Inspiration
Making It: 2025 Craftolutions!
It’s that time again! As we move toward the end of the year, I’ve asked my favorite question for the year ahead: What are your 2025 knitting goals and craftolutions?
My big goal for 2024 was to create more knitting and crochet patterns than I’ve done in previous years. Somehow, I managed to release eight new patterns, even though it feels like January is both yesterday and tomorrow. And I couldn’t be prouder of that craftolution.
I think there’s power in saying your dreams and goals out loud. Even if it’s just to yourself.
So let’s hear what this community wants to accomplish in the year ahead and brainstorm some ways to cross these goals off one by one.
First of all, let’s do a mindset shift. You are not abandoning it. You are a yarn curator!
Your collection could be in a museum one day. While the museum will want finished pieces displayed on mannequins, they’ll also want progress swatches, skeins, and scraps to round out the exhibition.
But if you’re determined to push through your stash, I support you. Just know that if you don’t make it through by 2026, your yarn won’t hold grudges.
Oh, and make sure to protect your stash with cedar, just in case!
You know what? Entrelac never gets the flowers it deserves! It’s one of the most beautiful knitting techniques, but you (I) just don’t see it very often. Justice for entrelac! Viva la entrelac revolution!
But I digress. What if I told you this might be a two birds one stone situation—you can do entrelac with crochet too. [mic drop]
A gasp just moved through the comments section.
Honestly, you’re not alone. Life has a way of getting busier and busier, and finding a free moment to knit can feel impossible. The great thing about knitting is that you can never truly lose it. It’s inside of you…or maybe inside a tote bag stuffed in a closet beneath your summer clothes. It’ll be waiting for you whenever you’re ready.
P.S. I haven’t investigated whether this maker swapped their knitting for crochet or another craft, but for the sake of our emotional well-being, let’s say they did.
I know that a knitting diary and a knitting journal are the same thing, but for some reason, calling it a “diary” changes how I think about it. It makes it sound like, instead of just adding notes about the project and swatch info, you could also add a little story: why you want to make it, the occasion, where you got the yarn, and who you were with.
Knitting projects always tell stories about their makers. I love the idea of putting the full story on paper.
I have a feeling this is on quite a few craftolutions lists this year…and was probably on a few last year, too.
I recently crossed this off my list in 2024, and I’m happy to pass the baton to you for 2025. While I’m far from perfecting socks, I know someone—and something—that helped me, so I’m sure it’ll help you too.
Can I introduce you to MDK Field Guide No. 27: Sock Odyssey & designer Fatimah Hinds.
It’s SO easy to fall into a yarn rut. I’ll admit, it’s a very happy rut—most of us find yarns and brands we love and stitch comfortably within our comfort zones.
But maybe we haven’t met our favorite yarns yet. Imagine the joy when we finally do! I hope we all have a year of exploring new yarnie frontiers ahead of us.
The fun thing about this goal is that you can start with patterns you already have in your library. Whether that means removing the colorwork from a sweater you love the fit of, changing up the trim on a blanket, or swapping one cable design for another, think of knitting patterns as roadmaps. Don’t be afraid to go off-roading on your way to the destination.
Good news: You have an entire year to reach this goal. A yoke by February, ribbing by May, sleeve one in July, and sleeve two in August. Then, before you know it, it’s time to weave in your ends through September. You’ll be wearing your sweater all fall and winter 2025 long!
And this is how we end up with yarn stashes and pattern queues. BUT I admire this approach, and I can’t wait to see where the winds of inspiration take you.
I can’t wait to hear your craftolutions in the comments below. I hope you have a very happy, very yarn-filled new year ahead!
the only New year’s resolution that i have ever kept was the one i made in 1985 to never make another New Year’s resolution!
as a keen knitter I often remark to myself that i really won’t buy too much wool/yarn and will try to do something with the huge amounts of stash i have accumulated. this year i finally knitted the shawl from wool and a pattern that i bought in Flagstaff Arizona in 2016 (don’t be silly! of course it’s not had ends sewn in, been washed and blocked yet!)
did i resist buying wool at the 2 yarn shows i attended this year? (don’t be silly! of course not!). 2025 will have to be the year of knitting a fade sweater (or two) from the dozens of single skeins of sock weight in my stash. and, of course, not buying an y wool/yarn at the 2 yarn shows i will be attending.
I am retiring in 2025! I can’t wait to dive into my stash and finally have the time to finish a project!
I retired in 2021 and still have the fantasy of having time to finish a project!! All I seem to do is start new ones….lol
I will steek!
I posted the laughing emoji but it didn’t take. Love your resolution!
My craftolution for 2025 is to meet up for more crafternoons! My best maker friend took a cue from Franklin Habit and retired to France… We have decided to set up time to meet online and knit, crochet, cross stitch and paper craft. I see a lot of WIP’s being completed in the future!
I have both of Patty Lyons books and intend to work my way through them in 2025. I have some gaps in skills, since I learn things as I need to know them for a project. Now I will systematically fill in the gaps. I’m gonna “fight for the why”…. as Patty says
Yes! I opened an Amazon package yesterday, expecting gifts, and nested in the middle between Dino dominos and colourful scratch pads, was the workbook, ordered months ago. Reading isn’t enough for me; I have to work it into my repertoire.
And catch my mistakes more quickly. Count and check pattern regularly. Know when to rip back and when to tinker row at a time instead of wasting time on both. Only knit what I love and more quickly abandon patterns that lose their lustre. Boldly buy at Tanis’s Boxing Day sale!
I am going to knit the Transom Cardigan and work through Patty Lyons’ workbook.
I cast on the Transom earlier this year, knitted the back panel, realized I’d made an error, ripped it out and never got it going again.
I have both of the Patty Lyons’ books and am looking forward to learning new skills and brushing up on old ones.
Try my hand at colorwork!
Very clever! Still thinking…
I’m looking forward to Another Year of Gnomes with Imagined Landscapes (I’m thinking of a coordinated dozen using The Princess Bride mini skeins), colorwork socks with Summer Lee, working through Patty Lyons Workbook (I have some bad techniques!), maybe give Brioche another revival, and of course anything my grandchildren want!
I don’t do resolutions. But I am working towards doing some of the things you mentioned.
I bought some lovely Lopi yarn from you to make the day tripper sweater and it is my one goal to make that sweater. I need to rework the color chart for the colors I want to use. The program that I have been using for color work doesn’t support that so I will be sketching by hand.
I will learn how to knit something in Fair Isle. Socks, sweater, teddy bears, anything!!!
All projects will be joyfully knit with ONLY the really good stuff. Because I deserve it!
Work more with my knitting machines. I want to master socks on the double flat bed all while continuing to hand knit pretties. Oh! then there’s Tunisian crochet….
I am committed to knitting from my stash. Maybe. But then there is a sale. Sigh.
I am knitting hats or cowls for Christmas 2025. I am starting soon!
I’m going with the same resolution I’ve had for several years…work on all kinds of projects that have been in progress for a long time and kits I’ve “curated” and still want to make. This year I finally finished a coiled reed basket I started 44 (not a typo) years ago and it was lovely…like spending time with an old friend. The 2024 MDK Summer Camp inspired me to work on it again, and I love being able to finally use something that’s been with me so long!
Well, the usual, socks, watchcaps for charity and dishcloths, but maybe something of a challenge, like learning Brioche stitch, we’ll see
I want to make a sweater for my 14 month old grandson. I made a cap sleeve shrug type shirt sweater for my only granddaughter years ago, and she wore it until she couldn’t, but that’s the only sweater I’ve ever knit. I usually stick with things that don’t have to fit well. I’m sad to say, the two grandsons between my granddaughter (age14) and the 14 month old will probably only get hats! However, they have had some pretty cool hats: Owls, Spiderman, dinosaurs, etc.!
I really enjoy Samantha’s articles. Great writing style. Love, a fellow yarn curator.