It’s the time of year when we’re all reflecting, we’re all doing recaps on our blogs and social media, we’re setting goals for the new year. I think these are good things, but I’ve had an unusual year, so I’ll be doing it a little differently this time. A year ago today, I rounded up all my FOs for 2014 in one blog post. I’m not going to do that this year because despite my goal to take things a little easier, I wound up with more FOs this year than last year (35 this year to last year’s 32; oops). I also haven’t gotten any better at managing my number of WIPs (current count: 11). Still, I do feel less burned out this year; I do still feel like I took it easy. I took a giant step back from Paper Tiger as a business with the decision to go back to school, and that meant it could become my creative outlet again. That’s been amazing. And the continued support of all of you who read this blog or knit my patterns or follow my Instagram has been absolutely amazing too. I couldn’t ask for a better community and I am so grateful for all of it.

I am hugely proud of my accomplishments this year – highlights included my first patterns published with Quince & Co. and getting to be a part of both Tolt Yarn and Wool’s Farm to Needle book as well as the Fringe Hatalong. But I think what I am proudest of has been the biggest leap I made this year – the decision to go back to grad school and the process of moving to Norway. It’s still very much an experiment and a work-in-progress for me and for Chris, but it takes a lot of courage and a lot of work to make a leap like that and I’m so glad to have the support of family and friends and this community alike. I’ve been back in Seattle for Christmas and there’s nothing easy about having two homes you love – it’s such a joy to be back and to see friendly faces and favorite places again, but at the same time I miss Norway terribly.

I’m so excited to see where 2016 takes me. I’m excited to see where it takes us all! I can’t wait to get back to Tromsø and start a new term of coursework, but I’ll keep knitting, too (obviously). Thanks for following along with this space this year and always. I hope you’re all ringing in 2016 in as mellow or as fancy a way as you like best, and I’ll see you in the new year.