Year of Projects 2023 – 2024

This is the Group’s 13th Year (YOP13), but my 6th Year. You’ll notice a lot of ↪️ symbols…these are items I’ve carried forward from an earlier YOP year. (There are going to be 53 Sundays in this YOP year, it happens sometimes.)

Key:
↪️ carried over from a previous YOP year
✳️ started
✅ finished
🆕 added to list after week 1
⁉️ fell at a hurdle but back on track
‼️ 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.

Main target for YOP 13

This year I will finish the carried forward items started in a previous YOP year or get rid of them. Year 13 could be an unlucky year for some items! Even though no-one is judging me, other than myself, I’ve worked hard on decluttering the house and consider myself a pretty good completer/finisher, so long term works in progress (WIPs) aren’t something I want to have in my life. Will 13 be a lucky or unlucky number for all my long term WIPs….we shall see!

Acquisitions/Collection Curation

  • ↪️ NO new superwash knitting yarns!
    Q2 I bought a gnome kit in superwash 4 ply, not realising the same dyer had kits in non-superwash, which is frustrating. But it is only 80g/322m.
  • ↪️ Contain my stash and have no overflow containers or bags!!

Crochet

  • ✅ Bowl and plant pot cover kit. Started week 5, finished week 6.

Dyeing

  • ↪️ Dye more locks for fairies’ hair
  • ‼️ Dye a gradient in fibre to then spin to make the Alaska hat! I have an Alaska hat with other yarn now.
  • ⏸️ Dye fibre for lampshades as and when required (rather than buying) On hold – I have so much fibre from a friend and in my stash I won’t need more until YOP14.
  • ⏸️ Dye undyed fibre in stash to use for future spinning project. On hold

Felting

  • ↪️✳️ Needle felted Ylva (Started YOP9!)
  • ↪️✳️ Make a handbag using the felting ball (Started YOP11 week 24 fibres weighed and test felt)
  • Pictures and products to sell/gift:
    • ✳️ Fairies – Oct x 1, Dec x 9
    • ✅ Tomte – Oct x 2, Dec x 4
    • ✅ Lampshades 20cm – Jan x 2, Mar x 6, Jun x 2
    • ✅ Lampshades 25cm – May x 3
    • ✅ Lampshades 35cm – June x 1
    • Lampshades 40cm –
    • ✅ Baubles – Mar x 6, June x 8
    • ✅ Wreaths – Mar x 1
  • Waste paper bin for living room
  • Sewing bin for sunroom
  • ↪️✳️⏸️ Needle felted Highland Cow (Started YOP9!) On hold
  • ↪️⏸️ Make plant pot covers On hold

Fibre Prep

✅ If I haven’t washed these by end of 2023 then compost them or use as mulch over winter. 1st March 2024 the leftovers were moved into one of my compost bins.

  • ↪️ ‼️Finish washing BFL/Shetland X (from Katharine) started washing and using it YOP 9.
  • ↪️ ‼️Finish washing Shetland X (from Serena) started washing YOP11 week 1

Knitting

Jumpers/cardigans
  • Knit 3 garments, ideas below:
    • ✅ Selfish Pullover by Sweater Freak in New Lanark Chunky yarn in Denim/Sky. Started week 1, finished week 5. Neck adjusted week 20.
    • ↪️✅ Fern & Feather by Jennifer Steingass in hand-dyed Shetland Aran New Lanark Aran in Blueberry/Verona. Started week 13, finished week 20.
    • 🐸 Turtle Dove II by Espace Tricot using some Shetland Aran weight I dyed started week 26. Frogged week 31, I didn’t like the drape…or lack of drape.
    • ✳ Another garment using yarn in stash. Possibly another Jennifer Steingass pattern Avena using existing greens in stash or Goldenfern with Jamieson’s of Shetland. Started Avena week 35 using New Lanark Aran in Verona and New Natural colour.
    • Quick Sand by Heidi Kirrmaier in Drops linen/cotton.
Shawls
  • ↪️ A summer weight shawl (maybe Estuary by Tin Can Knits)
  • ⏸️ Shawl using Rowan DK merino/alpaca yarn. (Possibly a 2nd Void) On hold, but may use yarn for a cardigan instead.
Socks
Accessories
  • Knit using existing stashed yarn or handspun only:
    • ✅ Alaska hat in handspun yarn from gradient I will dye. Colour-work hat using Isager Yarn Jensen leftovers in 26/101. I decided to do the Alaska hat with this yarn so combined 2 list items into 1. Started week 9, finished week 10.
    • Make 2nd Mostly Warmness cowl and cuff set by Martina Behm using Ripples Crafts Suilven (merino/yak/silk) yarn in Oh My!.
      • ✅ Cowl started week 10, finished week 12.
      • 🐸 Mittens started week 13, frogged week 19 (too tight).
    • ✅ Fisherman’s rib cowl by Merce Mitchell, using Rowan Brushed Fleece yarn in Nook. Started week 15, finished week 16.
    • 🆕️✅ Bisbis Beret by Sari Nordlund, using CaMaRose Midnatssol lace in Bordeaux and John Arbon Yarnadellic sport in Canto De Ossanha. Started and finished week 21.
    • 🆕✅ Carmel Beanie by Aspen Leaf Knits, using Bluebell Yarns Texel chunky in Berry Splash/Black Grape. Started week 30 and finished week 31.
    • 🆕✅ Just Wiggle It cowl by Sarah Ashcroft using handspun merino/alpaca blend. Started and finished week 34.
    • 🆕✅ Bisbis Beret by Sari Nordlund using handspun merino/alpaca. Started and finished week 34,
    • ✳️ Pinwheel Mittens by Ella Austin using kit from Loop London containing Isager Highland lace yarn in Sand/Denim. Started week 22.
    • ↪️ A colour-work project using Black Isle yarns Gotland wool
    • The Shift by Andrea Mowry, make a second version in different colours of handspun….maybe using baby camel and silk advent!
    • Make husband something with green New Lanark yarn.
    • ⏸️ Shrug & More by Martina Behm in existing stash or handspun. On hold
Other/household
  • ↪️✅ Habitation Throw by Helen Stewart using scrap 4 ply. Started YOP 10 week 45, finished week 12
  • 🆕️✅ Snow Matter What (Mystery Gnome KAL) (Mr Gnightley and Sgnome-man) by Sarah Schira, using Lamington Lass Highland Peruvian in Brer Fox and British BFL in Snowflakes, Berry, Grass and Fractured Obsidian 4 ply yarns. Started week 23, finished week 26.
  • 🆕✅ Mini Sock Yarn Sweater by Janet McMahon, using scrap 4 ply from a swap with Ali. Started and finished week 26.
  • 🆕️✅ All Work, Gnome Play (Gnorwen) by Sarah Schira, using Lamington Lass Highland Peruvian 4 ply, in Beware the Jade Dragon, Pewter and Snowflakes. Started week 36, finished week 37.
  • 🆕✅ Gansey Afghan by Lena Skvagerson, using Isle of Auskerry Aran yarn (North Ronaldsay wool) in Seal/Slate. Started week 28, finished week 40.
  • 🆕️✅ Gnome-Made Gifts (Gnova) by Sarah Schira, using Lamington Lass Highland Peruvian 4 ply, in Orchid, Violent Violet, Pewter, Fractured Obsidian and Snowflakes. Started and finished week 41.
  • ↪️✅ Dish cloths. 1️⃣✅ Waffle dishcloth by Debbie Andriulli, using Lily Sugar’n Cream in Swimming Pool week 10. 2️⃣✅ Another Waffle dishcloth, same yarn but Holly Jolly prints colour started and finished week 44. 3️⃣✅ another Holly Jolly waffle knit, started around week 48, finished week 53.
  • 🆕✅ Gnome Is Where You Hang Your Hat? (Gnemo) by Sarah Schira, in Lamington Lass Highland Peruvian 4 ply, in Snowflakes, Brer Fox and Ocean Blue. Started week 42, finished week 53.
  • ⏸️ Knit breed samples into squares. On hold

Painting & Drawing

  • Look for a painting group to join and if I don’t or don’t enjoy it declutter painting equipment.
  • ↪️ Do a new watercolour painting (carried forward from YOP 11 and then 12)
  • ↪️ Do a new pastel drawing (carried forward from YOP 12)

Sewing

  • ↪️ Make trousers with fabric in stash
  • Sew something with handwoven material
  • ↪️⏸️ Make play suit/jumpsuit with fabric in stash On hold

Spinning

  • ✅ Take part in Tour de Fleece. I didn’t do as much as planned, but I did spin during the calls and when we met up for a team lunch.
  • ✅ Spin alpaca/merino fibre colour sets. Started week 21 on Ashford Traveller, finished week 26.
  • ✅ Spin Shetland fibre I dyed purple. Started week 22 on Nano 2, finished on Traditional week 28.
  • 🆕✅ Nature’s Cuddle (merino, llama, yak, silk) I dyed. Started on Traveller week 34, finished on Traditional week 35.
  • 🆕✅ John Arbon Devonia in Nightshade (50% Exmoor Blueface, 30% BFL, 20% Wensleydale). Started on Traveller week 34, finished on Traditional week 35.
  • 🆕‼️World of Wool Candytuft blend (37.5% merino, 25% flax, 25% tussah silk, 12.5% muga silk). Started on Traveller week 35. It is painful to spin and so I have abandoned this idea and will felt the fibre instead.
  • ↪️✅ Spin 2021 baby camel and silk advent fibres (Started YOP 12 week 28) Ashford Traveller and Nano (and some plying done on Ashford Traditional).  Finished week 46.
  • ‼️ Spin yarn for Alaska hat I have an Alaska hat with other yarn.
  • ↪️✳️ Finish spinning 25g breed project (Started YOP10) During YOP13 I’ve spun Charollais, Cheviot (black), Coopworth, Icelandic, Jacob, Lleyn, Lonk, Welsh Mountain.

Weaving

Rigid heddle loom
  • ✅ Make a woven project using handspun yarns. Scarf woven with handspun Rambouillet held together with handspun yak/silk. Started and finished week 18.
  • ↪️✳️ Make a patterned shawl with WYS Exquisite in Belgravia/Rose merino/silk yarn. ✅ Diamond stripe sample started week 40 and finished week 41.
  • Make a selection of hand/dish towels
  • Weave with new cotton from Sara
  • ⏸️ Midnight Shawl by Kelly Casanova (On hold)
Inkle loom
  • Make some inkle bands from the book my sister gave me
    • ↪️✅ Monk’s belt sample (started YOP 12 week 22 finished week 14)
  • ↪️ Make a Minion inkle tablet weaving band
  • ↪️⏸️ Try another tablet card weaving pattern. On hold
Tapestry
  • ✅ Try a new tapestry weaving using wool pack from Kincraig At the end of Q3 I crossed this out and wrote “I’m not sure if this is abandoned or just on hold.”  Well I gave it a go and enjoyed it and made a little picture with the wools from Kincraig week 43.

Wood

↪️ Have a 3rd lesson in wood turning.