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