every year less knitting...

I figure I'm still ahead of the game managing to do a "look back at 2009" while still in the month of January.

click on the image for the full 5X5:

seeing all these grouped together I am inwardly cringing at some of my facial expressions...

My immediate observations for 2009:

- a lot fewer knit items than in previous years: 29 F.Os in 2009 vs. 45 in 2008 and 54 items in 2007! (blogged/recorded knits at any rate...). Really, that's almost half as many as two years ago. I'm hoping that's it simply quality these days versus quantity. I've definitely had a much busier year in 2009 personally speaking, so I'd hate to think that I was losing interest in knitting. If those stats are any indication of a trend, I'll be lucky to crank out 15 knits next year!

-hardly any sweaters! Apart from a few shrugs, I only really knit two sweaters. In previous years it's been more like 4 or 5 a year in addition to all these smaller things. Being a more competent knitter now you'd think I'd have more interest in garments these days, but the opposite seems to hold true. Also the reality that I hardly ever wear any of the sweaters may have finally sunk in. I know I'm my own worst critic, but a lot of this stuff simply does not look good on me.
I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I'm really jazzed by a new sweater pattern, so for now I'm not going to worry about it.

-very little gift knitting. And THAT is something I really want to change for 2010.

I'd add that last one to my list of 2010 New Year's knitting resolutions, but you know I think I'm just not going to do any this year.

And with that segue, here's last year's knit-o-lutions:

-Learn to crochet.
Embarrassingly this one has been a carry over for TWO years now. I did make a half-hearted attempt a couple of weeks ago, so there was some semblance of effort -but that really doesn't count.

-Some form of colour work.
Big check-mark here! I'm patting myself on the back for my sucessful attempts at both intarsia and fair isle. Go me! By no means an expert at either of these things now I am at least no longer afraid to attempt them in the future. Bring it on.

-De-stash.
Again, always ongoing. I've actually made some strides here. Mostly in the realm of not adding to the stash. I never buy for the sake of buying anymore because that's how I end up with too many one-off balls of things (pretty tho they may be...). These days the only time I buy yarn is for a specific project I plan on starting immediately, and I have to say that's really working for me right now. Also I've adopted a much more frugal approach to my yarn purchases. "Glamour" yarns are usually purchased only for smaller items like hats and cowls. (Of course, I say all this NOW -- I could just explode and go yarn crazy at any point --that's always just simmering beneath the surface...)

So I will leave it at that for now, I think it's MORE than enough.

And because I always like to have all these hotlinks ready to go for my sidebar at right this is everything from 2009. Let's leave it all behind us and ring in the New Year right: I wish you ALL endless Cashmere and ne'er an unwanted dropped stitch!

Fat Mouse Mat
City Mouse knit toy
Patons Fair Isle tam
Le Slouch beret
Eternity scarf
My kind of cowl
Textured shawl
Bella's mitts #2
Lace shrug #2
Seed stitch scarf
Birthday cowl
Prairie boots
Alpaca Silk bow scarf
Robin's egg blue hat
Bella's mittens
Tw-tone ribbed shrug
Lace shug
Owls sweater
Mustard scarf
Rochefort chapeau
Julia beret
Lace Ribbon scarf
Raglan wrap sweater
Chunky ribbed cowl
Sideways Grande cloche
Side slip cloche
Grey owl mittens
Gold owl mittens