Kninja Knitter

The Year of Projects is a challenge hosted on Ravelry among bloggers. While Ravelry is a social network for fiber enthusiasts, participants include non-fiber-related projects on their list. I just found the group in January of this year, but my crafting history is long. Diving in officially for the 14th year which started today, I’d like a full-year look back so I can compare as I go. So details on the past week and the year ending June 30, 2024, are up next!

Stitched or Still -in-Progress

YOP is not my only ongoing challenge, but I appreciate the accountability it offers! Looking back on the past twelve months, I’ve used up 4,586 grams of yarn, knitting with over 16,000 yards. The 35 completed projects varied from socks ( 17 pairs) to shawls and cowls (three each), hats from newborn to adult (six total), plus an afghan, a long-sleeved sweater for me, a toddler sweater, a tank top, a pair of mitts and a pair of leg warmers. The sweater and last pair of socks were finished this past week.

There are a number of WIPs in my collection, though the only one I worked on last week was the first Irish sweater of the year:

I will have to pull out my other WIPs to see which ones I will prioritize throughout the year. In addition to the YOP, one of the drivers is a Net Loss challenge from Knitters Brewing Company to use up more yarn (by weight) than I bring in. Buying or receiving yarn doesn’t help here, nor can I count stash that I give away or toss. But the challenge has made me more intentional about my yarn purchases, even on vacation. I’ve already knit up three of the skeins (or most of them, anyway) from my April trip. Since that challenge runs through the calendar year, it will primarily impact my project choices through December.

Cast-on Conversations

I’ll have a separate post outlining my full list of plans for YOP14, but for now know that I’ll be finishing the sweater above and the pair of shortie socks I cast on this weekend:

Before I move on to the non-knitting segments of my post… This is a Year of Projects post. Officially the Group has just finished its 13th year, though I’m just beginning . Click on the link if you would like to find out more about the Year of Projects Group on Ravelry, it’s a very welcoming group! Year 14 is starting now, so it’s a perfect time to join us.

Movie Moments

I had a lot of screen time this week, with looming knitting deadlines (at least one). I maximized my A-List membership for once and saw Inside Out 2, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and A Quiet Place: Day One. Those are both in order of viewing and my personal rankings. The latest Pixar film hopefully gives the studio the boost it needs as recent films haven’t had good numbers. One of my high school classmates was in animation support there for years, and I’ve always enjoyed watching the end credits to see his name on the screen. (Todd also gave me a personal tour when I was stuck in San Francisco for a day.)

Will Smith and Martin Laurence were fun to watch in the buddy cop movie. I haven’t seen any other movies in the series, but that didn’t detract from the fun. The last movie, though, was nowhere near as entertaining as its predecessors. I watched the first two AQP films ahead of time just to refresh. This one just didn’t have the same character arcs, so it wasn’t a favorite.

On the small screen, I’ve gone through most of the Agents of SHIELD watch-alongs with Kaiielle, just one more pair of episodes left to catch up on season two. I also made good progress on my rewatch of The West Wing, season six. On Netflix I watched The Judge and Inside Man, as both were leaving the service in June. I’ve seen them both and own the former on disc. Lastly, I watched the reaction YouTube videos from Rob and Trin on the three Planet of the Apes made with Andy Serkis.

Soundscape Sessions

I got somewhat sad news yesterday that a sisterly podcast I’ve followed for years is coming to an end. The Imagined Landscapes podcast is one I’ve listened to for quite a while and introduced me to the Once More with Horrible Feeling annual singalong fest in Winnipeg, among other things. The Winnipeg-local sister in the duo has moved in with her partner and has decided to step away from podcasting to focus on her new life and family. I’m thrilled for her as she’s got a great thing going, but I will miss her!

The last piece of equipment I needed to start recording my pilot podcast arrived. Now I have to spend some time playing with the recording software and learning to edit. My goal is to launch by the end of this month.

Exploits in Exercise

Checking in at mid-year, I’ve taken more than 60 classes at OrangeTheory this year. I’ve covered over 100 miles on the treadmill in that time. With the introduction of the Tread 50 option, my mileage increased significantly. I haven’t reached the three mile mark in a class, but I’m getting closer! A couple weeks ago I managed 2.88 miles and 2.89 miles in 50 minute sessions. I was also most pleased with the 38 miles I achieved in general walking (plus an OTF workout) during my first week of vacation. Now I have to work on getting more movement in outside of the studio. Stay tuned for that plan!

That’s about all I have the energy to share today. A couple key work projects are tapping into my energy reserves. But my mind is always pondering the next post. So stay tuned!

Knit on. 🧶