First of all, because every blog post should have a picture, behold my year of colour from Instagram:
It seems like an appropriate photo for a post about knitting because so much of knitting is about color.
I don’t have any finished knitting to show you but I have been knitting and thinking about what I want to knit, not just next week (because vacation) but also into 2019.
I set a Ravelry Project Challenge for the year at 15 items and so far I’ve completed 13. (Ravelry says 10 but it’s counting the three pairs of Appleseed Mitts I made as 1 project and the two Hamilton Ornaments are also counted as 1.) I might just actually make my goal if I finish the hat I’m knitting for Jackie (which should be a slam dunk) as well as the current socks I have in progress. I have the Project Peace 2018 cowl on my needles but that’s a slow going knit and I’m guessing it won’t be done until after the first of the year. Then again. I have a thing about finishing up works in progress before the end of the year so perhaps I’ll have it done.
Looking ahead, I still want to knit the Party of Five cowl (I have the perfect gradient kit for it) as well as Orbit (I bought two different skeins of Tosh DK from the Loopy Ewe recently) so those will be carried over into my 2019 challenge. I also decided yesterday that I’m going to frog Skogafjall (it’s been in time out since last winter) and instead I’m going to use the yarn I have to knit another Stopover. Finally, I want to knit some hats. I bought a kit from Knitterly Things to make a Chevron Love Slouch Hat and I’ve also got the Ombre Cable Hat in my queue. Hats are a quick and useful knit and I’d do well to remember that.
On the reading front, well, there hasn’t been a lot of time for reading . . . but the good news is that I’m (finally) reading a book that I love: Circe by Madeline Miller. I resisted this one despite the fact that so many of you read and loved it because it just didn’t appeal to me. In fact, I think I’ve gotten it twice through Overdrive and just returned it without evening starting it. Last week, though, I asked Kym and she was pretty certain I’d enjoy it and she was right. It’s great . . . a compelling story, a strong female protagonist, and descriptions so real you feel like you’re right there. I’m hoping to sneak in some knitting time in between prep for our Christmas Eve party because I am enjoying this one very much.
How about you? What are you knitting and reading this week? Be sure and head over to Kat’s to check in with everyone on the unraveled front.
I love how organized you are with your goals this year and next! I tend to knit what I feel like in the moment, with little thought to overall goals, and I’m really wondering if that’s part of why I seem to not be completing as many things as I’d like. I need to put some thought into 2019 knitting, right after I finish another pair of fingerless mitts today.
I like your to-knit list—it’s full of patterns that are the kind I can knit socially. Love it! I queued Party If Five , maybe I’ll finally knit an impulse buy if angradient Kit I bought too long ago .
This week is a dance between finishing up a stocking to welcome my nephew’s fiancée to our family Christmas celebration, and all the food for my share of Christmas dinner. I also need to decide on a knitting pattern for a hat for a new knitter to learn. Suggestions welcomed.
I love your Year in Color image! And, thank you for sharing such fun links and fun knits! My guess is that you will easily get that hat for Jackie done and I can’t wait to see him model it! XO
Carole, I love your Stopover. That’s a nice sweater! It certainly looks like it needs a repeat. You must be a fast knitter, looking at your start/stop dates. I keep reading recommendations for Circe, but like you, it just didn’t appeal to me. Based on your recommendation, I will look at it in the New Year. I am knitting a celtic wrap-around shawl and not reading anything significant, but the holiday prep keeps interfering with my plans! Have a great Wednesday, Carole.
Oooh, I love doing that Year of Colour! I don’t remember setting any goals about knitting, and don’t feel as though I’ve been very productive, but I did finish a long-idle WIP and that felt great! I am reading Bill Cunningham’s memoir (a few pages every 3-4 days at this point!).
I need to check that color of the year. The Peace cowl gets more peaceful after you get to the small geese and the pattern is established. Mine will also be finished in January. I have a Stopover on the needles. I am ready to join the sleeves to the body which will be a Christmas break project.
I’m glad you’re enjoying Circe. I’ll certainly put it in my top 5 for the year. (And it’s not really my kind of book either but she’s pretty special.) And Go Carole! You’re a knitting machine! 🙂
You have some great knits in the your line-up, Carole! I just love that chevron hat/mitten set. It looks like great fun to knit (and wear). I’m feeling the need to knit a couple of hats, myself. . . I knit Lauren the Orbit shawl. It was lightning fast!!! A really great quick-knit. And I’m so glad you like Circe!!! XOXO
Like others, I think I need to re-look at Circe (it hasn’t appealed to me at all!). Your line up of projects looks like a lot of fun. LOVE the hat you are knitting for Jackie – can’t wait to see pictures of him in it!
I am surprised by how much I enjoyed Circe, too. I didn’t quite meet my Ravelry goal for the year but my projects were bigger.
I’m reading a cozy mystery. The whole family is sick with some form of ick, Sister, Parents, me so I’m not knitting on what I want to knit, don’t want to be near the germs. So I finished a hat and am working on a scarf/shawl for me. Hopefully in a week I will be back on the fun knitting.
Sounds like you have your knitting queue all lined up for 2019. Or at least some ideas for beginning. I usually toss the stash early in January – come up with project ideas and then knit many other things. Half the fun is in the scheming and planning – at least for me. Enjoy. I have socks, a shawl, and a pair of fingerless mitts on the needles. I am reading The Hello Girls – very interesting nonfiction – and The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, our bookclub selection for January.
I’m impressed with the variety of colors in your wheel … and how organized you are for next year (already!) Glad you’re loving Circe. I think it’s my favorite book of 2018!
Your color circle has what I would expect for you…color! Look at all the red! Yours is the best I’ve seen. You talk about so many other subjects here on the blog that I forget you’re always knitting. You have some nice projects knit for 2018 and planned for 2019! Circe is certainly my favorite for 2018. To read of strong women is just a thrill, but Circe is a complicated character and I found her amazing. (I also loved Song of Achilles, Miller’s first book.)
Sounds like you have a good plan for knitting in 2019. I’m hoping to either frog or finish what I have on the needles. There are several winter sweaters I “kitted” up before we moved so I’m hoping to tackle those in January/February. Most are worsted or chunky so if all goes well those will swooosh!