Cheers to a Good Year!

Now that the holidays are well behind us, I have been taking stock of the ongoing projects that are scattered on and about my desk and favorite little sofa.

2010 was a banner year for knitting designs for me, principally because prior to January or February of last year I had never done it for anyone other than myself. In a sense, there was no where else to go, but up, unless,of course, I just hung it up.

In all seriousness, 2010 was an astonishingly personally rewarding year for me, and I learned so very much. As I am in my early forties, I am well established in my day-job career and no longer feel that burning desire to continually prove myself. While I enjoy performing well, I am no longer as ambitious as I once was, at least in the legal field.

In fact, it was that contentment in my professional life, which fueled the passion for my other interests, knitting being one, albeit a big one. Cooking and writing fiction round out the top three.

As is the nature of a type A overachiever, I had every intention of going out in 2010 with a bang.

In late November, I set my sights on submitting a new design to Knitty for their Spring/Summer issue. The deadline to submit professional quality photos of a finished project with pattern and description was January 2, 2010.

My first request was to Kristine, the wonderful color artist and owner of Curious Creek Fibers, for yarn support. In addition to being lovely and generous, she was also enthusiastically supportive and encouraging. She definitely makes my list of all-time favorite humans.

The yarn arrived promptly in early December from a third party arranged by Kristine. By the time I had it wound, I had the beginnings of a working pattern. Casting-on, I knew I would be cutting it very close, so I also made arrangements to have two models available for New Year's day and began adding a small prayer that the current South Texas drought continue until, at least, two days into the new year.

Then, I began to knit. I knitted some more. My carefully constructed computer chart had errors, and the complexity of the design ultimately dictated I chart by hand a stitch-at-a-time because there was no time to have this test-knitted.

On Christmas day, well after Santa had come and gone and all of the dishes had been put away, I knew I would be able to finish knitting the piece and have gorgeous pictures taken. Unfortunately, I also knew I would not be able to guarantee the pattern would be as free of error, as I could possibly make it.

It was then I decided to give myself a break. No one had imposed any deadlines on me, only me.

The project is beautiful and I could not be more pleased with it. It will just take a little more time to tweak and get "just right." And, that is okay.

So, I set it aside and spent the rest of the holidays on a mindless project, a sweater for the husband knit-in-the-round from the top down. I spent several days doing no more than knitting in circles, not one purl stitch or a yarn-over anywhere to be seen. Definitely, a stark contrast to complex lace, but infinitely more therapeutic.

The husband's sweater is still not finished, but neither are any of the three lace designs, I currenly have on the needles, as colorwork has caught my fascination. They will all be done, along with three (at least) partially completed manuscripts, and a dozen more designs I have sketched up and swatched out.

In 2011, I believe anything is possible!