First off, thanks for your comments on the cardigan :) I'd respond personally but I still haven't figured out how you respond via e-mail to blogger comments. Anyone feel free to enlighten me!

I'm finding it quite fun to look at all the goodies I was able to make this year:
Frankly, I'm kinda amazed at how much I was able to complete despite my relatively slow knitting pace: five adult sweaters, a baby sweater, a lace shawl, and eight small projects (mittens, socks, scarves). I really had fun making all of them. The only ones that I recall being a bit frustrating were the convertible mittens (trying to convert a single-knit pattern to a double knit pattern and just general fitting problems resulted in many rips and re-knits) and the Cherie pullover (due to pattern errata). As for my favorites, well, the bobble cardigan was probably the most fun to knit, and the flirty ruffles shawl was an exciting challenge...until the ruffles when it became kind of a drag. The items that have gotten the most use (excluding the gifts, no idea how much they get used) are probably G's Germany socks, the Twist cardigan, the Labrador Diamonds mittens, and the Panta headband.

I feel like my knitting skills really came together this year. I finally feel comfortable with sizing of garments and I am starting to have a much better sense of which patterns will work for me and which I will find enjoyable. This year I became an adamant gauge-swatcher (and washer!), which was a very smart thing. Why we avoid that very sage advice when we are newbie knitters (not to speak for everyone, just seems to be a common thing) I have no idea! I also spent much of this year trying to learn the intricacies of different cast-ons, bind-offs, selvages, seams, etc and I think it is starting to pay off in the finished product. The book "Knitter's Handbook" by Montse Stanley has been invaluable for this.

I don't really have any major goals this year for knitting. I hope to do some more fair isle/color work and I would also like to continue refining the details and finishing techniques on everything I make. I also plan to learn the combination knitting method. I am curious to see if it produces a more even stockinette stitch for me, and of course it would just be fun to learn something new!

My personal goals this year are to try to exercise a bit more regularly, to be a bit more fastidious in cleaning up messes in the house when they happen (and avoid the 20 minute stove top scrub), and most of all to find a new and better job by the end of the year. But hey, I'm not huge on resolutions so, "Que sera, sera"!

Now that you've kindly and patiently sat through these rather boring ramblings, here is a photo of what I am hoping and praying for this week:We are forecast to get 3 to 5 inches tomorrow, although that may change to rain/sleet by afternoon and then back to snow later in the evening. I'm crossing my fingers that the rain isn't enough to ruin the snow...some cross-country skiing would certainly help me with that regular exercise thing!