A Look Back at 2006 - and Forward to 2007!

I have just been counting up how many items of various sorts I made and/or donated in 2006, and even I am a little bit stunned! I divided the items between those I donated straight to various charities and those I donated to my guild to sell. Straight to charity - 51 items! And another 22 to the guild sales! I also managed to make 6 gifts and finish 5 items for myself.

To put this in perspective, and to explain why I am rather stunned, when I started to keep track of what I made each month in 2004, I had a yearly total of 33 items donated to charity. Then, in 2005, I dropped out of crochet guild for a year. I belonged to a knitting guild that wasn't nearly so active, so my charity work for the year slumped to 6 items. So to jump up to 51 items this year is amazing to me! After all, I am still working the same 35 hours a week I always have, so the fact that I found the time to make all those additional items means that I was really motivated! Also, in addition to the guild's 3 donations a year - preemie items & chemo hats to the hospital, as well as the Salvation Army sets - I also participated in 4 other charity drives that I found here on the Internet.

So, what's ahead for 2007? Since I like to challenge myself each year, I think I will set a goal of making 100 items to be donated, either to charity or to guild sales. That's only another 25 items over what I did this year, so I think that is doable. I have found patterns that I am comfortable with, and I learned a lot this year about sizes and gauge, especially in crochet, all of which will help me work faster. I may also pick and choose what I make a bit more, and focus on those items I can work up more quickly. (That also goes for KALs and swaps.)

Beyond that, I have any number of projects I would like to finish and techniques I would like to learn. High on the list is finishing the Fair Isle hat I started last February. My dh would really like to wear it some day. I think the hang up right now is once I finish knitting, I have to weave in all the ends (and they are legion)! But, as we used to say in graduate school, "nothing to it but to do it".

Before I get there, however, I have 2 deadlines to meet in January. The Knit Mitt Kit Swap needs to be sent out on January 16th. I still have to make the bag and fill it with everything one needs to make mittens. I promise that I am starting the bag today. January is also the month that the red scarves get sent to OFA. I have one knitted scarf about half done, and I would like to try and make another, probably crocheted. If I get those done, then they will be the first 2 towards my goal of 100 items.

Tomorrow is definitely going to be a road trip to Webs. Saturday and Monday we have 2 more family get togethers. And next Tuesday, when I go back to work, I have to be in early for a staff meeting. I will be back later next week, hopefully with an impressive FO to show you all. So I am going to take the opportunity now to wish you and yours a safe, healthy, and happy New Year!