Thursday, January 01, 2009

The year in review.

I started January of 2008 with good intentions, and finished the sleeve of Innsvinget Ganser.

It never got sewn in, but I did finish it. That counts for something, I guess.


I learned to spin, or at least BEGAN learning to spin... I'm sure it's a lifetime thing.


I got my first iPod, and my second, which either drags me into the 21st century kicking and screaming, or makes me the last, oldest, person in the world to have one.


I hand-spun and knit a seamless sweater, which I promptly killed while trying to felt it in the washing machine; this was the only wear it got before going into the trash.

So I promptly made another one.



I interviewed the husbeast about my knitting, and he was his usual amusing self.


I felted a couple bowls, which I think was the only felted project this year that actually worked.


The felted bag I tried to make for a friend became a cat bed after something went horribly wrong in the washing machine... as usual.



I discovered Herbert Niebling (Alwen's fault), went on a rampage of pattern-buying, and found myself translating knitting patterns from German.




I developed a knitted crown pattern (link in the sidebar, under 'patterns').




I knit a BSJ that's still lurking in the Yarn Pit, apparently for the hell of it... Does anyone remember me knitting this? I've got vague memories but without the photo and the thing in the closet I don't think there'd be a scrap of brain spark over it.



And I hand-dyed, hand spun, and knit one of Norah Gaugahn's hexagonal jackets. For me.



Otherwise, I survived raising a three year old, musical doctors at the Air Force base, carpet beetles, and anonymous hate comments from Fifth Avenue (I don't think that last one will ever get old). All together, for me, it was a fairly good year. Reasonably good health, reasonably stable finances, good books, good wool, good friends.

Oh, and we went from this:

To this:

Which kind of makes my head hurt, but it's the natural scheme of things, so I try to roll with it. (That's my brother's wife and son in the second photo with her; my nephew is the Goober's favorite family member, and it's entirely mutual. He's wonderful with her.)

Due to the husbeast's upcoming retirement in September of 2009, we already know this coming year is probably gonna suck. Even if everything falls out exactly as we planned and he gets a dream job and we get a dream house, we still have to move hundreds or thousands of miles and he has to change jobs and the Goober and I have to entirely shift our routines. Even with good results, the process is stressful. So brace for more bitching in the coming year.

If that's possible.


Here's to health, good fortune, and good knitting in 2009, for all of us.

12 comments:

amy said...

Happy New Year! I hope the moving is as calm and smooth as possible. (I hate moving. I plan to stay here forever. When my husband tells me the house isn't quite big enough for three kids I cover my ears and say NANANANANA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!)

Tina - omme i London said...

Happy new year to you and yours. 2009 will be a great year - I'm sure of it. :)

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year!

Allison said...

But at least you'll be leaving behind all those wonderful bugs of the swampy south -- provided y'all aren't silly enough to move further south.

Liz said...

Congrats on the sleeve (way more than I've managed on my long-term project in the last year) and the daughter-raising; and thanks for the blog. Best wishes to all of you including Sekhmet in 2009 and hope things work out the best they can...

Anonymous said...

Hi. I'm usually a lurker but I just had to tell you that I am older than you and still do not have an Ipod. I have a 13 year old daughter who has one, an 11 year old daughter who has one and a husband who has two. I have no desire to become reliant on the computer for yet another thing in my life. The radio works fine for me. Happy New Year to you and your family.

Carolyn

Saren Johnson said...

Happy New Year... Hope your dreams come true.

Amy Lane said...

Bless you-- I hope the next year goes smoothly and that there are no carpet beetles to speak of in your next destination! (Although we'll be here should that happen!)

I'd, uhm, forgotten about Sekhmet's bed... (still laughing softly...)

roxie said...

Your bitching is so amusing that I almost look forward to it. It's a guilty pleasure on my part, because I DO feel for you, but you are such a CREATIVE whiner!

Alwen said...

I still don't have an iPod. And I love the cat bed.

And my verification word is "miceth".

I'll totally take the blame for introducing you to Neibling - it's nice to share. I'm not much for production, but I'm hell on wheels when it comes to research and spreading the word.

Donna Lee said...

Maybe the husbeast's new company will pay to have you moved? That would be way cool. Still stressful but less work.

Happy New year! May the new year be whiney but productive. I'll whine about how productive you are despite having an adventurous 3 year old.

Anonymous said...

here's wishing the husbeast a highly successful job hunt and all of you a smooth move to a location with a more comfortable climate and far fewer bugs.

and don't worry, julie -- as long as you have a goober, and as long as vogue knitting keeps publishing, there will be enough to bitch about!

and remember: as my x-navy x-huz always said, "if you ain't bitching, you ain't happy!"

(and as for felting, may ONLY those things you wish to felt do so!)