New Year’s Knitting Resolutions and How To Keep Them
Happy New Year! Isn’t it so exciting to embark on another year of knitting? Right now, you may be looking back at all the pieces you created in 2023. And as you dream of all the pieces you hope to make in 2024, you may also be putting some resolutions in place to make your knitting practice even better. In this post, let’s chat about the most popular New Year's knitting resolutions and give some tips to help make sure you achieve them.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I will earn some yarn money at no extra cost to you!
Work from your stash
Who doesn’t love buying new yarn? Each skein holds so many inspiring possibilities! However, there are some cons to constantly buying new yarn. The cost can quickly add up, and your yarn storage may get filled to bursting. Also, buying more than you can use isn’t the most sustainable practice, plus it can cause you to feel guilty when you don’t use the yarn you already have.
If you’ve felt the cons of buying too much new yarn in 2023, then let’s take 2024 as an opportunity to reshape our yarn-purchasing practices! To get started, you’ll want to do two things:
Get the free stash organizer from @woolwala’s link in bio to sort out the yarn you have left in your stash.
Get the Knitwear Capsule Wardrobe Blueprint to figure out what patterns you want to make and assign the yarn you already own to projects they can be applied to.
If you own any yarn that you did not assign to any future projects in the Blueprint, consider gifting or trying to resell it! There is no use in keeping any yarn if you know in your heart you don’t want to use it! Help it find a home that will use it with joy.
Or, instead of regifting or reselling, you can use that yarn for some scrap-busting projects. For example, you can make some scrappy scrunchies using the Free Staple Scrunchie Pattern, which allows you to use any weight yarn and any gauge! Keep them for yourself or get a jump on your holiday gifts this year!
5 reasons why you need a knitwear capsule wardrobe.
Work through patterns you already own
Raise your hand if you have bought more than one pattern that you haven’t made yet. (Okay, I can’t see you, and you can’t see me, but full transparency, I’m raising my hand.) While knitting patterns aren’t usually the most expensive things to buy, their cost can add up! Especially if you keep buying more without using the ones you own.
To help motivate you to work through the patterns you already own, I again recommend using the handy dandy Knitwear Capsule Wardrobe Blueprint. In it, you can include the patterns you have purchased, which will help you to prioritize those projects.
Plus, as you’re going through the Blueprint, if you ever find yourself being like “ugh, idk if I want this pattern to be in my Knitwear Capsule Wardrobe Blueprint”, then I recommend not including it or making it! There is no reason to force yourself to make something if it is not something you see yourself wearing and enjoying. It’s okay to take the L on the pattern. At least your purchase helped to support a small knitwear designer or even a larger knitting company!
Not ready to buy the Blueprint? Get the free checklist to help you get started!
Finish your WIPs
WIP stands for work in progress. While some people are one WIP wonders, many of us try to juggle multiple WIPs. Sometimes it works (like if you use the method I’m about to suggest), but sometimes having literal loose ends in your life can take up precious brain space and even make you feel guilty.
I once heard somewhere (and if this rings a bell, please feel free to write down the source in the comments) that every item you own takes up a little bit of your brain space. Because you are responsible for the care of your items, your brain keeps a catalog of them all. When it comes to WIPs, your brain will likely think of their completion status far more often than if that WIP was done and crossed off your to-do list.
If you’re ready to do some brain space cleansing or are looking for a better way to keep progress going on all your WIPs, start by looking at the WIPs you have. In the spirit of Marie Kondo, do any not spark joy? If you’ve already laid out your Knitwear Capsule Wardrobe Blueprint, do you have any WIPs that aren’t included in it? If you have WIPs that don’t spark joy, and you don't see them being useful or worn often, then frog them!! Keep the yarn for something else. Get rid of the WIP altogether and cleanse yourself of any unnecessary guilt.
For WIPs that you have and you want to keep working on, separate them into three piles:
Easy, mindless knitting that is not portable (Blankets and sweaters, for example.)
Easy, mindless knitting that is portable (Socks, scrunchies, hats, etc.)
Knitting that requires focus and attention (Some projects may be mainly easy but are at a point where they require attention, like picking up stitches for a collar. Put those projects in this category, but you can always move them back to their other category after you work through the hard part.)
After organizing your WIPs, you know when to work on certain projects! Work on your larger, easy projects while chilling at home. If you like to knit in the car, while in waiting rooms, or during other idle times when you’re out and about, bring a portable WIP with you. And for projects that require focus, get to those when you have the time and energy! Maybe set some time for yourself during the weekends or at least one night a week to work through those parts that require more focus.
I find organizing my WIPs this way helps me to keep making progress them, and helps me squeeze in more knitting time during my day in general. This system also eliminates the question of what I should be working on and the guilt that comes from leaving my WIPs in the corner.
Challenge yourself to learn new skills
If you’re ready to take on more challenging projects and learn new knitting skills in 2024, props to you! You are going to have such a fun and fulfilling year of knitting. However, it is essential to remember to always be patient with yourself and give yourself grace as you learn new techniques. Before even picking up the needles to start working on something completely new to you, take a deep breath and remind yourself that it's okay to make mistakes. It’s just yarn, and you can always frog if you wish!
To keep yourself accountable when it comes to learning new skills instead of opting for easy project after easy project, set yourself up with the Knitwear Capsule Wardrobe Blueprint! Figure out exactly what you want to make, what you will wear, and what will bring you joy for years to come. There is no better incentive to work on a knitting project, even if it is challenging than to create something you know you will love and be so proud of.
Take care of your hands, wrists, and arms
One of my main goals for 2024 is to take care of my hands and arms daily. In case you missed it, you can read about my knitting injury experience that prevented me from knitting for 4 months. In the same post, I also share how to do the stretches and strengthening exercises provided by my physical therapist. I have become inconsistent with doing these, but I plan on stretching and strengthening my hands, wrists, and arms every day in 2024.
For added assistance with hand, wrist, and arm pain, you may want to invest in some basic massage tools. These massage balls work wonders for your hands and wrists, and this forearm massager is life-changing. It is so important to take care of your body so you can keep knitting for years to come!
Purchase from small creators and local yarn stores
While purchasing mass-manufactured yarn from big box craft stores is usually cheaper and easier, it is so important to support small creators and your local yarn store (LYS) if you can. Shopping from small yarn dyers and your LYS directly impacts the lives of those people, but also helps to support our lovely, innovative, and crafty knitting community overall.
To help you stick with the resolution of purchasing from small creators and your LYS, plan your projects with Knitwear Capsule Wardrobe Blueprint! As you brainstorm what yarns to use for each project, consider colorways from small dyers or what your LYS has in stock.
You can also make a note for certain projects in the Blueprint to consider exclusive colorways from future collections of small dyers! Intentionally adding flexibility can help relieve the pressure you may put on yourself to stick with something specific. Plus, being flexible works better for small dyers' workflow, rather than the consistent workflow of mass-manufactured yarns. And of course, being flexible doesn’t mean you have to settle for something that isn’t your ideal. It just helps you keep an eye out for the perfect yarn for that project!
Lastly, hand-dyed yarn and yarn from your LYS are typically more expensive than mass-manufactured yarn or yarn from big box craft stores. However, planning your projects can help you budget for the dream yarn you hope to work with.
Donate and give back
If you’re looking to knit up some donations this year, then, first of all, you’re amazing. Good on you for wanting to give the awesome uniqueness of your handmade art to someone or to raise money for a good cause!
To start, you’ll want to find a cause you want to knit for. Search for knitting donations in your area or for a cause that is important to you. See what their guidelines are for submissions and create a goal for yourself to donate so many handmade items.
(Can’t seem to find a charity or cause that speaks to you? Be extra ambitious and start your own charity!)
One charity that I recommend donating to is Hats4Healing. Hats4Healing is a nonprofit organization that donates handmade hats to pediatric cancer patients. This charity has an amazing story and is a great organization to donate to.
Wherever 2024 takes us, may there be ample time to knit. What’s your New Year’s knitting resolution this year? Comment below!