Intentions, Gratitude, Excitement

We’ve had a great week! Thank you to everyone for your thoughtful responses and conversations on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. You made this year-end social media party a blast.

Last week we asked you to consider your 2014 intentions for your knitting. Here’s what we came up with!

Lauren
Ask any of my knitting friends, and they’ll tell you: I hate 80% of what I knit. I’ve given away more sweaters than many knitters have completed. Here’s my problem: I get too excited about what sweater I want to knit next! Rather than taking the time to think things through and really plan my sweaters, I jump into something that, halfway through, I realize I never would have worn anyway (striped orange pullover … I’m looking at you). In 2014 I intend to be more thoughtful and take more time considering what my options are, and not choose arbitrarily based on which pattern is popular or what needles I have free.

Jackie
I’ve become so much more aware of how my clothes make me feel over this past year. I save the 20% of my wardrobe that I love for special occasions, and reserve my utilitarian wares for everyday living. But I don’t feel as good in my “everyday” clothes … they don’t fit as well, they don’t feel as good, and they don’t really represent who I am. (I shouldn’t cringe inside if I run into a fellow parent at the grocery on days when I don’t “see” anyone, right?) My intention is to make pieces that I’m happy to wear on any given day, and that make me feel great doing so. And since that’s a bit subjective, I’ll add that my specific, measurable goal is 1 sweater each month for 2014.

Amy
Working in a formal corporate environment, when combined with a modest clothing budget, means that your wardrobe tends to get fairly limited. I have suiting separates in somber colors, and some fun layering pieces, and jeans and t-shirts that I wear when I take care of the kids. When I left said corporate environment, I thought to myself: “I can dress how I want, now. How exciting!”

…and I haven’t really lived up to that opportunity and promise. I got a few pieces that I truly love, this fall, but they’ve mostly sat in my closet. Instead, I’m wearing (you guessed it) jeans and t-shirts most days. In 2014, I really want to change that. I love clothes, I love changing the way I think with some gorgeous sets of colors and a swishy bit of this or that.So in 2014 I want to take my hand-knits, and my purchased clothes, and really have fun with my own personal style.

*****

(Amy here.) I wanted to take a moment, at the end of 2013, to express my sincere thanks for all of you who are here, reading, and coming along on this journey with us. You all mean so much to our team, and we can’t wait to see what 2014 brings.

I’m especially excited at all of the sweater buzz happening now that the holidays are over – here, in Ravelry, on Twitter and Pinterest and Facebook. (And yes, Lauren has convinced me to expand my curmudgeonly ways and now I’ll be trying hard to join the make wear love team and have some fun on Instagram, too.) So it felt fitting and right to end this year with a celebratory little pattern release. Something that helps me meet my own intentions for 2014, and maybe something that will inspire you too.

moscato-finals-1

Moscato is a simple pullover with a few playful special touches. (If you want to know more about the knitting, sizing, or other technical details of Moscato, you can find them all on its pattern page, here.)

It came about because of that skirt, actually. It’s exactly the kind of thing I want to spend more time wearing. I love skirts, because they are comfortable and a little flirty and they make my legs look longer. And (though this would surprise the heck out of teenaged goth-Amy) I love color. So when this skirt went on sale a couple of years ago I jumped on the chance and clicked “add to cart”…

…and then didn’t really wear it. It always seemed a little too bright. A little out of phase with my life. Eventually I decided I’d make a sweater, just for that skirt. Something fun, with a drapey bit of neckline, that made me smile as much as the skirt does. I’m such a button freak, I thought it would be nice to have an excuse to put a bunch of buttons on a pullover. I chose one of my very favorite yarns, in a very favorite color that would go well with the skirt, and had some fun playing around.

And here it is. I love it. This outfit makes me feel like I’m a different person, for a little while. Someone who goes to cocktail parties and dresses up to go to the art museum. Someone whose life has a little less laundry.

moscato-finals-4 moscato-finals-2 moscato-finals-3

Happy New Year!

6 thoughts on “Intentions, Gratitude, Excitement

  1. Happy New Year! My personal Knitting Resolution is to knit a pieced sweater from your book. I am an experienced knitter and I have designed and modified several sweaters that i love- but I was bit by a seamed sweater that just wouldn’t work no matter what I did early in my sweater knitting life and I haven’t tried again. – Recently I’ve tried seaming some small things to get practice- things that I normally would just knit in the round- a hat and booties. And they look great! So, I will try a pieced sweater again, with help from your book. Thank you!

  2. Happy New Year everyone. I love your last comment Amy – someone whose life has a little less laundry – me too! I dream of a wardrobe of sweaters that make me look 10kg thinner and 10 years younger. If I make sweaters that fit in styles and colours that fit too, I just might get there 🙂

  3. Teenaged goth-Leslie would be surprised how much I like color now too. LOL.

    This year I intend to figure out how to get more knitting done. I can only get about 4 sweaters done a year and I want to work out how to knit more efficiently. I also want to spend more time knitting things for myself. I’m about halfway done with my custom fit sweater and I think finishing that will completely change my outlook on knitting for ME.

  4. Love that sweater! Also, your goth reference reminded me of the time we went into (I think it was) Banana Republic in Freeport one time and you took one look around and said, “Everything is so… bright.” I don’t think we even set foot in the Gap! Ha ha

  5. Happy New Year! I’m taking it one sweater at a time. At the moment I’m finishing up my first customfit sweater (back done, front almost done – just need to make the sleeves and assemble). After I’m done I’ll think about my “lessons learned” and what I’d like to make next. I’ve got my eye on the acorn trail pattern (customfit recipe!) but everything’s still open 🙂 Thank you for the amazing customfit page – so so awesome, and the instructions are crystal clear. I LOVE it.

  6. Amy, you continue to inspire me on so many levels. So my most recent blog post is pretty much an homage. Happy new year!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TweetShare