2012 goals recap and 2013 goals

2012's goals were not extremely successful so I'm having a hard time knowing what to set for this year.

Goals from 2012:
1) not buy any yarn. I definitely ended up buying yarn, but I thought about what to get before purchasing, which was better than just getting random skeins at whim. I thought, what can I make with this yarn? And if I could think of a good project, I bought it.

2) knit up as much as I can/want from my stash. I knit 21 projects in 2012, and 11 of them were from stashed yarn purchased before 2012. The rest were from yarn I bought for the project or received through the Tanis Fiber Arts Year In Colour Club.

3) knit up a number of last year's Tanis Fiber Arts' club patterns. I wasn't very successful with this one. I didn't knit any projects from last year's club, and only 1 from this year's. The yarn and patterns were great, but I was always knitting something else.

I've thought about my 2013 goals and I'm going to keep them specific but simple:
1) finish animal cross stitch I have been neglecting for 5 years!
2) continue to knit up yarn from stash
3) knit at least 1 sweater

I think these are feasible goals.

For 2012, I managed to knit 8 scarves/shawls/cowls, 2 pairs of legwarmers, 1 ipod cozy, 3 pairs of mittens, 2 sweaters, 1 baby sweater, 1 pair of socks, and 3 hats. Here's a collage of some of those finished projects.

2011 Goals: Almost Year-End Update

My goals for 2011 have been coming along slowly. I blogged about my goals for the year back in February. You can read the post here.

Knitting:
1) I have still only knit 1 project from Tanis Fiber Arts' Year In Colour 2011 Club. There is a KAL in January, so I'm hoping to get one of the projects done. I happily signed up for a second year of Tanis' wonderful yarn, and cannot wait for my last 2011 shipment. It will be a pattern by Kristen Kapur! So exciting.
2) I knit 3 of the 19 projects with the KAL. I began a 4th, but didn't like the pattern, so I frogged it. I did manage to purchase almost all yarn needed to complete knitting my way through the book.
3) I matched up most of my stash so far with patterns. There are still a few I'm not sure about because I don't know how the yarn will knit up. I will have to knit up a test before deciding. I've knit up 2 items from my stash yarn.

Cross-stitch:
1) I still haven't touched my cross-stitch. I'm hoping when my new craft room is set up, I will be able to spend some time on this, but it may be in 2012.

Sewing:
1) I still haven't hemmed those trousers yet, but I did hem a pair of jeans, make curtains for our new place, hemmed others, and made a small bag to carry my knitting notions in. I'm feeling more comfortable behind the sewing machine, and hemming those trousers will be next.

Update: 2011 Goals

I've not been doing too well with my goals this year so far, and I'm going to get behind on them even more now. I completed two socks from Cookie A's new book, Knit.Sock.Love, but I think I need a break from the sock knitting for a little while. I haven't completed my first project from Tanis' Year in Colour, and I've already received the second shipment!! I keep buying more yarn for making socks, and not using what's in my stash! I've been pretty good at matching up patterns with my stash though.

My cross-stitch goal has not been worked on at all.

My sewing goal has progressed, I've hemmed a pair of jeans! Next stop... trousers.

This weekend my friends from work and I are going on an Ottawa area yarn blitz before our friend E to return to Saskatoon. I'm hoping to get some yarn for socks, shawls and sweaters.

Goals for 2011

My knitting goals for 2011
1) I joined Tanis Fiber Arts' Year In Colour club. Knit all yarn which arrives with patterns provided.
2) I bought Cookie A's new book Knit.Sock.Love and joined a KAL group for it on Ravelry. Knit all socks in the book with the group. This will bring me into 2012.
3) Complete matching up my stash with patterns and knit at least 3 items.

My cross-stitch goals for 2011
1) Complete my current project

My sewing goals for 2011
1) Learn how to hem pants

Aida, The Garden Fairy

I decided to post a photo of my largest and most complex cross-stitch ever done (to date). I completed this project in 2007, and it took me 3 years to do.

It is Mirabilia's Aida, The Garden Fairy #41 pattern by Nora Corbett, stitched on 32-count (or maybe it was 24-count?) Aida, with DMC floss, Kreinik metallic floss, and Mill Hill beads. I didn't use the recommended linen as I have never worked with it and wasn't sure if I could get my stitches even.

Here's some detail from the garland she is holding... many many beads were used in this pattern, small seed beads, glass beads of leaves and flowers and crystal ones of teardrops.
The next large one I will do of Mirabilia's will be Titania, Queen of the Fairies #38. It took me years to find a copy of this pattern, and I finally did when I visited Nanaimo, B.C. last year. I found it in a small shop called The Stitcher's Muse.