Warm Woolies 2008 Finale

Now that the year is winding down, and my stamina is too, I think it's about time I recap my Warm Woolies goal of knitting 100 items this year. It didn't go so well. I knit quite a lot of stuff, but didn't make my goal. I think perhaps I could have, if that was the only thing I knit all year long, but there were other responsibilities that needed attending to. I know I shouldn't feel guilty about that, but I do anyway. If you look at my accomplishment in terms of grades, I'd only get a C. I passed, but barely (this would be funnier if all of you were Jack Black fans like I am ;) . But since I'm laying it all on the line here, these are the final stats for my year of Warm Woolies knitting:

* Knit 70 items total

* Knit 55 pairs of socks, 5 Hats, 5 Vests, 1 Cardigan Coat

* Completed sections of 3 Oddball Baby Blankies

* Seamed 1 Blanket of 36 squares

* 22 squares for the Knit a Square, Join a Swap Group on Ravelry. However, I'm not counting these in my final total because it takes 36 squares to make one blankie and therefore, these do not count as one item :(

My 1st Seamed blanket for the Knit A Square, Join A Swap Group on Ravelry

Crocheted Cuteness: My last contribution to the Warm Woolies Baby Oddball Blankets Group On Ravelry

I met so many wonderful people this year working towards this goal, and among them was my blog-free pal Kathy, who sent me a ginormous box of yarn to use for WW projects. What a generous and thoughtful gesture, and I'm so glad to have gotten to know you this year Kathy! I promised that I would post a few pics of items I've made from the yarn Kathy sent, so here are the last 2 vests I'm mailing out this year. The blue/grey/black one is made entirely from yarn she sent, and all the brown yarns in the second vest came from her stash as well. Thank you again Kathy!

My knitty friend Troy, also contributed to my endeavor with 10 adorable hats that he knit for me to send to WW. He tells me that I should count them in my total, as he knit them for me to do so, but it just doesn't feel right since I didn't knit them myself! But I would love to claim them as Troy uses only the most beautiful fibers and gorgeous colors for his hats :) Thanks so much for your generous gifty Troy!! Here's a pic (which just doesn't do them justice):

With that, my Warm Woolies goal draws to a close for this year. I'll keep contributing in the years to come but I think I'll try less to focus on a number for 2009, and more on the joy I experience in the projects I do. It's not supposed to be work, right? It's supposed to be fun and make me feel soft and fuzzy inside to be able to warm up cold little munchkins.

Thank you so very much to all of you wonderful LovePurl participants! You have all made my journey much more fun this year and it's been wonderful hearing about and seeing all of your projects here on the blog :) That being said, I don't plan to continue with the blog in 2009. Now that Ravelry is here, and so many of us are joining groups there, I don't see a need for this blog anymore. There are piles of charity knitting groups over there that are filling the space this blog used to fill and I hope you can each find one there that you enjoy. I'm afraid that maintaining this blog as well as my own has been quite a lot of work and I haven't done well with consistently posting here - death for any blog or group! I hope you all understand :) It's been a joy and I thank you all so very much for all your hard work and kindness.

Hope your 2008 was joyful and that 2009 brings you all that you could wish for!

********
P.S. If another member of the group would like to take over the blog, you are more than welcome! Just e-mail me via the contact info in the sidebar and we can chat about that. Otherwise, if I don't hear from a replacement by the end of January, I will be deleting the entire blog. Please, if there is information here that you want to retain, get it before I do so. I would hate for anyone to lose precious info. Thanks so much for your understanding!!