Friday, November 19, 2010

I'm Done with the List, and I'm Celebrating with a Contest!

I started this blog over a year ago because I enjoy knitting, as well as reading, learning, and writing about knitting.  But I also had a goal of becoming a better finisher. 

In my second post I confessed that I had become one of those knitters with multiple unfinished sweaters tucked away in closets.  I included a list of UFOs/WIPs, with a goal of finishing or frogging each one by February 2010. 
Here they are listed in order by the date on which I started each one:

Jan 2006 - Ballet Wrap Cardigan - Frogged November, 2010
Mar 2006 - Ribby Cardi - Finished November, 2010
Jun 2006 - Tweedy Vest -  Frogged September, 2010  
Spring 2007 - Equinox Yoke Pullover  - Finished November, 2010
Jan 2009 - T-Shirt Sweater - Frogged and Reknit into a Neck-Down Lace Pullover December, 2009
Feb 2009 - Loppem - Finished October, 2009
Mar 2009 - Roam  - Finished September, 2009

Well, I finally did finish, but not quite as soon as I had hoped.  Here we are in November 2010 . . . maybe Robert Burns' famous line should have read:
 "The best laid plans of mice and men  . .and knitters . . . often go awry.”  
I'm just happy I got through the list.  Of course, a lot of other knitting has been going on as well, but these were the items that hibernated for one reason or another.  Finally, each and every one is finished or frogged.  It has been a great learning experience, and I have some sweaters to wear this winter.


I let my 1 year blogiversary roll on by, but I don't want to let this occasion go without celebrating.  When I return to announce the winner of today's contest it will be my 100th post, AND I am done with THE LIST!  Okay, so maybe it is 9 months later than planned .  . .hmmm, 9 months . . . it wasn't quite as hard as giving birth, but it took even longer! 

The contest:
  I love knitting socks so I celebrated by ordering myself a printed, signed edition of Cookie A's new book Knit.  Sock.  Love..  I ordered a second copy to give away to one of you.  I know some people might prefer yarn, so I'm also giving away 2 skeins of Brooks Farm Four Play that I bought at Stitches:




All you have to do to be entered to win is leave me a comment by Saturday, November 27th.  I will use a random number generator to pick 2 winners.  Be sure to include your email address or your Ravelry name when you post your comment so that I can notify the winner. 

I'll be away from the blog while the contest is going on, so meanwhile, I want to take time to wish my friends and family a Happy Thanksgiving!  I still feel exactly the same as last time around, if not even more grateful for all of it.

63 comments:

  1. Congratulations on finishing your list and getting to your 100th post!

    That looks like such a snuggly pile of warmth for the winter season :)

    I'm elephantjuice on Ravelry!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think you might have your dates a bit awry on your list, but well done for getting through it, that's a big achievement.

    I'd love to win the contest, that's a really generous offer. Congratulations on making it through the first year, it's a real achievement.

    ReplyDelete
  3. What beautiful sweaters! Congratulations on your personal victory.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations on your huge accomplishment! And on your 100th post. And on your new sweater wardrobe. And on bending the time-space continuum (because for most of us, I'm almost sure it's still 2010) :)

    Cheers to you!

    ps -- I'm cagirlygirl on Rav

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks friends for saving me from myself and pointing out my date errors! I wrote the post around midnight last night, I guess I was a little tired! I think I fixed it. : )

    ReplyDelete
  6. Shannon - What a HUGE accomplishment on the frogging, the blog, and the beautiful finished objects. Your knitting never fails to inspire. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Having that many hand knit sweaters would make me very happy (and warm) indeed!

    What a target! congratulations on meeting it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Shannon - You are one of those people I look at and say WOW! You have the unique gift to inspire, all the while staying true to yourself. Congrats on all of your accomplishments, including those the rest of us don't see.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congratulations on completing all your WIPs in one way or the other. You inspired me! I just Frogged a pink sweater (what was I thinking?!? cotton candy pink?!? for an adult sweater?!?) and selected the first WIP to hussle on. Keep up the great work!

    ReplyDelete
  10. So great to meet a goal...even if it is late. Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Way to go finishing your WIP's I wish I could!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow, your sweaters are gorgeous! And just my colours, too! I think I need to cast on a sweater or two, I'm having a serious case of sweater envy.
    (Love the kitty trying to decide if it's safe to pounce.)
    Ilina (on ravelry)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Congrats on finishing/frogging your projects! And such nice looking ones too!

    I need to actually start and finish a sweater for my DH, as well as finish a scarf that's been on the needles since July and was supposed to be part of my stuff to sell at the Market (next weekend, not going to be done).

    (InJuneau on Ravelry)

    ReplyDelete
  14. You now have six beautiful sweaters to wear and enjoy this winter. I like finishing up wips, also. I have 5 wips on needles now, a Christmas gift, a charity project (lapghan), 2 dishcloth KALS, and a shawl for myself. I usually only like to have no more than 3 wips at a time. I try to knit some on each project every day. Congratulations on your 100th post and year anniversary.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am so impressed with your FOs!!! I started a sweater... once.

    ReplyDelete
  16. well done on your lovely FOs ... I'd really love the new Cookie book! Happy Thanksgiving :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love your sweaters both the patterns and the colors. Great job on getting them done. I'm also entering your contest and I am Closeacademy on Ravelry. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Congrats in finishing all those projects! Thanks for the giveaway.

    knitterofhats on Rav

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow. Drool. What an awesome contest. Good job on finishing your projects. I noticed a lot of purple. One of my favorite colours.

    monkalicious on Rav

    ReplyDelete
  20. Congratulations! Thanks for sharing the love.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great job getting those sweaters done! Congrats on the 100th post!!

    BangersAndMash on Ravelry
    fallj884@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Awesome! That yarn is gorgeous!

    jacrae on Ravelry

    ReplyDelete
  23. your finished projects look great. love the colors sparky136 on Ralvery

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow, look at all those finished sweaters! Kudos! I love the color work yoke sweater! Bigger picture please!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congrats on meeting your goal! You have inspired me to get back to work on my UFOs.
    I'm teammom on Ravelry

    ReplyDelete
  26. Congrats on finishing your list! Your FOs are BEAUTIFUL!

    (MissMelissaZ on Ravelry)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Congrats! That yarn is so pretty.

    midwifemom on Ravelry.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Congrats! =)

    Add me to the giveaway, please.
    Sheri
    unhallowedashes@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  29. That's great that you finished your projects! You have inspired me to finish me. As I said on Ravelry, I love your recent FO, the yoke pullover. (ktgboropd on Ravelry)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Congrats on finishing!! And your 100th post! Maybe this will inspire me to get out a few UFOs!!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Congratulations on your 100th post!

    bookwormdjibouti on Ravelry

    ReplyDelete
  32. Congrats at finishing your sweaters! They look beautiful...some day I will gather the courage to start on a sweater, but for now, just small projects!

    emmaknits on rav

    ReplyDelete
  33. Those are some beautiful sweaters. I love the purple and gray shades.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Congrats!!! Love looking at your wonderful FINISH sweaters for winter

    ReplyDelete
  35. What a lovely collection of sweaters! I'm still working up the nerve to try my first one. In the meantime, I knit socks. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  36. I also tend to gather a pile of almost-finished projects, ones that need blocking, sewing together or adding buttons. They languish until I feel an urge to wear them, and only then they get to be finished.
    You did a great job eliminating your pile of them! Happy bloggoversary :)

    rav name: nightpaws

    ReplyDelete
  37. Well done on finishing your list, think I might need to do something similar once the Christmas knits are out of the way!

    rav name- tnipflah

    ReplyDelete
  38. That's a great accomplishment - congratulations! I think many knitters can be inspired by you... :)

    rav name: fridica

    ReplyDelete
  39. Your newly-finished sweaters all look great - and all the colours look good together, have you noticed? So if it gets really really cold, you could wear them all at once, without any clashes. And the Brooks Farm yarn tones in nicely as well. Congratulations on getting all the projects finished or frogged - I know it's really easy just to leave a knitting project that isn't working at the back of a cupboard - I've got too many of those myself!

    barbaramary on Ravelry

    ReplyDelete
  40. I've given away too many knitted items to ever amass many and feel amazed at the number of stitches I have knit, but sometimes I find I have piled all my hats together and feel pleased with myself!

    I've been wanting the Cookie A book ever since I heard it was going to be released, so please enter me into the giveaway!

    Rav name: Eskimimi

    ReplyDelete
  41. What a great give away! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Congratulations! You're an inspiration to others to get those UFOs finished and thanks for having this giveaway. I'm karlak63 on ravelry.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Congrats on finishing all those! I can understand the whole not-finishing thing because I am too intimidated to even start a sweater!! And that yarn you are giving away looks yummy!! And Cookie A is a great designer! It's fun to celebrate with giving something away, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  44. oh my goodness! That's so generous of you!

    I love the sweaters you finished too. The one with the fair isle yoke is definitely my fav! :)

    ReplyDelete
  45. Awesome giveaway! Thank you very much.
    I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
    KJo on Ravelry

    ReplyDelete
  46. Congrats on becoming a "Finisher"! I love having sweaters and garments to wear around and being able to tell people, "Yes, I made this myself" :)

    ReplyDelete
  47. I loved looking at your finished projects! I have recently finished a couple of my own - yeah! Thanks for a chance in your contest.
    Lynn
    cbruff8624@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  48. What an impressive display of FINISHED projects! :)

    Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for having such a lovely giveaway -

    quinn on rav

    ReplyDelete
  49. I love your posts. I'm so excited about all of your finished projects!
    -Karen

    ReplyDelete
  50. Congratulations! And thanks for the chance to win.

    greyowl (ravelry id)

    ReplyDelete
  51. Congratulations on dealing with all those WIPs!

    ikkinlala AT yahoo DOT ca

    ReplyDelete
  52. Wow! What a great feeling it must have been to get through "the list!"!

    ReplyDelete
  53. Awesome job! I bet it feels liberating.

    (I'm notpanicking on ravelry.)

    ReplyDelete
  54. Congratulations on successfully tackling and finishing The List! I am in total awe because I have so many UFO's hiding in every dark corner of my house. It takes a brave knitter to face down your hibernating garments and resolve them one way or another. You have some wonderful looking knits to wear now, too. Congrats also on your 100th post! Happy Thanksgiving!

    ReplyDelete
  55. I can soooo relate to the UFOs aplenty! Congratulations to you, I love your new sweaters :-)

    ~Kerrie

    ReplyDelete
  56. Congratulations on your blogiversary and getting through your list. All your sweaters are lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Wow, way to go! That's a lot of sweaters. You must be so proud. :)

    ReplyDelete
  58. I would like to enter please! :) cookie's book is a great giveaway! I've signed up for two contests so far for the book and lost. Maybe third times a charm! Thanks for having a giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  59. Lots of beautiful sweaters!!
    I'd really like to win the new book from Cookie, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed ;)

    ReplyDelete
  60. Congratulations on the finishing/frogging/blogiversry. It can be intimidating to frog your projects. So good on you!

    I'm TammyG on Ravelry and would love the book (I'd love the yarn too, but am obsessed with reading about socks)

    ReplyDelete
  61. WOW! Congratulations! Seeing all of the finished objects together like that is really impressive- and inspiring. Your yarn has me intrigued so here I am- MutantSupermodel on Ravelry. I'm really thinking about making my own list of projects for 2011. Hmmm

    ReplyDelete
  62. How exciting to have a stack of sweaters to wear this winter, good for you! I'm very excited about this giveaway, thanks for offering it up! I'm PurlVerde on Ravelry!

    ReplyDelete
  63. Congratulations ~ I know the feeling. What a wonderful idea to celebrate, my hats off to you!!

    ReplyDelete