Tag Archives: new year

2013 Goals ~ I’m ready, Are You?

Today is a bit of reflection and a bit of getting ready for the good changes that are coming.  I want to thank you all for such a wonderful year, your support and encouragement and most of all, your friendship.  I feel that I have found many kindred spirits here in the fiber world and I’m so grateful to have all of you talented people in my life.  Every day I’m in awe at the talent, the creativity, the support and the pure enjoyment that each of you share with each other. ~ December  31, 2011

Happy New YearAs I sit here writing this post today, I can’t believe I said that just a year ago and I have to say, it still rings true today.  I’m so blessed to have found so many kindred spirits in the crafting world and I’m so very grateful to have been able to get to know quite a few of you on a personal level.  In case you don’t know, you all ROCK!

I’ve been really thinking about my goals for this year and I have decided that I want to incorporate a few more things into my year than just knitting or spinning.  I want to branch out a bit and go back to doing a few things I once loved doing before I was bitten by the knitting bug.  I think being well rounded in crafting is a good thing and the more you know, the more you grow and the ore creative you become.

Like last year,  I plan to revisit my goals and resolutions every quarter and see what I’ve managed to finish.  This should be fun, as well as very challenging.

So, here I go …..

Resolutions: 

  • God and Family first!
  • Get healthy,  loose weight and feel better!
  • Spend more time in the garden.
  • Read more books.

Goals:  Last year I vowed to stash bust, I did not do a very good job at that so this year is the year of stashing busting!

  • I have discovered that wearing hand knit socks make one feel cozy.  With that in mind, I plan to knit at least four pairs of socks this year.
  • Sweaters are a must in my wardrobe this year, as well as vests and cardigans.  Since I have plenty of yarn in my stash, this year I plan to focus on knitting at least two pullover sweaters, two cardigans and three vests.  I’ve started matching patterns with stash yarn and needless to say my Ravelry queue is growing by leaps and bounds.
  • KALs are a great way to have fun but I need to make sure before I join a KAL, it’s really something I want to pursue and really want to challenge myself to knit.  Mystery KALs will be the ticket for me this year ~ everyone needs a bit of mystery in their lives, right?
  • Spinning down my fiber stash is a huge thing for me this year.  With the help of my two spinning pals, I know I can be motivated to achieve this goal.
  • Complete at least two embroidery projects.
  • Complete at least two quilting projects – wall quilts and runners will be my focus this year.
  • Learning is an on-going goal for me and I’ve already signed up with two new Craftsy classes that I can’t wait to start.
  •  I plan provide more reviews for books, fibers and yarns, as well as other fun crafts that I might decide to learn.

Sigh…. that looks like a lot and it might be more than I can handle for the year but you never know, I do love a challenge!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Another fresh new year is here . . . Another year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, To love and laugh and give!  This bright new year is given me To live each day with zest . . . To daily grow and try to be My highest and my best! I have the opportunity Once more to right some wrongs, To pray for peace, to plant a tree, And sing more joyful songs! – William Arthur Ward

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Filed under All Knitting, Embroidery, spinning

2011 in review ~ Another Amazing Year to Me!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for my blog and I was rather amazed and want to again say thank you to my followers.

I was thrilled to see that I’ve doubled my visitors and my followers from this time last year !!!

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 150,000 times in 2011. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 6 days for that many people to see it.

How did they find me?

Some visitors came searching, mostly for peacefully knitting, crochet bags, knitting, jane austen knits, and crochet bag.

Where did my visitors come from?

Most visitors came from the United States.  However,  Canada and the United Kingdom were not far behind.

What was the most commented post?

The most commented on post in 2011 was Wednesday’s Pattern – The Weekend Shawl

Attractions in 2011

These are the posts that got the most views in 2011, and a few of these posts were written before 2011.  Maybe I should consider revisiting a few of these topics!

All I can say is, I couldn’t have done this without ALL OF YOU.  So thank you so much and I hope that I can continue to inspire you!

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Filed under Review, Stuff

A Brand New Beginning….. 2012 Here I Come!

Today is a bit of reflection and a bit of getting ready for the good changes that are coming.  I want to thank you all for such a wonderful year, your support and encouragement and most of all, your friendship.  I feel that I have found many kindred spirits here in the fiber world and I’m so grateful to have all of you talented people in my life.  Every day I’m in awe at the talent, the creativity, the support and the pure enjoyment that each of you share with each other.

I am so honored and so blessed to be part of such a wonderful network of knitters and fiber artists, who are geniune, caring, supporative, encouraging and very unselfish of sharing their time, talent and knowledge with others.

So, as we get ready to embark on another brand new year, many of us form resolutions and goals.  For me, this coming year will be a year of renewal and I’m ready to embrace what comes my way.  I’m also very goal oriented and have a few things I want to accomplish over the upcoming year and thought I would share my goals, and my resolutions, with you, which will hold me accountable and insure that I keep track.  I plan to revisit my goals and resolutions every quarter and see what I’ve managed to finish.  This should be fun, as well as very challenging.

So, here I go …..

Resolutions:  God and Family first!

  • Bring more spirituality into my life
  • Spend more quality time with my husband and family
  • Spend less and save more – yes, this means I’m going on a “fiber” diet next year.
  • Spend more time outside gardening and less time indoors surfing the net.
  • Read more, create more and spend less time on the computer.

Goals: 

2012 is a stash busting year!  This is just a “small” portion of what needs to be used before I buy anything else.  Of course, this does not include my stash of fiber for spinning.

  • Knit at least 4 pairs of socks
  • Knit at least 8 shawls – I joined Romi’s lovely Pins & Lace Club, this will ensure I do this!
  • Knit at least 4 lace scarves
  • Knit 2 sweaters – one for me and one for my Mom
  • Create at least 6 new designs to include, hats, scarves and wraps
  • Learn new techniques such as two a time socks, Fair Isle/Colorwork, toe up socks
  • Development an understanding of lace knitting and hone my skills
  • When I join KALs (knit along) or SALs (spin along), I will be dedicated and I will finish what I start
  • Spin more fiber to create gorgeous handspun for knitting projects – I now have 3 wheels and they need to be put to use!  I joined the Raverly Group, 12 in 2012 , which has a goal to  spin 12 pounds of fiber over the year and I belong to the Spin a Shawl group.  I think both will help with this goal.

I end my post today with a poem that was passed on to me by a fellow co-worker the end of the day on Friday.  When I ready this poem, I thought “this is perfect, this is what I truly need to accomplish in the New Year”.

RECIPE FOR NEW YEAR’S PUNCH

Take yourself, peel off layers of egotism and self-pity, cut out seeds of
unkind thoughts and unhappy emotions.
Remove all prejudices and worries.
To this add one firm belief that life’s worth living.
Mix well with one practical idea that you are somebody.
Season with a sense of humor and optimism.
Sweeten with love.
Then add one strong determination to live at your highest every hour of the
day, come what may.
Let effervesce for 365 days.
Garnish with smiles and pleasant words.
Serve with gentleness and courage.
Note the effect.
(Author unknown)

Happy New Year everyone!

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Filed under All Knitting, Stuff