Happy New Year!

Everyone else has been doing a look back and a look forward at the year of knitting, so I'll join in. It's always been hard for me to think of January 1st as the beginning of the year because I'm an academic. The year begins in August, you sillies! It ends in May. :D The time between just doesn't exist at all. It's nice. I like being an academic!

Back to the knits! This year, I was a knitting monster. I began 36 projects and finished 28. I plan on finishing the stray 7 this year. I've never counted my annual knits before, so I'm not sure if this is more or less than usual, but considering what an eventful year I had, I think I did pretty good! After all, I earned my Master's, started a blog, drove cross-country, and moved in with my boyfriend, all while taking classes, teaching classes, and working at a yarn shop! Needless to say, I'm learning my limits and realizing what changes need to happen in the next two weeks to make myself a more efficient knitting grad student girlfriend. :)

I thought I'd highlight two of my favorite knits from the past year and tell you what I've got lined up this month.

The sweater I've worn obsessively since I finished it in January is Chicago 2010. I bought the yarn at Loopy Yarns in Chicago when John took me a couple months after we began dating. I pretty much knew he was the one when 1) he looked up every yarn shop in the city and walked quite a ways out of our way just so I could go to one and 2) he carried the yarn for most of the day. It was destined to become a Norah Gaughan pattern, but when I saw Veera's Twenty Ten Cardigan, it embodied Chicago and that trip to a tee! I lovelovelove it!

My other wardrobe staple (surprisingly, actually) has been Milky Way. I'd bet I've worn it at least once a week since I finished it in September. I see a few more shawls happening this year. In fact, I've got some delicious Fino ready for a Jared Flood pattern.

This year, I hope to knit from my stash without acquiring any more yarn than the gift certificates I got for Christmas will buy me. This is not such a daunting task as my stash isn't that big and almost all the yarn has predetermined projects already. I hate having a stash. It makes me a little anxious, really. I'm super frugal and it's almost like money wasted. I'll remedy it this year and save money for more projects in the future. Or student loans....

This month I am going to knit two Elijahs from Berroco Remix, a Narragansett in Madelinetosh tosh dk, and a hat or two out of leftover bulky KnitPicks Wool of the Andes, I think, and leftover Quince and Co. Lark. I may have to post a poll on what patterns you think I should buy yarn for with my gift certificates. I'm terrible at those kinds of decisions.

Okay, I've written enough. I'll have my silver sweater for you Friday and one of the above projects for you Wednesday. Happy knitting!