Just a warning: this is a long and semi-personal entry. I’ve been thinking about it for close to a month so it is long and I talk a lot but it explains where I have been and where I am going If you don’t feel like getting the details, look at the pretty pictures.

When I first started knitting, I knit scarves for a bunch of my friends. It was my freshman year of college and “fun fur” was cool. I knit a lot of fun fur that year. I wouldn’t have called myself a ‘selfish knitter’ by any means but I tended to split my knitting time about 50/50 (except when it came to socks. I’ve knit baby blankets, baby hats, booties, sweaters, hats and socks for other people. It was kind of just what I did.

2011 was a very eye opening year for me. Over the summer I took on some knitting for some friends who needed some baby knits and I knit for my amazingly beautiful new niece. In the midst of it I threw in my wedding knitting. Overall my knitting time was limited. I was trying to figure out my career, working a bunch of extra hours, planning my wedding and facing some tough realities that I wasn’t ready to deal with.

In the end 2011 turned out to be the best and the worst year of my life. I married my best friend and I lost my dad.

In the midst of the stress with my dad being sick, switching jobs and getting married I kind of put my knitting aside. I took on too many Christmas knits (and failed to get some done) and left people hanging who I owed presents for their children and other people’s children. I hit a point where I just didn’t care about my knitting. None of it was for me so I didn’t care about the deadlines.

Let’s just say December got stressful and in the end I kept putting my knitting down after casting on a bunch of new projects. The first week of January I spent with my mom and my husband planning my dad’s funeral and dealing with the fact that we walked in the hospital to say goodnight and had to say goodbye without even realizing it until it happened.

That week I decided to set my knitting goals for 2012. A number of podcasts were talking about it so I decided why not. That’s when I decided to change it up. This year I’m going to be selfish. 2012 is all about me when it comes to knitting.

There are projects stored all around my house that need to be finished. There are blankets from 5 years ago that need to be finished. So I decided that 2012 is the year I’m going to do that. (okay one blanket is my goal… two is pushing it!)

Each month I’m going to focus on one or two projects that were cast on prior to December 31, 2011. This may be socks, this may be shawls, this may be blankets and there is even a sweater in the mix. They are to be finished up by the last day of the month.

I need to get some of it finished up. I decided not to participate in the Rockin Sock Club this year. It is the first year in 3 years that I’m not doing it and while I’m sad, I need to get some of this stuff knit up before I can justify joining. Next year

Let’s talk about January

For January I decided it was time to finish the shawl I cast on while in Cleveland for Content Marketing World. I LOVED this shawl when I saw it hanging up at stitches but it took everything in me to get my wedding stuff done before casting it on. Then I put it down.

The first part of this shawl was frustrating. There’s a lot of “knit to middle of X.” Then I got to the stripes…. oh the stripes. That was the moment I fell in love with Stephen West (his designs… not him… but he’s pretty much awesome at writing knitting patterns). It was one stripe after another…

I finished tonight just in time for the end of the month. It is blocking right now. I’m not sure it is supposed to curve at the top but I think my edge stitches were a little tight and I don’t care. I’m in love with this shawl. He did an AMAZING job and I can’t wait to get to wear it!

The details:

Pattern: Daybreak
Yarn: Wollmeise 100% Merino Superwash in My Old Blue Jeans & Art Yarns UltraMerino 4 in 132.
Needles: US4

What Else?

In the midst of my Stephen West Daybreak obsession, I did knit a hat for a high school friend who is going through chemo right now. It is made out of Cascade Chunky Baby Alpaca and it is the Starving Artist pattern. I love this pattern and the yarn and I hope she is able to get some good use out of it.

What does February Bring?

In less than an hour in central time zone February starts. So what does that mean? It means more blogging, more updates and lots more knitting.

My motivation is back and I’m having fun knitting again. This February I plan on finishing up two pairs of socks, one literally has 4 inches and a toe to go and the other pair has a little longer. I miss knitting socks so I figured I would pick them back up. I also have another hat to make for another friend getting ready to undergo chemo. Cancer sucks (just in case you were wondering).

One of my goals this year outside of knitting is to write every night. Right now it consists of letters to my dad but at the same time I do plan on writing more in my blogs. I have to move my other one and get it back up and running but I plan to make my knitting blog a more regular thing. Now that my life is starting to calm down (and stays that way for a bit) you will hear more from me. I also am hoping to get this blog slightly more interactive in the future. So please subscribe for regular updates

With that being said… What are YOUR knitting goals for 2012? Leave a comment, I want to know what everyone else is doing!

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Instead of Black Friday shopping, I’m heading off to a baby shower for a little baby boy for my new cousin-in-laws. It is hard to go to a baby shower and not bring anything hand knit.

One of my favorite patterns in the end is the Stripy Bootees by Zoe Mellor from 50 Baby Bootees to Knit
. I’ve made this pattern for a few little ones in the past and couldn’t pass up how cute they look in the end.

I used Berroco Comfort DK and size 3 needles. I made the 6-9 month size so he has some room to grow. It’s always so sad when you knit newborn size gifts and the babies only can wear them once or grow out of them so fast. I think it’s so much more fun to watch them grow into their hand knits!

I hope everyone in the US had a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe this Black Friday!

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There is an old tale in knitting that says you are not allowed to knit a sweater for a man until you are married to him. This has carried over into a number of aspects of knitting including a book called Never Knit Your Man a Sweater (Unless You’ve Got the Ring). It’s a fantastic book for men’s knits!

With all of that being said, I’ve never knit for Aaron, until now!

A few weeks ago when I was making hats for my dad, Aaron asked where his hat was. So when we left for our mini-honeymoon I took some extra yarn I had from my dad’s hats and made a hat for Aaron. His FIRST knit gift!

This was knit out of some Paton’s Lace held doubled and it is the Turn a Square Pattern. I used US 4 and 6 needles for it.

His hat was finished just in time for the first snow in Northwest Indiana. Don’t worry the weather soon shot back up to 70 degrees! Now if only it would stay that way for the next few months!

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Wow, what a busy few months. I swear I did not forget about you, life has been JUST a little bit busy! In the midst of finalizing a wedding, dealing with some family stuff and a vacation to Las Vegas… I quit the job I’ve been at for 4.5 years and started a brand new one! I’ve loved every minute of it and it was the perfect opportunity and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

With all of that going on, the knitting was lacking just a little bit! I wanted to make sure to get the blog updated with as much as I can remember from the last few months!

Starting things off, for his birthday I knit my dad an Angry Bird. This pattern was great and the only thing I strayed away from was the way the eyes were done. Instead of doing the duplicate stitch eyes, I went ahead and just did a small i-cord that wrapped around.

I couldn’t go to my wedding without a few pieces of hand knit items. So I knit my garter and my socks for the reception. I knew I wouldn’t stay in dress shoes all night so after the ceremony I switched into more comfortable shoes.

The beautiful sock yarn was gifted to me from Jen at Piddleloop back at the end of March when I was having a bad week. It fit perfect with my wedding colors so I had to get them knit up!

The garter was some leftover JKnits from my Wendy Knits KAL from earlier this summer!

My dad is in need of some hats so the week before the wedding I knocked out three hats for him. I don’t have the yarns that I used but each hat was made using the Turn a Square pattern.

It seemed fitting that my October socks should be the breast cancer awareness socks I picked up at Stitches Midwest. I finished them on November 1^st but had started them on October 1^st.

My November socks are on the needles but they are a secret as they will be a Christmas present. I also have a hat for Aaron and a few Christmas stockings being made.

I promise more updates soon, as I’m settling into life with my husband!

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I’m continuing on my goal of finishing a pair of socks a month for the year of 2011. So far the only month I didn’t win was April… but I’m giving myself an out because I finished three pair in January and I was a little busy getting engaged.

May came back around with Mom’s socks and I’m officially already done with my socks for June!

I started these socks awhile back but they have been purse knitting for awhile. I LOVE the yarn and the way it stripes.

The details:

• Yarn: Three Ewes Twisted in Fiber in their Ewe Shimmer Sock Yarn
• Colorway: Round the Twist
• Needles: US 2
• Pattern:  Simple Toe Up With an After Thought Heel

They are still drying, but I think these are going to be a great pair of summer socks. Yes, I am weird and wear wool socks year round. Generally speaking it’s because I’m always cold in the summer with AC on, but I also love the feeling of wearing hand knit socks.

I love this yarn, because it is so light and fluffy. It is 50% Merino and 50% Tencel. It’s still a pair of wool socks but with a lighter feel… PERFECT for summer!

The best part about finishing socks on a weekend? Kicking off a new week with a new pair of socks

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