Monday, January 02, 2012

Hello TwentyTwelve!

Can you believe it?  I almost can't - but all the great knitting retrospectives I've been reading (and have waiting still in my blog reader) tell me otherwise!

I'm not organised enough to do a photo review of my knitting year, but thanks to the magic of Ravelry and my trusty moleskine knitting diary, I can tell you I started 34 projects, and I finished 34 projects.  If only the new projects matched the finished projects, heh!

Some of my FO's were big - my Olive jumper and Big Woolly vest, plus 2 skirts - Lanesplitter (which I have still to blog properly - woops!) and my Super Special Birthday Skirt.  Some were small - crochet snowflakes and a bunch of crochet dishcloths, plus a BALL!.  There were things for the little guy - a cardigan, 3 vests and a pair of pantses; gifts for friends - a baby cardi, a shawl, a hat, a tea cosy and a crochet ball; and of course socks - Nutkin, Heritage socks and husby's Frankensocks. And a few other bits and pieces - two scarves, a hat, another shawl, some mitts and a bag.

Amongst those FOs I managed to finish 7 pre-2011 WIPS.  And yet at the end of 2011, I still have 15 WIPS!  So it will be a Binding Off 2012 year again...but more of that in another post.  One thing that won't be bound off in 2012 - of course my Beekeeper Insanity! 
As for stash honesty...well, I am sad (sort of!) to report that I have not broken even, let alone reduced the stash in 2011.  But it hasn't grown much...heh heh.

In December, I just had to buy 2 bags of Rowan Calmer - a unique yarn, discontinued!  And a great price, thanks to Jannette's Rare Yarns.  I forgot to take a photo but I got a bag of garnet (a lovely red) and a bag of Tree, which is a fab green.  I can't decide which to knit up first!

I also received some lovely gift yarn - a skein of Cascade Heritage Silk from Bells - which I think just might be too nice to knit sexypuffs with!  It is so soft.  Yummo.
And a couple of balls of red yarn from my friend MissJ, who wanted to be a part of my Beekeeper insanity!  I must say, it is a lovely thing that so many of my friends are a part of my quilt, through their leftover yarn donations and gifts.  It really is a bit of a group project in that way, which makes it even more special.
So let's not put off the final tallying any further:

In: 22 x 50g balls
Actual balls used:  6 x 50g balls
8ply equivalent:  9.5 x 50g balls
metres used:  1076m

For the year 2011
Actual balls used: -16.5 x 50g balls
8ply equivalent:  112 x 50g balls
metres used:  13,054m

I was surprised to find I'd used the equivalent of 112 balls of 8ply yarn this year - I didn't think it would be that much!  And whilst I came out with a bit more yarn than I started with, it wasn't a crazy amount (and if I'd just ignored that Calmer, I would have been ahead!!  Oh well, I can't ignore a discontinued yarn bargain, that's nothing new!
Christmas snowflake sexypuff!
I will keep up the stash honesty next year, I think I need the bit of discipline that it gives me - because trust me, if I wasn't writing it all down each month, I know I would have more yarn than I currently do!
I will leave you with my first sexypuff of 2012 - I spent the last few minutes of 2011 and the first few minutes of 2012 knitting this in lovely Wollmeise whilst watching the NYE fireworks (yes, my life is that exciting!). You know how they say you should start a new year the way you want it to continue - well, knitting with great yarn, donated by a lovely friend, on my crazy but great big 5 year plan project.  Yes, that's how I'd like to continue TwentyTwelve.

Happy New Year! 

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

yay for special yarn and special crazy projects. i think you will get lots of those puffs done this year, plus other amazing things. and seriously, discontinued yarn also doesnt count, so i think you came out stash neutral at least!

Gidgetknits said...

I smile every time I see your sexypuffs! Go sexypuffs!

Bells said...

oh i love that christmas snowflake sexy puff! And my indisch rot donation looks just lovely!

Yes, start as you mean to go on. I started the new year asleep - does that mean I'm going to be a better sleeper this year? Or shall I take it from the moment Alice woke me up at 6am with a cuddle and see that as a lovely way forward for the year?

Either way, I too love that your sexypuff quilt is a community quilt too. How wonderful!

Anonymous said...

Ah! Your gorgeous, special yarn and special projects. And well done on coming out even! That's a great feat.

I'm really looking forward to see the sexypuff stash grow!

Happy new year!

Kylie said...

perfect finish and perfect start :)

and 13,054m?? that's a lot of yarn, Miss Rose!

love the snowflake hexapuff too

Sarah said...

Happy new year dearie - and what a creative year you had in 2011 - wishing you the same for 2012 and happy bee keeper's progress - I kind of wish I was knitting one as they are so gorgeous and am kind of glad I'm not as I think it would make my FO haul tiny! I do need an FO fix to keep me going.

MadMad said...

Happy New Year, Missy! I got a giggle that your 34 started projects were not the same as your 34 finished ones - you had me very impressed there for a second! And I, too, finished exactly 7 WIPS in Bind Off 2011. It's a good feeling, isn't it? Though as you pointed out, there are still some left to go, including ones I started in 2011 and didn't finish...

LynS said...

I'm so impressed with your thirty-four finished projects - who cares when they were started? After the last week caring for a smallish child I'm doubly impressed by knitters like you and Zena who manage to knit AND care for small children. I think I've lost all my multi-tasking ability.

And well-done on the stashing down. Do you really think a negative total would have been socially responsible? Don't we all have to participate in the consumer-led recovery of the economy?

Mereknits said...

That last puff is incredible. Love the way you brought in the New Year, that is just my style. Happy 2012! I look forward to seeing amazing creations coming from you.
Hugs,
Meredith

amy said...

I was also knitting in the New Year--in bed, though. :) I like your synchronicity in starting the same number of projects you finished, too.

Happy New Year!

roxie said...

Your consistent, business-like record keeping just blows me away! I have trouble remembering to photograph the finished projects, and you know how many yards of yarn went into each one. You totally rock!

Do individual sexypuffs count as finished projects, or do you count the whole quilt as a work in progress?

Celia said...

Wow! That's a lot of fO's for one year.

Donna Lee said...

I have no idea how many things I started/finished. I am full of admiration at all of you folks who keep track! I'd probably be surprised if I ever wrote them all down.

Happy New Year to you and your family.

del said...

I so wanted to start the new year knitting (clearly, my life is just as exciting as yours!) but I was soooo tired, it was all I could do to stay up and watch the ball drop, lol. Happy New Year!

Donna said...

I love that snowflake sexypuff! And yay on almost stash neutral! ( I'm not game to count that bit)

Ann said...

Happy New Year to you & family. I think it's great that you welcome in the new year whilst knitting. I wish I could stay up as I went to bed at 10pm.

2paw said...

Happy New Year to you and your family. I love your Christmas sexypuff!! I laughed when your finished items didn't quite match the ones you started this year. Well done in snaring some of the Calmer before it disappears!! I think your should knit the green first!!

Lynne said...

Sounds like your year balanced out well! Good luck with your goals in 2012.

Zena said...

Wow, 34 finished projects, that is seriously impressive, who cares when they were started?!

Love the stash honesty too, I think I need some more of that before I drown in yarn!

Sweetp said...

Happy New Year hun. I hope 2012 will bring much happiness and new red yarn to you xx

And well done. 34 is impressive!

mooncalf said...

I couldn't ignore the Calmer either if it makes you feel any better. Frankly, who could?