When I was in grade 8, overbrimming with the confidence that can only come from making your own pillow case in Home Ec, I declared that I would sew my own wedding dress. I would start, right then, doing all sorts of sewing projects. By the time I got married I would be a super-star seamstress capable of creating the most beautiful white gown I could dream up.

Of course, I bought a couple of patterns and some fabric and nothing ever came of it. 13-year-olds are like that – easily distracted, flitting from one lifelong dream to the next. For some 15 years my sewing was limited to shortening pants, and a couple of minor home decorating projects.

Then I met my good friend Kirsten. She had sewn a few baby carriers, and I decided to try my hand at it as well. Of course, we all know about the obsession that followed. Then I started in on bags. Diaper bags, at first, and then tote bags, purses, zippered pouches, and on and on.

Now, anyone who’s met Kirsten her knows that her first love is knitting. She’s always working on everyone around her, subtly encouraging them to pick up some needles. She worked on me long and hard. I steadfastly pointed out that I was doing all this sewing, and couldn’t possibly find the time. And, since the sewing was sort of her fault, she capitulated. However, when she took up dying and spinning yarn, I could resist no longer. Dying and spinning yarn is so cool, but it’s also totally pointless if you have nothing to do with it once it’s ready. So, for Christmas Kirsten gave me a ball of hand-dyed yarn, the loan of a lovely pair of wooden needles, and a lesson.

So, yes, now I’m knitting. I’ve completed 2 scarves, and 1 kerchief. Between the knitting and the sewing, I’m a one woman handcraft machine. I’ve decided to catalogue my projects this year. Here’s what I’ve done so far: