Video: Everything I Created in 2025

It's that time of year, friends! It's time to look back on everything I created this year. Lots of socks but some sweaters and other accessories as well, plus a chicken coop and a duck house! Very diverse lol. Click the video below to watch and let me know what your favorite object is that I made :)

 

Video: A Year in Yarn 2024

It's time for the yearly round up of everything I made! This year I didn't sew very much, so I've combined my sewing as well as knitting into one video. Everything I mention will be linked below if you want to learn more about it, so click here or scroll down to the bottom to watch. Let me know what your favorite item I made this year was!

1. Mohn Cardigan

2.  Beulah Bee

3. Coo and Coy

4. Hockey Socks

5. Ishbel

6. Flipping Chick

7. Crochet Flip Top

8. My Heart

9. Mason Jar Cup Cozy

10. Rose Street Cardigan

11. Avocado Key Chain

12. Dalloway Blouse

13. Sommar Cardigan

14. Pink Whale Key Chain

15. Limequat Key Chain

16. Star Key Chain

17. Sock Week Neon Socks

18. Reversible (Accidental) Stegosaurus

19. Film Reel Socks

20. Elephant

21. Chrysanthemum frutescens Socks

22. Summer Twizzler Socks

23. Scatterby Socks

24. Fluffy Chicken

25. Five Little Pumpkins

26. Halloween Socks

27. Halloween Pillow

28. Ohio Shawl

29. Beetlejuice Socks

30. Wizard Owl

31. Cuff Club Socks #1

32. Christmas Socks

33. Advent Socks

34. Christmas Pudding

35. Criollo Cardigan

A Year In Yarn: 2023

Knitting and crochet have always been my go-to crafts over the years, even when sewing went by the wayside. This year felt a bit more productive than the past several, so I think I'm really back in the swing. These are all the pieces I made with yarn in 2023 and each project is linked if you want to find out more about it.

1. Baby's First Toilet
2. Florist Bolero
3. Haruni Shawl
4. Hungry Snake

5. Baby's First Planet
6. Honeybee Cardigan
7. Stonecrop Tote
8. Gus Gus

9. Gingham Baby Blanket
10. Liesl Cardigan
11. Sock Week Socks
12. Playin' My Song Shawl

13. Minion Rattle
14. Pusheen
15. Susan Shaw Cardigan
16. Chuck Sweater

17. Pink Bear Hat
18. Ravenclaw Scarf
19. Ravenclaw Hat
20. Pikachu Scarf

21. Blue Bear Hat
22. Spiderman Scarf
23. Spiderman Hat

24. Pokeball Hat

25. Pan Handle Cover

26. Fuzzy Neon Beanies

27. Finger Knit Blanket

28. Belladonna Cardigan

I managed to squeak in the Belladonna cardigan just under the wire on the 28th. It's currently blocking, but since the knitting was done in 2023, it totally counts! This means I managed to make 6 sweaters this year, 2 of which were fingering weight, one of those was knit almost 2 full times by the time it was done. Seventeen of the 28 items I made with yarn were gifts, which is pretty impressive. Mostly I just knit myself sweaters and a few shawls, but I highly enjoyed all the things I made. The last 12 items were all made for Christmas and I will be posting about those in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for details on those if you're interested.

I do still have some standing UFOs to account for:

1. Irish Crochet Top - this one still upsets me, lol. I 100% plan to make this into a shirt yoke, but I have to either sew or find the right shirt first. This project was a lot of fun and I have now amassed a lot of colors of crochet thread to make lots of things, but this one has to be finished first. Hopefully I can decide on a shirt and it work out unlike the last one.

2. Hockey Socks - I started these the last few days of 2022 at a Solar Bears hockey game and I have hardly touched them since, lol. And what I did knit seems to have been done wrong at the decrease point, so I have to take it out anyway. I will eventually finish these - I just haven't really needed a sock project this year.

3. Cathedral Rose Window Afghan - I have completely lost steam on this project, sadly. I love the idea, but to be honest I didn't like the colors I had on hand to make it up and the whole reason I started this was to try and stash bust. I have the first several rows done, so maybe I can make this into a circular pillow?

4. Raffia Beach Hat - This one is annoying. I got the whole hat part done before the brim and it is just too big. One swift breeze and this baby would be gonzo. The paper yarn tends to not like being pulled back and the more stitches I make with each sections, the more prone to breaking it is. I do still want a beach hat, but I just didn't have the heart to start over this year. Maybe when it warms up again I'll go for it.

I also have several garments that I swatched for but then never got around to making, which now means I will have to swatch again if I pick them up. First up on the list to make is the Rose Street Cardigan from Squid's School of Vintage Knitting. I swatched this back in April when the pattern was released and I just wouldn't let myself cast on until I finished the Susan Shaw Cardigan, so this will be started very soon. I also swatched the Mudblood Cardigan and I've had the yarn purchased for this project since 2015 (oh my gosh, lol), but the idea of knitting all that stockinette ... it just feels so boring. I like the finished sweater and I feel like it would get a good amount of wear, but the idea of making it is less than thrilling. I also don't love the fit I've seen on others who made it with the too wide looking shoulders. Maybe I will just recreate this myself on the knitting machine? I also swatched the Solstice Top when I was majorly jazzed about knitting a linen shirt, but again I wouldn't let myself start until Susan Shaw was done. Now I probably won't start this until after the winter at least, but I still love the idea of this.

So that's 2023 in yarn! I'm excited to see what this round up is for 2024!

A Year in Yarn: 2018

1. Little Giraffe - The very first thing I made of the year - started on December 31st even :)  I just love this little pattern - it's such a cute giraffe, and I enjoyed getting to practice my colorwork. This will be a fun heirloom toy.

2. Accidental Baby Beanie - This is what happens when a baby is teeny tiny and you use a "newborn" size pattern. It turned out quite large. Also this was "accidental" because I meant to make a bonnet, not a beanie. Whoops.

3. Recoleta - My only finished sweater of the year! So weird! I really like this now that it's cool enough to wear it. The yarn is super soft and warm and the pattern is very pretty. This was an enjoyable challenge to knit at the time.

4. Bonnet 1 - I made an actual bonnet this time, but it would up huge again. Ah well, it still looked cute in the pictures, right? (It's the darker purple one).

5. Cat Butt Coaster - This was a last minute gift for my Mother in Law for Mother's Day. It went over well, lol.

6. Bonnet 2 - This was an actual newborn sized bonnet made as a photo prop for a friend, but I'm a bad friend and have yet to give it to her. Ugh. I should really do that.

7. Turkey Butt Hatt - This will have a whole post very soon. I had to make another turkey butt baby hat this year and it turned out great - just like the first one :)


Sadly I did not have much knitting time this year, so I have several items that are still WIPs:

Lady Russell Shawl - this is becoming my constant project. It seems that once a year I will pick it up for a while and then set it aside for something more exciting. I guess I'm really just know a shawl knitter. So maybe one day I will finish this...

Ducks in a Row - this is the sadest wip, lol. I started this last January! Shameful! I really buckled down and had plans to finish it for Christmas, which I would've done had it not been for the wood pieces I need cut. I'm still waiting for my brother to cut my dowel pieces so I can finish the assembly. Hopefully this happens soon.

Copycat Jaywalker Socks - So sad with these - I had most of one sock done when I discovered that I accidentally continued the stitch pattern all the way around the sock, meaning there was a bumpy ridges just under the center of the ball of my foot. Not good. So just last month I decided to yank it out to the heel. So these are even less done now than they were in this photo, lol.

Dahlia Cardigan - Man, I want to get this finished. I'm really so close - I'm mostly finished with the body and then I just have the sleeves and finishing. I'd really just like to be able to move on from this, lol. Hopefully soon.

And that's it! Isn't that crazy? I really do miss knitting, but it just isn't going to get to happen for a while. Ah well. Someday I will get to knit again.

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.

A Year In Yarn - 2016

I usually love doing this yearly wrap up, but this year I have to confess my list of yarny items leaves me feeling unaccomplished. I know I keep saying it, but life really kicked my butt this year and left very little time for making things. So I'm just going to shut up and be proud of what I did achieve :)

1. Bub the Bird - This was my "palette cleanser" project just after Christmas last year. I love this bird. He sits on my étagère with his legs dangling down.
2. Luke's New Hat - Some necessary knitting for my large-headed nephew when it was cold outside. It fit him for about 5 minutes. At least it was quick.
3. Smocked Guernsey Socks - I made this with Craftsy's Sock Knit Along class which was free last year. The class included one pattern for January, February, and March, but I only managed to actually make the first pair. I totally love these socks - so much so that I have now knitted more socks when I thought socks were boring to make before these. Glad I took the leap because socks are really fun.
4. The Unintentional Pillow - This was a "lemons out of lemonade" item. I originally intended to make an extra large Grab Crab, and I doubled up the yarn and used a larger needle and made the entire body piece. Once I stuffed it, I realized it was not a tight enough fabric (my nephew immediately started picking stuffing out through the stitches, lol), but it was a big, finished piece at that point. My dad is always looking for small and comfy pillows for random naps, and he still uses this to this day :)

5. Ginny Cardigan - Man, I love this cardigan. This has turned into my "It's a little chilly, let me grab a sweater" sweater that comes with me most of the time. It's light weight, so it's convenient to carry around in my bag, and since it's wool it keeps me warm when I need it to. Plus it's pretty :)
6. Grab Crab - I'm told Luke still likes this, lol. It turned out adorable, so I was happy.
7. Arne & Carlos Socks - These are good sleeping socks, but the heel isn't exactly right so they slip down when walking. Not terrible, but not perfect. Such great yarn though!
8. Bradley Mystery CAL - I had so much fun making this turtle. This was the Fresh Stitches Mystery Crochet Along this year and it involved Kool-Aid dying, which I will confess I was skeptical of until I finally tried it and now I just want to dye everything. It was magical. The turtle still slightly smells too :)

9. Hetty Cardigan - I made this as part of my outfit in the Outfit Along :) It's a fun piece, but I will confess it doesn't get worn a ton. Well, none of my sweaters get worn a ton since this is Florida, but this one hasn't been around in cool weather yet so it's just kind of hung out. Hopefully it will be cooling down soon.
10. Meadow Stripes Socks - I made these with the Smooth Operator Socks Knit Along when this pattern was released. The pattern is great and it helped me make my first ever stripe matched socks ;) I love these socks.
11. Blaster Cardigan - I made this with the Blaster Knit Along when the pattern was released in the fall and I sprung for fancy yarn :) The yarn is delicious feeling, but sadly it grew a bit in blocking. It still gets worn though, so again I'm hoping for cooler weather to show it off.
12. Pokéballs - These were my nephew's birthday present this year and he was pretty stoked about them.

13. Eric's Bro-In-Law Hat - his year's Bro-In-Law hat was the Instant Love hat and this was the first oen I made. It was instant love :) And Eric likes it too, so that's a plus.
14. Briggs' Pencil - Briggs requested an animal from Huge and Huggable MochiMochi, and this was the only one I had all the yarn to make so he got a pencil, lol. He likes it though :)
15. Justin's Bro-In-Law Hat - Another Instant Love, this one made with Wool-Ease Thick and Quick which I was surprised I liked so much. He says he likes it.
16. Marisa's Slouchy Beanie - This was a specific request by my sister. She sent me a link to the pattern and said either deep red or black, lol. She really liked it and now she wants me to make more.

17. Mom's Ginny Cardigan - This is the first sweater I've made for anyone other than myself AND the first sweater pattern I've used more than once. My mom liked my sweater so much that she requested the same pattern when I offered to make her a sweater for Christmas. The yarn is Isaac Mizrahi Merino Blend that I got for a steal when it was clearanced after being discontinued, and red is my mom's favorite color :) This was a big win.
18. Justin's Chilly Podster Mitts - The only knitted Christmas gift that I didn't finish in time. These were originally going to be part of my husband's gift last Christmas, but with how things went I never ever started them. Since he's still around (we're taking it easy right now...) and I needed a gift, I figured it would be good to make these this year. These were a request he made years ago, and now he has them :) Just in time to be able to actually wear them here. I liked the pattern so much that I want some for myself now.

All of these things were completed this year, and that's pretty great considering everything else that went on :) I mean - I made 4.5 sweaters! And 3 pairs of socks! Those are all larger projects, so that's pretty decent stats all in all. I do have several WIPs though, which is sad but was unavoidable. Many of these are over halfway finished at least and I hope to get cracking now that holiday making is over.

1. Antarktis Shawl - This is about halfway done and I just need to buckle down and finish. I have a love/hate relationship with shawls. I love them when the rows are relatively short because it feels like you're really making good progress, but I hate them when the rows are longer (as they are wont to be) because it feels like an eternity just to get through one row. The project itself is fun and really very simple, so I'm hoping having a bit of time off from working on it will help me enjoy it again. My yarn rubs dye on my hands like no other, so it's not great for taking around with me (ask me how I know). Gotta just get it done.

2. Fuzzy Mitten Mystery KAL 2016 - This was a bit of a sad trombone "Whomp Whomp" of a project for me. I love this KAL and look forward to it every year, but this year was slightly different. See, 99% of Fuzzy Mitten designs are animals - adorable, realistic, clothed, and moveable animals. I love her whole aesthetic, so I never question participating in the mystery KAL. This year though, she diverted from the norm and the toy is a "wood elf"... And it's clothes are a romper and a cape... This is fine since it's what she wanted to make, and I'm all for that, but I was really expecting an animal. As soon as I realized it was a humanoid (and a naked one at that since I am used to the clothes being optional on animals and therefor did not change color for the optional undies) I completely lost interest. I'm just an animal maker. I do have a plan for my elf guy, but I will be making his clothes in a more traditional elf style than the pattern did. I'm thinking a vest and shorts in green. You know... like an elf... I have his entire body done (isn't the belly button adorable?!), plus his head with one ear sewn on, the other ear and his hair yet to be attached. Really he's made, just not put together and naked, lol. I really should finish this soon...

3. Alecia Beth Cardigan - This one is going to be finished soon, and I was really cooking on it until I had to set it aside a few times for other projects with deadlines. This is knit in sock yarn (Cascade Heritage in Navy - which I love) so I'm pretty proud of the progress I made and still finished 4 other sweaters this year. I love this pattern - it's really simple yet looks difficult. I love how the cables end in a diagonal line - so pretty. I'm pretty sure I just have the ribbing to finish on the body (I stopped at this point because I had to wind another skein) and then I have to make the sleeves and button bands. I'm excited to wear this, so I plan to put it to the front now that Christmas gifts are over.

4. Lady Russell Shawl - Last January, I had major start-itis, and this came about as part of it. I was tired of knitting things for other people and went a bit crazy starting things for myself, lol. This shawl was all because I wanted to use this yarn - it's a 100% cashmere yarn I obtained from a thrifted Ralph Lauren sweater and it's heavenly feeling. I want this stuff on my bod. I thought it would be nice to have a shawl in case I get chilly in the temple, so I'm keeping it white. It will happen eventually...
5. Serpentine Socks - I was really into the Craftsy Sock Knit Along at the beginning of the year, and I successfully completed the Smocked Guernsey Socks (the first pattern of 3 they released), so I immediately cast on the Serpentine Socks since they were next. This was around the same time I started the Lady Russell and Antarktis shawls, plus I had just completed a pair of socks and was a little bored with them, PLUS I screwed up on just the little bit I managed to make (notice the lack of any detail whatsoever on top of that toe - there should be a raised serpentine design - oops) - all of these things contributed to the decision to set them aside. I'm really digging the yarn, so these will hopefully get made. Or maybe the yarn will be a different pair of socks. Who knows!
6. Ishnana - This plan is still in place, but I just didn't get farther than the swatch. I swatched the Alecia Beth and Ishnana at the same time and decided to do the Alecia Beth first thinking I would shortly get to Ishnana - ha ha ha. It's in my queue and I adore this yarn - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Kerfuffle colorway that I bought off a fellow Raveller this year. The color is awesome. This sweater will happen...

7. Baby Doll Set - Oh, you cute little baby doll... one day you will be made... I started this in May of 2015, but it always gets set aside for other projects. I did manage to work on it this year quite a bit and made the head, arms, ears, and started the first leg. This will be adorable once I actually finish it.
8. Little Super Dudes - This was a Christmas gift that I decided not to make last year, lol. It was just too ambitious at the time. I did manage to make these two faceless little guys before I gave in. They need hair and faces and they are done. So sad. They did come in handy for my MochiMochiLand photo shoot though (to be blogged about soon). When I decide what I officially want to do with these, I'll finish them. It's not like they take up much space in the meantime :)
9. Dishcloth - Really, Megan?! A half finished dish cloth?! I started this one of the times I was teaching people to knit at church and this was the example I started that night to demonstrate stitches and show what their piece should look like at each point. I could probably finish this up in about an hour, but I keep having other more pressing projects. So it just sits in the bag and taunts me.

That's more WIPs than I usually like to have, I will admit. At least I always have a project I can grab, right? lol 2017 will see the completion of many of these.

So that's 2016 in yarn for me :) Knitting is definitely my favorite activity when I'm stressed lately, so there's very little crochet. I just enjoy the process of knitting more, while crochet feels like I'm racing toward the completed item. I still plan on joining in several knit and crochet alongs this coming year, plus making sweaters (more with fingering weight), plus making gifts and much more so who knows what 2017 will bring!

A Year In Yarn: 2015

Here we are again with another run down of my knit and crocheted projects from the year. This year saw a serious drop in actual finished items, though I managed some bigger projects plus I spent a good deal of time on home improvement (not to mention increased my sewing productivity). I'm not beating myself up about not having as many cute things to show, but I did want to highlight the things I did make. 

1. lovebot747 - I made this as a Valentine for my husband. Isn't he so cute?!
2. Lacey Knee Socks - These were my first ever socks, and apparently I didn't blog them? What's up with that? I mentioned them while I was making them in my WIP Wednesday posts. Anyway, I really love the design and the yarn, but they came out a little too short to be knee socks on me due to yarn constraints - this means they won't stay up when I wear them :/ Such a shame. I also made a size too big, so they scrunch up even on my actual foot. They were a good experience and I learned to make socks though.
3. Huggable Borgelorpe - I only just discovered that I never blogged about this project. I know exactly why this is the case though: I designed this pattern and wanted to blog about him when I released it into the world! I even had test crocheters make him up and check my pattern. They were wonderful and told me things I needed to fix (thanks ladies!), and then I had life drama happen and this cute guy was put on the back burner. Getting this pattern finished and released is one of my big goals for the new year, so stay tuned for more :)
4. Timmy Turtle - Another Fuzzy Mitten Mystery Knit Along animal and he's just as adorable as ever. He stands by my ironing station in my sewing room.

5. Hearts Washcloth - I made this as a sample to see if I could teach a knitting class with the pattern. Turns out following this basic chart was confusing even for me, so I didn't want to set the newbies up for disaster. I did finish the cloth though and gave it to my mom for Mother's Day (she loves red).
6. Feather and Fan Washcloth 1 - This was this winner for my class I taught since it uses knit, purl, yarn over and knit 2 together in a simple way. This pattern is so quick to knit up! It worked great for my class.
7. Tesla Blanket Square - This was when I was gung ho about making a blanket for the Geek-Along. I was so pumped at the beginning of the year and figured I would just pick and choose the patterns I liked for my own blanket. As more patterns were released though I made a discovery about myself: I'm not truly a geek. I had no clue who some of the mad scientists even were (they were from comics and video games and such), so why would I want to make a blanket square of them? I love the idea of the Geek-Along, but since they changed the rules so that you have to make up that year's patterns and complete so many squares of them, yaddah yaddah I just lost all desire to make more.
8. Bunsen and Beaker Blanket Square - The other Mad Scientist blanket square I made before I lost steam. Maybe I'll make a pillow or something out of it. Who knows. I did learn how to tapestry crochet with these though, so there's that.

9. Feather and Fan Washcloth 2 - This was the project I started during my class to show how to make the stitches. I liked the other so much I decided to finish this one too :)
10. Sunshower Cardigan - I like this pattern and that it's white, but it doesn't get as much wear as I thought it would due to bad yarn stretching (see top 5 misses).
11. Shermy the Sheep - This little guy was made in celebration of finding myself some dippity dots yarn in a thrift store for 25 cents after denying myself buying it at Joann's for so long, lol. My sheepy is fuzzy and cute and even won me a prize in the Ami-Along on Ravelry. He sits out in my sewing room now as a decoration :)
12. Emelie Cardigan - I love this sweater. I wish it was a little longer, but I still wear it and it's a great length for dresses. Definitely a good one.

13. Super Shannon - This was a little pick me up for my sister during a bad time, and it was very well received :) My first ever teeny tiny knitting too (it started an addiction).
14. Nosegay Vest - Definitely learned a lot on this one. It hasn't been cool enough to wear it yet, but I definitely will make a point to do so just for the sheer satisfaction that I finished it, lol.
15. Rattling Shadow - This was a huge hit! I'm still told by my coworker that this was the most thoughtful baby gift they received.
16. Agatha Cardigan - I really love this sweater and it's come in handy just when it's cool at work in the ac. I can't wait til it's actually cold outside so I can wear it more.

17. Bing Bong - Another big hit here. Making Bing Bong really elevated my Halloween costume and all the kids loved him. My nephew still asks if I can bring my Bing Bong over for him to play with :)

18. Red Bee - Luke requested this one and he sleeps with it (and the blue version) every night.

19. Penelope Cardigan - This was my favorite sweater of the year. I love so many things about it, but I particularly love the great fit. Bring on the cold weather! Please!

20. Tower of Owls - More owls for Luke's birthday. He likes to line them all up together in random places around his house, lol.

21. Zhixin the Red Panda - I came into this Fuzzy Mitten Mystery Knit Along a little late, but I still managed to finish this adorable red panda. He hangs out on a shelf in my sewing room.
22. Wings and Cables Scarf - The first of my Christmas knits, this one went to my sister in Oklahoma and she really loved the color.
23. Simple Beanie 1 - A quick hat for my brother-in-law in Oklahoma. He says he really likes it.
24. Simple Beanie 2 - Another quick had for my other brother-in-law in West Virginia. Hopefully it keeps his head warm.

25. Brainy Beanie - Good gosh this one took me way too long to complete. I gave it to my brother unfinished last Christmas because I ran out of yarn on Christmas Eve. I ordered more but put it aside and didn't pick it up until a week before this Christmas. It's finished now and he loves it so that's all that counts, right?
26. Belle Toilet Paper Cover - This one was a funny gift, but it's being put to use :)
27. Humping Deer Hat - This hat won me another contest! lol My sister specifically requested this pattern and color and everything. I put it up on the Kollabora Holiday contest and won. Marisa was happy to know her hat was a prize winner.
28. Foxy Basket - This was made for my mom because she saw it on Knitting Daily TV and mentioned how she liked it.

29. Little Lumberjack - This was a last minute gift for a friend who has a "thing" for lumberjacks. He thought it was pretty awesome.
30. Simple Beanie 3 - Another quick hat for my OTHER brother-in-law. He lives here though, lol. He's out of town now so I still haven't had a chance to give this one yet.
31. Mounted Bass - Another not yet gifted item. This was for my father-in-law and I'm hoping he gets a kick out of it.
32. Ginger Bearded Beanie - This was my brother's request this year. It's turned into a tradition that he gets a silly hat made by me each year. He wanted a purple beanie (his school color) with a ginger beard that he could swap with his other beard I made 2 years ago. It's pretty hilarious looking and everyone liked trying it on.

33. Reflective Sweatbands - These were a bit of a gag/practical gift for my brother-in-law Nick. He runs when it's dark out and wears a reflective vest. I thought he might like to accessorize further, lol.

I'm doing really well on actual "works in progress" too this year. I technically only have 3 plus one that I promised as a Christmas gift so I'm counting it too. My active wips are:

1. Baby Doll Set from Itty-Bitty Toys 
2. Feather and Fan Washcloth 3 
3. Ginny Cardigan from Unofficial Harry Potter Knits 
4. Chilly Podsters Mittens for Justin

The first 3 of these were just set aside as I need to finish other projects. The washcloth is just kind of silly - I lost one of my 10" size 7 needles I was using in my sewing room and haven't found it yet, lol. The baby doll gets worked on in small spurts when I run out of other portable projects. The Ginny cardigan needs me to do some math to decide what shaping to do and I just haven't buckled down to do it yet. I would've made the mittens for Justin if I hadn't needed 4 more additional gifts in the last week before Christmas. He was ok with it, and it hasn't been cold enough for them yet anyway. I'll be making them up in the coming weeks.

So this is what 2015 looked like in yarn for me :) I can't help but be pleased to see it all together like this to reflect on. I've got several sweaters planned, so here's hoping 2016 keeps up the sweater momentum.