2022 - End of year wrap up and reflections

Previous years here: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016

That was quite a year! I started powerlifting and competed twice. My boss died and I've been doing her job. I lost a cat and gained a cat. We went on an epic multi-day hike and loved it. And throughout it all, I read and knitted.

At the end of last year I said I wanted to read more sci-fi and fantasy, and I feel like I did that. This year I joined Kindle Unlimited and got quite a lot of value from it. Other than that, it was the usual mix of fiction, a little bit of non-fiction, romance and some review books, although my reviewing seems to have slowed to a trickle.

In knitting I completed 50 projects, for a total of 20,386 meters. I went to three year festivals and had a very good time with my knitting friends. I also, finally learnt to crotchet properly and had a lot of fun (especially when I had Covid) making squares. Maybe in 2023 I'll put the squares together into a blanket.

This year I discovered Aussies knitting for War Affected Kids (AWWAK) an organisation that sends packages to kids in Syrian refugee camps. I knit 15 things for them. I have an informal goal to knit at least 12 charity items each year.

I kept the sock knitting under control, with 7 pairs, three of which were given away as gifts. next year I am planning 6 pairs of two colour slip stitch socks, as well as refreshing my sneaker liners.

The stash is a little large, sitting at 25,669 meters over 34 entries. I'm not quite sure how it got that high, I haven't been stress shopping. i guess the yarn festivals, and Dani keeps dying amazing yarn, which I've been buying in doubles. I love pretty much all of it, and my oldest yarn is from March 2021, so nothing has been sitting around too long. That number includes two and a half kilometers of left over sock yarn (LOSY) which I plan to reduce by knitting for charity.

Wishing you joy and peace in your crafting and non-crafting endeavours.

Comments

Linky Wednesday - 3/2024

It's been a bit of a week. Because of my hand , I can't really knit, so I'm doing some charity crocheting: It's quite fun, but also I'm halfway through a shrug for myself, and I'd rather be knitting. Oh well, we can't always get what we want! In reading, I'm reading Stargazy Pie , the next Victoria Goddard. This is a comedy of manners and lots of things happen. I can't say I feel deeply about any of them, but that's not the point. It's fun. I'm listening to Elin Hilderbrand's The Five-Star Weekend . It's got a lot of characters, and it took me while to get into it, but now I'm invested. Women's fiction at it's finest. Next up is a review book Tidelines by Sarah Sasson. Great cover. It's Australian, and you know how I love a local book (although I think it's set, or at least starts in Sydney). It's described as a coming of age novel, and I love those too, so it sounds like a winner. I just re-read t...

Geogradiant MKAL Part 1 - that was unexpected (spoilers)

Stephen West released the first MKAL clue on Thursday night. I started knitting it without looking at spoilers. When I got up on Friday he had sent through an "alternative" clue one. I then went and had a look at the spoiler thread to try to work out what was going on. Which was that some people thought the pattern looked like a "German hate symbol". I knit on anyway, since I was half-way through. Then he took down the original clue, replacing it with a mitred square in garter stitch. The Ravelry forums and Instagram are a complete shit-show, even though Rav is being moderated. It's been a bit disheartening, having something that is usually quite light and fun weighed down with all this. I admire Stephen's quick and sensitive response to this drama. I also feel that anything can look like anything if you squint. To me this looks like a Celtic knot. I think mine is pretty, and I'll knit on through all crises.

Linky Wednesday - the one with the pause

In meditation it's said that the pause between the in breath and the out breath is a gap, a space to rest. Well, I'm in that in-between space for reading, listening and knitting. This is a random photo of a highlight of my week - I filled up my lolly jar. These are just supermarket party mix. During the lockdowns, we sources a great pick-and-mix delivery service, but at some point they started sending from the UK, which is a bit silly. Rachey messaged me a new one she found, and I impulsed purchased a kilo of mixed lollies, and then she sent me a link to the biggest lolly shop in Melbourne, which also delivers sweets by the kilogram, so i think I'm sorted for the rest of the year! In reading I've just finished The Beckoning Lady by Margery Allingham . It's the second last book in the Summer of Mystery, and I have to admit, having now read nine Margery Allingham books, that they are OK. I wouldn't have read them if they were not connected to this club, but on...

What I made, by Sharon

Search This Blog