Setting creative intentions.
The coming year is full of possibilities!
INSIDE: new year intentions, fair isle dreams, cable knits, Maker Maker, a Sydney sunrise + more nature pics.
Last week, I shared my 2023 projects, and reflected on what they taught me. I’m not a crafter who creates heaps of finished items so that takes the pressure off!
The creativity I express in knitting is usually inspired by a pattern I’d like to wear. Learning something new is a main aim when knitting a garment.
To say knitters are spoiled for choice when it comes to knitting patterns is an understatement. I get excited by all the possibilities for the new year!
suggests “you let yourself dream big, go through your knitting queue or browse new patterns and create a fantasy knitting list.”I recommend putting on a timer for browsing patterns. You can easily go down a rabbit hole and you could end up spending many hours without realizing it!.
established some goals for a “Stash Down” in 2023 with a focus to reduce her stash and buying less. And, her most recent post is a fascinating read on using spreadsheets to keep track of your yarn.If you’ve got a yarn stash, this is a great time to take stock of what’s in yours and make plans to knit with what you already have.
shared a fabulous article on how to organize your stash if you’re in the mood to be ready for the new year.2024 is the year to hopefully take on my dream of knitting a Fair Isle design.
The Yell Cardigan by Marie Wallin has been on my dream list for years! The yarn for the pattern, Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift, looks stunning!
If I knit that one, I only knit one thing at a time, and it’ll take me ages to knit. I’d need to start early in the new year and hope it’d be ready for the Australian winter in the middle of the year.
I’ll admit starting with something smaller might be a better way to learn Fair Isle, and then work up to that cardigan! A cowl would be lovely.
Do you have any pattern recommendations?
On New Year’s Eve, I like to set intentions for the coming year. I started this in 2018, where I decided I would meditate daily. I’m still doing that!
These are the intentions I’ve set for 2024:
Practicing kindness to myself
Believing I’m good enough
Continue my daily meditation
Get out in nature everyday
Increase the number of lessons of French on Duolingo from 2 to 4 each day
Sew my own clothes (I bought 3 Sew Liberated patterns: x2 shirts, x1 pants)
And another question for you: What are your creative intentions for 2024?
My son’s design is fitting for the end of this year, with Boobah ready to help you celebrate! So a very happy new year to you!
I’ve been merrily knitting rows of the cable yoke of my Flow Tee.
The cable design is lovely, the only thing is I’m critical of my tension of the 1/1 cable stitches. They look sloppy to me.
If you’ve got suggestions on getting these to look neater, I’d love to learn from you!
My fingers have finally adjusted to the feel of the organic cotton yarn, it’s not feeling as rough as it did when I started.
Getting in knitting time during the busy Christmas season has given me such solace. It’s helped me slow down when I felt overwhelmed with my to-do list!
Not a whole lot of knitting, mind you, but enough to bring a sense of calm.
My son hasn’t been knitting much recently, but he’s still doing the bookmarks! His latest one (currently on the needles) is a blue-and-white one.
For Christmas, he received these colorful handmade mini balls of twine-like yarn, made from Hemp. They were made in Nepal.
I like the color scheme, it reminds me a little of my Caramel Cardigan.
Any suggestions for what he should make with them?
Upgrade Yourself!
You're getting the free version. Fiber Supporters get exclusive content, instant access to all past inspiration and advice, tutorial extras, and lots more!
And, Fiber Insiders get all the above plus my new books, lifetime updates, a fiber arts resource library + my downloadable patterns!
A trip down memory lane…
When I visited Melbourne in September this year, I went to Maker Maker, a local yarn store in East Brunswick (a suburb of Melbourne.)
The staff were a delight and they shared some interesting techniques with me that I later tried: knitting the first few rows back and forth on circular needles and then join in the round. And, the combination purl, which I had a play with.
They focus on products from Australia and New Zealand, and I was delighted to see they had a whole pegboard dedicated to Blackwattle Alpaca Yarn!
(In 2021, I visited Blackwattle Farm near Canberra. To read more about my visit, see here. I also bought yarn from them I used to make my Caramel Cardigan.)
Another yarn collection that caught my eye was the ones from Melbourne City Dyeworks. Aren’t the warm color palettes vibrant?
There were several knitted items made by the staff as examples to spark your inspiration.
The shawl hanging from the ceiling from Stephen West’s 13th Westknits Mystery Shawl Knit Along in 2022. It’s called Twists & Turns. Isn’t it spectacular?
The store was bright and airy and full of beautiful yarns on display!
I love a yarn shop with so much choice! It’s overwhelming in the best way. 😊
I bought 6 balls of the Alma Organic Cotton yarn in the Bordeaux colorway.
With the help of Emily, who’s also a designer, I found a pattern to match the yarn gauge. I chose Flow by Trin-Annelie, the knitted tee I’m currently working on.
I enjoyed my visit to Maker Maker! If you’re ever in Melbourne, make the trip out to East Brunswick. And of course, pick up some crafting supplies.
Crochet.com’s monthly yarn sale is for their Gloss Yarn, a luxurious, jewel-tone blend of 70% Merino Wool & 30% Silk. You can get 20% off until midnight Dec 31st.
It’s available in Lace, Fingering, and DK yarn weights.
Mystery Quote Of The Week
"Maybe knitting is like writing a story — an act of discovery. But that seems unlikely, given the very precise directions."
Who said it? Leave a comment or press reply! No cheating!
(You’ll find out if you were correct next week.)
Last week’s was… Stephanie Pearl-McPhee! Let me know if you got it right.
Crafting Trivia Question Of The Week
Who holds the record for knitting the longest scarf?
What’s the answer? Leave a comment or press reply! No cheating!
(You’ll find out if you were correct next week.)
Last week’s answer to: what’s the most expensive knitting yarn? was…
Vicuña! Did you get it right? Let me know if you did!
What I’m grateful for this week…
I’m grateful for the help I received from my kids and husband over the festive days in helping with the preparation of food.
Everyone enjoyed the meals so that’s always a good thing!
I’m also grateful for beauty I saw in Sydney. It’s such a wonderful city and I’d love to visit again one day. (And discover the many more yarn shops!)
But for now, I have these lovely photos I wanted to share with you.
And, I bought a vase of lilies to bring some end-of-year cheer. Aren’t they pretty?
Inspired by the beautiful colors of the Nautilus shell, this limited edition crochet hook from Furls looks stunning!
They’re part of the Furls Streamline range, which means they’re made from smooth hand-cast resin, and available in sizes 4-15mm.
A thought for you to ponder this coming week…
With the coming of the new year, take a moment to set your creative intentions and be excited by all the possibilities!
So, may you find creative joy, discovery, new things learned, and fun in 2024.
How’s your crafting going? Leave a comment or press reply!
(Disclosure: Any purchases made through links may earn me a commission. Thanks for your support!)
Before you go…
I’m so intrigued by the intricacy of fair isle designs! Particularly the steeking required for cardigans and many other sweaters. I have no desire to indulge but I’ve watched many a YouTube video to admire the technique! I’ll be looking forward to you sharing your process with us 😊
Thanks for the lovely mention! I enjoyed your post as always. I do set a word and goals but not for my knitting. I’ll say more about that in my next post.