2015 Knitting Resolutions

I'm not a big fan of New Year but I love resolutions. I love making lists and goals and challenging myself and trying to be better. I have a list of things I'm resolving to do in the next year - the usual eat slightly less cake and slightly more cabbage etcetera - and I'll probably post them later in the week, but it's my knitting resolutions that I wanted to talk about today.



1. Knit ten projects out of my hand spun yarn - including a jumper. I'm looking to upgrade my wheel in the not too distant future and I feel that I should make a few more things from the pretty yarn I'm spinning, in order to justify the purchase.



2. Knit ten projects from books or patterns that I already own. I have a pretty good collection of knitting books and yet I rarely ever actually get around to making anything out of them. I look through them, I put little post-its on pages with really good patterns and then the next time I'm in the mood to cast something on, I just buy another pattern from my ravelry queue.

3. Knit and steek a project. I am a steeking virgin and this needs to be remedied! If anyone has a steeked pattern recommendation, send them my way!



4. Continue onwards with Operation Sock Drawer - if you're not familiar with O.S.D. it's a project started by Jasmin and Gigi of The Knitmore Girls and is basically an instagram drive to knit more socks. I'd like to add another 25 pairs to my drawer. I'd really like 50 pairs of handknit socks. But  that's a lot of sock knitting...

5. Maybe maybe start a knitting vlog or podcast of my own. If I can decide what I have to talk about.

Do you have any knitting based goals for 2015?

♥

Wrapped Up In Knits

I wore four different hand knits to the beach this afternoon. I finished these wristers out of my hand spun yesterday and they're super warm.

I also wore my Docklight Sweater knit out of Cascade 200 Heathers - which as you can see, isn't the most figure flattering garment, but it's really warm and cozy and perfect for winter evenings.

This cowl is one of my favourite hand knits and correspondingly it's one that gets the most wear, it's like a nest for your neck - I love it.
My mum cheerily got into the knitty spirit and wore the mittens I knit her a few years ago and we both had hand knit socks on - but it was far too chilly to take our shoes off for photographic proof!

As I write this, I'm vying for the prime position in front of the woodburning stove, with a snoring cat (the cat is winning). It still doesn't really feel like Christmas to me, despite the mince pies I've been scoffing all day, but we still have to put all the presents around the tree and watch Love Actually, two Christmas traditions, so hopefully I'll finally start feeling festive!

I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season, whether you're a Christmas celebrator or not, I'm off have a lovely Christmassy takeaway (because no one cooks the night before they have to cook the biggest dinner of the year, right?)

♥

Introductions

Hi. Welcome to Stranded Blog! Some of you keen eyed souls might recognise me from my old blog, Happy Daisy. I started Happy Daisy when I was at art school (the first time around) and wrote it on and off until last year, when I simply outgrew it. The title Happy Daisy came from the little happy daze I'd go into whenever I did something crafty. Fast forward five years and I don't really do that much on the crafting front anymore, besides the knitting, spinning and dyeing I mean. And I wanted a place where I could be a little more… wordy than I ever was on my last blog.

So without further ado, let me introduce you, dear reader, to Stranded Blog, which loosely takes it's name from my love of all things knitting, and will be the virtual island of sanctuary upon which I can depend, as life trips me up - as it has a habit of doing, I'm sure you'll agree. 

Here you will find honesty, life and yarn. Possibly not always in that order. 

♥