I usually don't do this but as I was updating my yarn spreadsheet with some recent purchases (ahem), I decided to try to figure out how much of this year's purchases have already been knit . . . and I was surprised to find that I've knit only about 40% of the yarn I bought this year. Now, this is kind of a silly number, because of course I also knit with yarn I had bought in previous years so it doesn't show how much knitting actually got done, but I was surprised to find out that I accumulate yarn SO MUCH more quickly than I knit it up.
It's not like I thought the % used number was going to be close to 90%, but I thought it was at least more than 50% . . . which got me to thinking about how much knitting I actually get done, as in finished, of the needles, DONE in a year. Unfortunately I don't generally keep very good records, and I'm sure even this year's list is incomplete, but for the purpose of comparison with future years, here's what I've finished this year, to the best of my reconing:
Seems like a lot, doesn't it? I do knit every.single.day. so it should come as no surprise that I'm this productive . . . although if you looked at my outstanding WIP list, I might not look so successful. I have nearly as many in-progress sweaters (15 of them) and more in-progress socks (4 of them). And if I hadn't ripped out or gotten rid of a few loser WIPs, the list would far outweigh the FO list.
So next year? Next year, I want to change the ratio of finishing to acquisition. In fact, I want to reverse it, meaning use up 60% off new yarns purchased. I'm not naive enough to say I'm going to knit everything I buy, or even that I plan to buy less yarn next year, just that I want to finish more. Shouldn't be too tough a goal to reach.
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Have a happy and safe New Years, everyone! I'll be back next year (ha ha) with more of the FO parade, I still have 3 sweaters and a shawl to show you . . .
What a wonderfully productive year 2007 was—I’m blown away by that list!
Wishing you the most incredible Health Wealth and Happiness in the New Year!
That’s quite an inspiring amount of sweaters. I’m hoping to make more this year.
Happy New Year!
It’s certainly a good goal to knit more than you acquire. I don’t even know if I would want to keep up with that for myself! Hahaha!
Happy New Year to you!
Happy New Year!
happy new year!
weaverknits
January 03, 2008
What a great sweater count! Congrats!
And you’ve written up patterns for so many of these things as well, which is even more impressive… I find that can be a real time sap.
How could you ever control your yarn purchases when you work where you do??? You will just have to knit even more this year. And sleep less.