Looking Back and Ahead

2012 was a tough year.  Normally, I don't think of years as good or bad, easy or difficult.  But last year was pretty challenging.  What I learned in the past year was that I have really wonderful friends and a great family, which I already knew but I saw it more clearly than ever before.  I am also a stronger more resilient person than I imagined.  And I have hopes that 2013 is going to be better and easier than last year.

Of course, the best thing one can do in a tough time (or a happy time, or any time, really) is craft.  And I did.  Here is a sampling of projects I worked on last year:

Felted Crochet Slippers (This and all subsequent links are to my Ravelry project page with information about the projects)

A project bag for my friend, Atia

I took up weaving!  I am so excited about it and have a couple of scarves to share on an upcoming post.

I finished the Montview Cardigan I started in January

I knitted my first raglan sweater and loved it!  This yarn, Cascade Venezia, has silk and merino and is wonderful.  Pattern: Leaflet

I finally knitted a Pookie for my niece for Christmas.  I really want one for me, too.

I knitted another Boo the Bat and I did keep this fellow for myself.  Check out his cool wings! I made another Boo in green with normal wings but don't have a pic.

I knitted my mom a pair of socks for Christmas!  It only took four months. :) Pattern: Toe-Up Socks

I crocheted a Sugar Sparkles Shawlette because 1. I wanted one and 2. I wanted to teach it as a class

I treated myself to some hand-dyed cashmere merino fingering weight yarn because hey, life was rough last year.  I was drooling over this shawl pattern, Terpsichore Street.  I love the Fleur-de-lis!  Note the bling on the edging.  That happened because I ran out of yarn!

For the Ravellenic Games, I crocheted this slip stitch scarf, Undaria Flutter Scarf, and miraculously managed to get it done before the end of the Olympics.

I wasn't much in the mood for quilting until right around Christmas, so when I saw the Scrappy Trip Along happening all over the Internet and every version was so pretty, I thought that would be a good way to get back to quilting.  For the past week, I've been cutting strips and starting to sew blocks together.  

For 2013, I am looking forward to doing a bit of everything because I can't help myself.  I don't think I have a word or theme right now to guide my year.  I just know that I would like to finish this quilt and some others, knit a lot and finish up a couple of sweaters, crochet something interesting, get more practice at weaving and have fun.

How about you?  Do you have a particular plan or word for 2013?