Saying Good-bye to 2025 and Another Year of Knitting in the Books

A look back at all the knitting projects I’ve completed over the year. Also, what is already in the plans for 2026.

The year of 2025 is coming to an end and this is when I look back to see what I’ve accomplished in knitting projects.

Because I list nearly all the projects I knit on the Ravelry site, all I need to do is go there and grab my list. They have something called the Ravelry Project Challenge. Each year I make a guess (they call it a goal) as to the number of projects I’ll complete before the year is up.

This year my goal was 10 and I’ve finished 11. That number will rise and be at least 12. I’m nearly done with the Magnolia Chunky Cardigan (It’s finished and I love it).

Knitting Projects Completed

This year I knit a few little neck-warmer scarves, a couple of beanies, and a few sweaters. Some knits were re-makes of a favorite pattern, and others allowed me to try out some new yarn.

rust red Sophie Scarf
Sophie Scarf
dual loop beanie
Dual Loop Beanie
Warm up pullover using Peace Fleece wool yarn
Warm Up #2
Ran out of yarn
Scarf No.4
Fair Isle tube hat knitting in navy blue and off-white.
Doublemassa Hat
Solvi sweater finished
Solvi Sweater
Warm Up sweater pullover in black tweed
Warm Up #3
Birthday61 sweater in beige hanging
Birthday61
Sophie Scarf in white
Sophie Scarf
The weekend Hat knit in beige camel yarn.
The Weekend Hat
Sophie Scarf knit in army green color
Sophie Scarf

I was on a roll with the Sophie scarves! I hope to be wearing this little scarf when the weather turns colder and I walk in the morning. The green one was mailed to my daughter in New Hampshire.

Scarf No. 4 – the name of the scarf – was lots of fun to knit, and I love it. I see another of those in my future.

The Dual Loop Beanie came out great, but I wish I’d used a different yarn. I’m knitting another one using tan Camel yarn.

The long, colorwork Doublemassa hat was also mailed to my daughter. She laughed at how big it is, but says it sure keeps her warm! I’ve wanted to knit that hat ever since I first bought the“Hat’s On” book (Amazon paid link).

I had fun knitting another Warm Up Sweater in bold stripes using Peace Fleece wool. Then, I knit a third Warm Up in black tweed. The Warm Up pattern is simple, and it is very easy to make changes to suit your wearing needs.

I did not have fun knitting the Birthday61 sweater … because it took forever! I would never knit that pattern again. I had to shorten the sleeves before I lost my mind. And, it came out small. So that (very long) project was a fail for me. But, because it was soooooo slow going, everything else I knit now seems FAST! So, there’s that.

This past year I also tried some new camel hair yarn. I also splurged and used cashmere for the little scarves.

For the new year, I plan to cast on a cable sweater pattern. I have not decided on a pattern yet. It’s between The Bookclub Cardigan, by Sari Nordlund, Auguste Cardigan, by Johanna Gehrisch, and a few others.

Cardigans are my favorite type of sweater to wear. Not necessarily to knit, because of the button bands. I plan to find a few more interesting patterns to knit in 2026, and of course I will share my finds with you, dear readers. Thank you for reading, leaving valuable comments and suggestions, and sharing your own knitting experiences.

Knit on… and have a wonderful Holiday Season! See you in 2026.

More to Read

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Year-Round Camping in Florida; Enjoying Nature While I Knit

The peaceful days of camping in the wilderness go perfectly with knitting. What could be better than having coffee outside, with knitting on my lap? We camped twice in the last month and here is a look at the knitting projects I took along.

I live in Florida where we can camp year round. We take our travel trailer north to the Ocala National Forest and enjoy the natural springs, or old Florida settings which are free of traffic and commerce. Sometimes, out in the woods, the internet is sketchy or nonexistent.

As an older woman I am perfectly able to live without access to the internet, at least for a short time. I do work online, but it can wait a few days. Camping for me means relaxing around the campfire, bike-riding, and knitting. Usually my two cats don’t go with us, and that is a form of freedom in itself!

red dirt bike with rider

During this trip, my son took off on his dirt bike, and I worked on my recent knitting project. I’m knitting a fun, little project with wool, which I will use when we camp!

knitting project, seating pad, in colorwork with black cat
Seating pad project and Fontana my cat

The item is meant to keep your bottom warm while taking a sitting break in winter. The SkiBUM Felted Seating Pad comes with a color-work graph. I began by following it, then changed to more simple designs. I do a lot of knitting while riding in the truck. The bumpy ride makes it difficult to follow a chart.

My wool chair pad will be used when we camp. My folding chair has no padding. During cool nights around the fire, my butt was cold! I was using a little foam seating pad for some insulation. The wool felted pad will also be used when eating at the picnic table. I’m sure I can use it year round on our trips. This project is perfect for using up some wool stash! I’ll be writing a post about it soon.

Two Weeks Before This

We also camped on the days following Thanksgiving. During that two day trip I worked on my cotton top (Knus Light) while enjoying the grassy woodland view from our campsite. I saw a lot of Woodpeckers and heard Carolina Chickadees. From over by the lakes, the calls of the Sandhill Cranes could be heard all day long. Lots of deer crossed our path while bike riding. This area is full of wildlife.

Mornings were a little chilly, so I wore my fingerless mitts (Stellar Parallax pattern). I LOVE it when I can wear my hand knits.

Our campsite for 2 nights
Knitting in nature while wearing fingerless mitts.
Knitting the Knus Light top

I really enjoy this cooler weather. Getting outdoors, without sweating, is such a treat. It won’t last long.

Advice For Knitting on the Go

Be sure you have all the items you may need! Needles and yarn of course, but scissors, a crochet hook (for those dropped stitches), stitch markers and holders, and embroidery needle, in case you finish and need to weave in some ends. I like a simple project for the ride, and maybe one other for day knitting. We always have more than one project on the needles, right?

Thanks for reading. Here are more knitting stories.

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Knitting Project Review: Magnolia Chunky Cardigan

This sweater knitting project was a fun one. Although there were a few things to figure out, I recommend the pattern to any fairly experienced knitters out there.

The Magnolia Chunky Cardigan is a beautiful sweater design. It is offered by designer Camilla Vad, and you can find the pattern to buy here.

I like to read through the comments by knitters who have previously knit a pattern. In this case, I think it was very helpful. I wrote a blog post about this when I first began to knit the sweater in September.

My finished sweater is a size Large, knit using 1 + cones of Harrisville Designs Highland wool in color Suede.
Magnolia Chunky Cardigan hanging
Lace and bobbles and hem, with sleeve of Magnolia Chunky Cardigan
Back design of lace and bobbles
Yarn cone and sweater

These photos were taken in the early morning, before the bright Florida sun could interfere.

A Pattern That is Fun and … Quick

I don’t think I have ever said that a sweater pattern was a quick knit. I always see knitters saying this, and usually I completely disagree. Being quick while knitting is not something I care about. I knit for fun, and it’s not a race. But, this time was different.

The types of sweaters I have knit usually become more boring as I knit down the body. Sleeves are usually slow-going as well. Because this pattern gives us something to concentrate on toward the hem and cuffs, I was not bored.

The body, with the nupps (or bobbles) did take some time. That one row with double bobbles was super time consuming…! There was always something to look forward to when knitting this project.

The sleeves were the fastest sleeves I’ve ever knit. Yes, they are 3/4, so that helps. Also, it is worsted yarn on size 10 needles. This also helps. LOL … The lace before the cuffs is easy – with no nupps.

Mods I Made

I really only changed a couple of things while knitting this cardigan. I added about 3 extra rows after the sleeves and body division. This is a good place to make the body longer. The few rows I added didn’t make much of a difference.

The nupps, when I made them, didn’t look great. I practiced on some swatches and ended up doing bobbles instead. You can find the link to making Bobbles that Pop on my Ravelry page. They take more time, so it’s your choice.

Yarn

The yarn came from my stash. Like most knitters, I have a stash to use up. I loved the “Suede” color of the Highland Wool (Harrisville Designs) but I had purchased it on cones. The color is mostly gray, but with some brown. It’s so hard to capture the color, but trust me, it’s nice.

Cone yarn leftover from knitting the Magnolia Chunky Cardigan
Leftover Highland wool
Yarn cone and sweater
Sweater from a cone

Cone yarn is a bit different because it’s meant for weaving and machine knitting. Because of this, the yarn (I used) is thin and a bit stiff. Cones usually contain oil, which means the yarn needs to be washed well once the project is complete. Some people wind the yarn onto hanks and pre-wash it to remove the oil.

Below are photos of the lace part of the cardigan taken before and after being washed. It may be hard to tell, but after washing the fabric softened and filled out (bloomed). (The color comes out differently because of lighting.)

Magnolia Chunky Cardigan lace and bobbles before wash
Unwashed
Lace and bobbles and hem, with sleeve of Magnolia Chunky Cardigan
Washed

The Highland wool creates beautiful hand knits. It comes in skeins as well. Most buyers use the cone put up for weaving. The cones tend to be without knots and ends – just one very long strand (450 yards). I remember finding only one tiny knot when knitting from these two cones. And the knot was way at the end of the first cone.

Cost is another consideration when knitting a larger project, like a sweater. Sweater yarn usually costs me around $100, give or take, depending on the yarn. I knit the Magnolia Chunky Cardigan using less than 2 cones, and each cone cost $25.50. That is less than $50 for the yarn to knit this sweater. And the yarn is nice wool.

How I Washed My Sweater Knit From Cone Yarn

Washing a garment made from yarn on a cone takes a bit more effort. I am no expert, but most places I found for advice said to wash in hot, or very warm, water. (This could be a problem if you use cones for colorwork, or combine various colors in a garment. I’m not sure about colors running and bleeding together in warm water. The addition of vinegar can usually help, but I’m not sure about that in warm water. Please leave a comment if you have some experience with this.)

My sweater is all one color. I washed it twice using Woolite. Some people use shampoo, or dish detergent. Those first two washes were done in quite warm water. I couldn’t bring myself to use hot. I saw a lot of gray water in those washes, meaning something yucky was definitely coming out. I let the sweater soak for about 10 minutes each time.

I did a cool water rinse, and then a second. The last rinse was clear, and that is when I added the Eucalan (Amazon paid link) to soften the wool.

A Worthwhile Knitting Project

The Magnolia Chunky Cardigan is unique and beautiful. It’s not the fit that looks best on me, but I couldn’t resist giving it a try. It is an elegant sweater, and probably deserves to be knit with some very pretty (and probably expensive) yarn. But my choice of wool works too, and I’m very happy with the outcome. Now, to find buttons.

Knit / crochet buttons links:

Wearing the Magnolia Chunky Cardigan

Update: Since finishing (minus buttons) this sweater, I have been wearing it often. Thankfully, it’s “winter” weather here in Florida – at least for part of some days. I love the 3/4 sleeves, and the fabric is soft and warm. I love it!

Camel Yarn Weekend Hat Project

A simple ribbed hat pattern with enough brim folds to keep ears warm. The Weekend Hat is a pattern by designer PetiteKnit.

Petite Knit has a few hat patterns that I’ve saved in my knitting library. While searching for a good pattern to use with Camel yarn, I settled on the Weekend Hat.

This is a fairly simple ribbed hat. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to spend money on such a simple hat pattern. Why couldn’t I figure this out myself? I’ve knit many hats, but this one includes rows of knitting that designate where the hat folds. And this brim folds twice for keeping ears extra warm.

But for less than $6.00 I can follow a pattern and have the hat come out correctly, with no figuring on my part. Also, I enjoy supporting designers for their hard work.

This hat comes in six sizes – but… size 0-1 years measures 18-19 inches in circumference. This seems quite large to me. However, using a thinner yarn with smaller needle size, would keep the hat smaller. This size information can be found on the hat pattern page – you don’t need to buy it first. (Link below)

The hat sizes change as follows: Cast on numbers are the same for 0-3 years. Also the cast on is the same for the ages 3-9, small and medium, but the length (height) of hat changes. The Large size has a larger cast on and is taller.

Buy the Weekend Hat pattern Here

Using Camel Yarn for the First Time!

Pascuali Camel DK yarn ball with tag
Camel yarn: color 11
Weekend Hat knit with undyed camel yarn
Changed needle size

Choosing a Needle Size

The knitting needle size suggested for this hat is a size 4. I cast on (I used this join to knit in the round) and began knitting using this size. It seemed too small, and after about an inch, I measured the stitches. Sure enough it was smaller than intended.

I wanted to go up one needle size but did not have a 16″ circular needle in size 5. So, I used my size 6. The camel yarn ball lists sizes 6-7 as the size to use with this yarn. Listed as a DK weight, this yarn is quite thick, and seems closer to a worsted weight to me. So, a size 6 needle seemed right.

The Yarn

It is a chainette construction yarn. Instead of plies, the strands are combined into a chain that is light and airy. Read more about the benefits of chainette on this page. Once it is knit, you will not see the “chain” texture. I was successful at spit splicing the yarn, but it took a lot of rubbing. This hat took 3 plus balls (buy 4) of Pascuali Camel DK yarn. I had quite a lot of yarn leftover, so the hat could have been made longer, or larger around. I knit the size Small.

Double folded brim while knitting hat in ribbing
Weekend hat knit with camel hair yarn
One fold, with second fold line showing.

As mentioned above, this hat will have a brim that folds twice. For this reason, the cast on edge will not show. I did a long tail cast on, and even though I began the hat with a small needle, it all worked out fine.

I knit size small and the hat fits me, although it is not for me. I was knitting for someone who has a small head.

Full length Weekend Hat on drying mats.
Full length with 2 fold lines
Weekend Hat drying on blocking mats.
Folded

I had enough yarn to make the hat longer / taller, but it would not have been necessary. I think it ended up the perfect height.

I took this quick (and non-perfect) photo wearing the hat. It shows how there is a little point at the crown.

Weekend hat knit using camel hair yarn in a natural beige color.
Wearing the Weekend Hat, hand knit beanie project.

Final Thoughts

The pattern is easy to follow and is mostly a 1×1 rib except for the few rows that make up the fold lines. If you would rather not include them, it would be easy to leave them out. Also, some Weekend Hat knitters knit the pattern but did only one fold for a more normal brim.

I suggest that you consider using the needle size suggested for the yarn being used. I did not knit a swatch to check gauge. My Camel yarn was closer to being a worsted weight and needed a larger needle.

This was my first project using Camel hair. I loved the feel of the yarn, which was soft and strong. Unlike sheep’s wool, the hat did not change much after washing. It also took three days to dry – but I live in a very humid place.

Now that I have finished knitting this hat, I can recommend the pattern. For the first time ever, I used Magic Loop to finish the top of a hat. I’ve used Magic loop for sleeves, but never for a hat. Small circumference knitting is always my least favorite thing to do.

If you are looking for an easy hat to knit, that covers the ears with many layers of warmth, I do recommend the Weekend Hat. I will be knitting it again using another Camel yarn. Be sure to watch for that yarn review.

More to read…

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