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Dear Kay,

New yearrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Here we go!

Time to buckle up and hang tough.

In this moment where there’s that feeling of newness and blast off and 2019, I can’t really climb on the resolution bandwagon except for one idea.

It’s basically a can’t-fail resolution:

In 2019, I’m gonna wear my handknits.

Maybe you wear all your handknits already, but I frankly don’t. I mean: I wear handknits, but not all the handknits. It’s not like I don’t like them. It’s just that there are so many of them: sweaters, socks, scarves, shawls, cowls, mitts, hats. I loved making them. They represent a lot of effort on my part, and many of them are larded up with the memory of the place and time they were made.

So that’s my plan. If I achieve this increased-wearing-of-handknits scheme, then I’ve got a bunch of new warm ’n’ woolies that will bring me joy on a regular basis. If I don’t, I still have my museum of Things I Made in my closet, and that’s the way it’s been for a while.

Actually, now that I think about it, is it weird that I don’t wear my handknits? How often do you wear your handknits?

Love,

Ann

Up top: Albers Shawl by Amy Christoffers, from Field Guide No. 6: Transparency. I used Neighborhood Fiber Co. Loft for this, along with some deep stash Rowan Kidsilk Haze. I’m wearing this thing while I’m typing this! Only 364 days to go!

95 Comments

  • I started our the new year wearing a sweater I just finished seeing on 9 out of 29 buttons (miss counted how many I needed). It was lovely watch and I got lots of compliments. My first semester! Happy New year!

    • Ugh spell check! Let’s try this again: I started out the new year wearing a sweater I just finished sewng on 9 out of 10 buttons (mis-counted how many I needed). It was lovely warm and I got lots of compliments. My first sweater! Happy New year!

      • Oh gosh,I was so proud of you for wearing it with only 9 of 29 buttons (and awe inspired that you managed 29 buttonholes), then I saw part2, but a great story either way!

  • Funny how rarely I wear mine. My go to cardigans are both store bought and my handknit sweaters truly require winter weather for wear-increasingly rare here in NC!

    • That’s funny! I moved to NC from FL just so I could wear some of my handknits. I make shawls mostly, but I always missed the one cold day in Florida that I could wear them.

    • I wear most of mine all winter, but I make more for others than myself. I knit prayer shawls if I don’t have someone specific to knit fur. I also knit something each year for a raffle in the fall. My favorite thing to knit for myself are socks! I knitted a lovely lace scarf last year, and so many friends wanted one like it that I knitted one for the raffle.

    • I live in NC too. The answer for me is fingering-weight yarn and wearing a sweater as a jacket. I also wear cowls, hats, and fingerless mitts a lot. Honestly, I sometimes worry that I’m wearing too many handknits at once and look like a crazy knitter lady!

      • Yes I live in NC as well and I’ve come to the same conclusion. It works and I can keep knitting for myself. How many handknits is too many is a question I often have.

    • Me too! Resolved to change this. Happy 2019!

  • Not as often as I’d like but we live in the South and I run warm so one clashes with the other. That being said, i also have to admit that I lose about 1 hand knitted glove a year so I do wear some items. On the rare almost cold days here, I usually wear one of my wool vests and suffer through. I also have a gorgeous red piece that I love too much to donate but have not worn even once and it has to be 20 years old. For a while one of my deep dresser drawers would explode hand knitted never/rarely worn socks when opened so they went to Goodwill so some folks could have very toasty, colorful feet.

  • Living in Sydney means that we don’t get that cold, so I don’t wear a lot of my knits either.

    I think it is time to change tack and change the yarn?

    • Another Sydneysider here. I’ve banned myself from knitting anything warmer than sports or fingering as we just don’t get the weather for 10ply. I have 2 10ply sweaters that get worn for about 4 weeks a year. I do wear my handknits but I’ve got so many they don’t get as much wear as they should. But I keep on knitting…

  • I wear my handknits daily, often multiple handknits at a time. Is three or four at a time too many? I wait as long as I can before wearing a true winter coat by layering handknits. I try to knit things I will wear and want to knit. I have a distinct advantage by living on the South shore of Lake Superior. I can also count on summer days when a wool sweater is a blessing.

  • Thank goodness I am not the only one!! I have collections of lovely things I made, and wear one occasionally, but mostly not. I do give a lot away to friends who love them, but there are lots left. I donte some, sonthat ithers can feel warm and cozy. My husband does not get this. The love is in the making for me.

    • The therapy is in the making for me as well as the love. I love learning new stitches, new yarns, and even the history of knitting. Other than my favorite neck warmer, my most “utilized” handknits are wool dryer balls, dishcloths, and stuffed animals. And I love seeing what other knitters are knitting.

    • Same for me! Glad to know I am not the only one!

      • Me too. I always tell people that I just love the process of knitting. It is so therapeutic,

  • My resolution is to finish projects and BLOCK so I can wear them. Mostly shawls
    Happy New Year.

  • I live in northern New England and I work in a yarn shop. I wear my handknits every day! They keep me warm and cozy eight months of the year and then I switch to my linen handknits for summer.

    • Me too! Except I don’t work in a yarn shop, and I don’t have any linen.

  • Yesterday when I went out I was wearing handknit socks, hat, mittens, scarf, and sweater. And the mittens and sweater were hand spun as well. I love winter!

    • I’ve been knitting steadily for over 35 years, mostly sweaters, and couldn’t possibly wear them all. Plus, my job doesn’t lend itself to wearing handknits, so I’ve taken to gifting them to staff to wear and, hopefully, appreciate. My only regret is that I didn’t take photos to chronicle my knitting life. As I approach retirement in 2 months, I hope to wear more, but probably will continue to wear the few favorites I always turn to. Guess it’s true that for most of us the fun is in the making, or in seeing your efforts enjoyed by others.

  • Lucky to live in the north of Scotland! I happily wear my sweaters and cardio regularly, shawls and wrist warmers not so much, so I’m cutting down on knitting them… I’m a sweater girl!

  • I cannot seem to make anything for myself. I start out with good intentions, but will quickly put a project for myself to the side if I have / want to make something for someone else.

    • Ha ha, me too. The difference is that I TRY to make something for myself but it almost always comes out fitting better/looking better on another family member! It’s like magic, I don’t understand how it is happening….

  • There’s a cop on theme among us, we don’t wear what we knit often enough! I love this idea as a resolution. I need to venture into knitting sweaters and move away from shawls, my go to project. I would wear them more, but I need some fashion ideas on how to pull outfits together. MDK, maybe you can help. I love when you share photos of real people wearing their knits in real life.

  • This is a good resolution. I’m on board.

  • I live in Minnesota. It is cold for a long time here and I wear my handknits all the time, and there are a lot of them! Like Kerry, I sometimes feel like I look like crazy knitting lady, so I try to limit it to no more than two handknits on my body at a time. But I am trying to work up some resolve to re-home some of the older less worn, out of date looking ones, or at least to take them out of the closet and pack them up (how do you give away the sweater you made out of the first yarn you spun yourself? you just can’t).

    My only resolution is try to end the coming year with a little bit less stash than I am starting with. The Stash will always be with me, but a couple of stash busting projects are in order ( perhaps a future Field Guide on this topic would be a good thing??)

    • This sounds a lot like me, except that I don’t live quite as far north. I’m generally cold year-round (thanks AC!) so hand-knit scarves/shawls get a lot of use. Once it gets cold outside I add hats and mitts to the mix. I’m trying to knit more sweaters that 1) actually fit, and 2) fit into my daily wardrobe. I completed a black fingering weight cardigan in September that I now wear to work a couple times a work. Another, in a different neutral shade, is on my needles now.

      I don’t knit much for others because no one in my immediate family wants hand-knits. At the end of the year (ie, last week) I decided I need to start giving away hand knits when they’re appreciated. So that will become a knitting resolution for me in 2019.

  • I live in Virginia and so much of this rings true! The one exception is my socks, which I wear every day once it’s too cold for flip flops. I always have a pair on the needles for either myself or one of my three daughters. I love to knit shawls but seem to have a hard time wearing them, and I plan to knit at least one sweater this year, but I hope to concentrate on just learning some new techniques (thank you Knit Stars!) and maybe doing lots of practice swatches.

    • I love to make shawls and had a big stack I never wore. But I found that if I made them in the dull dark colors of the rest of my clothing I did wear them. Now I am banging out a shawl every couple of months. I wore out my navy one, and I have already worn my dark red one finished last month a couple of times. I am working on a gray one.

      Forget the pop of color idea. If you want to knit bright colors, make dish cloths.

      • I have a colorful wardrobe and a big collection of Fluevog shoes in all colors. My handknits are pretty vivid too. They suit me.

        What can I say, you can take the girl out of India but you can never take the India out of the girl.

      • I have come to the same conclusion. Only fingerless gloves are allowed to dazzle – what goes on the rest of my body has to be the muted colors I’m comfortable with. Sadly, it took me many years to figure this out, so I too have unused sweaters waiting for me to figure out what to do with them.

        • If you like the fiber and the fit of your too-colorful sweaters (or shawls), how about experimenting with over dyeing them? You can always start with some swatches if you’re intimidated. It’s quite amazing how a dip in a dye pot can unify and mood-ify colorful pieces. Here’s some inspiration:
          http://www.elliebelly.com/2016/10/overdyeing-results-pretty-yarn/
          (Lots more can be found with a web search of “overdye yarn results” or similar keywords!)

  • I seem to wear something I have knitted every time I go out. I wonder if this is too much. Does this make me look like a little old lady when I want to be a hip, creative gray haired chick?

    • I think the answer is in how you wear it. If you wear them proudly and with a bit of flair, you’re definitely in the hip creative category regardless of hair color. I see this a lot in the university town I live in.

      Maybe MDK needs a Tim Gunnesque guide for fashionably wearing handknits?!

      • That sounds like a job for Franklin! No one looks more stylish in handknits than Franklin!

    • Me too, Jane! I love knitting wraps/shawls/scarves, and since I cut my hair short, I throw one around my neck (or at least in my purse) whenever I leave the house. I have begun buying yarn with one of my 3 coats or jackets in mind, so that helps. And I wear mostly solid colors.

  • I have made mostly wrap/shawls and I get excited when the temp drops enough for me to be comfortable wearing them! Yea winter!

  • My resolution is to make more garments. Most of my sweaters are 10+ years old! It’s crazy! I have lots of new shawls that I wear, and that’s about it. Everything else is getting on in age.
    I want to build more of a hand knit wardrobe!
    Happy New Year to you!

  • Great resolution. It’s so achievable and happy-making.

  • I love wearing what I have knitted but I only have a small collection of a few items – a sweater or two, one pair of hand knit socks, a lot of scarves and cowls. Every time I wear my Stopover sweater, I get compliments so I have worn it a lot this winter, sometimes 3 or 4 times in one week. This discussion does lead me to think about what I knit and to add more items for me that I really will like and wear!!! I think this is a good topic for the year: How to Wear What You Knit!!!!

  • We went on a trip to a cold area and I brought 7 handknit sweaters and 2 store bought and I’ve worn them all-feels great!

  • Right now it’s bitterly cold and windy in NM but we don’t get a lot of this weather. I rejoice when it’s gets cold and love to see how many hand-knits I can wear at once, my max is 5. I wear my socks all winter and find knitted vests are more wearable here than sweaters. I’m proud of what I make, after so many hours of knitting it’s rewarding to show it off. My latest thrill is fingerless mitts, so cozy and practical in this climate.

  • I made 3 sweaters in 2018 and I’ve worn them all several times. My goal is to have an entire wardrobe of hand-knits. Normally, in Ohio there are lots of cold days, even in the spring and fall so I get a lot of use out of scarfs, hats and mittens.

  • Knit it – wear it – share it – repeat. This is a great resolution. Wear your knits and knittas – accept the compliments without pointing out your mistakes!!

    • Words to live by!

  • Since I just started knitting 1 year ago, I have knit only 3 things for myself. I do love knitting for others! I have been wearing my first knit, a hat. Recently finished a Chalice Cowl and am very disappointed with the color so I’m giving it away:( Just finished a beautiful stranded colorwork hat that’s too small so unless I can vigorously block and stretch it I’ll have to give it away also. I want to try a cardigan for myself next!

  • I wish I could knit faster so I would have some warm things to wear. I live in Colorado and the temp this New Year’s day is currently 4 degrees above zero….

    • try a hat from bulky or super bulky yarn- a couple of hours and it’s done!

  • Socks are the worst. I’ve only knit two pairs so far – one designed by Carol Feller and the other by Anna Zilboorg – and they’re so beautiful, I can hardly stand the idea of actually wearing them. Well it’s going to be very difficult, I can tell you that!

  • I also decided, about a month ago, why aren’t I wearing all my sweaters? So now I am. To the grocery, to work, out to dinner, in to dinner, to see friends, go for a walk, etc, etc, etc. lm wearing my hats and scarves ,too.
    I’m really nice and warm.

  • This New Yorker transplanted to Santa Fe wears her handknits a lot! Socks, mitts, and lots of shawls, cowls and scarves. Oh, and my hubby and I definitely use my hand knit blankets. I am just starting my first sweater so hopefully I will finish it successfully and wear it in the spring!

  • i think it speaks a lot to really thinking about who you are – where you live, what your style is, what you love. I’m in the crazy knitter lady category – actually fiber in general, cause I also weave and sew. It’s rare that I leave the house not wearing something handmade. But it’s also been a lifelong process of figuring out how to draft and adjust patterns so that they fit my shortwaisted body, and learning what kinds of fibers work cause I hate things that itch. I’m on the coast in California, and with climate change I’m finding it just isn’t cold enough for thick wool most of the time. So I’m knitting more with cotton, linen, hemp, fingering weight merino – so may possibilities!

    • So releaved to be in the company of knit-but-not-wearers. As a practiced over thinker I struggle with the cost/time invested/usefulness of handknits. The return to that ineffable flow of feeling connecting us (to… history, nature, each other – those who knit and tend sheep and make beautiful yarn and teach us the possibilities of the simplicity and complexity of knitting) may be why I keep knitting. Or maybe just to stop thinking for a little while….

      • *relieved…

  • I live in Chicago so I wear my warm & wooly sweaters and hats and scarves all winter. In the summer I wear knitted cotton garments to keep warm in the air conditioning. I found that my socks tend to languish in the drawers because while they are warm, they are sometimes too thick to wear with my shoes comfortably. While I love all my shawls they really don’t fit my lifestyle but I like the way they look so I will keep on knitting them!

  • The other day I paired a particular shawl with a particular sweater for the first time and was amazed at how good they looked together. Decided right then that I would hang them on a hanger and take a picture. I going to try other pairings as well. If I have a pre-planned wardrobe accessory file, I hope I’ll wear my knits more often.

  • It’s been an embarrassingly slow year for my knitting! Finished 2 summerweight Tees, a pair of socks, a market bag, and two cardigans. But I’ve been fighting a hand problem since August, so that’s my excuse! I have two long-sleeved pullovers OTN, as well as a lace shawl, a hat, and a blanket.

    As for wearing them — yeah, you-betcha! I wear hand-knit socks pretty well every day from October through April. Pullover sweaters are my go-to for about half the time during that period, and if I’m not wearing a long-sleeved pullover, I’m probably wearing a cardigan over a shirt.

    I don’t wear hats — most of the ones I make are given away. Have lots of pretty scarves and cowls that I should wear more often. It’s the shawls that make me cry. I love the way they look, and I’ve made several … but almost never wear them.

  • I wear my handknit socks All The Time. When I asked my hubby why he didn’t wear his more often, he said “I don’t want them to wear out,” to which I replied “Wear them! If they wear out I’ll make more for you!” I knit a Quadraphonic Cardigan (https://www.ravelry.com/projects/MayasMom/quadraphonic-cardigan) that I wear constantly, indoors and out. Mitts, one cowl (Ptarmigan)…that’s about it. Mostly I knit for other people. But I love your idea, Ann. Maybe this will be the year…

  • ‘Larded up with the memory…..’ Interesting phrasing, Anne. I suppose the math here tells me…..what……you are an older lady…….or a child of an older and southern lady……probably a middle class, homemade pie baker…..who had a larder, stocked the same and enriched recipes with the same…..? Might even be British?

    Not that it matters, actually…..LOL!! I just appreciate words, phrases/phrasing, books…..one can’t always pick up so much on where a person is from or their age from a yarnie ‘pattern’…..or can they? LOL!!

    Wearing…..I’m wearing a twisted (moebius (sp?)) head band that I crocheted. I can’t make a sweater, knitted or crocheted. We use our afghans, dish cloths, pot holders and scarves/hats frequently. New Year’s resignation (LOL!): Make a sweater in 2019? ((:

    Oh, my equilateral triangle on my ‘corner to corner’ crochet afghan turned out to be an isosceles triangle; LOL!! Hubby, an electrical engineer and astute in all things ‘mathy’ is explaining…..and really, really confusing me. ((; This memorized diagonal pattern is now on the decrease part…..my isosceles triangle is no longer a triangle of any sort but is a trapezoid; mercy!

    Thanks for listening and HNY!!

  • Would love to make more tops & accessories to wear, but, living in Florida means light-weight clothing only. Maybe you could do a few field guides for different regions of the USA!

  • Wear something new on New Years Day- for good luck, etc throughout the year. I’ll be wearing my newly knit, blocked cowl on my expedition to the mall!

    I’ve been wearing my handknits more often- I get compliments and they’re cozy, practical. I was rocking the Audubon Christmas Bird Count on Saturday in single digit temps- the stranded knit cowl and hat of mega-bulky yarn with the big fake fur pom-pon on top. My neck and ears were toasty all day! I love that hat! Alas, it was too cold for the matching fingerless mitts. My friend was wearing her very colorful stranded knit hat. fingerless mitts are great for birding- easy to work the binoculars and write.

  • I’m definitely in! As a relatively new knitter, I have had several ufos and not-wear-worthy items, but I’m in a finishing & wear zone lately! I have a winter scarf that was my first challenging project with expensive yarn that is beloved and worn on all the Texas cold days possible, but now I have some cowls and shawls to add to the mix.

    Now that my son has started HS, and in marching band (Tx HS football is still a thing!) and on the baseball team, I’m stockpiling school color yarn in all kinds of weights and fibers! Since they start baseball in January (what?!?), I’ll be wearing more handknit wool for baseball than football games this school year! Then I can transition to the linen/cotton until it’s too hot. . . That’s the plan, at least!

  • I wear some of my knitted projects. Scarves and shawls mostly, but a few sweaters are in there as well. Most of what I knit goes to other people. Sometimes I see them in use, but not often. Actually, now that I think of it, I have a circular shawl hanging on the back of the couch, an afghan I made in highschool on our bed, and a Mitered Crosses blanket for cold winter nights in front of the fireplace. So I guess I give some and keep some.

  • I usually knit shawls and shawlettes. I’ve given some to my friends, and I do wear some of what I have left but not nearly all of it. I tend to wear black leggings and a black tunic and then one of my shawls with matching jewelry. However, this year I intend to go through my collection and donate what I think I won’t wear to a group like Dress for Success or my local thrift store. Let someone else enjoy!

  • Considering it is about 60 here, I’ll wait til tomorrow to wear my newest socks. LOL

  • I’m not a super cold climate (PNW!), but once October hits I probably wear at least 1 or 2 handknits whenever I’m not working. Lately I have been wondering if hat, fingerless mitts, sweater, and a cowl at the same time constitutes overdoing it–but I love being able to use the things I’ve made! We’re moving to a place with colder winters, and I’m looking forward to being able to justify heavier sweaters and colorwork.

  • Yesterday, the high was in the 60s – no handknits for me! Today it’s in the 30s and I’m wearing handknit socks, my Carbeth sweater and – when I took a walk – a hat made from some of my first handspun. Love this Texas weather!

  • When I’m not in sandals, I wear my hand knit socks everyday! In the colder months, I wear them 24/7 except when I’m in the shower. I wear Shawls quite often too.

    • I’m the same Jo, you can’t beat handknit socks.

  • I find I wear my hats, cowls and scarves all winter, and love them, but am frustrated with how I never seem to make accessories that match each other or my coat. I get so caught up playing with fun colours, and then love the finished item, and then move on. So my resolution is to make some matching accessories. Also, I’ve had it happen more than once to knit up a sweater, wanting to find yarn that won’t pill, be super happy with the look of the finished project, only to find that it is too itchy to wear without multiple layers. ( I think my skin gets more sensitive during our cold dry winters). So this year I’d also like to make more cozy and wearable sweaters.

    • I also have scarves, shawls and cowls in bright colors. When it was time for a new winter coat this year, I chose a black one that will let those colors shine. Now I find I am wearing those knits more often.

    • If you are ok with superwash, Anzula Cricket is fantastic. It’s expensive but worth it IMO. I bought 3 skeins in coordinating colors 5 years ago and made 3 hats + a simple Cowl with the leftovers. Wore the hats and cowl all winter long in Chicago for 5 years and they still looked great. So great that I gave away the set at my neighborhood moms white elephant Christmas party this year because I no longer have the coat they matched.

  • I live in the north east of Victoria Australia, near the snowfields. The winters may or may not be cold (global warming) so I wear my hand knit fingering weight cardigans and jumpers, cowls and shawls. They are way more cozy than anything I can buy, plus I get to be in a colour I like. Seems like there is only black to choose from in winter here!

  • I gift a lot of my knits. This year I’m going to make myself the sweetheart jumper in Aran weight and I’m going to start a knitting diary. I would like to master crochet too.

  • I’ve recently joined the movement to make, at a minimum, 20% of my clothing. I don’t know that I’ve achieved that, but wearing is the final act in the creation process. And I love the surprised reactions and compliments.
    Wear what you create, proudly

  • Being a fairly new to knitting, I make a lot of hats, scarves, and shawls. Some I wear and most have been given to those I love and care about. I agree knitting for me is more about the process. This years resolution is to make a sweater from my own hand spun yarn for myself. (I think?)

    • As I am reading Ann’s resolution today, I am wearing my handknit socks as I do practically daily during our (short) California winter, along with the last scarf I have knitted. I should make more of an effort to wear my sweaters. They tend to see the light of day only when I hang out with knitter friends or visit my LYS. Vanity!

  • I almost never wear them! Going to try to change that this year too.

  • I do wear my Handknits whenever possible. I live in VA, so it doesn’t get really cold too often. Sometimes we will have a cold spell but most of the time it’s between 30-50, in the winter. The Summer is unbearably hot, so we can forget hand knits then. I have not completely finished my first sweater but when I get the hang of making sweaters, there will be many more coming. I wear my scarves all the time and my hats whenever needed. I like to show them off and get compliments all the time. Wear your stuff and soak in the good feeling when someone realizes you made that beautiful whatever – you go girl

    • I like it that you said that you like to show them off and get compliments. I feel the same, I like to wear them and wait for someone to come up and compliment my hat, for instance, and then I ask if they knit, and if they do, wow, a great little conversation! Makes a trip to the grocery for a big shopping fun!

  • I wear mine frequently during the NY winters. I had my Winter Haven scarf on the other day (https://www.ravelry.com/projects/melij/winter-haven). A woman I know said “I love your scarf! Did someone make it for you?” I told her I did and she said “What great self-care!”

  • I wear a handknit every day in the winter to work. I think that a knitter should never be cold. But, I have one sweater that I finished over a year ago and still haven’t worn. It’s took so much work and is so beautiful (it’s a fisherman pullover) that I’m nervous about wearing it. So, I’ll hop on this resolution bandwagon – I swear that I will wear that sweater this winter!!!

  • My handknits are my armor for difficult days, and joyful on the others. I wear them every day November- March, and as needed the rest of the year. Even my most summery handknits don’t see much daylight in July and August, but October always returns. I love this resolution- I have 3 handknits skirts that haven’t been worn for at least a year. I’m putting them at the top of the pile.

  • I’m not the one one who doesn’t wear their own handknits ? It depends on my mind and the weather. When it’s freezing, I have a go to enormous pullover that keeps me warm without a coat. And when I made it, I made the back a bit longer with short rows to cover my back side. I have to remind myself to wear my handknits and with make an extra effort after reading your message.

  • I’m starting this year with a project I call Shawl Every Day where I wear a different shawl (or cowl or scarf) I have every day until I run out. I love having something that specifically encourages me to wear my handknits.

    • I love this idea!

  • I live in Minnesota. Ha! I actually wear a ton of my handknits.

    I was just discussing with a knitter friend that we have 5 months of cool/cold weather, maybe 6. Assuming that the knits range from light to heavy weight, and not everything is a sweater, it is really easy to wear something different every day for over 100 days of the year.

  • I live in Michigan so I have plenty of opportunity to wear my knits. I like to knit but don’t think I could justify the time and expense to knit something I’m not intending to wear. Since I use quite a bit of non-washable yarn, it seems pointless to donate them because of the extra care involved. The same goes for giving presents. Most people do not do a lot of hand-washing now. When I make a gift I make sure it’s fairly washable, especially for babies. I don’t want to impose more work on someone because of my gift. My resolution this year is to continue my yarn diet (which was pretty successful last year) and find patterns with which to use the yarn I already own!

  • Knits form part of my handmade wardrobe so they are worn frequently. I wear the imperfect ones too to overcome my obsession with perfect clothing that is store bought. If I am happy that my knitwear might not be perfect but it fits which ultimately is more important. I need that hug daily and consider it part of self care. ‍

  • I used to never wear my handknits except when I went somewhere where I thought someone would appreciate it (ie a yarny event). Which rarely happened. This fall, I decided pretty much what you decided, to actually wear my handknits. And I’ve been wearing one of my handknit sweaters every day since (also scarves and cowls when I go out). I definitely gravitate to a chosen few sweaters, but that’s because they are the ones that fit the best, allow me to cook or chop or do whatever without worrying about sleeves dragging in something, etc. I still have to sew the buttons on two of the items (cardigans), but I am wearing them anyway! I think it’s a good resolution and I hope you are successful!

  • I always wear my knits. I love thinking about when I knitted them. I have a friend who has many beautiful sweaters. I asked her why she doesn’t wear her sweaters. She said that they are all too large. I said, “Do you do gauge swatches first?” She said, “No, gauging doesn’t work for me.”

  • I solved my lack of wearing handknits by moving to Chicago. I actually have the opposite “problem” of needing to knit more warm woolies.

  • I wear my knits a lot, but not sweaters–the only one I’ve successfully made for myself (after nearly 50 for various kids) mysteriously disappeared in the closet. I’m sure it will turn up someday, but meanwhile, I tend to wear basic black and use my many, many scarves and shawls and cowls to accessorize. I’d like to diversify, but I keep putting it off. Maybe this year I’ll finish that second sweater!

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