Sunday 3 January 2016

New Year Thoughts as We Head into 2016


Max, a tri-colour Dutch bunny (black, white and orange) reclining on a concrete path.
Baby Max, only 9 weeks of age.
I am sitting here, reading blogs at the breakfast table while bunny sits underneath my chair nudging my feet with his nose and tugging at my pajama bottoms.  'Let's play!' Max urges as I stroke him gently with my bare feet.

Meanwhile, I am enjoying the Happy New Year wishes being disseminated across the blogosphere and wishing you a Happy New Year too!  


Honestly, I am glad to see the end of 2015.  It has been a very difficult year for so many.  I spent much of my year wishing it would slow down and 'give us a break'!  The year finished with heatwaves and bushfires and many people lost their homes and livelihoods right at a time when people were supposed to be celebrating their holiday festivals.  
Max, a tricolour Dutch bunny (black, white and orange) munching rocket stems in the garden. He is sitting in a thicket of rocket and broccoli.
Busy Max, 12 weeks old,
amidst the rocket and broccoli.



New Year's Eve finished with a burst of heat (38.4 °C / 101.12  °F) which made a balmy evening outdoors but we are welcoming a cooler change which blew in yesterday. 
How divine to be cool! 
Yes, 2016 is bringing welcome relief already! (Today's forecast is for 29 °C / 84.2 °F.)


As I read through the latest blog postings, people are, understandably, looking back on the year that was and looking forward to the year to come. This year, I really didn't feel like looking back on 2015 but, because everyone else was doing it, I couldn't help but reflect.

A look back on my very first post for 2015 has shamed me because I explicitly said that I would make a special effort to blog about the pictured projects and it never happened!  I am so sorry if you have been waiting a whole year to find out about them! Please accept my apologies. The passing of a loved one in early 2015 diverted my project planning. 

The AKA Amigurumi project. A little doll with straight black hair, black button eyes with eyelashes, a red dress and black sandals.
The 'AKA' amigurumi:
 'Kwokkie Doll'



The good news is that I am making amends–better late than never! At least one of those projects has been shared: the AKA Amigurumi–Kwokkie Doll has more to share with you in the coming weeks and months. The rest of those projects pictured in "Welcome 2015: A Year of New Projects" are a blog-posting priority.

Pleasingly, the goal of adjusting patterns or designing my own through the year has been reached. (Kwokkie Doll is one example) and this year I want to tidy up the documentation so the written patterns can be shared with the world.


 
Top view of blue crate full of bulky weight yarn
Stash of bulky weight yarn which was
used to make the Speedy Ripple Blanket

 

My other ongoing goal of stash busting has also come to fruition. I purchased yarn for only two projects this year (the Speedy Ripple Blanket and baby bibs). The only other yarns added to the stash list on Ravelry have been those rediscovered yarns which had been hiding away in boxes and cupboards and somehow not added to Ravelry in the first instance. These also include yarns that have been donated. 

It has been a pleasure to just dip into the stash to find something suitable for a chosen project.  This is the point I had hoped to reach when I first began crocheting!  
A sample skein of TonOfWool sent to me in 2015.
A TonOfWool sample,
a gift for my stash in 2015

It has been very difficult to not rush out and grab favourite yarns advertised on special but I am proud to have resisted that call because I really cannot afford extra purchases at the moment when saving money is a necessity. 

Online, there are so many tempting new patterns to try but I have been very good at not adding to the project queue. I've prioritised projects for which I already have an appropriate yarn in waiting (or those projects that have been in the queue for too long). Only 1 project has been added and many more crossed off.

Well, looking back on those thoughts, that's enough to keep me busily blogging and crocheting in 2016! 

May 2016 bring better days for everyone.
Wishing you plenty of crafty inspiration and creativity.


Happy New Year!
Gelukkige Nieuw Jaar!
Fr
öliche Neujahrstag! 
Bonne Année 2016! 




I would love to know how people say this in other languages.
Please let me know in a comment if you can!


Related Posts on Lupey Loops


"Welcome 2015; A Year of New Projects", 1 January 2015: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/welcome-2015-year-of-new-projects.html

"Speedy Blankets", 18 February 2015: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/speedy-blankets.html

"A Personal Touch", 12 March 2015: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/a-personal-touch.html

"Whoooo's This?", 19 March 2015:  http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/whoooos-this.html

"Ton of Wool", 9 July 2015: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/ton-of-wool.html

"Messy to the Max", 29 September 2015: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/messy-to-max.html

"AKA Amigurumi", 31 December 2015: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/aka-amigurumi.html 



Other Links and References


Jodiebodie's Ravelry project queue: http://www.ravelry.com/people/Jodiebodie/queue

8 comments:

  1. Frohes neues Jahr! Happy new year! :)

    I am not unhappy that 2015 is over either. It was a year of so much grief and I hope 2016 will be a year of healing (although I don't know how yet).

    2016 I will try to buy less yarn and use my stash - let's see how that goes. Laughs!

    Take care
    Anne
    Crochet Between Worlds

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    Replies
    1. Happy New Year, Anne. Thank you for the correct German grammar. (I was certain it was neues, with an -es but then Neujahrstag was a safe option in case I was wrong! hehe) I will take note for next New Year!
      Can I see your tongue in your cheek when you say you will try to buy less yarn? How did you go this year? I remember you had a big effort to de-stash your apartment but then the teddies happened...
      It is nice that we can share a laugh here - love your sense of humour.
      Keep smiling!

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  2. Good-bye 2015! I am happy to see it move far, far away. I love this post, so honest. The thing is life gets in the way so no beating yourself up about anything you planned to do on your blog and did not have the chance to do it. On to 2016!!!
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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    Replies
    1. "Far, far away" is a good place to put 2015 (it can go along with the Star Wars movie - perhaps it was appropriate to launch that film in 2015?)
      I am not beating myself up about foiled plans but using those plans to guide my blogging for this year. It would be good to get a bunch of posts out while school holidays are on but I have a family event to plan so we will see how things go. I did manage to get a bit of crochet done before Christmas so I will be able to reveal those items soon.
      On to 2016 indeed! See you in our blogs! xx

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  3. Wishing you a very Happy and creative new year Jodie. I have some goals for 2016 but I am trying to keep them loose so that I have room for maneuver!! I have enjoyed my first year of blogging, thanks for all your support. x

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sharon, for your kind wishes and mutual support. Keeping your plans 'loose' sounds wise. A flexible approach saves a lot of stress. Have you only been blogging for one year?? I can't believe it - you are so prolific with your posts. The time goes very quickly. I was surprised to discover that I had posted my 200th entry in October 2015 and yet I still feel like a beginner just starting out. May 2016 be a year of continued friendships, support and learning. x

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  4. Happy New Year! I hope that it is a good one for you! xx

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    1. You too, Amy! It just HAS to get better! xx

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