Having watched, listened and read various reviews of the year and being a fan of pick of the week, this is my pick of 2008.
Gig of the Year –Tough call but I think for me Lisa Hannigan @ Smith Square was a late entry in this category. She was simply amazing, completely blew me away and did great covers of Tom Thumb's Blues, Lady is a Tramp and Free Until They Cut Me Down.
Strong contenders:
- Radiohead at Malahide Castle in Dublin, they came on underneath a rainbow and it was the first time I had ever seen them live.
- Spiers and Boden at Union Chapel. First time heard whole of Vagabond performed and thought it was pretty special.
Top albums of 2008: I couldn't narrow it down to just one but these for me were favourites this year.
- Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever ago. It really grew on me, I thought it was dull at first.
-Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew. Lovely lovely lovely and the CD case features knitting and embroidery. Very happy.
- Pete & the Pirates – Little Death. For sheer indiepop joy that has me jumping around.
- Spiers and Boden – Vagabond. My favourite folk album to date features pirates, outlaws and all manner of vagrants.
- The Mummers: Tale To Tell. Fairytale gothic songs that soar and swoop all over the place with overtones of marching bands or fairground rides. I loved Raissa’s voice when i was a young teenybopper and she supported Suede at several gigs. And they rehearse in a treehouse - what is there not to like?!
Book of the Year: - The Amateur Marriage – Anne Tyler.
Although I have to say that 2008 is one of my all time lows for reading. I seemed to read quite a few books that were either trashy or I was really underwhelmed by. Reading more (and better) books is definitely on the list for 2009.
Film of the Year: - Sex in the City.
I don’t think there is anything else to say. I loved it. All of it. Apart from the dead bird thing on her head in the wedding scene. (Why would anyone want a blue parrot stuck on your hair?)
Best political moment of the year: - Internationally: Obama winning in US. (Obviously)
- Domestically: 24 weeks Abortion limit defended (although frankly I think it is shocking it was ever seriously threatened) and sales of free range chicken going through the roof after last year’s big food fight programmes and Hellman’s mayo using free range eggs.
Check out the f-word's UK top ten feminist moments of 2008 which is also well worth a read.
Worst political moment of the year: Boris – what was London thinking? Bah. Incredibly depressing.
Craft achievements of the year: Overall I was a lot more productive than in the past with more finished objects...
I made my first garment (s) including (slightly odd) socks and my cardigan which is gorgeous and I wear a lot. I also completed by first sewing FO and finally finished the effing cushion. I knitted in the dark for the first time and hunted for treasure on worldwide knitting in public day with Kirsty and Alice. I finally got round to trying out fairisle which I love (still to blog), actually made soda bread rather than just talking about it, got into making muffins, made some shrinkie-dink pins, reacquainted myself with letraset, experimented with more felting and managed to spread some knitterly love with the bluestockings’ blanket for Felix.
Phew! I often feel not very productive and while there is a lot more that could be done, I don’t think that is bad all in all.
Favourite FO: Fabric bead Necklace. I love it. Everytime I wear it, I like how it looks and I get constant compliments on it. I’m hoping to make more in 2009 with slightly different fabrics. I’m thinking of making one with smaller beads to use up fabric scraps.
Largest knitting disaster: There has been a few, the slippers as a starting point, discovering that puppies and wool don’t mix has resulted in some interesting results.
Most ambitious project: Having talked myself down from the ledge of wanting to knit my director’s chair covers, I think this gong goes to the Having Hope socks – never having cabled and knitted from the toe up, I see now that this was quite an ambitious second pair of socks. All was well, if not slow until the cuff when I have spectacularly mucked up the cuff, it is now frogged to the heel and I need to work out quite how to sort out the wreckage.
UFOs not touched in 2008: Witterings – it makes me look ridiculous, I might finish it and give it away, never has anything been so disappointing. Minisweater, so little to do I can’t be bothered it seems, and the peg bag of death.
Blogtastic moments of the Year: Messy Tuesdays Love – I have loved all the variations that have sprung up on this theme and how different people have revelled in exposing the messier side of life.
Exicting new blog discoveries: This year I massively expanded the list of blogs I read by using the magical google reader. Although it seems a bit mean to highlight just a few but the following have become staple reads in 2008: Needled, Polkadotmocha, Other Stories, Dogged, Flint Knits, Yarnmonster, SixOneSeven, A Shrill Carmel & A Tiny Plot.
Doing this round up of the year reminded me about so much I haven't blogged or recorded but it also made me really appreciate all the comments and emails I have recieved from people stopping by here.Thanks for taking the time to read here and respond to my various ramblings and here's to a great 2009!
