2016: A Look Back

Unbelievably, the time remaining in this year can now be measured in hours rather than days. It's been a long year, but in many ways it's flown by. There's a lot I could say about the year that was, but I like to stick to fiber-related topics on this here blog, and I see no reason to stray from that in this post.

So, what was my 2016 like in terms of knitting and spinning? Well, the widgets in the sidebar will give you an idea of just how much I knit and spun in the past year (though the knitting one isn't quite accurate, as I have to get home to my scale to know how much yarn I will have used in the last two projects of the year). Those knitting projects included:

• 12 pairs of socks (with a 13th pair due to be done by the end of the day),
• seven hats,
• seven cowls or scarves,
• seven shawls,
• eight pairs of mittens,
• two adult sweaters, and
• one child's sweater.

There were some miscellaneous items in there as well, and of course I will be starting 2017 with another child's sweater still on the needles, but I think all in all that's a pretty good showing.

The past year was also a big one for my designing. I published 15 patterns in the past year, including four with third-party publishers and eight in my first themed collection. I also started an e-mail newsletter for my designs, and my Ravelry group has grown thanks to a lot of test knits happening in the second half of the year.

As I look ahead to 2017, I have lots of plans. I have numerous irons in the fire in terms of designing, including some collaborations with indie dyers. I'm hoping to make a substantial dent in my stash (I'm actually going to put myself on a fairly strict yarn diet for the first part of the year) and to use some of that stash to do some charity knitting. Overall, I hope to find peace and calm in my fibery pursuits.

If you're reading this, I want to thank you for sticking with this blog over many years. I know that many more people read than comment, so I appreciate you taking even a few minutes of your day to see what I've been up to. I wish you health, happiness, and prosperity in the year ahead -- may it be one in which all your fiber dreams are fulfilled! I'll leave you with a picture of my view over the past two weeks, one I'll be leaving physically tomorrow but hoping to carry with me for the dark days of winter. Happy New Year!