I finished it! The Barn Sweater from Taproot. Just under the wire too. I had wanted to finish it before this last Knitting & Reading post of the year and as I put it on to take these pictures it was just barely damp from having blocked it. I love it too. Before blocking it fit a bit tight. In fact, for reference, the whole thing looked kind of wonky and questionable before blocking it. Most knitting projects look that way in my experience actually. For reference, I knit the 34.75″ bust size. But after blocking it, it grew slightly, the wonkiness flattened out and now it fits perfectly. Because it has garter stitched sleeve cuffs and bottom hem, the cardigan has a really nice drape to it.

I used Cascade 220 Heathers yarn in ‘Straw’ for this project. That yarn isn’t known as a very luxurious or ‘gourmet’ yarn. It’s not local, it’s not dyed in a fancy way, but it is a fantastic yarn for when you are feeling thrifty and want a soft, lightweight sweater. I got it on sale at yarn.com (I think there is a sale going on now in fact). Make sure you get the colors that contain ‘heather’ in the name, the plain colorways aren’t as soft. I don’t know why.

(you can see some of my new christmas presents in the photos – my new ramblers way tank top from Scott, a pretty little necklace from my dad, and a new camera strap from my mom.)

Another project I finished up just in time were these little mittens. These mittens were a present for the wee one, who reminded me daily that she hadn’t any mittens and her fingers were oh, so cold. I made up this project as I went, having had traced her hand one evening. For this project I did use all local yarn. Twirl yarn from just down the highway in Carneros and Brookfarm Alpaca eyes. They turned out so cute and she has worn them every day since Christmas.

In keeping with the theme, I’m setting New Years Eve as a deadline to finish reading The Burgess Boys. This past year I really made reading more of a priority. I used to read voraciously before children and it’s been a hard habit to put back into place. Giving myself a larger book buying budget and the permission to buy what looks inspiring to me, has helped immensely. Now, reporting what I’m reading every other week, has inspired me to read faster. And when I have a deadline to read, I read more which engrosses me more in the story line. I’m at the point in The Burgess Boys where I keep finding little nooks and quiet spots to hide out in and read, things are getting good!

Don’t forget to order the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle if you haven’t already. There are only a few hours left. I’ve already read through the book The Eczema Cure. We thought our poor little daughter had outgrown her eczema, but it’s come back in the last few weeks all over her legs. Since it’s been a good year since we’ve last dealt with it, I needed a refresher on how to deal with it. Next I’m going to read some of the essential oil books as I’m slowly starting to enter into that intriguing world. I’m also looking forward to getting these children back to school so I can take advantage of the 4 month subscription to the stay at home yoga.

As a year end wrap up I thought I’d list out all the books I read as well as all the projects I knit:

Books Read in 2014

I’d Highly Recommend These:
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (blogged about here & here)
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (can’t believe it took me this long to read. this is one i will be re-reading every year.)
Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer (great inspirational book!)
Something Good for a Change: Random Notes on Peace Thru Living (silly yet inspiring book about hope, peace and the bay area 60’s hippie culture)
The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life (blogged about here)

A Good Read:
The Burgess Boys
What Alice Forgot
Animal Dreams: A Novel
Mary Coin
Breakfast with Buddha
The Goldfinch

Don’t Bother:
Clutterfree with Kids: Change your thinking. Discover new habits. Free your home (don’t bother, read the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up instead!)
The Flower Recipe Book (very pretty to look at, but unfortunately I didn’t learn anything from this book)