New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It's a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. Most people make New Year's resolutions related to their health, exercising more, breaking bad habits, and other such matters. As knitters, we should make resolutions, too.
Whether you want to learn a new skill, use up some old yarn or finish what you start, there are tons of great resolutions for knitters. Here are a couple to get you started if you haven't yet made your resolutions.
This year, take stock of all the projects you haven't finished. Some of them probably only need minor work to finish them such as weaving in ends, blocking your knitting or simply doing some knitting up.
Make these sorts of projects a priority and see how many of them you can complete before the end of January.
Other pieces might take much more work to finish. Consider each one individually and decide if it is something you really want to finish. If you abandoned the project part way through because you hated the yarn or the pattern, that's not a project you are ever going to want to finish. Bite the bullet and unravel your work. If you like the yarn but hated the project, try a different pattern. Donate the yarn if it was the problem.
If you have unfinished projects that you still want to finish, make an effort to complete them, if possible, before you start any new projects. If you started the project for an occasion that has since passed, find a place to donate the finished item.
2. Knit for Charity
Set yourself a target number of items to knit for charity. Every Thursday on this blog will be 'Thoughful Thursday ' where we will be featuring various charities who need your knitting. There are many worthy causes for you to choose to help.
3. Knit Something for Yourself!
It seems that most knitters we know spend hours knitting garments and accessories for other people, but rarely get round to knitting anything for themselves. Make 2012 the year you knit something for yourself. That way you’ll have the pleasure of knitting and then wearing the item you knit, rather than saying goodbye to it after hours of hard (if enjoyable) work! As an added delight you’re likely to garner lots of compliments for your creation if you wear it out and about. Go on, we think you’re worth it!
4. Use the Yarn in Your Stash.
Got a pile of unused yarn? Save money and declutter your home in 2012 by taking on the challenge to only knit with yarn from your stash. You’ll be amazed at how creative you get!
A huge guilty pleasure of knitters is buying yarn without any idea of how or if we might one day use it. This year, make an effort to go through your stash and really evaluate each thing you've purchased:
- Do you love it?
- Do you have an idea for a project you could make with it?
- Do you have enough of it to complete that project?
- Is the yarn in good condition?
If the yarn is damaged, there's nothing for it but to get rid of it and make room for something else in your stash.
This year my New Year’s resolutions are to finish off some of my unfinished things before starting anything else, and not to buy any yarn on impulse! Also I’ve decided to knit some things for myself, I spend so much time knitting for other people that I never seem to get round to knitting any of the things on my own knitting wish list. I’ll let you know how that works out!
Did you make any knitting resolutions? If so I'd love to hear about them!
