New Year, New Thoughts (Heather)

I am not really all that well known for making or keeping New Years resolutions, but I was in Vancouver for the start of 2008 (we just got back, and boy, it has not been easy to get up before noon here!!) and Rosemary was discussing what one word would sum up her resolutions. I will leave it to her to share her own reflections, but it did occur to me that while no English word really covered all the bases for me, there was a Latin one that did.

The verb facio, facere means about three dozen things or more according to the LSJ, but the small Lewis sums it up a bit better (here is a link to the electronic entry in Perseus). The meanings that I will focus on are to do and to make. I want to be a woman of action! I want to do more and hesitate less. I want to make more. I want to get out and get involved in things. I would like to execute the plans I formulate. I want to be useful and to be fit (I would rather avoid growing corpulent, which is apparently also a special meaning of facio).

In that tone, Rosemary let me rummage through her quilt cottons bin and I discovered she is an excellent source of greens!



On a Boxing Week jaunt to a huge(!) fabric store in Coquitlam, I acquired some nicely priced greens and a contrasting foliage-patterned fabric to add to the collection:



I think I have enough for a quilt top now, so it is time to pick a pattern. I also acquired a gently used big clear quilting rulers, so I think I made off pretty well all things considered.

We visited Three Bags Full, Birkeland Brothers (can you say Casbah Seconds?)



And then later made a trip to Victoria in order to visit (among other things) Beehive Wool. I used some of my Christmas yarn money that was burning a hole in my pocket. Fleece Artist Sock Seconds!



Along with some lovely Cascade 220 Heathers (can't resist yarn with my name on it!) that I have optimistically earmarked for the fabulous Wintergreen Mittens (link goes to Ravelry) and will show you when I execute that plan. Beehive was a very lovely shop, and I was impressed to learn that it has been continuously operating for over 100 years! I would have bought the yarn to make the Ivy League Vest, but they didn't have the colours called for in the magazine, and I didn't have the time to formulate a new palette.

And finally, before this post gets too freaking long (I have a lot of catching up to do), some finished objects.

I got hit with a craving for something quick and bulky and satisfying back in November, so I whipped up a scarf from a single skein of Noro Kochoran:



Just a plain ol' mistake rib.



Lots of texture, dead easy to execute. One row of 1x1 rib, one row of 2x2 rib.

I also knocked off a pair of bulletproof woolen mittens for my dad for Christmas (shhh! He hasn't opened them yet!)



These might actually stop a speeding bullet. It was a little hard on the hands in the end. Not much more to say about them, really. Plain old mittens, designed for function more than form. You want fancy mittens? Go talk to Spilly.

Annnnd, while we are on the topic of Christmas knits, I am a little more than halfway through the second sock in a pair of plain cable-y sock for my sister.


(this was taken less than halfway through the first sock)

I have less than 24 hours to finish it, so I had better get cracking! I am a woman of action!

(next time: my knitting resolutions and 2007's knitting accomplishments)