Inspiration
2024 Craftolutions!
As another year comes to a close, I find myself musing about the year ahead and wondering if my fellow crafters are doing the same. I asked the community what their crafting resolutions are for 2024. I was thrilled to know that I’m not alone in my wishes and hopes for the year ahead.
“Actually make the wild ideas that pop into my head.”
I’m so guilty of not doing this. Of course, only some ideas should be leapt on. I recently covered a shower rod in garland in a half-baked attempt at DIY, only for it to come crashing down at 3 am, scaring my dog Shelly and me to our cores. But there have also been plenty of great ideas that I’ve talked myself out of because of self-doubt. In 2024, let’s turn the volume down on the negative voices that hold us back from having fun with making!
“Attempt my first crochet blanket.”
Do it. Do it. Do it! A crochet blanket project is always a great choice! There’s nothing I love more than a classic granny square blanket project. Something simple that I can pick up when I need something to do with my hands. Plus, it’s early enough for you to make a temperature blanket and take this resolution one day at a time.
“I need to make at least one coat.”
As long as you’re doing the project because you love it and not because you feel like you have to check that project box off of your list. Crafting should be fun! If you decide that sewing the simplest of projects brings you joy, that’s what you should do. If you want to test your skills and push yourself, then that is what you should do.
It’s important that we all remember to leave the joy in our happy place.
“Use the yarn I’ve already purchased.”
On this one, I will have to agree to disagree. Have you seen the new color ranges of mohair? And Vogue Knitting Live in NY is right around the corner. While I respect the attempt, I will happily be the negative influence calling you to the dark side today.
“Make, block, and weave ends for my first-ever sweater.”
Yes . . . cough cough . . . I’m an experienced knitter, know what it feels like to make, block, and weave in the ends of anything I make. There’s no need to examine my projects for evidence of this. Let’s move right along. Nothing to see here.
“Spin on a wheel!”
This is GOALS! I have always felt as though reaching the yarn-spinning stage is the equivalent of evolving into the highest level of Pokemon. I can’t explain this more than that, and I fully support you in reaching this goal this year.
“Finish the kits I insisted I buy myself in 2023 before I buy any new ones.”
This is a phenomenal goal! The photos of kits sell me the dream of the perfect project time and time again. I fall in love, get one section in, and have a hard time pushing through to the end of the project.
I’m going to adopt half of this resolution for myself in 2024. I will finish the kits I’ve purchased in 2023. But I will also continue to buy kits. I have to give myself something to stitch in 2025.
“Wear what I make without shyness.”
I want us all to wear our projects as badges of honor! We stitched, frogged, cursed, and sewed our way to the end of a project. It better not end up living at the bottom of our drawers.
Be bold this year! Wear your finished objects, and when someone asks where you got them, proudly shout, “I made it myself.”
“Make the Outline Raglan by Jessie Maed Designs.”
A gorgeous pattern and a perfect goal for the new year. While drop stitches cause my heart to plummet into my stomach, I can’t deny how stunning they look. Make the projects that scare you, and don’t let fear hold you back from stitching your wish-WIPs.
“Literally finish a single project!”
The most common reply I got was some variation of “Finish more” or “Literally finish a single project.”
I’m a process-driven maker, so for me, the making is the fun part. But I can relate to the sinking feeling of looking around a room full of half-done ideas. My advice would typically be to enjoy the process and remove the pressure. However, I also understand that not all crafters feel the same way.
If you are a maker who makes for the end result, my advice would be to balance your projects. Any time you feel like you need to take a break from one project, bounce to one you have yet to finish instead of picking up something new. And when you get bored of that one, bounce back and pick up the one you put on pause. Bonus points if they are different levels of difficulty to give your brain a rest.
The important thing with all of these is to make your making work for you. Our crafting is a gift and should be tailored to what makes you happy.
I hope this year brings you exactly the type of making journey that brings YOU joy, however that looks in your eyes. If you want, share your 2024 goals in the comments.
Happy New New Year and Happy Crafting!
Come Shop With Us
What is the beautiful yarn held with turquoise mohair in your photo? So so beautiful!
My crafting goals: finish some of my WIPs; use mostly stash yarn; learn at least one new technique. (I’m surprised learning a new technique wasn’t mentioned, actually.) Notice I am not aiming to finish ALL my WIPs or ONLY stash yarn – I would definitely fail that, haha. I have 3 mostly finished shawls that I anticipate finishing before my birthday in March, but if I don’t, I won’t stress over it.
I plan to knit more for myself – sounds selfish, but I spent a good part of the year knitting for others. It’s time for me, after all I spend all the time laboring over knitted objects for others, and yes, wear what I knit. I finally started doing that last year – it’s great! Even if no one notices – I do!
1. Make a sweater for myself.
2. Colorwork
3. Find some people to knit with. (None of my friends knit.) 🙁
Knitting with friends, or acquaintances who become friends, is the best!
I’m in the same boat, Andrea. I enjoy several facebook knitting groups, but I’d really like to have actual friends who understand knitting. I’m currently sampling a variety of knitting groups in the Indianapolis area, looking for my knitting “tribe”.
Where are you?
I so understand this. I joined the fairly local fiber guild this year and we have a knitti g group that meets once a week. Maybe there is a fiber guild (fairly) close to you.
Andrea, How about looking into whether your library or church might have a knitting group you could join. Our group meets at church and nearly all the items we knit/crochet are given to various charities each of us supports. Good luck in finding a group or starting one yourself.
Hello Andrea,
Any chance you live near Lyme, CT?
Always wanting to learn a new technique or how to improve my technique. Patty Lyons “Knitting Bag of Tricks” is full of goals! Also learn to crochet and maybe try a steek
1. Travel with other knitters. I’m signed up for a Knitting tour of Shetland, and I can’t wait!
2. Spend time (in real life) with other Knitters. Zoom kept me stay sane through Covid, but it’s seeing other people knitting, patting their yarn, and admiring their projects while we drink coffee and talk about all the aspects of our lives that really makes me a knitter.
3. Finishing a few things would be a nice bonus!
My big goal: Finish writing the pattern for the sweater I created! It’s my first pattern.
Second: Knit and write the pattern for my second sweater!
I wish I could grant some of my finish mojo to those who would wish for more. I do love the process of knitting, but I revel in the satisfaction of a finished object (and I wear all my knits!). It isn’t finished until it’s washed and blocked (I weave ends as I go), so I never have a problem pushing through there.
I have followed you on IG, and love the way you bring the joy! Thanks for a fun article!!!
My knitting goal is to get into stranded color work. I love making hats and mittens, I think that is where I will start.
I was inspired by so many colorful sweaters at Rhinebeck this year that my resolution is to use more color. I want to push my boundaries and explore unexpected color pairings.
I was inspired by so many colorful sweaters at Rhinebeck this year that my resolution is to use more color. I want to push my boundaries and explore unexpected color pairings.
My goal is to learn to weave with 3 heddles on a rigid heddle loom!
I also plan to continue knitting all the projects I have set aside, including the cashmere sweater I am currently making and a new sweater for my dog!
Great thoughts for 2024. Like a stroll through my New Year’s resolutions. I will add travel, hoping to go to Scotland in 24.
Looking forward to a lot of knitting with friends.
My 2024 goal – Finish all my Ravelry WIPs before I start another project. There are 8 projects right now, and many of them would be quick to finish. For example, my Shakerag skirt just needs the waistband sewn. Seriously, I will sew that up in 2024. And the Comfy sweater (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/comfy-4) needs the last inch of body ribbing and sleeves (but I want to wear this sweater so much I don’t anticipate much time on sleeve island). Once I finish these 8 I will be on to so much more.
Make the kits I buy using the pattern included OR use the yarn from the kit to make something I like in that yarn. My pattern collection almost is as big as my stash of yarns…….or sometimes it feels that way. My biggest problem is making something, gifting the item. Then trying to remember what pattern, yarn, needle I made the item from several years later….I don’t take pictures of my finished items.
I am not sure why people don’t use Ravelry for this. I have been so grateful to be able to look back on projects from 5, 10, 15 years ago.
And your notes help other people so much! I have gotten many grateful comments over the years
I kee a knitting journal it helps me remember what I yarn I used on that project an how much and the needle size . I am so glad I started writing things down.
The same resolution I’ve had for three years – make all the projects I have yarn for in my closet!
Yes!Yes!Yes!
Finish what I started!
USE MY STASH!!!
Don’t look at that yarn!…..
Ah – to reduce my stash by knitting (not by doing anything else with it).
So MUCH yarn so little time… and time keeps shrinking…
I really miss: a) having a LYS, and: b) a local knitting group. Our LYS closed a couple of years ago, so I have been knitting more from my stash. I don’t like it! I have a lot of stash, but it’s almost never right for what I want to do. So, I’m hoping for a new LYS, and a local knitting group this year. I’m thankful for my knitting Zoom meeting every week. We used to meet every week in a LYS, but then the store closed, and the pandemic happened, and then a bunch of us moved away. We don’t know what we would do without our weekly meetings. Sharing our joy of knitting is all a part of it, isn’t it?
I lost my mojo a while ago. Haven’t knitted for months. Clearly, my ASAP + 2024 task is to make something, anything, no matter how small or silly, new or WIP!
Spinning as Pokémon evolution is the PERFECT description of how I feel! (I am not there yet and sitting in my Spewpa/Kukuna cozy blanket phase)
What a great kickstart to the new year! My plan – No Wrong Answers – all plans are good ones – finish, start, learn, frog, reorganize. Going to be a fabulous year, and that’s the only parameter.
Craftolutions! I love having a name for the wishes/dreams/plans/goals I have for the new year. One of them is Kindness Heart-bombing VKLNY again; I did that in 2020, when I gave out over 400 crocheted hearts with kind messages at VKLNY. I am madly crocheting and writing away to be able to give everyone a heart at this year’s VKL, because we could all use more kindness. Happy new year full of crafts to all!
My second kiddo decided to take up crochet and came home at the holidays and asked for yarn. Absolutely! So that helped the stash. However, I may have discovered several projects I purchased yarn for all separately placed in bags. So neat! good job I thought. Until I saw I didn’t include the patterns I bought the yarn for. Gah! So it looks like that’s a good place to start for my 2024 yarn goals. And then, maybe, you know, knit them. Ha!
Happy New Year!
I’m hoping to have a (mostly) knit-from-stash year. I’m excited! Setting limits like that enhances my creativity and pushes me to combine yarns in interesting ways. I’ve also reached the point where I simply do not have space for any more yarn or fiber (I spin, too), and the idea of bringing more craft supplies into my house stresses me out. But making space by using my stash will definitely bring joy.
I went through my stash this week and discovered so many things I’d forgotten about! My more specific goals are:
– Finish my fifth (and probably final) Destination Pullover from the Lopi Field Guide
– Knit two more sweaters and one shawl that I have yarns and patterns all ready to go
– Figure out a pattern and knit a sweater using the yarn from my sheep (processed at my local mill)
– Spin fiber I bought at NYS Sheep and Wool this year and then knit the two sweaters I have planned
– Seek out my WIPs and either finish or frog. (Looking at you, beginnings of a skirt. Do I still like that pattern, or shall I find something else? Because I have one knit skirt and love it, and perhaps it’s time to finish this one and then knit that other one that I bought the yarn for in 2013.)
– Warp my rigid heddle loom and weave something (probably just another simple scarf with beautiful yarn, but it makes me happy)
– Colorwork socks for my mom for Christmas
(Now to go put all this into my journal too so I don’t forget!)
Learn to knit!! I’ve tried twice before but didn’t have good teachers and gave up out of frustration. I want to start with a scarf and keep it simple.
So I returned to crocheting 2 years ago. I love it. I had done a little bit as a kid, but forgot. Now with YouTube I’m really enjoying it. I’ll try YouTube for beginning knitting.
By the way, I jumped right in crocheting an afghan, simple ripple stitch. Great way to learn to control tension. Yes, I finished it and am finishing a solid granny square afghan.
I would like to find a knitting group as well.
I love your recommendation to bounce from one WIP to another to find what gives you joy in the moment. I am going to take this to heart as I try to get to the finish line with at least one project!!
May I say that all of you knitters sound like such wonderful people and I wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2024.
My crafting goals are :
1. To finish lots of WIPS but enjoy doing it.
2. Learn new techniques and grow as a knitter.
3. Make things for myself and others, wear them and use them and give some to charity.
Enjoy the many blessings we have!
I love these! My goal is also to work through some of my stash this year (perfect for gifting since the money has already been spent!), and to try my best to buy new yarn with a project in mind. I also want to knit my first pair of socks!