Friday, January 02, 2009

Inspired by Knitting Psycho’s knitting resolutions 2008 report
over here, I've decided to start my knit-blog year by setting some intentions for my own coming year. Mainly these consist of framing my knitting life with some more structure to help me combat the startitis/ADD that has me flitting from project to project like a demented moth and curtail the excessive and profligate acquisiton tendencies of the last couple of years.

You may want to sit down for this. If you know me, please consider strapping yourself in with a seat belt or applying whatever other safety precautions as you see fit. No beverages and food should be consumed while reading this post. The author assumes no responsibility whatsoever for any injuries acquired during (or in any way related to) the reading of this post. And don't please make me regret leaving the comments option on.

Here in no particular order are My Knitting Resolutions for 2009:

1. Make an executive sock decision or move along: post all my socks OTN to my list of Ravelry WIPs (hopefully sometime this weekend - right now I'm still busy adding the last of the mountain of sockyarn to my stash list). Either finish or frog all of the socks I currently have on the needles.

2. Similarly, catalogue and either finish or frog everything else on the needles (I appreciate Knitting Psycho's assertion that blankets don't count, but I haven't got any started right now, so I can't use that loophole).

BTW - My projects and my stash are hoping for a photo shoot sometime over the next few months, but let’s keep it quiet - I don’t want them to get too excited about the possibility.

3. Practise two-handed colour-work and complete at least one small stranded project.

4. Start and finish one moderate/large lace project, like a shawl or wrap, but not necessarily in laceweight yarn.

5. Knit/complete at least one pair of socks in each month of 2009 (and those currently OTN do so count - see item #1).

6. When I get a yen for a new project, shop in the stash first. Then go back and look there again. And again, if necessary. If there isn't "the right yarn" in there for the coveted new project, consider starting a different one instead inspired by and drawing from these visits with my stash.

7. Knit as many sweaters’ worth of yarn from my stash as possible.

8. Relearn crochet and add new techniques.

9. Learn to spin on my drop spindle. Caveat - no matter how tempting, do not even begin to think about buying a wheel until we move in 2010, because in this house it would have to live in the one and only bathroom.

10. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Okay, I admit it. I am helpless in the face of fibre fumes and therefore some fibre acquisition will occur. Also, I don't like the economic repercussions of total cold-turkey abstention for either LYS owners and indie fibre artisans. I will therefore limit my spending to discrete and well-considered purchases supporting local and regional indie spinners/dyers and local small-scale purveyors of string, as well as the occasional friendly destash/swap.

Okay. I need to go lie down now. Hold me.