Happy 2020!

Happy Christmas everyone!  We had a great time and so much food. One Christmas tradition in my family that has stood for quite a while, since I was in 4th grade, is that on Christmas eve we have chicken fried steak, corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and chocolate pie. Before this we always ordered pineapple pizza from Domino's. One year my Grandfather decided he wanted my Mom to make chicken fried steak. Well it was delicious and it stuck. This is pretty much the only time of year I make this meal, just to make sure it stays special. We put candles in the pie and sing happy birthday to Jesus. Even as the children have gotten older that hasn't changed. Christmas Day is never the same.

This year hubby and the children will go to his brother's house and I will go to the home of my bff and play games with his family. When we all get home this though we are doing something different that I think might stick too. We are going to have tamales, beans, fries and green chili for dinner. Just have to heat it all up and then we can relax and eat.

For 2020 Mom and I have joined the MKAL that Stunning String is putting on. This is the first time that either of us have joined any kind of a yarn club and we are both very excited! We wound our yarn into cakes together. The first clue comes out on the 1st, which is a Wednesday. We won't be able to get together that day but the next clue is scheduled to come out on the following Friday, the 3rd. We will get together that day and cast on together. We each ordered a different color from the club exclusive list. Mom chose the pink peppercorn and I chose curry. We will get 3 skeins dyed in the same color; one skein will be a mohair blend. I am so excited for this! There will be a total of 5 shawls completed by the end of 2020. Because it is an MKAL it is a mystery. We are doing the knitting edition. Stunning String is offering a crochet edition this year as well. Cindy is a great knitting designer and has lined up several crochet designers to create those shawls.

I have nearly finished the projects that I refuse to carry into next year, and my Christmas presents. Uriah's gloves are completed. I learned that the letters on the fingers would have looked better in duplicate stitch but other than that I am pleased with them and they are in his stocking.

H's socks are done and will be in his stocking for Christmas eve. I worked tube socks hoping that they will fit him for a longer period of time.

 

I finished the secret socks, but can't show pictures and am about to finish the owls. I finished my Marvel shawl last weekend and now have a new neck piece to wear.

The projects waiting to be started are pictured below and the pile just keeps growing.

I have joined the 12 Days of Yarnmas on Instagram and it starts on Christmas Day. Each day there is a prompt for what kind of picture to post. While I have taken many of my pictures I'm not going to share them early; you will have to follow me and/or the on Instagram. I'm Azariahs1982 there and the #yarnmascarols . Michelle from Crafty Flutterby has put this together and she always does such fun stuff!

I have received confirmation that I will be teaching at Interweave Yarn Fest 2020! This is exciting news to me. I really feel like I have hit the "big time" now. I will be teaching all day Wednesday April 29, 2020. In the morning is Math, Yes, Math and then after lunch will be Crochet for Knitters.

I heard back from Estes Park Wool Market and I am scheduled to teach Estonian Lace, Intro to Crochet and Intro to Knitting.  Keep an eye out for when registration begins.

Longmont Yarn Shoppe recently posted a picture on Instagram of a flier from a new to me yarn festival here in Colorado. It was for the Knoble Yarn Fest in Greeley, Colorado. I signed up to take the 6 hour class to learn more about knitwear illustration from a guy named Andre from Portugal. I am hoping that this class as well as the sweater class I'm starting in January will help me to be a more efficient designer and submit more designs to more platforms. I don't want designing to be my livelihood, just fun and give others joy, not just me.

Starting January 6, 2020 I will be putting myself through the Blueprint class Sweater design with Shirley Paden. I had originally thought about a sweater that would be for cold weather, but since we are moving into warmer weather by the time I finish this piece I have decided to make a warmer weather top. I'll make a page here on the blog just for this class and announce each time it is updated.

I have 2 big goals for 2020.  One to put all my knitting and crochet books into my Ravelry library.  The other main thing I want to do is learn Imperial Length as well as I know weight.

I'm really excited to move into the new year in just a day or so.

Happy New Year everyone and until next time...

Happy making!