Waffles, Mosaics & Swirls

It's New Year's Day. The sun is shining, though the air quite nippy. I made a batch of waffles to celebrate the occasion.

I could spend a few moments looking back on 2008, giving you all the round up of knitting projects, riffing on my accomplishments and failures. But I really don't feel like doing that. Suffice to say my plan in 2008 was to conquer knitting socks. And I did make a few pairs, so that was good.

2009 will take a different form. I have some very specific plans that will build on what I've learned so far and what I still want to learn. In the learning department, there are the following:

- Spinning
- Weaving
- Upholstering (oh, yea....)

All of the above are intended to fuse what I've always loved with what I am learning to love. It's exciting, and I sometimes get that clenched feeling in my stomach when I think about it all at once. I have to remind myself to take it one step at a time, and the future will unfold the way it's supposed to. But I AM listening to that inner voice. And maybe that's what 2008 was really about: learning to listen.

I will leave you with some images captured yesterday, of my Sister with Rudy. The hat she is modeling was one I made ages ago. Back before I chronicled the knitting in photographs. I asked her to bring it along on this trip so I could update the files. I forgot how cute it came out. Turns out she really likes the hat, and so do I. It's a very simple pattern, but it works.

We stepped outside to grab these shots and it was snowing. The snow didn't amount to much, but it made everything sparkly for a few minutes. The hat is made from the now ubiquitous Malabrigo worsted, this one in the Verdes colorway. I also used the yarn to make one pair of the socks above (more like house sock footies). The pattern escapes me, but it's a simple combination of knits and purls and shifting the repeats as you go around, to make the staggered design. My only modification would be to make it a bit shorter next time, but that's quibbling.

Happy New Year, everyone. Thanks for joining me on my little adventures. Your support is deeply appreciated.