Tag Archives: goals

2024 – Happy New Year!

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January 1, 2024

Well, here we are on the first day of the New Year … 2024. It’s another gray day here in Central Maine and it’s, honestly, getting a bit depressing. We had a brief glimpse of the sun yesterday morning and I was hoping that it would be re-energizing but the clouds came barreling in in the late morning and that was that. We did have a beautiful sunset last night though.

I wanted to take a few minutes to sum up my 2023 year in yarn. I was changing over to my new bullet journal book yesterday and so I reviewed 2023 and I officially finished 54 projects. A. few of those were sewing or hand-stitching but the majority were knitted. I have 10 WIPs that I’m carrying over into 2024 (and I have one or two projects that I need to add to my queue.)

I attended a week of sewing camp, Slow Fashion 101, with A Gathering of Stitches at Medomak Retreat Center in Washington, Maine. I took 4 knitting classes centered around traditional Norwegian knitting with Knitography Farm, I attended Knit City in Montreal and took a class with Bristol Ivy and another with Stephanie Purl McFee and I took 5 sewing classes on Creative Bug.

2024 could be a bit gentler to us all and I so wish that there was peace in the world. My heart breaks to think of families in Ukraine and Gaza being terrorized by war. I hate the Israeli government for what they’re doing to innocent citizens while I recognize their right to fight for the hostages taken by Hamas. It’s a difficult situation and one that seems to divide us rather than unite us. It seems that people around the planet have forgotten to listen to others and have compassion for others. Judgement and anger and, dare I say, hatred are flourishing in the current environment which seems to make people less tolerant of others.

In 2024 I’ll continue to work on myself and working to be more accepting, loving, and grateful. I’ll continue to work to move my body more and eat healthfully. (Today I’m starting Dry January.) I want to build in more time for sewing and hope to knit mostly from my stash … we’ll see how that works out. Because I work in a yarn shop, it’s really easy to find new projects to bring home … and I’ve done quite a bit of that in 2023. I’d like to finish up more WIPs and knit from stash this year to make some space for new projects and yarn in 2025, maybe.

I want to take some more day trips around Maine this year and maybe even a few overnights. We live in such a beautiful place and there are so many parts we haven’t seen yet. Maybe we’ll even get out of the state! We have two family weddings this year and I’d love to visit my sister in Arizona and my Aunt and Uncle in Nevada. None of us is getting any younger and tomorrow is not guaranteed.

We have a few house projects to work on. Our guest cottage (it sounds fancy but it’s not) was built in the 1950s and it’s in dire need of some work. We had it lifted up and leveled this fall and we want to paint it and put in a new “kitchenette” so we can rent it. We lived there for 7 months while we built the house and it is comfortable and has a gorgeous view of the lake. It’s a perfect place to paint or write or just escape from the workaday world for a little while. I’ll be providing muffins and scones, of course! We also want to take down our old wood shed building that has been sitting idle for a couple of years. The building we are told was an ice house built in the late 1800s and it’s in bad shape. We will replace it with a garage for one of our cars and put it closer to the house. Once the building is complete, we’ll be adding trees and plants to protect the lake and so we have less lawn. When you live by the lake, lawn is the worst … allowing rain and surface water to run into the lake with phosphorus and other chemicals. It’s bad enough that it’s New Year’s Day and there’s not even a skim of ice on the lake. Climate change is real – this is the first time in 28 years by one neighbor’s experience that we’ve not had ice on the lake at this time. I fear for this beautiful place and will do whatever I can to make our space here be a place of beauty and caring.

Farewell 2023 and welcome 2024.

Gone knitting!

Looking Ahead to a New Year

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Not my photo, I “stole” it … but I love it!

If I told you that I love Christmas, I’d be lying. I don’t. Every year I try to change my attitude and every year I manage it poorly. This year was no exception. Compound Christmas preparations this year with the first Lola’s-birthday-without-Lola, and I have been a hot, teary-eyed mess. And then, at the (somewhat) last minute, my step-daughters decided they couldn’t come celebrate with us. With that, the grocery shopping for a gang, the stocking and gift shopping, the planning that went into a holiday with our kids had taken energy away from other things that I might have been able to use at work and at home. My poor husband has had to put up with me all this time.

Anyway, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day weren’t as sad as we thought. We managed our way through without me crying and we are now on the other side of Christmas and heading into the New Year. I sure hope that 2022 is a “better” year and that the pandemic and all the negative news is made much less a priority. It’s been exhausting.

A little bit of time to review 2021 as 2022 is coming in quickly with or without permission.

2021 Sock Challenge

I’ve been semi-successful at my 2021 Sock Challenge. I have completed 11 pairs of socks. Three of them, however, are small children sizes which is a stretch to the “rules”. I do have a pair on my needles and I have almost finished the first sock. I’ll count that one as a half sock completed. I’m 1/2 a sock short of my goal. Considering the year … I done good!

I finished three sweaters this year! And a fourth is so close that I’ve only got one sleeve (or is it two? I’ve not looked at it for a bit.) I have at least enough yarn for five more sweaters in my atelier. I’ve got my knitting cut out for me. LOL

I’m racing to finish one more pair of mittens before the end of the year. I might make it! And these may be my favorite mittens ever, replacing my favorite mittens to date – my Snowflake Mittens. My Snowflake Mittens were my first ever colorwork project. I knitted them way, wayyyyy back in 2016 and they’re still like new. I love them so much but the Lamb’s Pride wool/mohair yarn is a bit prickly. The new mittens are a blend of wool/alpaca and they’re so soft. AND as a bonus, they’re lined with pure alpaca. Hmm. That gives me an idea … perhaps I’ll line my snowflake mittens!

According to my list in my bullet journal, I’ve completed 65 projects this year. My Ravelry queue tells me that I’ve completed 77 (but I think a few actually belong in 2020.) I’m not sure which one is right but either way, I’m satisfied with my productivity. I’ve made several items that were given as donations to the needy. Some hats and mittens went to our local police department to give to those who need them. Some socks went to the homeless shelter. My LYS, Yardgoods Center, donated a bunch of hand-knit socks to the Mid-Maine Homeless shelter for “Socktober”. It was sweet! We will do it again next year.

You can see all of my 2021 projects on my Ravelry project page. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again – I’m lindar on Ravelry. Please be my Ravelry friend.

I have some goals for the New Year. I am free to change or modify them as the year goes on. I can even delete them totally. I’m going to find a doctor and have a physical. I’m going to look forward more (and backward less). I will choose to be with people who value me and treat me well and I will “divorce” people who don’t. I’ll remember to be grateful every day for what I have and for my health and the health of my family and friends. There are three days left in 2021.

Gone knitting.

Happy New Year! Welcome 2013

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It was a low key New Year’s Eve at our house last night. We welcomed in the New Year with a couple of friends, some food, drinks, games and lots of laughs.

2012 was a full year – a mixture of blessings and sorrow but without the sorrow, how can you appreciate the blessings. We said farewell to a beloved mother and an adored Cocker Spaniel. We welcomed a new great-nephew and a new niece. Celebrated birthdays and anniversaries. Entertained guests and family in Florida and Maine. Watched two children graduate from college and enter the “grown-up” world with new jobs. Joyously celebrated my big brother’s new liver and improving health. Enjoyed comfort and good health.

And now ahead to 2013! We entered the new year with a clean house, clean sheets, clean laundry and (most) projects finished. “Out with the old and in with the new!” I am looking forward to growing my business this year. To teaching more. To improving my website. To designing … or publishing some designs that I’ve created. To reaching a second level of certification.

Gone knitting!