Looking back, looking forward

Knitting-wise, 2009 was a fairly expansive year for me. I didn’t do everything that I wanted to do (somehow I thought I would have produced more than 5 sweaters…pardon me while I polish my ambition), but I did do quite a bit. I delved into pattern sale publishing for the first time with the Viper Pilots socks, and now more than a hundred other knitters have been tortured challenged by that pattern just as I challenged myself to produce them. I taught a knitting class for the first time, and attended many others thanks to the wondrous event that the Sock Summit was. I saw myself published in print for the first time, in Canadian Living magazine. I started partnering with Canadian dyers Tanis and Michelle for some design collaborations, and look forward to working with them again in 2010. I learned to spin and purchased my own wheel. It’s been a good year as far as fiber crafts go.

Every year I do a roundup of my Finished Objects, and every year it always feels a bit like the year end comes too soon, like…wait! I wasn’t done yet! I had at least 3 more pairs of socks and half a sweater left in me! Come back, 2009! But the calendar must tick over as it always does, and as we’re not quite a full week into 2010, I still feel good putting up a few images here for posterity – not a complete list this time, as this time I like letting some of the bright pictures just speak for themselves. Thanks for the knits, 2009.

The Finished Objects of 2009 (a few of which still need proper photographing) reel in at 13 accessories (mitts, hats, scarves), 4 shawls, 6 sweaters (if you count the baby-sized one from my steeking class, heh heh), and 16 pairs of socks, for a total of 39 finished objects. This is a few more than I accomplished in 2009, but becoming more broadly spread out – fewer sweaters but more accessories and a couple more shawls than last year. I think I need to finally divest myself of my assumption that I am a ‘sweater knitter’ and recognize that I am an ‘anything that challenges me the right way’ sort of knitter.

I also took up spinning this past year (that is, on a wheel), and I realize with a start that it has been a few weeks since I’ve even touched my poor Majacraft Little Gem. It would be a shame to waste the momentum I had coming through the summer and fall as I started to get the hang of the whole process. Let’s make that a goal for 2010: dedicated spinning time.

It seems hard to believe that the Sock Summit is now more than 5 months in the past. It was pretty darned awesome and I am glad that I have that set of memories to look back on for 2009. I met so many wonderful knitters there and feel lucky to have been a part of that experience. Thank you again, Stephanie and Tina and your colleagues, you are awesome.

Thanks for some good stuff, 2009. Here’s hoping 2010 has even better things ahead.