Knitting and Sewing Goals for 2024
Grand plans for the new year.
I have always loved the turn of the new year because I find a great deal of optimism in the newness of it. It’s probably no surprise then that I also love a bit of goal-setting and planning for the year ahead.
With this being the first Substack post of A Writer’s Knitting Basket, and in the spirit of fresh starts, here is what I’m focusing on for my knitting and sewing in 2024:
Finishing. Finishing projects usually isn’t an issue for me unless something has gone horribly wrong, but it’s always a good aspiration to start with completing the things that are already on my needles. At the moment I have three projects on the go:
A modified Wearing Cardigan by Donna Smith that I am making for Dad. I made this jumper for myself in 2023, and I surprised myself but how much I loved the bottom-up construction. The pattern is incredibly detailed and well-written, and the Langsoond yarn that Donna Smith produces on Shetland is a pleasure to work with, so I decided to do it all again only in a man’s version. Ideally this will be done for Dad’s birthday at the end of February, but I am not holding myself to that precisely because I won’t see him until mid-February to make sure that the modifications and adjustments I’ve made fit him, especially in the sleeves.
Olive Cardigan by Knitting for Olive that I am currently making for myself. The color (dusty aqua in Knitting for Olive’s Merino and Soft Silk Mohair) is different than I would normally choose (black, white, cherry red, deep brown, navy, cognac, mustard, or cream), but I’m leaning into that and hoping that it will will become a virtue. If this ends up being a mistake in color, I plan to give this to my mother because the delicate but still cozy look of the cardigan would suit her style well.
Hiedra Mitts by Fibre Tales. Every year I tell myself that I am going to stash-bust, and ever year I fail to hold myself to it. I’ve decided that, given that the crafting cabinet is near bursting, I need to actually follow through on this promise this year. Enter the Hiedra Mitts knitted in a lovely camel Cascade 220 Superwash. These are small enough to stash in my backpack when traveling on the train into Central London, so I am planning to keep them as my commuting project.
Stash-busting. In addition to what I wrote above, stash-busting has become a necessity this year in part because I have logged only some of my stash because it’s…overwhelming. On December 31, 2023, I did a cull of my crafting cabinet and donated a lot of wool to my local charity shop. However, I kept more than I donated, and that means I have to figure out something to do with all of these balls of yarn that are still packed in there. Which leads me to…
Making smaller. I have been stuck on making jumpers for years now because, quite frankly, I love the deep sense of satisfaction I get from putting on a jumper I made myself. However, I need to be realistic that stash-busting is a lot more likely to happen if I focusing on smaller accessories like hats, gloves, and socks. Socks are particularly intriguing to me because they are completely new to me, so I’m looking forward to exploring a new challenge this year.
Gifting. Making smaller means that I am more inclined to give away things, which should make the knit-worthy people in my life very happy. Already I’m lining up plans to knit for my husband (which will be welcome news to him, I hope), as well as my Dad, who wears fingerless gloves to work in the garden during the winter. I’m also suffering from a pretty strong sense of guilt that I have so rarely knitted for my sister or brother-in-law—both knitters in their own rights—so I am going to be nosing around for patterns they might like.
Gauge swatching. I don’t do enough of this, and while I’m fortunate that usually my tension is true to the needles and yarn that I’m working on, it is not a fail-safe process. Must do better.
Knitting for creative rest. One of my goals this year is to work knitting into my working day as a way to intentionally rest and relax. I always have my knitting basket next to the sofa, and I frequently knit while watching sports or films with my husband. However, I’d like to make sure that I’m working on something a little a day, even if it is just 10 rows. I find knitting meditative and calming (as well as infuriating when things go wrong), and I need more of that in my life this year.
Sewing again. I would break down goals for sewing this year, but there’s really just one: Begin again. I started to teach myself to sew last year after receiving a sewing machine for Christmas 2021. However, planning a wedding took over a great deal of my free time, and I set sewing aside in 2023. Any—and I mean any—sewing this year will be an improvement.
I plan on highlighting some of the projects that I want to knit this year in my next post, but for now let me know what you are planning to knit or sew in 2024!
I’m making socks this year too! In March, I’m taking an afterthought-heel class using a cranked sock tube—which kind of feels like cheating. But the steeking bit (scream face) and turning the heel (or whatever it’s called!!!) is still a challenge, so it’s cool. There will be time for 100% hand-knit cashmere-blend socks later.