I pulled my Instagram Best Nine pics again this year and thought about doing another best nine of the year post but didn’t want to do all that. You can see last year’s best nine posts here, here and here.
These were my top posts on Instagram this year and it reflected a lot of what my 2017 was about, knitting sweaters for myself that I would love and my family. Clearly pictures with my husband and the dogs are pretty high up on the list of liked images. I’ve also gotten some sweet messages via Instagram and even here on the blog about enjoying what I share and being impressed by my volume of knitting. And I appreciate the comments. I love the knitting community but I stick out sometimes because I don’t fit the mold (which is fine) of what a knitter looks like which can also make you feel like you don’t always belong. But that’s one of the main reasons why I decided to blog, so that I could have a space where I could do my own thing and change the idea of what a knitter should look like and show that we are all so very different. But instead of sharing what were the most popular on Instagram, I thought I’d share what I enjoyed the most this year. First up, my Saddle Shoulder Striped Tee.
I absolutely loved reading up on creating a saddle shoulder and working out how to knit one for myself. This project was full of wonderful color and pushed me to try to make what I had in my head and had drawn out on paper come to life. Maybe one day I’ll eventually write a pattern but for now I’m just super proud when I figure things out for myself. Also, I love Berroco Modern Cotton yarn and totally plan on making more summer tops with it in 2018 (and if you love it too Little Knits always seems to have some on sale!). My next favorite, the Royally Striped Cardigan aka my Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Stephen West makes some of the most interesting designs and I was intrigued with his Royally Striped pattern and could scroll through all the other projects on Ravelry all day long. There are so many awesome color combos I want to make another one. Anytime I have the opportunity to mix a lot of color and the construction is interesting but not too complex I’m down. This is one of those wildly impractical pieces that I just love. I throw it on with jeans, dresses or pajamas. It’s squishy, yarny goodness. And speaking of squishy goodness…this year I made some awesome toys.
Between these two colorful pups (who are now named Sally and Max), a doll to match Leia’s likeness and a very adorable whale for my buddy Eli I had a good year of knit toys. As much as I love knitting baby cardigans and hate making baby blankets, knit toys actually last a bit longer and become a fun part of their childhood. I want to make my friend Bryce a dog since he’s been missing the family dog Brody who died this year so maybe I’ll finally sit down and work that out over a quiet weekend. Next up, the Pommier Brioche Vest I made for my sister.
When I saw this vest with a two color brioche stitch collar I knew I was going to have to learn two color brioche. I tried to learn via YouTube tutorials and I just couldn’t get it right so I took a class at Fibre Space and within 15 minutes my issues were resolved! I’m so glad I took that class and I’m so happy with the end results. I want to make another one for my other sister and at some point one for myself! And lastly, these two sweaters for my girls.
I’m fully aware that I’m a crazy dog lady but I love making my dogs fun little sweaters with the leftover yarn from other projects. They’re small, full of color and super quick to work up. And since Jellybean, my littlest dog, is always cold they’re actually a practical addition to her wardrobe. For Cher, they’re not as necessary but you can’t deny the cuteness level when you see a dog in a sweater.
My favorites this year were full of color and helped me learn new techniques and I love that about knitting. Every year I strive to work on something new and take my skills up a notch. Since next week will be the start of 2018 I’ve got to do a round-up of all my projects for the year! And I still need to share what I finished for December. So what were your favorite things you made in 2017? Share (and include links too!).
