Whether I like it or not, 2024 will probably always be “The Year of the Santa Hat” in the knitting part of my brain.
Nevermind that all of the hats I made for the actual movie were completed in a rush in the late summer of 2022. The movie was supposed to be released in time for the holidays that year, and all the filming was done roughly on time, but it eventually got pushed back not one but two years.
Just enough time, as it turns out, for me to forget just what a big-budget Hollywood production the whole thing was and therefore be gobsmacked by the amount of attention I got because of a hat.
Rustic Red One (free on Ravelry and Payhip) is, unsurprisingly, my most popular pattern. As I write this, there are 302 project pages on Ravelry, 192 comments, and the hat is favorited by 3,508 people. That feels almost as bonkers as the whole story behind the hat.
But it wasn’t all Santa hats—I made other stuff in 2024, too. I’ve now used the Warm Feet for Everybody free sock pattern (it’s only on Ravelry, as far as I know) 31 times in total, and it’s still my absolute favorite sock pattern. Sometimes I futz with or embellish it, but it’s the starting point for basically every pair of socks I’ve made for years. I made my first Musselburgh hat in 2024, and then my second. There’s a pretty big swath of the middle of the hat that feels as unending and interminable as a drive through some of the flat bits of this country’s center, but the result is still really satisfying. I’m not sure I could make a single-color version, though. (Oof, that’s a lot of stockinette—I need some self-striping yarn to keep me motivated.)
Anyway, here’s the quantifiable rundown of my knitting over the last year.
Hours spent knitting per day: I think this is a little higher than last year, so maybe back up in the 5-6 hours per day range.
Bins of yarn under my desk: 5 (unchanged from last year, though I now have a new bin for yarn I am likely going to sell at some point)
2024 projects completed: 42 (almost double 2023 and a little under 2022)
- blankets: 0
- cardigans: 2 baby cardigans
- cowls: 0
- dishcloths: 0
- hats: 16, 6 of which were the Rustic Red One and 1 of which was a baby hat
- headwraps/kerchiefs: 8
- mitts: 0
- ornament sweaters: 1
- pullovers: 3
- shawls: 1
- slippers: 1
- socks: 10 pairs, 3 of which were baby socks, 4 of which were made from cranked tubes, and 1 of which was ankle socks
- stuffies: 0
Samples knit: 2, both of which were samples of the Nasrid Hat, a pattern I published in November
Patterns I published: 2, Rustic Red One Hat (free on Ravelry and Payhip) and Nasrid Hat (for sale on Ravelry and Payhip)
And a few non-quantifiable highlights:
- I published not one but two hat patterns this year, one of which was my first effort using the Sizing With Spreadsheets method I learned a few years ago. Given what I’ve since learned about bust darts and shaping, I don’t think it’s a feasible framework for sweaters—but it’s brilliant for hats! It allowed me to publish a pattern that can work with any size yarn, any size needles, and any size head. I’m so incredibly pleased it worked so well, thanks in no small part to having a tech editor who is also familiar with the Sizing With Spreadsheets system.
- I still can’t justify the expense of hiring someone to grade sweater patterns for me, but it’s definitely on my someday list. I’m not going to even attempt to make pattern design a business for me, but it would be fun to get the few sweater patterns in my head out into the world eventually.
- Speaking of which, I finally ended up giving in to the numerous requests I was getting from non-knitters to make them a Rustic Red One Hat. I’m generally not eager to start some kind of business selling handknits, mainly because I want to make what I want to make (not just what sells) and because I never want to turn knitting into a chore. But I know that every so often I need a palette cleanser project between more challenging knits, so this hat can serve in that capacity.
- It’s only after looking over my post from last year that I realize I’ve let my scrumptious cabled sweater sit in time-out for a year, just waiting for me to call in the bust dart implementation crew (AKA signing up for some consultation time with an expert). That’s just plain silly, so I’m going to bump that up my priority list.
- I’ve been volunteering at Rose Haven, co-facilitating the weekly yarn group, for more than a year now—and it’s impossible to overstate how crucial that has been for my mental health. Particularly when the whole world seems to be on fire (both literal and figurative) all of the time, it’s even more important to surround yourself with good people doing good work. The staff and volunteers at Rose Haven show up every single day and treat everyone who works in the door with dignity and respect, and I can’t tell you how powerful that is to see every week. If you’re in the Portland area and you want to know more about volunteering there or donating stuff they need, gimme a shout! I am always happy to gush about the place.