A Year In Yarn - 2017

I know I just did the "TOP 5" posts and all, but I still love to do a round up of everything I made each year (more for myself to look back on tan others). Since I was still doing a bit my sewing projects before the year is over, I figured we could start with my yarn projects :) This is everything I knitted or crocheted this year and I've linked to the original blog posts about all of them if you want to learn more about any of them.

1. Pan - I decided I wanted to finish my remaining WIPs from 2016, and this is the proof that I stuck with it! lol I just wanted to get this done, so I muscled through and posted about Pan at the end of January. I would've finished sooner, but I was finishing my husband's Christmas gloves (oops). I also just found out the designer made a "Christmas Elf" pattern that includes a cute tunic and a hat, so Pan will definitely be getting some new accessories to make him ready for next Christmas :)
2. Antarktis - Another old WIP finished! I still just love the colors on this shawl and it looks really great over a black shirt. I only get to wear it when it's cooler though.
3. Feather and Fan Wash Cloth - This was a silly WIP to have - I started this as an example to knit while teaching a class on how to knit it. It took about 45 minutes to finish, lol. It's been fairly handy ever since.
4. Bronntanas - The first in a series of hats requested by my younger sister. I messed up following the chart, but no one will know that but me :) I think it looks great.

5. Cabled Fur Beanie - The second hat my sister requested - which turned out to be out favorite in the group - and it is super fancy with an (accidentally) real fur pom pom on the top. It's way cute though. If I lived in the cold, I would make one for myself.
6. Slouchy Moss Beanie - I like the color on this, but it's my least favorite of the 3 hats for my sister. Apparently my husband liked it though because he requested one for himself, lol.
7. Juan Pablo - This was a case of needing a gift for a cute little dude combined with really wanting to make this pattern, lol. I added a rattle and a squeaker, and the little dude seems to still like him, so that's a win for me :)
8. Birdie Rattle - The first of many this year with this pattern. I gave this to a baby girl at church, so hopefully she liked it.

9. Uni the Unicorn - I made this to match a book that my best friend used to make a painting for her first daughter's room :) She was freshly born when I gave this to her, so hopefully she's more into it now.
10. Baby Doll Set - This is another very old WIP that I finally buckled down and made myself finish almost 2 years after I started, lol. I just love her though! This is the cutest baby doll, and I've hung onto her for future children. In the meantime she looks really cute in my sewing room.
11. Flapjack Frogs - Another "future children" project (a.k.a. I like these too much to give away, lol). I always wanted to make this pattern so I finally just did it. These also are in my sewing room.
12. Butterfly + Cocoon - Another future child project, lol, wow I don't know if this means I'm just greedy/selfish or if I'm subconsciously focused on having a kid. Hmm... I just fell in love with this pattern when it was released so I had to make one. This spring was full of toys for myself, basically.

13. Mattock Hat - This was a test knit for Home Row Fiber Co and I really love this hat - it's perfectly slouchy and the color is so fun. I can't wait for it to be cold out so I can wear it.
14. Alecia Beth Cardigan - My first sweater of the year and I LOVE it. This is a fingering weight sweater, and I am always saying how I need to spend my knitting time on this weight more because it's not as warm as heavier weight. I know basic navy seems a bit boring in photos, but the color has made this a great basic that goes with a lot of things. Now if it just would get cooler ... (are you sensing a theme yet?)...
15. Pinglewin - I freakin' love this penguin. This is another case of "I just had to make this" and it was a very interesting knitting experience to make the black hoodie/jumper/leotard thing. The button eyes give it the derpiest stare and it sits on my lamp watching me in my sewing room. My husband is always telling me how the penguin creeps him out when he's in there ironing his shirts, lol.
16. Baby Beagle - This was made for my first "baby of a cousin" (2nd cousin?) on my mom's side of the family. Little Emma has several beagle siblings, so I made her a beagle of her own. This one was a big hit, for sure.

17. Melvin - Ah, Melvin. He was inspired by a real manatee I took a walk with one night at my condo. Now this little version sits on my shelf and haunts all my instagram photos, lol. I get questions about him fairly often.
18. Anaheim Cardigan - This was my make for the Outfit Along this year and I'm really happy with the finished sweater. I'm actually surprised at how much I like wearing it unbuttoned since I never thought that was "my style".
19. GAP-tastic Cowl - Another CRAZY old WIP. This one sat in my wip box for 5 years! It has some obvious beginner mistakes, but honestly I was just happy to have it finished and something to show for the effort. It only took me an hour to finish, lol.
20. Lion Rattle 1 - My first project during Hurricane Irma, this one was made for a the baby of a good friend. I loved how it turned out so much that I made another one.

21. Lion Rattle 2 - The second lion, made in the same evening as the previous one while we watched movies waiting for the hurricane. This one is still in my stash, but I'm sure it will go to a baby soon.
22. Birdie Rattle 2 - Another hurricane project - I love these little birds as they make such quick but cute gifts. I made this for my favorite little baby at church and she immediately started to chew on it, so I knew she liked it :)
23. Birdie Rattle 3 - This bird was made while the worst of the hurricane passed over us and I made about half of it by candle light because we lost power, lol. This was made for the baby of some old friends.
24. Irma - My final hurricane project - I brought this pattern just in case the mood struck since I had always wanted to make it. I cast this on after a day of hurricane cleanup and I managed to finish it the week after the storm, so I named it Irma. This one sits in my sewing room and watches me iron.

25. Kerfuffle Ishnana - One of my top hits of the year :) I love this sweater so much - I love the yarn, I love the design, I love the weight. It's just enough to keep off a chill from the air conditioner yet not make you want to die in Florida, lol. I just love the fancy cables. This definitely makes me want to try more complicated cable projects in fingering weight. They take a long time, but they just look so cool.
26. Pascal - This was made specifically for my halloween costume and it was a big hit with the kids.
27. Stranger Things - I definitely got really into Stranger Things this year, and I still have an awesome photo contest entry planned with these little guys.
28. Salal KAL - My final sweater of the year and my entry for Andi Satterlund's fall knit along. I'm really pleased with the finished sweater and I may even make this pattern again in a different color.

29. Knight's Helmet - This was my little brother's Christmas request this year. We've established a tradition where I make him a novelty hat of some kind (check out his beard beanies and brain beanie from previous years), so this year he specifically requested this pattern and I was happy to oblige :) Blog post coming soon.
30. Gray Slouchy Moss Beanie - My husband liked the blue version I made of this hat so much that he requested on for himself in gray. Blog post (and photos) to come.
31. Snowmen - I bought this tiny snowman pattern a few years ago with the best intentions of making ornaments for everyone. Ha ha ha yeah that didn't happen. This year I wanted to make a few, so I made a few. Then I made a few more. Then more. I wound up making 9 total and giving them to various family members. I'll do a post on these soon. They're so cute!
32. Sarah & Duck - This pattern came out in early December (I think?) and I knew my nephew would love it, so I whipped it up as part of his Christmas gift. Apparently he slept with them Christmas night, so I take that as a good sign. I'll post about these soon.

I'm pretty happy with the mix of projects I made this year. Six of these finished objects this year were some of my guilty long standing wips from my 2016 round up, plus I went further then that and pulled out yet another old, old wip and completed it :)  Yay for finishing things! I've further learned that I don't really enjoy making shawls - I like the finished products, but they feel tedious to knit. I still have one (the Lady Russell Shawl) that I stared last year that I have not touched since then. I also have not made a single additional square on my Granny Square Blanket I started back in 2012. Maybe someday I'll get the blanket bug. Maybe that can be something I work on to finish this year. I also had the best intentions to finally make myself a crocheted Christmas tree skirt, but it just didn't happen. It happened that I found a cute tree skirt in a thrift store just before Christmas anyway, so now I technically have no need. And my poor Happypotomas - it's still a bag full of squares. I just don't seem to enjoy projects that require piecing.

Anyway, I'm really pleased with everything I knit and crocheted this year :) Like I said in my reflections post, it was really nice to just make whatever toy I had the inclination to make at the time. I'm really proud of the nicer toys I spent the time on this year, and I hope to continue that this year. Toys and sweaters are really my favorite things to make, so definitely expect to see more of those. I'm mostly just grateful for the meditative aspect of these projects. All of these makes definitely helped to keep me sane.

Check back soon for a few more roundups, lol.