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Sunday, December 31, 2006

my 2006 year end totals

2005 turned out to be my year for knitting big flat things that didn't require gauge swatches, so producing some actual sweaters and things that fit was one of my goals for 2006. I'd hoped to finish a sweater for each kid, but Alex wound up with three little summer tops. Leif got a pullover and two cardigans, Quinn got his Green Bamboo Cardi, and Heath got that camouflage raglan that makes everyone's eyes hurt.

I only made four pairs of socks -- two for Heath and two for me. One of my pairs was worsted weight anklets. The other pair was the stockinette Regia Jubilee socks that I finished over the course of two road trips. Socks -- pretty ones with cables and lace -- will be a priority for 2007!

Six scarves, fifteen dishcloths, two pairs of mittens, four pairs of fingerless gloves (and I still need to make something to keep my own hands warm), three hats for my own kids, eighteen premie hats that I need to send to the hospital, two stuffed animals, two bags and a box, a little shrug, a couple of little baby gifts...and I pieced two little quilt tops that need borders and backs and binding so they can do more than sit quietly folded in a drawer.

I finished a lot of little projects this year, none of them spectacular. The big projects that I did tackle are still on my needles, so I guess I've got a head start on some big finishes for 2007.

My favorite new knitting book for the year started out as Mason Dixon Knitting, which had no competition until I got my hands on Victorian Lace Today earlier this month. Now I'm torn. The lace book makes my heart go pitty-pat and my knees go weak as I fantasize about creating things like that with my own yarn and needles, but MD Knitting is such a fun read and has a bunch of projects I actually made. Trying to decide between the two is comparing apples to oranges. I know I bought some other knitting books this year, but they weren't nearly as exciting.

I learned how to make cables wander across my knitting (the Traveller Socks and the Cleo clutch) and, thanks to Bonnie for posting the link to the Knitting Pure and Simple baby cardigan, and Christine for telling me about the Incredible, Custom-Fit Raglan Sweater, I fell in love with the concept of top down raglans. I don't know if one would work for me, but for the kids, they're the best idea ever. I keep looking at sweater patterns that appeal to me and trying to figure out if I can take the details that I like and slap 'em onto a raglan.

Tomorrow I'll post my list of what I think I might knit in 2007.

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