2009 Round up!

So 2009, you tried to make me pretty miserable and you mostly succeeded. My emotional state during your time was low and I found that I didn't blog that much. I kept telling myself, "Who wants to hear about THAT?" So thanks to you I did a lot of negative self-editing that I'm sure didn't help. Sometimes one needs a frowny-faced navel-gazing year and I guess this is how I will remember you.

But you couldn't have been all bad! This is probably going to be one of those wordy posts that you haven't seen from me in a while, soooooo get a snack and a stiff drink.

January: I start the year by going brunette. I jump into exercising. Work is busy but good. Ravelry introduced me to the Personal Sock Club and I jump in feet first (har-har!). I attempt my first short row heel and I dominate. I find my groove with the Tuesday knit night.

February: I catch the Death Cold and I knit through it. A man, who stabbed an off-duty police officer, gets arrested on my street and I witness it. I have a job interview for a place I would have loved to work but I fail to sell them on my amazing talents. They decide to hire someone else. I'm sad.

March: Starbucks took away my favorite bran muffin but the internet saved me. I head up to Tahoe for a girl's weekend. Because of a record snow drop, we almost get stuck on Donner Pass (yes, that Donner Pass), have issues with snow chains and traffic, resulting in a four hour trip taking over 8 hours. I kick ass and take names on the FO front with 5 projects already completed. February Lady Sweater puts me in a trance. I cook up a storm with mixed success - chocolate chip muffins are a disaster but the Indian feast was pretty much a success.

April: This month passed with not a significant note on the blog. I train to be a NERT. I plan a trip to Toronto and that makes me happy. However, that doesn't last long. My Grandmother's health begins to fail and my mother, not surprisingly, has a hard time dealing. I feel far away and small against the emotional waves that crash against me. To deal, I begin my secret X-Mas knitting. I stop exercising.

May: I continue to focus on knitting with 3 more FOs checked off and ignore the outside world. I find out I'm not allergic to anything (even though I still break out in hives and rashes). I go to Maker Faire.

June: I see an opera simulcast at AT&T Park. I make marshmallows. I jump on a plane to Toronto. While I'm gone my Grandmother passes away. Garage constructions starts in our building which means lots of jackhammers. I finally see David Byrne in concert. I don't blog. I continue to knit.

July: Paul's dad comes for a visit and it's difficult on many levels. We run into problems getting our taxes done. We start to panic. I still don't blog. I still knit. By the end of the month I have 15 FOs.

August: It's my birthday and I need a break. Paul takes me away for the weekend. We go to the the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, which is one of my favorite places. It was a well needed break. I go whale watching. I have another interview at another company I would have loveloveloved to work for. Once again, I fail to impress. I'm sad again. Still have issues with taxes. I still don't blog.

September: I head to my folk's place to give my mom some support. I jump back into blogging by announcing my Grandmother's death. I counter the sad news with a post on "what knitty.com means to me" inspired by Indigirl. An old friend who lives far away visits with his new girlfriend. I cook all day, we eat and catch up. Surprisingly the visit is much better and more relaxed than expected. I Ride The Duck as a mystery shopper. And I'm still knitting.

October: Two things I do that aren't surprising: I don't blog and I do knit. Work keeps my mind busy. Garage work starts getting sporadic as there is permit problems and the SF building department turn into wankers. I mystery shop two of the Ghirardelli Square cafes and I go into a sugar coma.

November: Michelle comes to visit! Thankfully work deadlines are pushed back so I can make an awesome itinerary. Sadly, I don't blog about it. However we do have a kick-ass time and I take some awesome photos. Paul and I celebrate Thanksgiving in Portland with an old friend. Ever had a turkey cooked on the BBQ grill basted in champagne? Well, you should. We also go wine tasting. By the end of the short trip my pants are tight.

December: I don't blog... and yes, I knit. I don't complete all the gifts I'd like to knit but I'm pleased with the final number. I get so pleased with my gifts that I forget to do holiday cards. Even though its far from complete, the garage gets a door and now its actually usable. Tax situation is still not completely taken care of but at least we're not panicking any more. Paul takes two weeks vacation so we can do fun things around town. He comes down with Hell Cold, flops around the house for more than a week and then hands the Hell Cold over to me. We celebrate Paul's birthday and ring in the New Year with homemade boeuf bourguignon, no-knead bread, beer and friends. I knit a cat sweater for my Portland friend's cat and make Elena try it on. I decide that I am not a nice person.

The way I want you, dear reader, to remember my 2009 is how awesome I was in the knitting department. 29 FOs, baby!

1. January is for Karen, 2. RPMs, 3. Generic Socks for Paul, 4. Sherbrooke Cowl, 5. Gloria Cowl, 6. February Lady Sweater, 7. Beatrice Bunny, 8. Generic Socks for Me, 9. Baby Booties #1, 10. Helena, 11. Baby Booties #2-#4, 12. Purple Purl shop sample, 13. Generic Socks for Paul #2, 14. Sunday Mittens, 15. Woodland Shawl, 16. Jaywalkers, 17. Herringbone Mittens, 18. Lavalette, 19. Just Enough Ruffles, 20. Springtime Bandit, 21. June is for Jag, 22. Embossed Leaves, 23. Father and Son Socks, 24. Foliage Hat, 25. Parrotfish Hat, 26. Bitterroot shawlette, 27. Cat Sweater

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

A record, for sure. And the best part? Most of them were gifts. In fact, only five of those projects stayed home with me. The other 24 were sent far and wide as baby welcoming, birthday and X-mas gifts. And it seemed that the recipients loved them (or so they said) and that was a lot more rewarding than I expected to be.

Happy Knit Year!

Now that I can't avoid 2009 any longer I thought I would try to welcome it with open arms and give it a big ol' squeeze. And I'm going to create a list of goals, not resolutions mind you, but just simple goals.

LIVING:
- travel to at least one new place (We were planning on going to New Zealand this year but with the economy taking a huge dump that has been put on hold)
- get back in touch with old friends
- stay in touch with friends who are far away
- learn something new (I like to do this every year anyway but it's nice to have it written down)

Simple, huh? I like to set goals that are attainable even if they seem a little too easy. It's amazing what life can do to a list of goals, right?

KNITTING

Now this isn't as simple as making a list, but maybe I'll try. I've had some anxiety over my stash the last year because I know (and admit) that I'm a slow knitter. I mean s-l-o-w. I keep telling myself that maybe I should learn continental but I'm a thrower and in some ways I like it like that.

I joined a new group on Ravelry called Stash Knit Down 2009 and with that I've been taking a long hard look at my stash over the last week. Almost at an obsessive rate - staying up late, ignoring work, blah, blah. And you know what I've determined? I got some pretty kick ass stuff in there. Dr. Steph blogged about her stash and it inspired me to actually measure what I got... well at least approximately. My stash contains 12km/7.5mi worth of yarn. That's basically the length of San Francisco (as the city forms a seven-by-seven-mile square). In 2008, I knitted somewhere in the 4,358 m/4,767 yards, or almost half the city's length. So basically if I don't buy anything I have about 3 years worth of yarn to knit. It's weird to think of it that way, but there it is. So my knitting goals for 2009:

- use the queue feature in Ravelry to keep focus of what I want to knit.
- participate in the Personal Sock Club organized by the stash down group
- actually do some gift knitting (the biggest shocker!)

That's it! I won't say that I'm not going to buy anything, nor am I going to say I can't stray from my queue or anything harsh like that. I just need focus and I like lists... so there.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years and that '09 brings good cheer, great health and fabulous times!

2008 Round up!

Another year has gone by and it's time for a little bit of reflecting. It's a bit wordy this year, do you have your snack and beverage of choice? Excellent! Let's begin:

January: Do you guys remember the kitchen reno that started back in May '07? I had forgotten about it too, but clearly we were still working on it. The microwave/range hood had its coming out (of the basement) party. I learn how to drop spindle by the fabulous Lorraine but don't get bit by the bug. I attempt to learn how to snowboard but FAIL. I finish four projects - a record month!

February: I complete my first real lace project. I continue posting about my Thriller obsession.

March: I have a bit of a winter meltdown. I'm in Southern California for work and then I pop up to San Francisco to spend some time with a friend who's gone through a terrible breakup. I soak up the weather and try cheer up my friend the best I can. While I'm gone Paul is contacted by his old department at the San Francisco Chronicle asking if he knows someone with a "certain" skill set. Paul calls me and wonders how he should respond since we're just hitting our groove in Toronto and loving it (except for the bleakness of the winter, I was still wrastlin' with that.) We decide that we'd regret not at least getting the dialogue started. Within four days The Chron makes an offer we can't refuse.

April: April 1st was Inexplicable Knitter Behaviour Day to commemorate the Yarn Harlot's latest book launch. She and Rachel H devised a photo scavenger hunt that Michelle and I dominated. Michelle and I also taught our first (and last) joint beginner photography class for bloggers and Ravelers at In The Loop Café. I learned to crochet! I officially announce I'm moving back to SF (not the highlight of the month). I host a babeh shower for Sandi where we give her a community knitted/crocheted baby blanket. If I may say so myself, the blanket is gorgeous.

May: The cogs that are The Move start to turn. We must have finished all the kitchen renovations as we put the House of Sammon on the market and begin culling stuff left and right. Paul leaves at the end of the month and I start to feel pretty overwhelmed.

June: House of Sammon sells. The CBC loses it's rights to the Hockey Night In Canada theme song. I get a haircut. I'm photographed for the 1,000 Knitters project. Michelle teaches me to sew and I make the cutest dragon pants you ever did see. Am I still talking about Thriller?! Lordy, I must be obsessed. I fly to SF to check out a place that we want to buy and find that we're a far way away from actually signing our names on the dotted line. I have a great trip anyway. I find that my fear of flying has diminished enough that I actually enjoy sitting by the window as opposed to the aisle. I create the ugliest WIP in the world - the bloody flesh scarf.

**Intermission - time to go for that pee break or refill of your favourite bevvie**

July: The Knitters throw one hell of a going away party for me... and they knit me a community blanket!! I pack like a fiend, eat lots of take out all month. Not surprisingly my pants don't fit by the end of the month. I hang out with The Knitters as much as possible. Paul is still trying to find us a place to live. We discuss living in a hotel that will take the cat out in Emeryville. We cringe at the idea but know its our only choice other than living in a cardboard box. In the 11th hour, Paul finds a sublet in the city for the month of August. My fight with the movers just begins. I exhale a little.

August: I leave for SF on the 1st. We're still in negotiations to buy. The sublet is in a great neighbourhood and has a quirky backyard but is incredibly dirty and FULL of animal hair. It looks like no one has cleaned in months or maybe even a year. My freelance work dries up. Old friends are busy. And I spend most of it alone in the less dirty (since I cleaned) apartment fighting with the moving company. I miss Toronto. Start an online photography class but don't do much with it. Then, it seems in a flash, negotiations are settled and we sign our names on the dotted lines and are able to move in. I continue to fight with the moving company but we get our stuff - not all in one piece, mind you.

September: Its a blur but I do remember a lot of boxes. My freelance boss contacts me and says that it looks like her department will be shut down. I panic.

October: Still has something to do with a lot of boxes but I at least get my head up for air occasionally. My freelance boss contacts me again and said that she has a ton of projects on her desk now and she has the perfect project for me. A meeting is hastily arranged and I'm less panicked knowing I'm going to be having some work.

November: I come back to Toronto for a week long visit. Michelle gets married! I see Cute With Chris Live! I see The Knitters (and their babies if applicable)! Obama gets elected!! After that I go back home for a week then I'm back on plane heading to North Carolina to visit my folks and celebrate my Grandma's 91st birthday. Work is overwhelming and I pull my hair out.

December: Still working like a madwoman but actually exhale fully. And I finally get the nerve to go to a knit night.

And now for everyone's favourite... the FOs of 2008!!

1. Wicked, 2. Awesome Snarkfest II, 3. (Not So) Hell(ish) Socks, 4. Huggable Toy, 5. Le Slouch II, 6. Seamesh Scarf, 7. Babeh Blanket for Sandi!, 8. Babeh Gift #2, 9. Babeh Gift #3, 10. Marching Monkey Madness, 11. Baby Booties for The Purple Purl, 12. Dragon Pants!, 13. Mermaid Vine Lace Vest, 14. Sweetpeas for Sweet Pea!, 15. Cottony Clap, 16. Roses for Michelle!, 17. Christmas Socks

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

2007 Round up!

Yee-haw! It's that time of the year where one reflects on the past. I never really bought into the whole resolution thing but it is nice to look back and see what was achieved. Or not. Depending.

January: I entered the New Year feeling quite terrible. A serious case of The Blahs. The dishwasher that Paul and I bought is delivered smack dab in the middle of our entryway. We began dreaming and scheming of a kitchen renovation that has an actual place for the dishwasher other than our entryway. I vowed to knit from my stash.

February: Still got the blahs but am slogging through. Begin to think that all this is because of the anxiety of the new house and all it's responsibilities. I think this because of the dream I had. It was weird. On a positive note, Sophie and I participate in the Not-So-Secret-Secret Pal exchange with one Ms. Snark. Friendships begin to form and a trip to Rhinebeck is planned. I finish my first project of the year.

March: I go on my first shoot as a freelancer for Guthy-Renker to Dayton, OH to shoot testimonials and extra footage for Zumba (if you click the link, you might want to mute your sound.). If you're interested in what I do or what Zumba is you can see a rough-cut promo here. I also traveled for fun. I went back to San Francisco for two weeks (although I was in bed with a nasty cold for 5 days). I also popped up to Portland for a couple days. It was heaven.

April: I modeled a few No Sheep For You sweaters on Breakfast Television. Broke my knit from my stash pledge.

May: The kitchen renovation began. I joined the Knitter's Tea Swap. I had one of my photographs exhibited in CONTACT as part of the urban explorers meet-up group. Won some yarn and bought more yarn.

June: I saw Evil Dead: The Musical. I co-captained the Central Team for the TTC Knit-A-Long and avoided any knitting disasters (although I did buy yarn). I took photos for Rocketbride's Vog 'On (cuff-down version) that were published in Summer edition of Knitty. And I got out of my funk.

July: The dishwasher was taken out of it's box (thus ending it's run as the most expensive entryway table) and inserted into the newly almost finished kitchen. Paul and I cook our first meal in over 11 weeks. I also lament that none of my pants fit although I continue to eat terrible, terrible food. I also started my first real lace project.

August: Are you still reading? You are truly sweet. I hug you! Anyhoo, not much happened in August except for my birthday and the removal of The Hedges. Now there is no reason for anyone to ask me if there is a ramp up to my front door.

September: Snarktember Sock-A-Long was declared and this is where I tackled toe-up magic loop socks for the first time.

October: My folks finally came to visit! And we enjoyed cooking a gigantic (Canadian) Thanksgiving for them and a few friends who were all leaving TO before the end of the year. I also enjoyed them (the parents, not the friends) doing many helpful things around the house. They didn't see much, nay, any of Toronto but they said they had a good time. Even though they insisted they wanted to work around my house, I still felt guilty that it wasn't more of a touristy visit. I mailed my Snarktember Socks to Sharon so she could give them to Lorena. There was no surprise that she was surprised. Paul, Sophie and I made good on the promise of meeting our internet friends at Rhinebeck. And our murphy bed tried to eat our cat sitter while we were gone. (She's fine. Now.)

November: The Shadow Collective was formed and the first photography show was hung. I "met" Rick Mercer. The The Purple Purl opened.

December: I don't remember much about December, except for the flight back to TO where I sat next to a young taxidermist (but that's another story), because I was at The Purple Purl for most of it. Leaving 2007 behind feeling much better and much more loved than I did at the start.

The year had it's ups and downs, of course. Regrets were inevitable and memories were ingrained. Friendships were happily formed and sadly lost. Life. It happened. And I'm glad I got to experience it.

Now for the Finished Object list. I have to say that once again it's not that impressive. But who am I kidding, right? This is not a race so it doesn't really matter. I'm just happy I can say, "I made this."

1. Corn Socks, 2. The Purple Purl's Hat, 3. Mom's Sunflower Tam, 4. Pimlico Shrug, 5. Snarktember Socks, 6. Booties, booties, booties (aw, yeah!), 7. Clap-O-Cap, 8. Magic Loop Socks, 9. Clappy Scarf for DKC, 10. Tithe Sweater, 11. Angora Baby Booties

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Anti-Theme for 2006

LadyLungDoc did a nice little "Roundup of 2006" and since finishing projects was not my theme for 2006 I thought it would still be fun to list out what I've completed.

1. Angora Baby Booties (finished January 8th), 2. & 3. Paul's Socks (finished January 29th), 4. Blackberry Sweater (finished May 17th), 5. Clapotis (finished September 19th), 6. Tit-Bit (finished October 7th)

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Geez, what a lame list! This doesn't include a second Tit-Bit (that I finished a week after the first), two sets of arm warmers (the only Xmas gifts) and the Gypsy Shawl. A total of nine items. Blah!

Maybe I can take a look to see what my "2007 Roundup" could possibly include.... let's see... Tithe Sweater, Huggable Toy Bear, arm warmers (for Paul!), 2 pairs of Angora Baby Booties, Lace Wings (for Kyra!), Very Cherry, Orangina, Hell Socks, Kitty Hat, Clapotis Hat, Lé Slouch, Fitzgerald Sweater (for Paul!), Wooly Bully sweater, Ubernatural, two sets of mittens and 4 pairs of socks. That's all I can think of off the top of my head. And not too ambitious of a goal. I don't think. (I want my mommy.