Lace Inspiration version 2

Do you remember this? (My post from June 2007 about how much I wanted to knit lace, and the shawls knit by others that were inspiring me to take the plunge.)

Welcome to January 2009:



1.Lace & Rhodedendron, 2. Fade Away, 3. Tuscany Shawl Detail, 4. Lace Leaf, 5. Shetland Triangle Detail, 6. Falling Leaves Shawl, 7. Winding Road, 8. Folded, 9. Diamonds

These are the shawls I've knit since June 2007. (Okay, Juno Regina is still a WIP). Next month will mark three years since I started knitting, and I'm pretty pleased to see myself accomplishing what I set out to learn to do and to create.

2008 in Review

1.Strawberry Hat, adult size, 2. Finished Kimono Shawl, 3. In the Breeze, 4. Tuscany Back, 5. Lace Leaf Back, 6. Sampler Baby Blanket, 7. Shetland Tied, 8. Draped, 9. Hat from Above, 10. Scrunchable Scarf, 11. A Happy Pair, 12. Pro Bono Handspun Hat, 13. Sidekick Again, 14. Pacific Waves, 15. Winding Road, 16. Shower Gift, 17. Juno Regina - one end down, 18. Finis!, 19. Koolhaas Again, 20. Alpaca Silk Cowl, 21. Stockinette Cowl, 22. Turn a Square Again, 23. Green & Grey Turn a Square, 24. Ribbing, 25. Scarf & Hat Set

It seems that the theme of my knitting year was lace and then some hats too. Looking back on my knitting goals for 2008, I'm happy to say that I have indeed knit lace triangles, designed and shared/published my first pattern, and did knit quite a bit from my stash.

My other big first of 2008 was learning to spin. Sadly, I haven't really maintained it since taking the classes. I borrowed a wheel from my knitting mentor, but I'm having trouble getting it to work, and with my second quarter of grad school just a few days away, it'll be three months before I have time to give it a try again.

As for my plans to knit from stash, I have also stashed quite a bit this year (but I am knitting from it, see?):



1. Burnt Cranberry, 2. Three Skeins, 3. Delicious, 4. 10 Skeins, 5. Crown Mountain Sock Hop Handspun Yarn, 6. Indigo-Dyed Super Sock Yarn, 7. Stacked, 8. Silky Wool, 9. Stonechat, 10. Indiecita, 11. Silk Lace, 12. Midnight Meadows, 13. Three Skeins, 14. Fingering Silky Merino, 15. Squoosh Dewberry, 16. Nocturne, 17. Silk Lace, 18. MadTosh Sock, 19. Lichen, 20. Norway Spruce, 21. Faubourg, 22. Gothic Rose, 23. Siren Two Sock Yarn, 24. Malabrigo, 25. Paris Night

On the yarn front, I've continued in the Sundara Seasons Club and have added the Madelinetosh Magnolia Society Club. I really enjoy the hand-dyed yarns and the surprise of packages in the mail. I also bought a bunch of handspun to knit with, and am finally get some projects finished with it. I stashed a bunch of Malabrigo Silky when the factory had a fire this summer, which I have yet to knit with.

Knitting goals for 2009:

• Knit a sweater (baby sweaters would count, but I have one in mind for me)
• Get the wheel working and do some spinning
• Stranded knitting (perhaps from some of that indie-dyed sock yarn)
  
• Share/publish another pattern or two
• Mainly, find time to knit while tackling four quarters of graduate school

I'm also looking forward to a class with Elsebeth Lavold at Madrona Fiber Arts in February and Nancy Bush at the Nordic Knitting Festival in March.

What are your knitting plans/dreams for 2009?