New Years Knit-olutions

I never make New Years resolutions, I don't smoke, I am comfortable with my weight (I wouldn't complain if I lost a few kilos), but I do like to set goals. Making a list of a series of small, medium & large tasks that are achievable & don't leave you feeling empty when you have failed to comply.
This years list includes things like: Plant a vegetable garden, get Louis settled in a great kindy, make time to rekindle old friendships.... the New Years' Knit list includes: Finish Dr Phil's fusty cardi, have more patterns published, design my first adult garment & knit something for myself. I realised that the last time I knitted something for me what whilst I was pregnant with Louis, it was 3 years ago this month, it was a free form wrap made with some vintage mohair (circa late 70's) that my mother-in-law found in a cupboard after clean out. Now usually vintage yarns are a pretty frightful affair, but this yarn was in near new condition & was a colour I loved & did wear a bit of, so the wrap was made & as well as a long lacy scarf as a thank you to the midwife that delivered Louis. I am pleased to say I still wear it frequently every winter & have had multiple intentions to knit myself more, a shrug, maybe a jacket, I have even purchased yarn, now in the stash, where I have fallen for the colour, texture or both & made sure I have purchased enough for a full size garment (minimum 15 balls). So it was no surprise then when I attended the bi-annual sale of a LYS started this week, I was lured by a dark indigo blue Merino/Angora blend at 60% off. Ten skeins were duly purchased & I thought I would have a crack at a shrug which I made a couple of times last winter for a couple of girlfriends & possibly tweak the design to include a hood, that was until I came across this design in Knitters magazine (purchased at the same time) for a vest that would be flattering to my figure, I could instantly see what I would wear with it & hey presto the yarn I purchased was the same weight required & I have more than enough. Honestly this is the first time in eons that I have felt instantly compelled to drop everything & cast on immediately, so when I have a spare 5 minutes this afternoon I will be winding a skein or two off & getting cast on - wish me luck!

In other knitty updates.... Hugo's hand painted jumper has been completed & I am just delighted in the result, this design will certainly be written up & submitted, I am now onto a pair of pants to match with the remaining yarn, will be touch & go to whether I have enough, but my calculations tell me I should just scrape in.

Dr Phil's Christmas jackpot.... By dear delightful hubby hit the jackpot this year & bought me an Ashford Knitters Loom. Very extravagant I know, but I am smitten. I have put it together & made my first project by following the instruction book to the letter & I am so happy with the results. It is so quick to create large blocks of fabric, so I am already starting to rejig a few projects which required endless row's of stoking stitch & redesigning them to be done on the loom, well done darling!