January 1: Feeling Curious, Wanting to be Hopeful

 It's a little after 8:00 in the morning on New Year's Day and my family is asleep.  The house is quiet and I'm taking my time getting ready for the day.  I mostly met my December knitting goals for gift-giving--even though I finished one gift in the car and wrapped it on the way to the event.  (Another gift was finished once we arrived at my sister's house for Christmas, but I finished it and wrapped it before the intended recipient arrived.)

I would actually like to send more knitted gifts in 2024, assuming I can complete the final crucial step of packaging the gift up and taking it to the post office.  I had initially thought that I would give my family members books for their birthdays and hats for Christmas, with the idea being that I would diligently knit hats throughout the year.  I changed my mind.  I think I can purchase books throughout the year (we have TWO! used book stores just here in North Little Rock) and knit hats as needed.

I didn't get pictures of some of my finished projects, or of their people wearing them. But they were all well-received and the niece and nephew who asked for scarves both immediately put on their scarves as soon as they got them.  The kids are alright, etc.  

(Actually, it's my sister who's the champ here--she's instilling a love of handmade gifts into them just as early as our mom did.  Always, always, always hype up the work and time that go into handmade gifts when you're around kids.  Okay, some adults need to get that message, too.)

Enough about projects that I didn't photograph.  That can be another post for another time.

My hopes for 2024:

I want to make more hats.  Hats as gifts.  Hats where I try out new techniques.  Hats for charitable causes.  Hats that make me try new patterns.  I checked out 10 Quick Knit Beanies & Slouchy Hats by Diane Serviss from the library and I started the Rhubarb pattern last night.  I'm using some Loops & Threads Impeccable yarn (the Michaels store brand of worsted weight acrylic) and some lace weight mohair or something equally fluffy from a friend's destash.  It's a partial skein and I'm not sure if I'll have enough, but I might.  It's adding some fluff and texture to the plain ribbing.  It's a nice pattern to work while resting up from the holidays/gearing up for the return to work and school.  

I have the book for a few more weeks, so I hope to try a couple more patterns out of this before I return it.

I also might get into mittens.  I have two new mitten pattern books--Folk Mittens by Marcia Lewandowski and Knit Mitts by Kate Atherly.  I've just looked through them and marveled at the variety so far, but I would like knit something beyond the two basic patterns I tend to fall back on when hands are cold and time is short.

I don't know a lot of people who want or need mittens, but I like the idea of knowing how to make them.  So I want to try some of the patterns from those books.

I also want to get into weaving.  I'm still looking for a used table top loom.  Nothing fancy, just something to try that's a step up from a tapestry loom.  Ebay has some good ones but shipping costs are blowing my mind.  I need to commit to spending a little more time in Ravelry groups to see if someone is looking to destash.  I don't spend as much time on Ravelry as I used to, and sometimes I get a little bit of a headache if I'm on there too long.  But I think it might be worth it to set a timer every couple of weeks and check in on some boards.  I'd really like to learn more about weaving and setting up a loom.  I've tried weaving at a weaving group that meets at a library near me a few times and I've really enjoyed it.  I've got it in my head that learning to weave a gingham check is going to change my life.  It probably won't, but I'd like to find out to be sure.  

But that's about all my brain can come up with for the new year.  I want to try new things and spend more time outdoors.  I'd like to get into some of the nonfiction by my bed.  I think this even be the year I finish the Kinsey Milhone series even though I'm not ready for it to be over.  This seems like a good time to finish up some things and start some new ones.

It's been 30 minutes.  I need to plug in this laptop and get more coffee.

I hope you have a joyous 2024 that's filled with good books and excellent projects.