The short answer? A lot! In total, I knitted more than the 12 projects I setup in my Ravelry Challenge. The best thing about having a very busy and productive 2018? Not only did I knit a lot, but I also read a lot. And learned a lot, it goes without saying.
Sock knitting
I love socks! It’s like I can never have too many knitted socks in my drawer, which is why I always have a pair on my needles. And speaking of needles, I think my KnitPro DPNs were the only needles that I knew where they were at all times. In a WIP sock, most of the times.
My favorite socks for 2018? Uf, that’s a very hard question to answer! Because I love all my socks, even the ones that were not made for me :)) But if I need to put my finger on one pair, then I will chose the ZigZagular socks, made using a pattern by Susie White. Free pattern on Ravelry.
What did I listen to while knitting socks?
The first 2 books from `The 3 Body Problem`trilogy, by Liu Cixin. A Chinese author and a fantastic series! Highly recommend it, even if you’re not that much into SF.
This trilogy mixes in a fascinating way the technical side of space and the philosophy regarding human life and alien civilizations.
Dress knitting
4 years ago I set a goal to knit or crochet myself a dress every year. And that dress must be finished before my birthday (which is at the end of July). This means every year I get to make something for me, something that I enjoy making and wearing.
I started this yearly “tradition” because I was becoming a bit frustrated with the thought of making so many things for people, strangers mostly, but I barely owned anything made by me. It’s safe to say that now I own and wear a lot of the stuff I make. Which means my goal worked, I now knit for myself, friends and family.
Just because I love to knit for me, it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy knitting on commission. If you want to know more about the purple dress, see my post on how I knit my ASH dress.
What did I listen to while knitting my ASH dress?
I am a huge Stephen King fan! In 2018 I listened to 3 books written by the American author:
The Outsider – about a suspicious murder, an innocent man who gets framed for it and an old tale of an evil spirit.
Sleeping Beauties – was a fascinating and wonderful journey about a world where all the women fall asleep in a cocoon and the men start to go crazy. Sometimes it feels like we, humans, want to split into 2 groups: male and female, without realizing how much we need each other, how much we depend on one another.
Elevation – it’s a small collection of stories about American small town issues.
Cardigan knitting
My favorite project from 2018 is the Caramel Cardigan. I made this using Katia Merino yarn – it’s a soft and wonderful yarn. I loved making it and I realized I love Isabell Kraemer’s designs – perhaps in 2019 will start working on another of her patterns, a lovely blouse.
What did I listen to while knitting the Caramel Cardigan?
Margaret Atwood. I love her writing style. In fact, in 2018 I listened to 2 of her books: Alias Grace and The Blind Assassin. The latter was a true delight!
I told you I will make a short recap of 2018. Of course there were many other interesting projects I worked on, but I think each of it deserves a dedicated article.
How was 2018 for you? What interesting books / patterns did you find?