Make Nine … 13 … 17… for 2018

Hi friends, and happy Monday!

January is whizzing by, don’t you think?  And I’m still on a planning kick … between my knitting journal and Ravelry’s Challenge and bundles features, I’ve been having loads of fun imaging all the things I’ll knit this year (it’s a whole new world of dissertation procrastination!).  I really enjoyed seeing people’s “Make Nines” over on Instagram over the last few weeks, so I thought I’d share mine here, with a bit of overflow!

When I think about what I want to be knitting most at the moment, it’s pullovers and colorwork … in fact, I very easily landed on nine projects I really want to make.right.now.  in the pullover category:

Top row, from left: (1) Stasis Pullover by Leila Raabe, begun, technically in 2017 but who’s counting!  (2) Ola Yoke by Ella Gordon (3) Birkin by Caitlin Hunter.

Middle row, from left: (1) Nuuk by Jonna Hietala (2) Carbeth by Kate Davies (3) Whitehorse by Caitlin Hunter.

Bottom row, from left: (1) Junegrass Pullover by Carrie Bostick Hoge (2) Brookings by Marie Greene (3) Humulus by Isabell Kraemer.

Of course, I don’t just want to knit pullovers.  There are some vests and cardigans that I’d really like to add to my wardrobe:

Clockwise from top left: (1) Hawkbit Cardigan by Amy Christoffers (2) Vaara Vest by Mary Jane Mucklestone (3) Incunabula by Karie Westermann (4) Morning Mist by Annie Rowden.

Clearly, I want to focus on garment knitting this year.  But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some accessories I want to knit:

Clockwise from top left: (1) Tales from the Isle of Purbeck by Annie Rowden (2) Bronte by Clare Mountain (which I * won * in a very lovely and generous giveaway on Instagram from Clare and Blacker Yarns) (3) Mahy by Karie Westermann (currently candidate #1 for my wedding shawl!) (4) To Darcy with Love by Knitterarium.

Is this more than I can actually knit in a year? Ver likely.  Will I be distracted by other patterns as they’re released? Definitely. But I have been enjoying this kind of planning because it gives me a moment to step back and think about what I want to be doing with my knitting, both in terms of my wardrobe and improving skills.  I’ve moved to a place where you can wear wool a very big chunk of the year — so having some more pullovers in the drawer would be great, plus they don’t involve as much finishing as cardigans, which I love but often take ages to finish.  And I’ve been wanting to improve my colorwork skills for a long time — and there’s only one way to do that: practice, practice, practice!

The other nice thing about stepping back like this is that of these, er, seventeen projects, I absolutely know what yarn I’ll use and have it in stash for at least twelve of them.  It’s special wool, wool that I want to be knitting with, so it’s a good reminder that I need to continue trying to be really intentional about buying new yarn (remind me of this if you see me at EYF!)  And I’ve even already swatched for a few of them!  Most recently, I knit a swatch for Birkin which I’m hoping to cast on and tell you more about soon:

Speaking of EYF, I mentioned in my last post that a lot of my knitting planning is centered on that at the moment. To give you a good laugh, I’ll tell you that my current plan is to finish Stasis (I’ve just begun the body); Birkin (swatched, not begun); Carbeth (sleeve swatch completed, to be started this week); and the Vaara Vest by EYF. Oh, and finish my long suffering Southwell Cardi, which has a complete body but still needs neckband, buttonband, oh and two sleeves.  Totally doable, right???

Hope you had a good weekend and that your week is off to a lovely start

xo K