During 2024, I really felt like I was attached at the fingertips to my knitting projects. I knit over 10,000 yards of yarn! Over 5.5 miles! That’s just wacky.
I started the year off small with a couple kits to make tiny stuffies. I made the bunny and the pug, though I still have a monkey and a mermaid hanging out and waiting to be made. I don’t know if kits with yarn are still being sold anywhere, but all of the adorable patterns from Rebecca Danger can be found on Ravelry and Etsy.
Next on the “to make” list was the Gratefully Oregon Cowl since Andrea and I were planning to attend the Rose City Yarn Crawl in Portland, Oregon. The kit/pattern was from the 2021 RCYC, which I shopped online. I remember that yarn club’s Zoom night — “visiting” all of the shops virtually with my neighborhood yarny friends.
The cowl mimics the iconic carpet of the PDX airport, so it was then and there that I put Portland on my “must visit” list! Not only were there a bunch of awesome yarn shops to visit, but who knew I’d be so into the gluten-free food scene there, too? (Not me! Not then…)
I made two t-shirts this year: the V-Back Tee and the Moon Set Tee.
The V-Back was really inspired by the yarn: I fell in love with the colors from Ruby and Roses that I discovered at Rose Yarn Co. but there weren’t enough skeins of any to make a garment. So I bought 4 colors and found a pattern that would work!
I really liked the v-neck construction of the Moon Set Tee. It’s such a plain knit, though, that I thought I’d use a fun, speckled yarn I bought during the MN Yarn Shop Hop in 2023. I think the combo is excellent!
I made one gift this year, the Brioche Bias Cowl. I discovered this delicious, squishy yarn from Magpie Fibers (Swanky DK) and knew it needed to become something cozy. I’m usually a pretty selfish knitter, but this felt like something I could make for my sister as a treat for her neck. I would love to make something else with this yarn! Swoon.
And the four projects that really got the most of my attention: 3 pullovers and 1 cardigan! (Please forgive the bathroom mirror selfies: I’m not organized enough to get classy finished object photos.)
- Doppio Sweater project page on Ravelry
- Basic V project page on Ravelry
- Wednesday Sweater project page on Ravelry
- Sea Glass Cardigan project page on Ravelry
The Doppio Sweater and Basic V patterns were, once again, inspired by simply wanting to use the yarns as soon as possible. I discovered the bulky, squishy yarn for Doppio this summer after a weekend retreat to Mankato — and the yarn was dyed by Kato Yarn Company! That felt like fate. The yarn for Basic V came from Explorer Knits and Fibers, which is a dyer out of Denver that I have fallen absolutely in love with. Every color they make is so good! This color is “Sangria” from their Spain-inspired collection.
The Wednesday Sweater was absolutely inspired by wanting to wear a thick blanket on a cold winter’s day. And I got to test it out during a chilly morning a couple months ago, while watching my niece place Ultimate Frisbee. The fuzzy mohair and thick worsted weight yarn combo felt extra insulated and comforting. I’m in love with this sweater, though it might be too warm to wear very often. I’m a fan of a turtleneck, too.
And my last finish of 2024: the stash-busting Sea Glass Cardigan. I… hated making this, if I’m completely honest. I have a few friends who were making it at the same time, which was my only motivation to keep going. And by the time I knew I hated it, I had already cut up a bunch of yarn. Might as well keep going, I guess. It was a lot of decision fatigue and self-doubt along the way. It got slightly easier after I split for the sleeves, but still was not something I would pick up again. And, even though I used about 60 different yarns (felt like), I don’t know if I really busted much of my stash. Lots of lessons learned! Mostly I learned that I really don’t mind purling enough to find ways around doing it.
I’ve got a couple dream knitting goals for 2025, but I’m currently fixing up some older projects that need a little extra love. I’m waiting for the 2025 RCYC MKAL (mystery knit-along), but I’ve got my eyes on the CatKnit sweater and I’m feeling very inspired to make a heavily-sequined sweater after seeing examples from DWJ and Tracie from the Grocery Girls.
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