Read. Write. Create.

With the last day of 2015 upon us, I’ve been taking stock of the past year, the things I’ve accomplished, and the things I haven’t. While I’ve completed many handknits, they’ve lacked variety – almost all socks with a few hats thrown in for good measure.

I’ve also quadrupled my stash of fingering weight yarn. I exceeded my goal of reading 15 books in 2015, finishing the year with 22. I’ve completed one picture book manuscript, but failed to query any editors or agents.

2015 has been a challenging year for me, personally and professionally. While I have much to be grateful for, I find myself not entirely satisfied. I’ve always said that I’m a work in progress, and 2016 will be a time to improve in a few areas and explore some I've yet to try.

I’ve debated whether I want to make any resolutions in the new year. And the one I keep coming back to is this: I will not participate in any KALs. I know many knitters find KALs motivating and a way to knit down stash, but for me, the opposite occurred.

In order to meet the rules of each KAL, I found myself buying more yarn. Then there was the frustration of feeling like I couldn’t knit with other dyers or try different projects, like sweaters or shawls. So 2016 will be KAL-free for me. I'm also going on a strict no-fingering weight, no self-striping yarn diet. My yarn stash is out of control, and although I freed up some room this fall by destashing 40+ skeins, I’m still embarrassed to have guests see one room in my house that has five baskets filled with yarn.

I will also be paring back my knitting, which I’ve done to the exclusion of reading books and writing stories. 2016 will be more about balance – in work, at home, and in life. I plan to approach each day with three goals: to read, to write, and to create. That last piece may vary. It may be a shawl or a hat. It may be a story. Or, as my interest in non-knitting, lifestyle blogs has increased, DIY projects like jewelry, food, and home decor.

So here’s to a productive but more balanced year ahead. And until my next post, bon tricot.

Comments

Back to Basics

The first week back after a long holiday is always the hardest. I also find it’s where I tend to lose focus of my goals…and so it went this week for journaling and the yarn diet. While I managed to journal four nights in a row, I missed three by week’s end. I also fell off the destash wagon visiting a charming LYS seven minutes from a conference I was attending for work. I don’t feel as badly about that relapse since I bought a non-fingering weight yarn in a 100% marled alpaca. They also had some knitting notions that I’ve only seen online – bamboo chunky circs and a Knit Kit. The Knitting B, Richmond, VA But how to explain the sock yarn purchase? FOMA (fear of missing out). One of my favorite dyers posted a 24-hour- only skein to celebrate her 6,000 th sale on Etsy. Those exclusive speckles did me in. Canon Hand Dyes by the amyleeshow on Etsy This week has shown me that it’s easy to get off track, so before I ...

A Tale of Two Toques

I finished my Chelsea Market Hat this past weekend using Madelinetosh Chunky in Reindeer. This was a fun project. I had originally queued this hat up to use with a different yarn, Canon Hand Dyes Gustave MCN Aran in Frank Wolverton Randall, the first shipment in the Among Friends Outlander Club . This skein was rich and buttery, but with 180 yards, my garment selection would be limited to either a hat or a pair of mitts. I wanted something with texture, and cables captured the Celtic, Outlander theme. I came across Caryl Pierre’s Chelsea Market pattern first. I particularly liked the slouch effect and the chunky cable combined with the garter rows. But after seeing a post in another Ravelry forum, I decided to use Justyna Lorkowska’s Sand Bank . The reason for the change? Cables. I need more cables (said in my best Christopher Walken voice - pathetic, I know). Sand Bank Hat That left the Chelsea Market Hat f...

Knock Your Socks Off

Back in 2011, like millions of thrifty fashion lovers, I camped outside (okay, I got there five minutes before the doors opened) my local Target waiting to shop the highly anticipated (and well-marketed) Missoni for Target line. Weeks before the launch, I had scoped out the look-book and identified exactly which items I wanted to buy. But despite having a disciplined plan of attack, all restraint, and apparently reason (my own, in case that wasn’t clear), was cast out of my cart, presumably so I could fill it up with things I had never planned on buying. As if that wasn’t bad enough, after hauling my purchases home and trying to forget how much money I had blown, I then… logged onto the website – or at least tried to – to purchase even more zig-zag wares! From there, the my insanity escalated. Before I knew it, I was trolling Ebay bidding on overpriced merch that would make the seediest loan shark blush. There I was at 2 am scoping out auctions, in...

Bon Tricot

Search This Blog