Under the Weather

There's this thing that happens to me every year around this time.  I get sick.  I'm not sure why.  I'm not sure if it is stress or wacky North Carolina weather or my work environment.  Whatever the case, New Years Eve rolls around and I am too sick to even stay awake and watch the ball drop.

So here I sit, surrounded by tissues and water glasses looking like something out of an episode of Hoarders. (In a rare move, Chris and I actually have plans tonight, so I am under orders to stay on the couch or in bed, unmoving and resting, until the last possible moment so that we can still try to go out for at least a little bit.)  Like most bloggers, I have been looking back on my year and thinking about goals for the future.  Last year I was very conservative in my knitting resolutions.  All I wanted to do was to keep knitting items that I would actually use and continue to see my stash as an investment in the future.  And I did.  I did not knit as much as I did in 2011, but I equaled the amount of garments and the sophistication of my knitting has definitely increased.  I knit for my wedding, I knit colorwork, I successfully test knit (more on that soon), and I knit a show sample for an indie dyer.  I knit a sock in two days, and I completely frogged and reknit a knee length garment.  All in all I would say 2012 has been a pretty successful year.

I do not anticipate much change moving into 2013.  I am continuing to focus my garment knitting to suit a particular style, and see my knitting as wardrobe building, rather than wardrobe accenting.  I do not want to call it "The Year Of" anything, but I would really like to see myself hit ten completed garments as well as all of the fun socks and hats and mitts that I so love to tote around with me.  And I want to continue exploring my new-found love of colorwork.  Maybe try my hand at a stranded sweater?

To that end, I must confess that I did make one resolution for 2013, the weight of which I am already feeling.  I committed myself to knit six Christmas stockings -- one for each member of the family.  Our Christmas stockings are older than I can remember.  They are cute, but worn, and it is definitely time for an upgrade.

My plan is to knit them colorwork, along a similar theme, but not identical in pattern.  If I knit one every two months I should be ok, but I can already feel my procrastination rearing its head.  If anyone has any pattern suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Ok, so maybe I have made some resolutions.  But with the exception of the stockings I think they are vague enough to keep from overwhelming me.  Maybe.

Happy New Year to you all!  Have you made any fun knitting resolutions?