Do Over! - Happy New Year 2011!

Happy New Year! New Year always feels like a bit of a "do over" to me. Not in the creepy Groundhog's Day sort of stuck in the same again and again, but in the Tabula Rasa (Clean Slate) sort of way. You take stock of the year that has finished, celebrate the successes, learn from the mistakes, evaluate your personal growth, and look forward with hope & optimism to the year ahead where it all both continues and starts over at the same time! The way I see it, we are all just works in progress until we die, but that may just be how I see it. I'm always excited about the opportunity for progress, even when the progress is a little more challenging and painful, because it usually results in learning, growth, change, and joy too.

The holidays were a bit of a mixed bag for me this year. I was more unprepared for the holidays this year than I've ever been. I'm trying to give myself a break, remind myself that not everything can be perfect every year, and figure out how I'll do things differently the next time around. There was some really wonderful stuff this holiday season though too!

These beautiful people are my parents. In 2010 they both turned 75, dad in April and mom on December 24th. Also, December 19, 2010 was their 40th Wedding Anniversary. So, we had a little party for their Ruby Jubilee (how often in life do you get to use the term Ruby Jubilee? I couldn't pass this opportunity up!)! This photo was taken at the Ruby Jubilee party. We had 28 of us all together and we had a lot of fun!

I've shown this quilt top before - it is the quilt I made for Kieran for Christmas. This was after it was quilted though...

Here's the back. I didn't do the quilting, I had someone else, more experienced, help me with that part. But I did the binding, which I need some instruction on. It works, but it certainly isn't the prettiest binding you'll ever see!

I've shown this quilt top before too, it's the quilt I made for Alastar for Christmas. This is after it was quilted though too...

Here's the back. I did the not so pretty binding on this one too. I really like how both of them, in spite of the binding, turned out. They are really nice! I did not have these ready for the boys on Christmas Day, despite my best efforts. That bothered me a bit. They received them on December 27th.

Here they are with the quilts. They don't seem to mind that it's December 27th after all...

My other big Christmas regret is that I didn't get my father's gloves done. I'm still working on these. This one bothers me the most because my dad hasn't and doesn't ask for much from me. He did ask for some gloves though and I've really been struggling with them. I got the wrist and palm part done in no time. It's the fingers! I really don't enjoy knitting them, they are awkward, and so I procrastinate on them. I'm working on it though and will hopefully have them done soon!

This is going to be the next quilt I will make. I'm taking a class that my BKFF took last spring, Easiest Strip Quilt Ever class. I'm not taking this class until April though. The other quilting class I'm taking in April is on how to do binding correctly. I need that! I'm finishing one mending project and then I'm putting my machine away for a couple of months. I want to focus more on knitting. I'm a little sewed out right now.

But, I really like the colors in this Jelly Roll and I thought it would make a bright, fun, and easy quilt, so I figured why not? By April I'll be ready again. Maybe I'll finish the Kuspuk I started for myself...

This is one of 5 hats I'm knitting for belated Christmas gifts for small heads...

This is a cowl for a good friend...for Christmas...obviously...

This is another cowl for a family member...for Christmas...again, obviously...

This cute little yarn roll that reminds me of sushi is going to be a hat for a friend who is having a baby in February.

Upon reflection, I did get some major projects accomplished in 2010. I finished 2 sweaters, both from stash, and both turned out lovely. I got some more charity hats knit, all from stash. I made my first kuspuk and I sewed 3 quilts on my new sewing machine. I also knit a hat for myself, unusual, published my first knitting pattern, and knit a piece of lace that turned out so nice that the person who wrote the pattern asked me about it. That's pretty amazing! All in all a pretty accomplished year on the project front, even if I didn't get all done that I wanted to.

Looking ahead, I need to finish up the stuff that was intended for 2010. Once I get the fingers on the gloves done I think the rest will go quickly! My main goal for 2011 - is to recapture my sock mojo. I've lost it for some time now, I tried to regain it in the summer, but that didn't work out. I'm thinking that I want to make 2011 the year of socks! And if I start right away at the beginning-ish of the year, it could be socks for one and socks for all next holiday! I'll just hang on to all the socks and then I'll have my gifts all done...this could work....it's certainly worth a try! Right now though, I think I'll do a little of this:
Here's my sweet boy all tuckered out and snoozing on mom's side of the bed! He's really good a napping, that's a lesson I could learn from Winston! Happy New Year everyone! Tonight's the night when the world begins again! My Sweet Baboo and I will be ringing in 2011 with the Indigo Girls at the Bear Tooth, I hope you and yours will be doing something equally as fun!