Auld Lang Syne . . .

First, a recap of the past year:

Spinning:

My goal was to spin 5 miles, and I'm at 4.33; the group is getting together for New Year's Eve, so if I take my wheel, I might just make my goal. I wanted to expand my fiber repertoire, which I did: I tried silk, mohair locks, yak, camel, and alpaca. And I learned to do core-spun, Navajo ply, and tentatively ventured into faux Kid Silk Haze (otherwise known as "crack"), and beaded yarn. I also learned to spin from batts for woolen-type yarns, and broke the 18 WPI barrier for true lace-weight finished yarn (I got 21 WPI!). I learned to control color changes to make self-striping yarns. And I tried plying with embroidery and quilting threads to make specialty yarns.

Knitted FOs:

1. Turquoise scarf from hand spun (me)
2. Bamboo triangle scarf (me)
3. Felted bag(me)
4. Cotton Shrug (Charity auction)
5. Assorted washcloths, soap bags (Charity auction)
6. Pink Shawl (Charity auction)
7. Multi-color scarf from hand spun (Mom)
8. House socks from hand spun (ToolMan)
9. Cotton mobius (to be frogged)
10. Assorted ball band washcloths (me)
11. Multi-directional scarf (me)
12. Blue self-striping socks (me)
13. Blue comfort shawl (me)
14. Asherton Scarf (Mom)
15. Blue stranded tam (Mom)
16. White cowl (Mom)
17. Pink scarf/shawl from hand spun (Mom)
18. Black and white hat (Dad)
19. Graphic Designer scarf (Dad)
20. The Blob (Faye)
21. @#$%& Golf Club Covers (Jim)
22. Navy heather hand spun cowl (Janie)
23. Gray hand spun hat (neighbor Kevin for shoveling the driveway)
24. Brown hand spun cowl (Barbara at work)
25. Hot pink fuzzy scarf (Barbara’s daughter)
26. Sheepy scarf (me)
27. Blue hat and scarf (ToolMan)
28. Quick mittens (ToolMan)
29. Yellow baby blanket (Baby Love)
30. Assorted premie hats (Aunties in Stitches)
31. Triangle shawl from hand spun dyed by StitchJones (me)
32. Several scarves (for DIL Ronda)

Projects still in progress are the driving cap for ToolMan and the Pi shawl in Queen Anne’s Lace pattern for me.

Next, my plans for the coming year:

Spinning:

I want to perfect the techniques I’ve already learned. I want to learn to make boucle yarn and try novelty yarns. I want to spin more! And knit more from my handspun. I want to try more luxury and exotic fibers like cashmere and quiviut. I want to learn to spin cotton. I want to learn to make cobweb weight yarn. And I want spend more time sharing what I’ve learned.

Knitting:

First, I want to finish and block the Pi shawl and the driving cap, including lining. I want to knit at least one sweater for myself, maybe two. Several pairs of my socks bit the dust this year, so I need to replenish my sock drawer. Both ToolMan and I need gloves or mittens for next year. I want to get all my gift knitting done earlier this year. Last, but not least, I want to knit more for charity.

And last, but certainly not least, my New Year's Wishes for you:

May you get a clean bill of health from your dentist, your cardiologist, your gastro-enterologist, your urologist, your proctologist, your podiatrist, your psychiatrist, your plumber, and the I.R.S.

May your hair, your teeth, your face-lift, your abs, and your stocks not fall; and may your blood pressure, your triglycerides, your cholesterol, your white blood count, and your mortgage interest not rise.

May New Year's Eve find you seated around the table, together with your beloved family, and cherished friends. May you find the food better, the environment quieter, the cost much cheaper, and the pleasure much more fulfilling than anything else you might ordinarily do that night.

May what you see in the mirror delight you, and what others see in you delight them. May someone love you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.

May the telemarketers wait to make their sales calls until you finish dinner, may the commercials on TV not be louder than the program you have been watching, and may your check book and your budget balance - and include generous amounts for charity.

May you remember to say "I love you" at least once a day to your spouse, your child, your parent, your siblings; but not to your secretary, your boss, your masseuse, your hairdresser, your golf pro, or your tennis instructor.

And may you live in a world at peace and with the wisdom to cherish every sunset, every flower's unfolding petals, every baby's smile, every lover's kiss, and every wonderful, astonishing, miraculous beat of your heart.