The cardigan is done except for buttons. It fits better now, with the redone neckline.

I’ve got my embroidery club meeting coming up on Thursday and the ladies expect to see my embroidered skirt and I still haven’t finished assembling it, because it’s the least creative and most tedious part of it all. Got to hurry up now to get it done by Thursday.

And it’s done!

The pattern is a simplified version of Sweatrrr (check it out on Ravelry) and it’s one I used earlier. I liked the fit and the construction of it, even though I am still rather annoyed with its frustrating curling hem. This time I knew better, so I gave it a simple checkerboard hem (which you can see in yesterday’s photo). This worked out a lot better.

The yarn I bought Apmezga, a Lithuanian seller, at the Stockholm Sewing Fair this autumn. It’s a merino wool and nylon blend, and it’s as soft as a cloud. The sweater feels like a second skin. Except warmer.

Wet blocking my just-finished sweater. (On my nice new blocking mat, even! Very helpful.)

Didn’t get it done before the end of the year, but the first week of the new year is also a good time for finishing things.

Christmas party with the extended Bergheden family.

Went to the city for errands. Buttons, and embroidery yarn, and a thrifted kitchen towel to embroider on. Probably more, but I’m posting this two weeks later and I’ve forgotten what else I did.

Cat being cat.

An ordinary year with ordinary things happening, most of the time. Fully in the post-covid world, with working from home as the new normal, but travel and cultural events all happening again.

Travels:

• The skiing holiday was a total bust for me this year because I was horribly sick all that week.
• My annual ski tour this year went to Hardangervidda. Mostly with the usual crowd, but our usual trip leader was unwell so we had a hired replacement
• The family active holiday was on Santorini. As early in the season as we could make it, but still very hot.

My usual autumn hike didn’t happen because Nysse disappeared and turned up three days later, badly hurt. He got patched up but had to spend many weeks on cage rest. Which meant me staying at home with him all that time, taking him out for walks, etc. Thus – no hike.

Work-wise, I visited the Urb-it hub in London, only for my contract with Urb-it to be terminated a few months later because they were running out of money. (Despite all their efforts, they went bankrupt at the end of the year.) I moved on to join a dev team at Sortera, a waste management company.

Lots of crafts. Finished the fire-coloured cardigan on the first of January, and knitted a pretty shawl, and a frustrating sweater that I both love and am continually annoyed by. Started but did not yet finish embellishing a skirt; sewed three dresses and then one more plus a dressing gown. I am now set with comfy summer loungewear for many years.

Bought and started using glasses for fiddly work.

This year’s landscaping project was the area to the side of the stairs, where I paved some parts and planted others.

What else might leave long-lasting marks? I joined an embroidery club and am enjoying it a lot, so that’ll probably last. I started volunteering for the scout club, helping out with their accounting and finances.

Adrian finished grade six and went on to the accelerated math and science programme at Spånga grundskola (which Ingrid also did). Got a gaming computer for his birthday, and started shopping at menswear departments because he now has size 41 feet.

Ingrid started gymnasium with a focus on business/economics and law, and participated in their art programme She has now overtaken me in height.

More snow, and proper cold winter weather.

I finished the last appliqué piece for my skirt, which means it’s time to have another go at assembling it all. This is the most boring part of the whole project, but I’m looking forward to finishing it.