January: Selfish Knitting Month Coming Up!
Just for the record, I am making an important announcement now, about January.
Perhaps every knitter I know is making at least one knitted gift for this time of year. Many of us are deferring gratification and putting off our desires to knit projects for ourselves.
Never mind that even when we don’t knit, there is a lot of need to set aside personal preferences in December for the good of the whole. It’s lovely to commune with our loved ones, but it takes a bit of a toll on what free time we didn’t have to start with.
In my case, I had a very unproductive 2007 because of health issues (unresolved food allergies). My situation really turned around in a wonderful way, in March of this year. I have been sprinting to the finish line to catch up, ever since.
In 2007 I finished writing/issued 3 patterns. This year I am working on finishing my 10th pattern (some need to wait to be announced). Five of this year’s patterns I actually started in 2006 or 2007.
I am working full-tilt to finish up old and current projects this week and next, so that I can start 2009 with only projects for 2009. Imagine that!
I don’t know about you, but that means to me that I need a reward in January. I am declaring January “Selfish Knitting Month.” Brian asks if it’s International Selfish Knitting Month, but I guess I say it’s Lynn–ternational Selfish Knitting Month at the moment. If some of you out of the US join me, then it can really be international. I hope that happens.
So prepare in your mind… what will you make after the ball drops in Times Square? What will you cast on? What will you make just because you dream of making it, when it’s finally your turn???
First, I’ll need an instant-gratification project. I’m really thinking about knitting a second pair of Fuzzy Feet. I made a pair in 2002, when the pattern first came out (on Knitty) and loved them, and wore them a LONG time before they finally gave out.
I think the knitting only took me a few days, and they lasted so long it’s worth repeating that project again. (Photo today is me in my version after felting, I added the “fur” trim for fun, but maybe won’t add that again this time.)
I have a few sweaters in my mind. I need to replace my favorite turquoise mohair sweater, which has worn thin on the elbows. I bought new similar yarn at Threadbear last year and swatched for it, but never got past a swatch. This one is most important and I think since it’s very simple and blocky I can realistically make it in a month or two if I allow myself to do that selfish thing for a little while.
I also have some Debbie Bliss yarn, it’s a magenta/fuschia tweed in a bulky weight, which I got at Rae’s Yarn Boutique. It wants to keep me warm when February winds blow. I got the pattern book for the sample sweater I tried on at Rae’s, it looks good on me. I may do that design, maybe another.
And my big dream is to knit a Kristin Nicholas pattern. I am *IN LOVE* with her Circles, Bobbles and Stripes Sweater pattern from the Kristin Knits book. It requires five colors of yarn, knitting in stripes and intarsia, and a little embroidery. I am in love.
I’ll have to order the yarn to do it as I dream it in my mind. Kristin designed it in her lovely Nashua Julia wool/alpaca/mohair yarn, but her color palette is a little more subtle than mine. It takes five colors, Kristin never shies away from more! Rae says she can order me some Brown Sheep Naturespun Worsted in colors that I adore, so I am leaning toward that.
I can not find a photo of the sweater on Kristin’s site, but Ravelry has a Project Page showing five different projects made by members of Ravelry based on the pattern (it does not show Kristin’s original, which is photographed on the back cover of the book and which I saw in person at TNNA last June).
Bold is the word, it is totally my cup o’tea! (You need to be a member of Ravelry to see the projects at that link.)
If I do that project, it may take me a full year, as my last long-sleeved sweater did. However, I would love the finished product as long as the yarn held out, I’m sure of that.
I’m excited about this prospect. January 2009 is helping me get through a to-do list with 21 things on it, some of which may take a dozen or more hours. I may defer some personal items to January, but I am determined that my business will be caught up on January 1.
Some knitters never knit for themselves. Would this be your first time allowing selfish knitting? Will you join me? Do you know already what you want to start in January, just for yourself?
December 20th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Knitting for oneself – whatta concept ;) I like the idea, and NatureSpun is some *nice* yarn – enjoy!
December 20th, 2008 at 10:36 am
do you know what…………Lynn
do you know thjat hand bag at Rae’s
it does not have a patten
but said you could held me with loking at it!!!
i am ready LETS GO!!
: )
December 20th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I think I will make some socks for myself “gasp” in your “knit for myself” month, just have to order the yarn from Knitpicks. Hoping to get one of their beautiful samplers with 6 different yarns. I have always wanted to try some of their other yarns and usually just stick with the Essential yarn they carry for socks (cause its soooo soft) and has such pretty colors. Anyway Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all :)
December 20th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I’m with you on knitting for myself in January! In 2008 the beginning of the year saw me cranking out baby gift after baby gift. Currently I’m rushing to knit two chemo hats for a friend of a friend who has lost all her hair and is very self-conscious about it. I also have a christening blanket on the needles BUT once January hits, I’m going to take at least some of my knitting time and work on my Christmas sweater. It was given to me as a gift three (?) Christmases ago. It has a lot of intarsia on the fronts and sleeves. Intarsia isn’t my favorite kind of knitting but I can do it. At this point, I have the plain back done and about 1/3 of one of the fronts. I’m going to get back to MY sweater in January. My doctor has me on a diet and I’ve lost 30 pounds so it may not even fit once I finish it but I want to have a complete sweater by next Christmas. Since it’s a cardigan, the fit isn’t that important — I can always wear it unbuttoned.
December 20th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I think this will be my new resolution again. 2008 was to knit for me. Looking at Ravelry I knit or started 15 or so projects in 2008. The majority (and all the completed ones) are for other people. I knit myself a facecloth or two in a linen blend and started and ripped a sock. I started another pair for summer of socks and still have over half the foot of the second sock. I did finish a pair started for me in 2007 but haven’t sewn the ends yet. I have more then 6 projects planned/yarn chosen/swatched but not cast on. Maybe I find myself difficult to knit for…..
December 20th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Is it completely out of the question for me to admit that the “selfish knitting” I need to do is to finish the ones I’ve already started, both for me and for others? The UFO’s weigh heavily on my mind, and it will be a huge relief to get them finished! So…January will be my get ‘er done month!
December 21st, 2008 at 1:52 am
Oooh, I wanna be in the Lynn(e)ternational selfish knitting! I am sick of knitting frantically on things for others! (Ok, I did make me some socks…) I shall have to go look at my Rav queue, see what ME ME ME stuff I could make! Something long and tunic-like I think for riding in.
December 21st, 2008 at 7:49 pm
OK I am in Toronto if that helps make it international!
I admit I have a baby sweater to finish by late January, but after that I want to make myself some fancy socks. I want to make the first four months of 2009 selfish knitting month!
I have been stashing some hand-dyed or special blend sock yarn, and it is the time to work on those socks for myself.
If the rest of the winter is as cold as this past week has been, more wool socks will be very welcome on my feet.
I think three pairs including at least one pair of Monkeys – I really enjoy that pattern.
happy holidays!
December 22nd, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I’ll join you, at least for the part of January that I’m at home. I actually knit for myself quite a bit, but for the past couple of months I’ve been making gifts. I’m planning to make a pair of Slippery socks.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:25 am
I am totally going to do this. I want to knit the February Lady Sweater, an entrelac wrap (silk/wool blend and Blue Faced Leicester), and Vaila from Twist Collective. And a pair of Felted Loafers. And the Hemlock Ring Blanket made with Marr Haven yarn that I am going to overdye. I can see my nights sitting on the couch with tea, knitting, my Ott Light, and The Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. Sounds like a good January!
January 16th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
[…] a hat, a coat, and a pair of socks. Our friend and ThreadBear instructor, LynnH, declared January Selfish Knitting Month, and I was all for […]
December 30th, 2013 at 11:12 am
[…] a hat, a coat, and a pair of socks. Our friend and ThreadBear instructor, LynnH, declared January Selfish Knitting Month, and I was all for […]