The Heathen Housewife

I thought it would be fun, now that this year of knitting only mostly for me is almost over, to do a summary post of all my finished objects of the year. So, in order as they appeared on the blog, let’s go to it.

This first pair of socks is not very exciting. It’s yarn that I dyed myself in a class at Yarnover the year before. The base yarn was Kraemer Jeannie, and the pattern is my basic toe-up vanilla sock. I have worn them quite a bit, and they are nice and warm, and do tend to go with most blue jean outfits. Yawn. Definitely not a pair to wear with my new clear shoes.

The second finished project was -ahem- not strictly-speaking for myself. But it was one I’d been putting off finishing, so it definitely felt good to get the monkey off my back. It was a baby blanket started at Camp Unistar in August 2007 as a group charity project. I only had to knit the last couple of squares, sew it all together and knit up the edging. It’s all worsted-weight Encore by Plymouth.

I feel that I can count this as fair under my manifesto from last December. I stipulated that I would not *cast on* any projects for anyone else, and this one was well-started before then. Also, knitting for charity at least once a year really is something I feel I need to do *for myself*. If that makes any sense. Plus, I was fulfilling a promise I’d made to my campers. Yay!

Third FO was the slippers I’d started for Joe for Christmas 2007. They were also part of the manifesto, so grandfathered in.

I have to count this as a highly successful project, as Joe is wearing them every day and that is something for a husband who tends not to get excited about handknits.

Fourth FO was another pair of socks for me.

No surprise there! This was another pair of my on-the-go vanilla toe-ups, knitting in SeaWool by Fleece Artist. I love these socks, wear them a lot. Highly recommend this yarn. It’s a little thicker than standard fingering weight, so knit up quickly, but still fits in shoes just fine. They’ve been wearing quite well with little pilling.

I spent most of February (and many months before that!) totally focused on my fifth FO. The sock yarn blankie, of course.

What a long, strange trip that’s been (so far!) I don’t know that I can say I’ve ever knit on a more fulfilling project. I’m still amazed by it when I pull it out and give it a cuddle.

Number six was a lace scarf for me, knit with a simple lace pattern of my own design out of some handspun yarn by Aisha Celia. It was a quick knit, necessary because I had no scarf and desperately needed one.

Number seven was a bit of a cheat on the Manifesto. I’d started these socks for myself, but halfway through the knitting, it was clear that they were meant for my girls’ amazing ballet teacher Rachel. So I finished them in her size, and they were received with the grace you’d expect of a ballerina.

That’s Vesper Sock yarn in the Love Stinks colorway, knit in my standard toe-up pattern.

Project Number eight was one of those ear-bugs that you get into your head and just have to drop everything to knit up before it drives you insane. I thought up this design and knit it up before you could say boo!

These socks are made from Regia Silk sock yarn, and darn it I *still* need to write up the pattern. I’m not sure what to say about how these fit into the manifesto. I totally knit them in Julie’s size, but she hasn’t gotten to wear them except to try them on for photos. They really weren’t for her – they were to satisfy my crazy knitting obsession. So I guess they fit into the guidelines.

Project number nine was one that I’d had in mind when I declared my manifesto in the first place. This lace scarf had been languishing for far too long behind projects for others that kept jumping the line.

Well, once I took the time to focus on it, I finished it up quickly and was quite pleased with myself. It ended up winning a blue ribbon at the State Fair to boot. The funny part is that I wore it maybe once or twice, and I just gave it away as a spontaneous Christmas present the other night. And I feel totally fine about that. It’s going to a good home, and in this case the process of knitting the thing and having completed something so beautiful was the joy in it. I did stipulate that I get to wash and block it for the new owner once a year, and it’s family, so if I ever need to use it as a sample I’ll be able to borrow it back, I’m sure. I think maybe, just maybe she even realizes how valuable her new scarf really is.

Project number ten was also one I’d been planning when I stated my manifesto. I’d started a different sweater with this yarn way back, and hated what I was seeing, so tabled it. It turns out that Nashua Wooly Stripes yarn and the Sunrise Circle Jacket are a match made in heaven, and it didn’t even take very long to knit up.

I ended up having to do a little surgery on the cuffs after this picture was taken, but I am totally in love with this sweater and wearing it often. It didn’t go to the State Fair – I wasn’t too sure how the judges would rate a sweater without buttons or any other permanent closure – but it’s a blue-ribbon knit in my book.

FO eleven was a bit of a disappointment.

I’d joined Sock Wars III after having missed out on the fun previously. Well, the featured sock yarn, Tofutsies, was really no fun to knit with, and the pattern was poorly written and not very attractive. Not to mention the whole game being poorly organized and orchestrated. Not going to do that again. Technically, this fit into the manifesto because I was knitting them as part of a game that I was playing for my own enjoyment, plus I was expecting a pair of wearable socks in return.

Alas, I ended up knitting a second pair for the game (FO twelve)

And received a pair that was truly unwearable with mistakes all over them and in two completely different sizes. Oh well. Live and learn.

FO thirteen was a pair of socks for Joe – for our wedding anniversary.

These were my standard toe-ups, but with ribbing all the way down the foot. I knit them in Dream In Color’s Smooshy, and in black because that is the only color of handknit socks he’s likely to actually wear. Well, the yarn was a joy to use even if it was boring to look at. He’s worn them several times, but says next time he’d like slightly longer cuffs. Noted.

FO thirteen was more socks for me. No surprises here.

FO fourteen was my first project from my own handspun.

They took a trip to the State Fair and did pretty well for themselves. They’re fun to wear, too.

FO fifteen was – guess what? – another pair of plain ole socks.

I think I might just maybe be in a bit of a rut here. They’re just so easy to knit on the go!

Um, yeah. sixteen:

Okay, and seventeen was a bit more impressive – this sweater was going on at home while all those socks were on the needles elsewhere.

I’m very happy with this sweater, and have been wearing it nonstop this winter! This sweater was a very long time in coming, and one of the main reasons why I declared this a year of knitting for me.

Eighteen was, admittedly another pair of socks. I totally knit them for myself, but Uncle Dave was here on the day they were done, and I figured they suited him better than me.

Nineteen was a funny little thing

which I was inspired to make from my very first handspun yarn ever. Going through my year of blog posts, it is obvious that the knitting slowed down in the second half of the year in favor of spinning – perhaps I should do a yarn round-up as well?

Twenty was a shawl, also knit from my own handspun, which I started at a seminar with Candace Eisner-Strick. Unfortunately, the pattern is not officially published yet, but I am totally looking forward to buying her upcoming book, which will include it.

I’ve been wearing this a lot this winter, too, and it was a super-fast and fun knit.

Twenty-one was a mini-shawl based on the same pattern, more or less, also out of handspun. It makes a nice decorative scarf with a plainer shirt.

Twenty-three was this hat, knit to go with my brown coat. I wasn’t so sure about it at first, but I’ve decided I do like it after all. It’s soft and warm and relatively itch-free too!

Twenty-Four was birthday socks for my friend Jen – this was a third annual thing, which I decided was worth breaking the Manifesto to whip up.

Twenty-Five was this pair of stripey Noro Socks, which did wash up nice and soft and make me happy enough to justify the irritating way the yarn loved to tangle.

Twenty-six was a little scarf that I ended up giving to my future sister-in-law for Christmas, but which I knit really for the fun of it.

And that’s it, with the exception of the glittens I’m working on now – there’s a half-decent chance they could be finished by New Years’ if I actually put some work into them. But that’s for another post.

Counting everything up, I’m a little surprised that fourteen out of the twenty-six projects I knit this year were socks. I think it’s time to reconsider my on-the-go knitting focus a bit. But that, too, is for another post. I am working on forming up my ideas for 2009 knitting goals.

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