So long 2009, Hello 2010

2009 was a great year!

I made some new friends. Met Upstatelisa and her wonderful daughter C at the Vermont Quilt Festival, and we got together one more time here in Ottawa where I met her other two kids (J & B)! I also got to meet the lovely LauraJay and her son A! What a wonderful year of friendship.

Lots of Quilting was accomplished this year.



I also started knitting again in September. My sewing productivity went down, but that's ok. Knitting has been wonderful. I go to a weekly knitting group and I'm becoming more confident with every project. I've also got a long list if things I want to make.



Looking forward to 2010 I'd like to simplify. But I also want to have fun.

I will continue knitting and have signed up for NaKniMitMo10 (National Knit Mittens Month 2010) on Ravelry. Basically you knit a pair of mittens in January and post a photo by the 31st. I will be tackling the Swedish Fish Mittens. Hoping to start them tomorrow.

In February the Olympics are coming to Canada and although I live nowhere near Vancouver, I will celebrate by participating in the Ravelympics 2010. You cast on a knitting project during the opening ceremonies and try to finish by the closing ceremonies. You are supposed to pick something that is a challenge for you. I'm thinking a vest but still not 100% sure. I am on the Stash and Burn groupies team.

I will also be sewing but part of my goal to simplify will be my reduced involvement in swaps. My walls are full of small quilts for now. I will focus on functional quilts and placemats. I am going to participate in row10 with my lovely online quilting friends. We will make one row of a quilt for each person per month. It will be so lovely to have a quilt made by all my new friends. I will probably also do placemat quilt swap, as we could use some more placemats.

Scrap and stash reduction will hopefully be a side-effect of all this quilting. :)

Oh and Dear Jane I will be back! I've missed working on this project.

As far as resolutions go, I'm generally not good at keeping them. But I will try very hard to be more active and be happy with small accomplishments. I always get down on myself if I don't start the gym 7 days a week and then promptly quit. I will start slowly and be happy with any progress. I am also going to make more healthy meals from simple fresh ingredients and try new recipes.

2010 will also be a year of self-acceptance, love, discovery. I've never liked being in photos, or seeing photos of myself. Part of my growth this year will be in participating in 52 Fridays. We will post one self-portrait per week on Friday.

I thank all of my wonderful readers and friends. I try to answer all comments individually, but it does get hard sometimes. Please don't think that they are not appreciated. Thank you so much for all you have given this year.

Hugs.

Busy Busy

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I was busy knitting like a crazy person. The second week of December I was so sick. Home in bed. But I did get some knitting done.

Socks for Dad



These are just K2 P2 rib in Cascades 220 Superwash. I followed the instructions and formulas from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. These are my first every pair of socks and they fit him perfectly, so if you make a guage swatch and follow the sizing charts, it should all work out. I'm about to start a pair for me outta sock weight crazy bright self-striping yarn.

Then on the 15th of December I started Ishbel for my Mom. My first ever lace project. I think I knit and frogged and knit this thing twice over. But I finished it on time despite people telling me it would never be done. I did it! Yay me! The yarn is Superwash Sock in Coastal colourway from SweetGeorgia. They are from Vancouver BC Canada! Beautiful stuff hand dyed to order!

Ishbel for Mom



And now my knitting confidence is growing with each project. I decided to tackle the wonderful Foliage hat from Knitty. I have loved this hat forever, but never thought I had the skills to make it. Once you knit a lace shawl in a week, you'd be surprised how much more confident you feel. So yesterday I made the hat from start to finish. It is made of Malabrigo Chunky from someone's stash in ravelry. So glad she was selling it. It didn't even use the whole skein. The colour is called Floral but I have dubbed it Strawberry Lemonade.

And here I am haming it up for the photo shoot. Ignore the chipmunk cheeks. Still trying to hide the braces.



I've also been trying to catch up on bee blocks. Hoping to start the new year with a clean slate. See y'all later gotta go do some more sewing...

I made mittens!

So I haven't been quilting but I have been knitting. I started going to a group every Thursday night. It's been very fun, and the ladies are so nice.



These are my Chevron Love Mittens! I purchased a pattern from Knitterly Things. Julia (the store owner) designed the pattern. It's amazing. And for those who think they could never do something this complicated..it isn't. This is my first colourwork. But not my last.

I've already got some more patterns lined up on Ravelry. Swedish Fish and Cupcakes by SpillyJane! But I must finish Christmas gifts first.

Yay knitting!

I Quilted!

For a while there I thought my quilting mojo had vanished. Thank goodness it didn't. Nothing like a deadline to get you out of a funk.



This quilt is for my friend Tanya's new baby boy. He is due December 19th, and I am giving it to her today at a Christmas Potluck (Surprise shower)!



My procrastination is still working well. I quilted it thursday night and last night i added a bit more quilting and started to hand sew the binding. Up at 6:30am this morning to finish it. In the washing machine at 8:00am, dryer at 8:30. And now at 10:08am it's all folded and ready to go. My other friend Chantale is picking me up at 10:30am.

Nothing like a deadline to get me going!

Oh and I used my new labels for the first time. Love them! Good thing, I've got 99 more.