There's No Place Like It

Home, that is. We got back early Saturday afternoon, right on schedule, and spent the rest of the day unpacking, cleaning, and running errands. As nice as it was to have to break (and to be away from the cold and snow), I slept better in my own bed Saturday night than I did all the nights we were away. I picked Ruthie up from the dogsitter yesterday morning, and we had a quiet day at home. Of course she spent a lot of time following me around and whined a bit at first whenever I left the room, but that's to be expected. The dogsitter reported that once she got over the initial unease of being left in an unfamiliar place, she really settled in and was much less anxious. She made a great dog friend who was there several times over the two weeks and got lots of exercise. All in all, I feel like it was a good experience for both of us -- good thing, too, because she'll be boarding there again MLK Jr. weekend, when we're going to a bat mitzvah out of town!

The start of the new year brought a quick finish and some new cast-ons. First, after failing to finish my hat before the end of 2025 (though I got very close), I succeeded in making my first FO of 2026:

This is my Same as It Ever Was hat (Ravelry link) worked on US 2.5/3 mm needles using Fibernymph Dye Works Bedazzled (superwash merino/nylon/sparkle). I used 99 g of the skein, or about 433 yards. It feels good to start the year at a deficit -- especially as I may have ordered a couple of skeins from Lisa in her New Year's sale.

Also on New Year's Day, I started first my project of the year and it's another colorwork cowl design, this one in DK:

What looks kind of yellowish here is actually a pale silvery green. I'm a little past halfway and will be adding some surface embroidery over where you see those single stitches just above the corrugated ribbing. I'm hoping it turns out how it looks in my head!

Because I am not a monogamous knitter, I cast on a pair of socks as well, which I worked on a little on the flight home:

I've only just started the main stitch pattern, but I'm using forest floor (Ravelry link) and some Miss Babs fingering that I picked up from the giveaway table at SSK last year. These will be for my mother, likely for her birthday in June. I haven't knit patterned sock in a long time, and I wanted to knit this pattern in memory of the designer, who passed away this past summer.

I have stopped making new year's resolutions because they're so easily broken, but I do have some goals and intentions for the year ahead, at least as far as my knitting is concerned. First and foremost, I want to continue to use up stash yarn. I did really well with this last year and bought very little new yarn relative to how much I used up (Molly certainly helped). I'm hoping to track my yarn acquisitions and usage in a spreadsheet this year to get a better sense of my balance (or lack thereof). I also want to make at least one charity item a month; I've made a lot of hats in the past couple of years, but I will likely add in other warm items like mittens and cowls for a little variety. I want to do more crochet and more design work this year, and I'm already making strides toward the design goal with a pattern sent off to my tech editor just yesterday. Finally, I want 2026 to be the year I finally make this sweater (Ravelry link):

 

(c) Carol Sunday

I bought this pattern in November 2015 and bought yarn for it (Knit Picks Simply Wool) in 2018, so it's been waiting long enough. I know where the yarn is and will be winding up a skein and swatching this week.

Do you have any resolutions or goals for your knitting this year?

Today I'm back to work, but thankfully it's a fully work-from-home day. Molly doesn't have to go back to school until tomorrow, and this afternoon she and the Mister are going to the inauguration of our new mayor. I would have joined them if I didn't have to work -- and if it didn't conflict with my afternoon snuggles with Ruthie!