2012

I'm glad to see 2012. Last year was a hard one for me, for personal reasons, and especially at the beginning of the year, I lost a lot of my passion for reading and crafting. I am determined to make this year great, so I am working through some goals to work through this year. Some of my goals are:

Running:

• train for and hopefully complete a half-marathon
• run 500km during the year

Reading:

• use Good Reads to keep lists and record my reading
• write occasional reviews of books
• read 50 books

Sewing:

• create a list of things I need, and sew then using my stash

Knitting

• work through Year of Projects
• go through all my yarn stash - designate projects for yarn, and update Ravelry

Blogging and Social Media:

• blog at least once a week
• sort out photos
• no wasting time lurking on forums - either participate or get out!
• use Ravelry, Good Reads and Google Reader to help prioritise my time, not waste it

I also have some writing, medical and organisational goals, including starting art jounaling.

It's been great to read through everyone else's goals and resolutions in blogland, I think this time of year is really positive!

Wow, 2012's first completed project!

Today has been lovely. A sleep-in, followed by sorting through my yarn stash, knitting while listening to Cast-on, drinking tea I got for Christmas, and eating leftover Christmas cake. This is how I used to spend my weekends when we lived in England, but since being in Oz I just haven't done it. I'm going to try and make knitting a priority in my life in 2012, I get so much out of it. Including wearable knits!

I bought Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn in December 2004 to make Knitty's Tempting and started knitting it in early 2005. By 2006 it was a UFO, and I notice that in August 2008 I had decided I was never going to complete it, and even if I did, I probably wouldn't wear it. I queued Shalom (link to pattern PDF) by Meghan from Involving the Senses in Ravelry in October 2008, and looks like I started it in April 2009. I have never blogged or made any other record about this project. I think I started it one weekend, worked on it intensively for a week or so, then stopped.


Today, I went through my stash (one of my 2012 goals). I saw Shalom, and how little I needed to do. I finished it in 2 hours. I think the reason I stopped knitting was that I wasn't sure if there was enough yarn to make it. There definitely wasn't enough to make it full length, but I just knitted until I used all the yarn and it's a nice cropped length. It's not the most flattering garment, as it does stop right at my waist, but I think it will be great with skinny jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt.



The Shalom cardigan was on my Year of Projects list - so I can cross it off! I also did some knitting on a pair of socks, so I am going well so far.

2011 Summary

1. Penguin, 2. throw cushions, 3. Echino Handbag1, 4. BobbleBlue back, 5. Ripple on Chair, 6. AppalachiaProgress, 7. Amigurumi bunny side, 8. WIPknitbag, 9. EnvyCloseUp

I thought I’d done hardly any crafting over 2011, but  looking through my photos, I completed nine projects.  I also started some UFOs that I will try and finish in the next few months, and I may have completed some other small projects that I didn't take photos of!

My favourite project was the Echino handbag, I used it all the time, and still love the fabric. While in Japan last year, I picked up some more Echino fabric in a more neutral colour, so I’m definitely going to make another bag, more like a tote.

I also in 2011:

• took part in the Knitting and Crochet Blog week, and posted a blog post every day for a week
• ran the City to Surf (a 14km run) and raised over $700 for the Cancer Council in memory of my dad who died at the beginning of the year
• went on a fantastic trip to Fukuoka, Japan
• started a new job
• lost over 13kgs doing Weight Watchers
• attended Brown Owls (my local craft group) meetings and
• started regular Pilates classes

Two Aminekos and a Penguin in a Pear Tree

Okay, there isn't really two Aminekos at the moment, and there is no pear tree...



I whipped up a little amigurumi penguin as a stocking filler for The Boy - cute, huh?

The instructions were a little difficult to follow, especially the beak, but Ravelry saved the day. I just looked at the forum posts tab on the pattern page, someone had had the exact problem as me, and someone else had explained what to do!

I finished him on my lunch break at work, and I forgot to bring stuffing, so I used a parcel pack scrunched up to stuff his head. Probably not the best solution, but it works! It's a bit lopsided and crunchy.

I've also been working on the Amineko bunny (seems weird calling it that, since Ami means knit/crochet and neko means cat...), all I have to do is one more ear, and sew on the legs. I'm seeing the two babies on Thursday (my birthday!) and there is no way I will finish the other one, but that's ok.

I'm a bit stressed due to a combination of being sick, deadlines at work, in-laws coming to stay and various Christmas things, I can't wait till Thursday, the beginning of my holidays! I'm hoping to do some knitting and organising for the new year, I want to be calmer and more organised with my free time.

Amineko without the neko

I have a couple of new babies in my life (two of my closest friends), so I'm making crochet toys for them for Christmas. I am using this Amineko pattern, but instead of making a cat, I think I am going to make it a bunny.



I used this Planet June tutorial to work out how to do the magic loop to start off the crochet. I am using a 3mm hook, and Cleckheaton Country 8 ply for the main colour. So far the pattern is easy to follow, all single crochets, and I am hoping to get a lot done this weekend.

Although I've been busy, I managed to sew these cushions for our couch a couple of weeks ago. I just made up my own pattern, they have an envelope back. The fabric is this amazing Ikea fabric that we bought about a year ago...

I don't really have anywhere to put the sewing machine, so I sewed these with the machine on the floor, I certainly had to sit in an interesting position in order to use the foot pedal! Sorry the photo isn't very good - the weather has been so bad in Sydney recently, and when it is nice I am outside. They also definitely need an iron! But I love the fabric so much, and they are another thing off my 'to do' list.

Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks

Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran is a fascinating read for any fan of Agatha Christie. The discovery of her notebooks has led to an extremely interesting insight of her ideas and methods of writing.

It was amazing to read that often she did not have the murderer in mind while writing her mysteries, and notes scrawled through her notebooks try different murderers and motives to fit the plot. Christie also had recurring images or vignettes that she tried to fit into stories, but often had to discard these ideas, with some of them never being used. Many of her mysteries seemed to have started with a one-sentence idea that grows over the years.

The notebooks are mostly made up of quick jottings of ideas, these are rarely expanded into dialogue or more fully developed writing. They are scattered with packing lists, doodles, and diagrams, inserted between the barely legible writing.

As a huge Agatha Christie fan, and being interested in writing, I found these notebooks a fascinating glimpse into Agatha's plotting and ideas. At some stages, however, the book was slightly repetitive, though this would I expect reflect on the repetitiveness of Christie's notebooks. The bonus of two 'new' short stories was particularly exciting, as I have read all of her currently published novels and short stories.

Change of direction

This blog has always been my 'craft' blog. I started it as a way to record my knitting progress and projects, and expanded into other crafts as I have learnt new skills. In fact, my first blog was called 'Just a Little Knit', and I created this new blog to incorporate sewing and other crafting.

There have been large gaps in my blogging. Not because my interest in craft has waned, but because either
a) I haven't been crafting or
b) I've been crafting, but not taking pictures and/or blogging

And of course I either feel guilty that I'm not actually creating things, or that I am creating things, but not keeping an accurate record of them. And in both cases, that I am neglecting my blog. No matter what, I think about craft every day, and am constantly planning projects in my mind, and reading all the other amazing blogs out there.

But...I've decided to include my other love - reading - in this blog. This means that I can keep up my blogging however I spend my time, as I can always fit in some reading. When blogging about books, I don't have to worry so much about progress shots, which I always stress about with my knitting!

These photos were taken between Bondi and Turramurra Beach, at the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition. I try to go every year, there is always something amazing!