2017 Roundup.

Usually at this time of year, I feel kind of inspired by the list of things I have completed.  This year, not so much.  So many of the things I did this year were non knitting things, but things that play such a large part on my day to do life.

In January I moved.  That meant not too terrible much knitting but there was furniture building and book loving and so much more.

February was more settling in and lots of sock knitting.  There was also a little bit of embroidery and mulling over the inspiration I found in books.

March was the work of an epic project, to get most of my yarns photographed for Ravelry and getting them uploaded.  That was a huge work, and I love having it listed and pictured there. March was also pondering lace weight yarn and the start of a lace project that didn't get worked on very much.  It was also the start of dishcloth knitting while the brier was on.

I did have a sweater that I was working on all along and March sort of took it to as far as it went.  I did not care for it and took it apart just a few weeks ago.

I think I started to find real joy in April.  The last several years, joy has been much less visible in my day to day life.  In April I started a sweater I adore where I couldn't stop knitting short rows.  In April, I also experienced huge stress and endings.

May was the end of things.  The houses and the sweater and the start of a second sweater and almost to the end of that second sweater too.  May was also ten years of knitting and of blogging.  My life changed so much those last ten years. 

June was letting go and looms and the start of another new sweater. It was the start of really feeling settled. Because June was also the month of furniture building and a fresh new look and of lots of fun.  And boxes. 

When you furniture at Ikea, you get lots and lots of boxes.  And lots. June was a month of dreams fulfilled and plans and so much good and happy things.

July was about meeting old friends and getting looms warped

and monster socks and fingering weight sweater knitting.  August was the fullness of summer and was about twirly skirts

and weddings and more furniture building and grandchildren.  It was ripe and busy and I think I started feeling tired.

September was wool comforters

and wool shawls and wonderful special yarns and knitting and the start of Christmas knitting which didn't really start out being Christmas knitting. October was the month of the start of hand pain and struggling with it.  It was also the month I finished the lovely large shawl

and pride that I did. It became a month of winding yarn by the end.  

November was embroidery month. Figuring that out, doing it, loving every moment of it.  November was mittens and hats and more mittens because little people love it when Grandma makes them things. 

November was also a month I spent thinking about what my sweater needs are now.  Each place of residence the last few years needed different things.  With my wee house, came the realisation that I loved pullovers more than cardigans. My house was a great vest place but as much as I like vests for their sleeveless practicality, this house, with it's sofa back to the front door, means a chilly neckline and chillier arms.  This is a collared sweater house.  It's kind of a turtleneck sweater house.  It's a small shawl over a sweater house. But it was a very interesting revelation that is leading to some changes in plans for certain yarns.  Not all yarns, but it changes some long term thinking.

December gave form and order to an old project that needed life and purpose.  It was a more embroidery month and it was accepting that I couldn't make all the gifts I planned.  With my hand issues, I just ran out of time.  It was also the month I faced up to how exhausted I was making myself, just by the way I was thinking about life and things and what I was reading and what I was seeing everyday.  It was a month where I did some things I had to do and I had a good time, and where I decided that some things that seemed possible last year just don't feel right anymore.  Maybe next year.

December was also when Canadian humour strikes out strong and utterly unique, such as it is, when I arrived home the other day, the guy filling my car at the gas station said it was much better in the afternoon than it had been in the morning.  Much better was -27 rather than mornings -31.  This is really very funny.  It is also the landlord, saying gee it was so much nicer outside this morning, till he checked the weather office and it was -30.  Yup, nicer.  By one degree.  See?  Canadian humour.

But mostly the last few days, after feeling somewhat down in the dumps lately, as if I was under a bit of cloud all the time, I wake and the first thing I think of is how much I am looking forward to the day. How much I am looking forward to tomorrow and the next day and the next.  I think the nice long drive for Christmas with my family was good for me.  It made clear some things I have to do and some things I want to be.

And then, December, is when I see all the good things this year.  My knitting and house settling didn't quite go as planned.  It is what it is, but that doesn't really matter a whole lot.  I am warm and comfortable and that is more than many in this world and that was enough.  I played with kiddies a lot.  That is big.  Huge.  I visited and babysat and played. 

Wherever I go, whatever I do, however much they grow, I love those wee kiddies and with the prospect of more, I am content.  2017, a better than average kind of year.