I had such good intentions to be a better blogger this year, and here it is, March 7, and I'm just making my first post of the year. Ah well, better late than never. My main excuse was that I was going to wait until I'd blocked the many pretty shawls that I've finished lately and then post them all to the blog. It now looks like if I wait for that to happen, it won't. Seems like I'm not getting a lot accomplished lately, mostly due to being distracted by barn things. Still, no excuses, I'll just press on.
Maybe a good place to start would be to give you my yearly list of all the knitting I finished in 2011. Here goes:
- 1 afghan
- 2 baby hats
- 4 baby sweaters
- 1 cowl
- 3 hand towels
- 2 chemo caps
- 4 adult hats
- 12 lace shawls/shawlettes
- 5 lace scarves
- 12 scarves/shawlettes
- 4 pairs of socks (I know!!!)
- 1 pullover sweater
- 1 toy elephant
- 1 long vest
- 4 dish cloths
That should add up to 57 items, most of which have photos you can see in my Ravelry projects. I have every intention of getting the rest of the photos up (I think there are five or six other things) soon. But you know what they say about good intentions.... And I do not know what is up with the low number of socks knitted this year, except to say that I've fallen under the spell of the one skein of sock yarn shawlette. I love knitting lace, and it's a great way to use the vast quantity of sock yarn in my stash.
Turning to the philosophical, I've been thinking back over 2011. It seems that every new year, I say, "This year HAS to be better than the last." But you know what, odds are it won't. Most likely, it will be the same - full of highs and lows; biths, deaths, and marriages; trips to new places and the same, boring old ones. And that's ok, because that's what life is all about So, instead of regrets and sadness for much of what 2011 dealt me, I'm embracing the memories and looking forward to what lies ahead. I can guess what a lot of it will be, but it's the unknown, good and bad, where the adventures and lessons bloom. I'm ready to harvest them!
Since I was here last, I celebrated my 60th birthday with a lovely dinner with friends on September 19. I spent a wonderful four days with my dear friend Katie in Kansas City in September, as well, and then lost her only a few weeks later. I still miss her terribly, but am so happy that she is no longer suffering. I have nothing but happy memories of her, and that's really what is most important. In October, I went to SAFF with friends and had a lovely time, except for getting really, really sick that Sunday. We had gone into Asheville to attend the big craft show, and I spent the them there huddled in a corner. I guess it was something sinus related, but I was in pain and just miserable. My friends were so supportive, and got me home with only one quick stop by the side of the road needed, ifyouknowwhatImean. Urp. At the end of October, I went up to Alexandria to see Jim and attend the Washington International Horse Show. It was awesome! We saw a horse and rider jump a 7 foot wall!!! Thanksgiving and Christmas were both the usual fairly small family affairs, and Santa was very good to me. The yearly Knitters Holiday Party at my house in early December was the best, as always, and I also had the opportunity that month to ride in my very first Mounted Quadrille performance with the team at our barn (here's a link to my flickr site - you can see photos and short videos of the performance.) Like last year, I went up to Alexandria to spend New Year's with Jim. We didn't do anything particularly exciting, but it was a nice visit and we had a lovely New Year's Eve with dinner at a fun restaurant and then a laser show at the Washington Masonic Memorial, which is just two blocks from his apartment. Now I just need to buckle down and get photos of all these trips onto Flickr. So much to do - so little time!
2012 has starated out with lots of barn activities revolving around my post as membership director for the Conservancy, and being on a committee to draft new barn regulations and operating procedures. I'm there riding every day but Sunday, too. Just last weekend, I rode in my first clinic. A visiting trainer came to the barn and gave individiual critiques and help for the seven of us who signed up. I wasn't going to do it, but a friend had to have surgery and she talked me into taking her place. It was a fabulous experience. I learned so much from my many mistakes, and am already looking forward to being able to do it again next year, if not before, should the opportunity present itself. I always say the only thing I'm perfect at is imperfection, and I embrace learning from my mistakes - it's the only way to grow! Here's a photo of my clinic partner, Silverado, rockin' his braided mane. His tail was very cool, too. Thanks to Julie and Katrina for making him look so handsome!
Of course, I'm still knitting, but not completing as much as I would like. Currently, I'm working on a pullover, using some wonderful yarn spun from some fleeces I bought at SAFF a few years ago. It's a combination of corriedale and alpaca, but with the weather as it is, I'm betting it will be too hot to wear by the time I complete it. I only have the sleeves to do, so I'll try to finish in the next week or so and hope for a brief cold snap. I do have a sock on the needles, but I'm not happy with it, so it's been sitting in limbo for a couple of months. Once I finish the little scarf I'm also knitting, maybe I'll get back to it, unless the call of the shawlettes is too strong!
Ok, so I think I'm all caught up here. Now we can start a pool to bet on whether I will or will not be a more consistent blogger. All I can say is, I'll do my best. And since a blog is not a blog without photos, here are a couple more for you.
Another favorite horse, Chino.
And of course, Mittens and Socks, checking out the neighbor's cat.
Wow! You might think you didn't get much knitting done, but that's pretty impressive! As are you riding exploits. I look forward to more posts!
Posted by: Lorette Meske | March 10, 2012 at 09:29 PM
WOW such a newsy post!!! dont even know where to start. First of all, congrats on all the finishes. and yes it was surprising to see only 4 pairs of socks finished but its not as if you dont have a drawer full so I'd say you were safe. Second jumping a 7 foot wall?!?!? I didnt know that was possible!!!! Amazing. And third, mittens and socks are gorgeous cats.
Posted by: Lynn Howell | March 08, 2012 at 03:45 PM
Silverado is quite the handsome fellow.
Congrats on all those knitting finishes. It is good to see you back in blogland.
Posted by: Dee K | March 07, 2012 at 08:32 PM