Highlights of 2013

During 2013 I crocheted 66 blankets for children entering foster care. Sixteen of them were pieces of fleece that I bordered with crochet.

The others were all ripples. – If you’d like to see the entire group just visit my Ravelry project page and click on the ‘2013 Ripples’ tab. – Fifteen of them were baby-sized blankets that I crocheted throughout the summer out of fingering and sport-weight yarns. Eight of those were squarish. . .

and seven were round.

The remaining thirty-five were traditional rectangular ripples.

As for granny afghans, in 2013 I added some more rounds to a small pink and white one that I found in a thrift store. . .

and I finally assembled and bordered the Field of Wildflowers granny that I started the previous summer.

I gave it, as well as this lace shawl and scarf that I also crocheted in 2013, to local charity fundraisers.

As usual, I didn’t do nearly as many knitting projects as crochet ones. I knit two rugs out of ‘tarn’, t-shirt yarn that I made out of strips cut from old t-shirts.

We Love Them Both! The one of the left is our bathmat and the other is in front of our kitchen sink.

Oh, and I knitted the ribbing on the tops of the slipper socks I sewed for DH from a thrift shop sweater. He quickly wore holes through their soles. I will use a more durable wool/nylon blend sweater next time.

I also sewed him a pair of cashmere long johns, again from a thrift shop sweater. What a Fun one day winter project this was!

I didn’t do very much weaving, but I did learn and/or remember a lot about the craft, which I hope will make each future weaving project go a little easier and faster for me.

I refurbished a tag sale tote with fabric I wove out of quilt fabric ‘rags’

and I wove two dishtowels out of cotton thread and yarn that I found in thrift stores.

I also wove a ‘free-style’ bag on my ‘new’ Saori loom. I will share its ta-dah photos soon.

2013 was a Wonderful Year for shopping on CraigsList! Not only did I get the Saori loom, but a Kromski rigid heddle loom on a stand that came with two extra heddles, a bobbin winder and an inkle loom!

My most Fantastic Buy of the year was 21 bins of weaving yarns that came with a bunch of free wool fabric,

some already cut into strips, and a free fabric cutter.

I was blessed throughout the year with many generous donations of yarn. Some came in anonymous plastic bags byway of the local charity I work with. . .

while those from a particular Yarn Fairy came in boxes delivered by the mailman.

I appreciate all the people who donated yarn to my local thrift stores

and to church and historical society rummage sales.

Thank you, also, to every person who bothered to throw a tag sale and thought to dig out their unloved yarns.

I look forward to discovering what thrifty treasures and crafty ideas this New Year holds for me. – I feel 2014 is going to be a Great Year!