Hello!
The New Year is well underway, and I’ve been thinking about where I’m going with my knitting. I didn’t make any resolutions or a list of goals. I feel a huge inner resistance to setting goals when it comes to knitting – as if the very word ‘goals’ will suck all the joy out of it. But drifting along and being pulled in all kinds of directions by whatever yarns or patterns cross my path, as I’ve often done, doesn’t feel quite right either anymore.
So, I am taking the middle road by making a wish list – a short list of the kind of things I’d like to do more of in the coming year:
- Norwegian knitting
- Making things for our grandson
- Knitting challenging socks (at least more challenging than my ordinary stocking stitch ones)
- Designing
It is rather vague, I know. Not very S.M.A.R.T. according to some. Will I get anything done without Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound goals? We’ll see. For now, I’m still finishing a few last things from 2022.
In 2021, at the time of year when the hydrangeas were in bloom, I bought two skeins of yarn from two dyers new to the craft (they can be found here and here):
The pale blue tweedy skein doesn’t know what it’s going to be yet. The other one has grown into a pair of simple stocking stitch socks.
I’ve also finished a simple stocking stitch Quintessential Cardigan from a soft navy blue wool-and-alpaca blend.
I wanted a medium-warm cardigan for everyday wear that would go with just about everything. It turned out exactly the way I wanted it, only maybe a little too… serious? Perhaps that could be remedied with buttons. I hadn’t bought any yet and got out my big button box. There might be some in there that I could use. Sifting through the buttons, I put all those in the right size on a tray.
The cardigan needed seven buttons, and I made several combinations. Six matching navy blue ones and a pop of red?
Nah, still too serious. Colourful retro?
Fun, but not really me. Seven silvery and shiny ones then?
Oooh, I really like those! But not with this navy blue cardigan. Okay, one last try:
Yes!
Not terribly adventurous perhaps, but hey, that’s me. I do hope to become a little more adventurous in my knitting in 2023, though. Oh, and I would also like to do more with the buttons in my button box – I’ll add that to my wish list. Now, where can I put the list so that I won’t forget about it?
How about you? Do you have specific knitting/crochet/other plans, goals or resolutions for 2023? I’d love to hear about them!
I guess the trick is to add points of interest to your outfit, but in a way that reflects who you are. And I think you nailed it with these buttons!
Hi, it’s good to hear your voice here again! I think you’re right about finding things that complement who we are – thanks!
I like your button choice! And that cardigan is so perfect, really. I may have to put that pattern in my very long queue.
Funny that you mentioned SMART goals…I was just thinking about those the other day. I’m a terrible goal setter but I made a list of goals for my knitting (giving colorwork a go is one, but another is clearing my needles), and a list of projects I’d like to knit (which I’ve already ignored twice). We’ll see how I get along with it all though. It IS kind of nice to have those lists as reminders.
List can be a great help, I agree. As long as they are not too long, and you remember to take a look at them (something I often forget, too). I can really recommend this pattern, if you don’t mind adding something to that long queue. Enjoy your first steps into colourwork!
Love the sweater and the socks. Great choice of buttons. When I first saw the cardigan, I didn’t even notice that the buttons were all different. Also when I first opened the blog, it was a big wow factor for me – both blue projects jumped right out at me – loved it.
After the purple-and-pinks shawl for your friend and all the knitting you’ve done for others lately, could it be time to knit something blue for yourself?
Love the cardigan! I like the button idea – a bit of fun but subtle enough not to detract from the beautiful yarn and colour.
Thank you! It’s a great pattern – I’m very happy with the end result. And it was such fun to dip into my button box (which is actually a large biscuit tin).
Great choice of buttons!
I don’t set any goals for knitting or sewing apart from my Ravelry queue. Setting SMART goals smells too much of work to me and would spoil the fun. I sorely miss a Ravelry for sewists though.
A Ravelry for sewists, now that would be a good idea! Googling it, I found Textillia. At first glance, it looks similar to Ravelry. On the one hand, I agree with you about the goal-setting, but on the other I think having some kind of guidelines for myself might help me not get sidetracked all the time.