2007 knitting year in review

A proper photo of the handknit I received in International Scarf Exchange 5 is now live on the ISE5 blog. My post of gratitude is here.

There will not be any FOs today, so it is time to review the month and year on this, the last day of 2007. I capped the year with a respectable six FOs in December: five hats and one dishcloth.

Here is the FO breakdown by month and by item:

January: 6
February: 6
March: 7
April: 8
May: 7
June: 5
July: 0
August: 3
September: 1
October: 3
November: 4
December: 6

That adds up to 56 FOs for 2007.

Baby bibs: 2
Baby blankets: 2
Baby hats: 4
Baby socks (practice pair): 1
Blanket: 1
Cat mat: 1
Coffee cup cozies: 8
Dishcloths: 13
Felted needle holders: 2
Flower pin: 1
Hats: 11
Scarves: 7
Slippers (pairs): 3

I've decided that the practice baby socks should be counted as a pair since they're probably best left as samples than actual infantwear.

On the UFO front:

Dishcloth: 1
Knitting needle covers: 2
Socks: 2

I knitted a few rows of the dishcloth in June and have let it hide since. I'd probably do just as well to rip it out and start over again since I'm not sure I remember what pattern I was using anyway. The knitting needle covers have been nearly done since August but lack the crochet seaming and pocket backstitching to complete them. I finished two different adult socks but not a single pair. One of those socks needs to be frogged entirely because it was too big. Perhaps next year I'll give socks another chance.

In July I took stock of what I'd learned this year. Not bad. But what about my new year's knitting resolutions?

-Learn five other stitches.

By this point I realize that I meant stitch patterns. Garter stitch and basketweave were the only patterns I'd done when I made this resolution. Some patterns can't be memorized, but considering everything I did, I feel good about counting this as accomplished.

-Learn how to use circular needles.
-Learn how to use double pointed needles.
-Make Kristin's Jazzy coffee cup cozy.
-Make a hat for myself.
-Felt something
-Knit with something lighter than worsted weight yarn.

Yeah, I can put check marks by these.

-Make a baby blanket and baby sweater.

I achieved half of this goal twice, but a baby sweater was never attempted.

-Make two adult sweaters.

How naïve of me to think that doing just one might be a cop out. As intimidating as knitting a sweater sounds, I think this is something that needs to be included among my 2008 resolutions.

-Become better at knitting and watching TV at the same time.

I'll give myself half credit for this. I've probably improved, but I'm still fixated on the needles much more than those I've seen who can look around and not watch what they're doing.

-Knit in public on my own.

For those of you who weren't reading this blog a year ago, you probably don't have any idea how big of a challenge I considered this. I've improved a lot as a knitter over the course of the year, but mustering the courage to knit alone in public is the greater achievement. A year ago I was less confident about how being a knitter would make me be perceived. Sure, I still have some hang-ups about being a man in what is primarily a woman's world. For the most part, though, I feel like being a knitter is an important part of who I am and that I belong with the rest of you.

-Continue to blog regularly about knitting.

I didn't intend to write every day on this blog. Nevertheless, except for two January weekends (6 &7, 13 &14) and March 22-24, when I had limited to zero internet access at a film festival, I've blogged 358 of the 365 days this year. What I write from time to time may be frivolous or of limited interest even to my most devoted readers (and embarrassing to me in retrospect), but I feel that it's been an important part of my self-contemplation. I thank you for reading and for being in this conversation with me.

-Continue to knit for others.

Most of what I made this year was given away. I probably could stand to make more for myself, but I don't regret the amount of knitting I did for others.

-Take better care of myself.

The scales have to tip in favor of accomplishing this goal, if only by the fact that I moved to a new apartment this year. A year ago I was ready to crack from the stress of where I lived. My neighbors in the building were unbelievably obnoxious and wore me down to the point of being miserable whenever I was at home. It took a lot for me to make the decision to move, but a change of scenery is the best thing I did all year.

2007 has been an interesting year. I'd hoped it would be less stressful after a rocky 2006. It has and it hasn't. There have been ups and downs, and there always will be. A work issue that I thought would be resolved by now hasn't been entirely. There was one major disappointment that I let bother me longer than I should have.

Yet looking at where I am from where I was one year ago, I must acknowledge that things are better overall. I live in an apartment where I can relax. I've made and strengthened friendships that mean the world to me. Although I still have much room for improvement, I have gained more self-confidence.

In one way or another, knitting has played a key role in many of the items on 2007's plus column in the ledger. I've been shown so much kindness because of knitting and am extremely grateful for it. Who would have thought that learning such a simple skill would bring so much joy? Not me.

Have a safe New Year's Eve and a blessed new year.