The old year passes (soon anyway)

I've changed the pattern for the Candies colourway in the Curious Yarns sock yarn, I didn't dislike it in plain stocking stitch, but I wasn't totally happy with it, so I've switched to this, two rows knit followed by 2 rows K2 P2, I'm surprising jazzed by how it's turning out, so much so I've done th eleg already! I'm knitting the basic Opal pattern but with 72 stitches not 60 and making them as ankle socks, using 2.5mm DPN's. The only sock yarn I have at present that I don't knit on 2.5mm's is the natural Yarn Studio's merino that I knit on 3mm DPN's and use the original 60 stitch cast on from the Opal pattern. Bear in mind I have size 7 (UK) feet and they are very wide and I have a tendency to get swollen ankles when I can't get to the gymn and sit at my desk all day so I like my socks ankle height and with plenty of give in them! Thanks Sue and Lixie for the suggestion of splitting the pink grapefruit Fyberspates into 2 balls and knitting alternately - I suspect I may be driven to that but am still hoping for inspiration to avoid it! I'm playing with the idea of cabling the leg of the sock, although as I only do 30 row legs it may well not be worth it.
I've gone back through my anally retentive Excel spreadsheet of knitting things and worked out what I made this year since I started knitting again in about March/April, the last day of the old year seems like a good time to post this :-.
Achievements for 2005
1) 6 simple fringed shawls - although I've decided that one of them is too short and I intend undoing the cast off edge and knitting some more.
2) 7 baby cardigans and sweaters and a baby hat
3) 1 toddlers cardigan
4) 1 adult cardigan and one large adult sweater
5) 19 scarves including 2 lasagne scarves with the infamously long rows
6) 1 pink bag
7) 3 pairs of merino socks
Total 40 items as I count a pair of socks as one thing

I know that Jean tracks how much stash she has, how much she's used and how much added in a year, I just daren't do that, nor do I have the time to do the initial cataloguing and weighing, but I do plan on keeping a running total for this year to see how much I use and how much additional yarn I end up with!. I'm saving bags of sock wool where I have leftovers so that ultimately I'll have stripey socks in the different types of yarn, that makes it rather harder to decide how much yarn I have left! I think I nearly have enough of the Yarn Studio merino leftovers to make the first stripey pair, certainly I should have once I finish the sugar plum pair. Although I may wait until I've knitted up all the different colourways that I currently have, then decide what colours go together best. Then I'll need to knit both socks at the same time to make them identical twins, I don't do 'toe up' socks yet, this maybe an opportunity to learn how. I don't want to switch from dpn's, as I enjoy knitting with them, I always move a stitch or 2 from one needle to the next so I don't get ladders and haven't had any other problems. I do dislike my addi dpn's though, I have a 3mm set that are so blunt ended they make me cross - has no one ever told them that knitting needles have points??

I don't do the staying up til the New Year bit, in fact I go to bed really early in hopes of not being woken by fireworks at midnight, so, allow me to wish any one reading this a peaceful and content 2006 - my knitting resolutions are still being developed and may get posted tomorrow!