I think I've reached an age, or perhaps just a disposition, where milestones, rather than prompting me to recognize my accomplishments, serve to remind me of everything that I haven't achieved. Sigh. For example, I can't help but be disappointed that I've yet to take a knitting class, try fair isle, learn to steek, or make any "real life" knitting friends. It feels like I've spent the last couple years accumulating yarn I'll probably never use and books I couldn't possibly ever knit all the patterns in.
The truth is, though I can recognize some progress over the last couple years (I'm quite proud of my Lotus Blossom Tank and Tangled Yoke Cardigan), I'm still hesitant to challenge myself because failure is not something I deal with well in any area of my life. And if you don't try, you can't fail, now can you?
But, it's only knitting, I have to remind myself--if I screw up, it's hardly a harbinger of the apocalypse. So, I've come up with 5 knitting goals that I hope to accomplish by my next blogiversary, although how exactly I will go about doing so remains to be seen (and yes, I'm aware that I also set New Year's knitting goals that I'm not exactly keeping up with; time to recommit):
1. Take a knitting class, or possibly an intro crochet class so as to add lovely trims to knitted items
2. Steek something--even if it's just a practice swatch because I'm not quite courageous enough to cut up actual knitting
3. Knit the Endpaper Mitts and Selbu Modern--two stranded knitting projects to get started with
4. Knit socks toe up--I've got Wendy's book, may as well put it to use
5. Design something--possibly the boatneck sweater I've got floating around in my head, but even just a scarf is ok
Ok, enough empty promises.
Without further ado, let's get to that moment you've all been waiting for. The blogiversary contest winners are (drumroll please) .....................
Adrienne and Jags!!!
Woohoo!!!
And here's what they've won:
The Alpaca Yarn Company Paca Peds HT in Summer Berries
Storm Moon Knits Tornado sock yarn in I Kissed a Girl
Congrats, ladies!! These are lovely yarns that are hard to part with, but I know you'll put them to good use.
I'll be messaging the winners in some way, shape or form to get their addresses and ship these out by the end of the week (I don't know who'll get which, it'll be a surprise). Thanks for playing, everyone, I loved reading about your worst knitted items. For the record, mine was the first scarf I ever knit, made with some acrylic yarn with "silver" plastic threads woven into it that wouldn't lie flat and that I eventually mashed into a pancake with the iron.
As a side note, I mentioned a few posts ago, my stashed yarn is really getting out of control, so I've got a bit of a destash going. Some of this is really great yarn that unfortunately just isn't my color and probably won't get used, so I think it would be happier in a home where it won't be overlooked . There are also just a few odds and ends leftover from projects. Please take a look. I've done some pricing, but I'm quite flexible, and I might be open to trades if the right yarn comes along.
4 comments :
I don't wait by my mailbox for my Knitting Guild membership. I'm not sure I'll ever design a pattern - sounds like too much knitting, and reknitting, swatching and measuring. Way too much hard work and patience involved. I'm happy enough with a couple little modifications here and there of other people's patterns.
Just knit what makes you happy!
Those sound like some pretty good goals to me! And, even if you don't make up a whole pattern, knitting something of your own design is quite satisfying. There is a lot of knitting and reknitting, but there's also that moment when everything comes together that is magical. Plus, there's the whole, "This is mine and no one else has anything exactly like it" part that I love. :-)
i am very surprised that you can part with those lovlies. and i am thrilled that one of them is coming to live with me!
thank you! and once again, happy blogiversary!
I know you posted this a while ago and I'm hoping for you you've made some progress on these goals (if not, here's your reminder!) Don't stress about feeling like you're not advancing in your knitting...I've been knitting longer than you and have yet to make a piece of clothing...you did that in 2 years! My 6th year knit-iversary is just around the corner and I was just recently told by a published knitting designer that I knit wrong (and this was my first knitting class). I've made things following patterns many times...yet somehow I'm still doing it wrong. Be proud of what you have done so far because I'm definitely impressed!
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