I’ve never been a believer that “everything happens for a reason,” but sometimes I look back and it’s hard to deny how profoundly one seemingly simple or random choice has impacted my life.
It’s no surprise that knitting, which I started nine years ago today in order to make a protest garment, has always been inextricably tied to resistance work and community building for me. I’ve also been increasingly returning to my belief in the essential nature of community in all aspects of life, largely due to connections I’ve made in the fiber world.
And yet I’ve slowed down dramatically in the last year. I’ve withdrawn from a lot of things I used to love. My focus was hijacked by an Alzheimer’s diagnosis for my mother and the slow-motion scramble to put systems in place so that she can continue to live independently for as long as possible. She’s doing really well, all things considered, and my goal is to keep it that way.
Everyone and everything else have taken a back seat. And? Knitting remains my refuge.
It’s still the thing that calms me when I’ve had a stressful day and boosts my mood when I’m feeling low. It doesn’t solve my problems, but it sure as hell helps me get to a better mental place so that I stand a chance of dealing with them.
So, here’s my annual review of the year’s knitting stats, on my 9th anniversary of picking up a pair of knitting needles:
Hours spent knitting per day: I’m guessing this was probably 4-5 hours per day last year, a little bit less than 2024.
Bins of yarn under my desk: This is still at 5, unchanged since 2018, but three of those bins are now difficult to close. I have some sweater-quantity projects I need to start if I ever want to get any more yarn. Also, hey, if you’re in need of some yarn for a project, let me know—I might have just what you need.
2025 projects completed: 31
- blankets: 0
- cardigans: 0
- cowls: 3
- dishcloths: 0
- hats: 2
- headwraps/kerchiefs: 2
- mitts: 0
- ornament sweaters: 0
- pullovers: 5
- shawls: 4
- slippers: 1
- socks: 6 (including 1 pair from a cranked tube & 1 pair of ankle socks)
- stuffies: 0
Sample knits: 0
Test knits: 1
A few notable mentions from the past year’s work:
Loose Ends Project
I got assigned my first Loose Ends Project in late 2025, and I was thrilled with how it turned out and with being able to contribute.
Protest Knits
In keeping with my knitting origin story, I added some resistance knits to my protest march wardrobe: a Palestine flag I attached to one of the signs I’ve been carrying and some frog eyes I hastily sewed onto a hat before the No Kings march. Both patterns are by local designer and friend Lee, a person who is positively bursting with creative ideas.
FO Edits
Part of slowing down is realizing that going too quickly in the past resulted in finished garments that weren’t quite right. In 2025, I pulled a few such makes from the storage chest and worked on fixing them.
Two pullovers got their sleeves lengthened (I’ve been wearing one of them basically nonstop ever since) and another pullover got its body lengthened and its collar redone. All three are now much more wearable than they had been, and I’m so glad about that.
I also picked up and reknit the calves of a pair of socks I made for one of my brothers eons ago before I’d started incorporating leg shaping into every pair I made.
It’s very satisfying to get to a point where “finished” doesn’t have to mean finished if there’s something I can do to make it better.
Warm Weather Knitwear
A friend once said that only fiber people think the phrase “warm weather knitwear” makes sense, and I get that. And? Four of the five pullovers I made this year fall into that category.
I made two tanks (I was a test knitter for a fantastic tank that I actually made twice during the testing period) and two tees. I have more warm-weather knits in my queue, including some made with linen/cotton yarn, so they’ll be even more well-suited to warmer temperatures than the mostly wool garments I made last year.
BINGO
I got a 2025 crafting BINGO card at Craft Emporium/Knitted Wit about a year ago, and it turned out to be a fun way to track projects. I filled it out in pencil and I absolutely changed a few squares mid-year, but I liked having a visual sort of reminder of the things that were in my queue. I managed to get BINGO twice, and I got close on a third.
Now that Craft Emporium/Knitted Wit are no more (RIP), I made my own crafting BINGO card for 2026, which you can download or print for yourself, too.