Hopes and Plans

While it's obvious that making resolutions just because it's conventional and the calendar "says" it's a new year is a cultural artifact, you can't deny that people want to celebrate the turning of the year and new beginnings. It's pretty deeply-wired, I think.

After thinking about my knitting for last year, my thoughts turned lightly to my knitting for this year. Actually, at that point, it was my theoretical knitting, as I hadn't picked up needles for what seemed like months. I still have that lace thing hanging over my head, and just becauseI keep ripping out mistakes and whimpering in the corners with it bunched up in my bag doesn't mean I have to keep being afraid of it. So I'd ideally finish that before my mother comes to visit.
And there's the chocolate and cherries sweater I started for me, stalled because I'm not eager to do the sleeve math. Talk about wimpy reasons for not finishing! Oh, and there's also the whole "what twist stitch to use on the sleeves and do I really remember how to do a twist stitch?" part. At any rate, that's another bit to finish. I'm not even going to think too hard about the orange vest. . .

Then I thought, well, Thing 4 doesn't currently have a cardigan that fits. They're either too small or too big, and a pullover isn't the same for the people who dress toddlers. Cardigan for her! And thus the Knitting Manifesto for 2007 was born:

A sweater a month, quilt that quilt, and make an afghan (and don't count The Lace Thing).

Seem reasonable? It does to me -- let's see how it works out. I know Thing 1 wants another top-down raglan, as she's outgrown both her old top-down AND the green leaf sweater. (Plus umpteen pairs of shoes, but we'll stick to knitting for now. . .)

I want some sweaters, and I bet the middle Things wouldn't hate them, although they are much less sweater-inclined than others in the family. So it seems as though I'm going to get a lot of sweaters for me this year! Oh, and ideally I'll do this without actually having to buy yarn. I have a lot, anyhow. And since my wonderful sister gave me spinning lessons at a local shop for Christmas, I'm sure I'll have lots of free time, and fiber doesn't count, right? I actually dreamed that my local hardware store sold roving and combed top on the big spools that rope comes on. All this before lesson one. My dream life is out of control.

If I quilt 1/12th of the cowgirl quilt per month, it can rest under the Christmas tree next December. Never mind that critical hardware is missing from the quilt frame, I can't justify buying another quilt frame, I hate quilting in a hoop, and besides we're supposed to be spending the weekends putting up shear walls in the basement. Never mind reality! Onward!!

There are other goals, but they involve things other than knitting. Some of them involve this person (and not because of her ears):


Some of them involve boring things like exercise and housework and bees and meditation. . .

But I did start on the knitting stuff. The kitten helped a lot (maybe I should focus some goals on our computer desk!)


After last night, it looks more like this:


After I get the body done (today?), I'll do the sleeves and then deal with the mistakes charming asymmetry in the colorwork and decide just how to color-edge the cuffs, bottom, and collar. I'm hoping that this will be done sooner rather than later, allowing me to stride into the new year with confidence and aplomb.

Then I'll take up that lace again.