The end of the year is nigh - 2014 Goals

"The time has come" the Walrus said "to speak of many things ..."

2014 will come to a close in two days time and so I felt this was a good opportunity to take a look back at the goals I set myself at the beginning of the year and see what I achieved and what remains on the To Do list.  Apologies in advance - this is going to be very picture heavy.

The first goal was to start and complete a wedding present for one of my oldest friends.  This piece was all ready to be framed when the wedding was called off two weeks beforehand.  So I am counting this as a completed goal.

The second goal was to complete "April" by the second Thursday in August to hand over to V for her 70th birthday.  This goal was also completed and I received a very nice thank you card from V afterwards.

Goal 3 was to start and complete "Corgi" by the second Thursday in September to hand over to I for her 80th birthday.  This was a great success and she loved it.  Major tick in the box!

My fourth goal was to complete "Guardian Angels" for my Mum by Christmas at the latest.  This was an abject fail as I have not worked on this piece since about April.  I will be carrying this one over into 2015.

Goal No. 5 was to complete at least one page on "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" and I am delighted to say that the last stitches were put into page 5 on 27 December 2014.  So a happy dance for the end of the year!  This piece is now going on hold for the time being.

My sixth goal was to complete the pages that I was stitching on "Train of Dreams".  This was also an abject failure and will be carried over into 2015.

My final goal for 2014 was to stitch my annual Christmas ornaments for my two nieces.  This goal was completed, but as I did the finishing on Christmas Eve at my parents' house and without my camera, I don't have a photo to show you yet.  As soon as I can get one, I will put it in.

So 5 goals completed out of 7 - relatively good going, I think.  However there were also the other achievements that weren't on the list of goals for 2014.

At the beginning of May, I learned to knit again, having knit briefly in my early teens.  The results of this are as follows:

My scarf, known as "Learning Curve" which is made up of sections in 13 different stitch patterns.

Three sets of baby booties and mittens - two in yellow and one in blue - one for a work colleague, one for a former work colleague and one for my sister's work colleague.  The set shown here were my first knitting finish after I started knitting again.

My first pair of hand knitted socks, courtesy of my sister and brother in law who gave me a sock knitting workshop as an early birthday present.  They aren't perfect, but they fit and I have felt so chuffed with myself every time I put them on.

"Breeze", a lace edged headscarf knitted as a Christmas present for my oldest friend.  In the beginning, there was much frogging and language, but eventually I got the hang of it and am very pleased with it.  I'm hoping to get a picture of it in use to show you.

And finally I hit target at Slimming World - I won't say that I am currently right at target (blame it on Christmas), but I did get there!

So that is my goals for 2014 covered and the extras that came along during the year.  What next?

Well, first comes Christmas.  This is the crazy patchwork lap quilt that my Mum gave me for snuggling up under when I'm knitting or stitching on the sofa.  My parents also gave me two pairs of sock blockers for drying my hand knitted socks on.  My sister and brother in law gave me another workshop - this time to learn how to knit socks from the toe up.  Most everything else was non-craft related.

And finally my current WIPs:

As you will appreciate, the Christmas festivities have cut into my quiet time so on the sock front, I have managed to complete the ribbed cuff section and move onto the leg.

In the case of my cabled handwarmers, I only managed to finish the ribbed cuff section.  Although I can knit stocking stitch in the round while my family play Scrabble right next to me, I am not yet up to knitting cables in company :-)

So that is 2014 for you.  I have already started mentally planning my list for 2015, but that is for my next post.  I am back to work tomorrow, so will call it a day.  

I wish you and yours all the very best for the coming year.  May 2015 bring you all that your heart desires, and may the frog stay away from your needles!