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2014: A Look Back

What an eventful year 2014 was for me — and not always in a good way. I started the year off by losing two very dear, though geographically distant, friends. In late spring, my mother-in-law — that fiesty, eccentric, often difficult personality — went into the hospital with what we thought was pneumonia and never came home. Lung cancer took her in just three weeks. Two very close relatives (I’m being vague to respect their privacy) spent the year struggling with serious health problems, and it’s been awful seeing them suffer.

2014 didn’t seem to save its heartache for my family, though; it seemed like whenever I turned around, someone I know was losing someone dear to them, or suffering from unexpected health problems, or struggling with other challenges in his or her life. Glancing at the news only seemed to highlight more suffering, whether Ebola, a downed jetliner (or two), sickening acts of terrorism, or having to look at a Kardashian’s naked buttocks.

I have always been a glass-half-full person, so now that I’ve talked a bit about the empty part of the 2014 glass, let’s focus on the good things that happened. My mom is still here and in rare form, even at 84 years of age:

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Hooray for Nana!

Tom and I are both doing well and haven’t killed each other yet. Our kids are beautiful and healthy and happy.

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They’re doing well in school and, just as important to us, are nice kids. Or as my husband likes to say, “At least we are not raising entitled little Main Line assholes.” Charcoal the bunny is still with us at nine years of age, a very long life for a bunny who only weighs 3 and a half pounds, and his “little” brother Boris the cat has brought our whole family a tremendous amount of joy.

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I’ve worked really hard this year. I’ve been a regular contributor to the industry magazine Yarn Market News; recently began writing the “Knitting News” column for Vogue Knitting; and had articles appear in great magazines like Noro Magazine and Jane Austen Knits. I have had over a dozen patterns published in 2014 in fine publications like Creative Knitting, Noro Magazine and Knit Simple,

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and in books, some of which are already out and others which are coming out soon. Speaking of books, I spent a great deal of time finishing up my forthcoming book, Lace Yarn Studio: Garments, Hats, and Fresh Ideas for Lace Yarn which will be released in April.

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All of these are good things.

I had the wonderful opportunity to teach at yarn shops and fiber shows; dipped a toe into the world of vending at VK Live: Seattle and Chicago; released several new Black Bunny Fibers patterns (this is the Fairview Cowl, which takes only one skein of sock yarn):

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and had a blast collaborating with Brooke Nico on a new yarn club (btw, you can sign up for the next round here).

Looking back at the happier times in the year, it becomes a bit easier to have a more balanced view of 2014. I spent many wonderful hours with friends and family, creating beautiful things, reading good books, and petting a fluffy orange cat. I know that my life is blessed beyond many people’s wildest imaginings.

So here’s to 2015. I hope that we will have less heartache and less war and less suffering, and more joy, more peace and more love.

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘It will be happier.'” — Alfred, Lord Tennyson

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2 thoughts on “2014: A Look Back

  1. “So here’s to 2015. I hope that we will have less heartache and less war and less suffering, and more joy, more peace and more love.”

    That right there, Sweetheart, that right there.
    Much love to you.

  2. It’s always hard to lose someone – but looking at the year as a whole, I always try to look at the balancing act of life. if I have a good balance to the scale taken over the whole year, then it has been a good year. We know it is all part of the cycle of life. As long as all the bad is not dumped into one year, I can handle it.

    Best to you and your family – I enjoy the blog and the patterns etc you produce.

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