the Evelyn Clark KAL - 2 projects finished, a third begun
Knitting for Dulaan, a local charity - 8 projects ready to be delivered
Using more handspun for knitting

I have a nice list of many completed 2006 items with which I'm very happy but don't need to go into here. It was a satisfying year of knitting and spinning in many ways: I cut back on buying commercial yarn in favor of knitting with my own handspun; I learned a lot about spinning and plying; I got to know some very wonderful women in the intermediate knitting class I teach at a LYS; Peggy and I traveled more this year for fiber events than we've been able to previously; I've put myself out there into more spinning groups, trying to overcome my fear of social situations and a tendency to hole up AND I cleaned up my yarn room.

2006 has been a good fiber year.

Happy New Fiber Year to you all and may your fiber dreams be plentiful.

Spin and knit on!
Hugs,
Rebecca and Peggy

5 comments:

vanessa said...

happy new year!

Naomi said...

R, We seem to have a lot of commonalities! The latter part of this year I vowed I was going to get out of my holing up tendencies and meet more knitters out there. Though you might not know it, you helped me greatly in that area!

I love your idea of the project page. I'm going to do that so I can keep track of what I've started and whether I want to continue, or not.

The 1997 cardi - will you ever publish that pattern? You should! Maybe some lovely pillows out of what you've knitted? It would be a shame not to enjoy that knitting in some way. Its beautiful.

Lastly, to you and Peggy, may 2007 be the best year yet!

Anonymous said...

Dear Ar - what happened to the Hoxbro Cable pullover in the greens and pinks. Is it SO repulsive that you dropped it off the list years ago? Didja Froggit? Whahoppen? We need to get together for a guru how-to-start-the-new-year's-knitting list session. Eh?

Angela said...

What a great year-end post. I may have to steal, ummm, be inspired by your next year.

I'll be sorry to miss St. Distaff's this weekend, but maybe you'll drop by Madrona?

Happy New Year!

Jennie said...

Do you think you'll want to sell the purple laceweight? I might be interested.