2016 Year End Q's and A's

Hello all - I hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day, and continue to enjoy Christmastime.  Ours was great, and you will be forced to hear/see more about it, but for now I wanted to play along with Kathy's end of the year Questions and Answers - on the actual day they are posted!

Name your best FO of 2016.

I would have to say the Vacation Socks I knit for The Tim during our New England vacation in September.  I knit them at what for me was record time, and though he saw them as I worked on them, he had no idea they were for him.  I love the way they turned out, and seeing them reminds me of a wonderful part of what was a difficult year.

Ask someone in your family to name something you've knit for them.

Well, right now there is just The Tim right here, and said, "Socks!"  (Those above to be specific.)

Did you get any yarn gifts this holiday?

No, I didn't.  But Santa did bring me a copy of Knitting from the North, which I am really excited to have!  More than a few of the patterns are things I'd like to try.

Did your pets get any gifts?

Oh yeah!  They did very well this year, with treats and some catnip toys.  They also got new food bowls which to them is probably the equivalent to a kid getting underwear ... :-)

What is a great tip or idea you got this year?

I have to say that I am most proud of my Harry's Hundred idea.  I was, and continue to be both humbled and happy that so many things were knit and donated as part of the project.  Of course, my mother's 100th birthday anniversary will be in 2018, so maybe I should do something in her honor as well ... I have a whole year to think of a catchy name. ;-)

(I didn't mean to sound braggy, I'm just excited it all was a success!)

How did you surprise yourself in 2016?

I surprised myself at how well I managed to hold it together this year.  It was one of the most challenging years I can remember, and though precarious, I did better than I thought I would or could.  I hope at the end of next year I can say the same.

Name a favorite book you read in 2016.

My favorite book this year was A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman.   As a matter of fact, it's one of the few books I have added to my list of favorite books ever.  I can actually see myself reading it again sometime.

What is the latest you stayed up in 2016?

Well, I'm guessing this means stayed up for a reason other than not being able to sleep, so that's how I'm gonna answer.  The first Saturday evening in December, we had a small dinner party, and it was a lot of fun, but by the time everyone left, I cleaned up, and had a chance to settle myself, it was ~ 2:30 p.m.  I'm 99% sure I never stayed up that late on purpose even when I was younger!

Name a play, show, or concert you went to in 2016.

This is one of the first years in my life I didn't make it to any of the above.  However, I did go to two books talks at the Free Library of Philadelphia: one by Anne Lamott, and one by Alan Cumming.  They were both amazing, funny, and really enjoyable in their separate ways.  And since we each gave event tickets to one another for Christmas gifts, we'll apparently be making up for missing plays, shows, or concerts in 2017 ...

Name a new drink, dessert, or dish you found in 2016.

My favorite new dish that comes to mind is the recipe for Creamy Avocado Alfredo Pasta (shared here).  It's relatively simple, and just so yummy!

What about you?  How did your 2016 do, according to these questions?  Feel free to share in the comments, or write your own post - I enjoy reading everyone else's as much as I enjoy writing my own.

Thanks to Kathy for a fun year of these Q & A posts - I for one hope they continue!