The Year of Projects official 14th year has come to an end. This was my 7th year taking part and I still enjoy being a member and posting updates each (or at least most) Sundays.

As ever, when I created my list last year, I was hugely optimistic about what I could achieve. My frozen shoulder has definitely impacted some of my productivity during the last 12 months, but I am still really happy with what I’ve achieved.

My wrap-up comments are in blue boxes and bold italics next to the sections/items.This post is lengthy, if you usually just read my posts via email you will need to click on the email’s “Continue Reading” link to read the full post and/or view all the photos.

Key:
↪️ carried over from a previous YOP year
*️⃣ started previous YOP year
✳️ started this YOP year

As the year progressed I used:
✅ finished 🏁 week finished
🆕 added to list after week 1
‼️ abandoned (i.e. changed my mind and probably will never make it)
⏸️ on hold (i.e. not fully abandoned the idea but now not doing this YOP year)
🐸 frogged

NB. There are links to the Ravelry pattern, yarn or project page. The second links are to the relevant blog post.

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Main target for YOP 14

To schedule time for personal projects and shop stock items. Last year I allowed months to go by with little or no stock of certain items. I’d like to ensure there’s always a good selection of my items available at the Alchemist Gallery in Dingwall.

New stock items will have separate posts this year. My YOP posts will cover non-stock items only, unless there’s a new design to highlight.

Well goodness, I set this target in June and then in July my frozen shoulder started. I haven’t been able to make any new stock and all the stock in the shop has been sold.

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Acquisitions/Collection Curation

• NO new superwash knitting yarns! ↪️YOP12. I bought one ball of DK sock yarn for me and a ball of 4 ply sock yarn for my husband.
• Contain my stash and have no overflow containers or bags!! ↪️YOP11

I think only 2 balls of superwash purchased is pretty good and believe next YOP year I will achieve buying none.

Is my stash contained yet…heck no! Every drawer is bursting at the seams and I still have overflow. If New Lanark Yarn hadn’t announced they were closing their spinning operations then I would have been a lot closer. I had to stock up…it’s my favourite yarn.

Crochet

• A project…at the moment I can’t think of anything, but I like to crochet at least once a year.

Okay so maybe I don’t like to crochet each year. Nothing grabbed me.  My crochet hooks certainly got action through the year though picking up dropped stitches 😂 . I may not include Crochet on next YOP year’s list.

Dyeing

• Dye more locks for fairies’ hair ↪️YOP11

I could blame not doing this on the mess in the garage, where my dyeing station is set up, but in honesty with me not making any fairies there was no urgent need to dye locks.

Felting

• 🆕️ ✅ Needle felted pumpkins for autumn decorations 🏁wk15
• Needle felted Ylva *️⃣YOP9!
• ⏸️Needle felted Highland Cow *️⃣YOP9!
• ⏸️Make a handbag using the felting ball *️⃣YOP11!
• ⏸️Waste paper bin for living room ↪️YOP13
• ⏸️Sewing bin for sunroom ↪️YOP13

Well felting was a big failure this year. Hopefully my shoulder will behave in YOP15 and I can finish the model of our late dog.

Knitting

Jumpers/cardigans

• Knit 3 garments:
  • ✅Quick Sand #3 *️⃣YOP13 wk53 🏁wk3.
  • ✅Avena *️⃣YOP13 wk35 🏁wk 20
  • ✅🆕️Winding Down #2 ✳️wk21 🏁wk35

I am pretty thrilled to have finished a cardigan and 2 jumpers this year.

Shawls

• ✅️🆕 Little Gemstones wk51
• Coorie In Poncho ✳️wk38
• ⏸️A summer weight shawl (maybe Estuary) ↪️YOP12

I’m not in a particular rush to finish my poncho. This is for knitting on calls, so it will take a while.

Socks

• ✅Knit 1 pair of Deb’s Super Simple DK Socks 🏁wk27
• Knit husband a pair of socks ✳️wk32 🐸wk49

This could be the least sock knitting I have done since I learned how to in 2018! 

Accessories

• Knit using existing stashed yarn or existing/new handspun only:
  • ✅Leg Warmers 🏁wk5
  • ✅The Shift ↪️YOP13 🏁wk12
  • ✅🆕️Classic Ribbed Hat 🏁wk15
  • ✅Singing Stones (mosaic mittens) 1st 🏁 wk33
  • ✅🆕Fisker Cowl 🏁wk38
  • Pinwheel Mittens *️⃣YOP13 wk22, 1st 🏁YOP13 wk37
  • Mostly Warmness cuffs 🧶Ripples Crafts Suilven/Oh My! ↪️YOP13
  • ⏸️Make husband something with green New Lanark yarn ↪️YOP13
  • ⏸️A colour-work project using Black Isle yarns Gotland wool ↪️YOP12
  • ⏸️A pair of mittens from my Tantulltussmittens book

Even trying to slim down my list during the year I didn’t really get many accessories finished, but they were all made from existing stash. There’s no shortage of accessories in this house though. I don’t like how the hat sits on my head, so this may get frogged.

Other/household

• ✅ Emotional Support Chickens 1️⃣🏁Wk29 2️⃣🏁Wk30 3️⃣🏁Wk31
• ADVENTure Gnome ✳Wk19
• Dish cloths
• 🆕 Someone to Write Gnome About

I love my chickens! During YOP 13 I knitted half a dozen gnomes and this year didn’t finish one! I guess it just wasn’t their year.

Painting & Drawing

• Look for a painting group to join and if I don’t or don’t enjoy it declutter painting equipment. ↪️YOP13
• Do a new watercolour painting ↪️YOP11
• Do a new pastel drawing ↪️YOP12

Hmmm 🤔 what to do about painting and drawing? Yet again nothing done but still I don’t want to declutter all my painting and drawing supplies. I won’t include this on my list next YOP year and then there’s no pressure, but I’ll share if I do any.

Sewing

• ✅ Bunting for tent at Belladrum 🏁wk4
• ✅ Sew something with handwoven material ↪️YOP13 1️⃣🏁Wk28 I sewed a belt from tablet woven band 2️⃣🏁Wk37 2nd belt
• Make trousers with fabric in stash ↪️YOP12
• ⏸️Make plant pot covers ↪️YOP11! (So strictly speaking this has been moved from the felting to the sewing section, as I’ve been inspired by Amo from Pawfect Pastimes to sew ones instead using cut up felt.)

Another pretty neglected category which has supplies that take up room. I will give it some thought 🤔

Spinning

• ✅ Tour de Fleece 2024 🏁wk3 562.4m finished yarns
  • ✅Merino, alpaca, camel and silk
  • ✅Breeds: Zwartbles, Suffolk, Blue Texel, Boreray, Romney, Castlemilk Moorit, Exmoor Horn, Devon, Lincoln Longwool
  • ✅Bee-you-tiful superfine merino, silk, alpaca blend
• ✅ Finish 25g breed project *️⃣YOP10 🏁wk3
• Coastal Colours fibres:
  • ✅Merino, alpaca, camel and mulberry silk blend. 🏁wk1
  • ✅Alpaca and tussah silk 🏁wk16
• 🆕✅ Spin fibre I’ve blended myself:
  • Wine merino and pink bamboo blended on hackle. blended wk3 🏁wk5
• 🆕✅ Candy cane yarn (Polwarth and bamboo) 🏁wk27
• 🆕✅ Ply Candytuft single 🏁wk32
• 🆕✅ Taurus merino/silk blend 🏁wk51
• 🆕✅️ Spin World of Wool 2024 Advent 🏁wk51
  • ✅Days 1, 4, 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19 and 20 spun during January Challenge
  • ✅Day 14 during February
  • ✅Days 6, 9 and 18 during March
  • ✅Days 2, 7, 21 and 22 during April
  • ✅Days 3, 8, 11, 13, 23 and 25 during May
  • ✅Days 4 and 24 during June.
• 🆕✅️Folklore Legacy blend wk52

I’ve been fairly consistent with my spinning. It is definitely easier to keep up the momentum when you have the little advent packs of fibre. I won’t be purchasing another fibre advent this year, but had thought of putting some of my own fibre stash in the little pouches to help keep momentum going.

Weaving

Dorset Buttons

• 🆕✅ Diamond Wedding Anniversary 🏁wk39
• 🆕✅ Purple one using scraps 🏁wk39

I forgot to take a photo of the silver one that I made for my parents’ Diamond Anniversary. I enjoy making these and have bought some more kits and will definitely be doing more next YOP year. If you haven’t given these a go then I recommend them. Ideal for scrap yarn, a curtain ring and some beads.

Rigid heddle loom

• Try at least one 3 heddle project on my 10” Sampleit
• Make a selection of hand/dish towels↪️YOP13
• ⏸️Weave a length of cotton or Harris wool to make a kimono type dressing gown
• ⏸️Patterned shawl with WYS Exquisite in Belgravia/Rose merino/silk yarn ↪️YOP13

Limited movement of my left shoulder has stopped me doing any weaving on these wider looms.  Hopefully next YOP year I will regain more movement.

Inkle loom

• Band weaving
  • ✅ Make an inkle band from the book my sister gave me. 🏁wk15 (technically I used my Rigid Heddle but it’s an inkle Baltic pattern from the book.)
  • 🆕✅Blue and orange band 🏁wk50
• Tablet/card weaving projects.
  • ✅Blue, grey and red 🏁wk17
  • ✅Red, black and grey 🏁wk25
  • ✅Minion band ↪️YOP12 🏁wk26
  • ✅Shoelace/lanyard 🏁wk32
  • ✅Pink and plum 🏁wk37
  • ✅Pair of shoelaces 🏁wk48

Inkle weaving has really been my main interest this year and I have more plans for YOP15. It’s easy on my shoulder and I enjoy tablet weaving.

Tapestry

• Wall hanging with handspun and fibres from stash
• Tapestry weaving project

I did start doing a tapestry project but at the moment I am thinking of unweaving what I have done. I will pick this up next year, hopefully.

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Other News

Thanks for getting this far! This week I finished a new spinning project (the purple legacy blend shown above). Other than that I haven’t had much crafting time. I bought a new PC and that has taken some time trying to sort it out and tidying up and consolidating what I take over from my old one.

Whilst searching for some software installation discs, that I had put in a “safe place”, I ended up doing some reorganisation of my craft room wardrobes. I was determined to declutter at the same time, but I barely managed to part with anything. Your typical problem with creative people is that everything could be used in a craft project 😉

This post is already plenty long enough. Next week’s post I will be sharing my list for YOP15, it is shorter!

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Click the link if you would like to find out more about the Year of Projects Group on Ravelry, as you’d be very welcome to join us for Year 15. It’s a friendly group with members in different countries and a great way to remind yourself what you’ve achieved each week, and share with and be inspired by likeminded friends.