Projects
My Word of the Year for 2025
Happy Boxing Day to all who observe, and a joyous December 26 to everyone.
While waiting for a housemate to get up steam for making me some panettone French toast, I’m pondering my inter-holiday cast-on.
It’s Lindsay Degen’s fabulous 4 Letter Sweater, which has captured the imagination of everyone at MDK. Our ambitions are ridiculously outsized: we want to start with three sweaters with the words NASH, YARN, and FEST, and just carry on 4-lettering from there.
The timing of this cast-on chimes nicely with the turn of the year, and the selection of a Word of the Year (WOTY) for 2025—which obviously I hope will not be “yuck.”
Sure, Why Not?
Ann’s 4 Letter Sweater word is genius: it’s SURE.
When Ann gives me a “sure,” I read her tone carefully. She has a straight-on “sure” that just means “yeah, of course,” but she also has what I think of as a Southern “sure,” which translates to “I don’t want to, but I’d be glad to.”
It’s always good to know what flavor of “sure” one is dealing with. There’s also “sure” as in “sure, Jan,” which only adds to my love of it as a choice for the sweater. “Sure” has levels of meaning.
Choice of yarn for my 4 Letter Sweater is easy: it’s our own Atlas! Tried and true, bouncing and behaving (because it’s Rambouillet), good yardage, great colors.
I’ve settled on pale gray Pebble as my main color, and I’m deciding between Clementine and Mallard for my word color. Leaning pretty hard toward cheery Clementine. But I love moody Mallard. I can cast on and keep thinking about my word color, and what my word is, for a little while longer.
But what’s my word? I could use a little help. Please suggest 4-letter words in the comments, no cusses please. (I love colorful cussing, but I am sadly past the age of wearing a big ol’ F word on my chest.)
If I can’t think of another word by the time I have to start knitting the word, I’ll go with NASH, YARN, or FEST. Nash Yarn Fest will be here before we know it, and I’ll have just the sweater for it.
Care to join us in 4 Letter Sweater fun? we’re running a flash sale: 15 percent off ATLAS. Purchase any quantity of Atlas and enter the coupon code 4LETTER. Offer ends at 11:59 PM on December 31, 2024.
Want to check in with all that’s on at MDK? Head over to the MDK homepage here.
I’d be tempted to grab “yarn”. Great sweater word and a great WOTY too…? Happy Boxing day from the UK!
My first thought (besides the afore mentioned F) was HOPE or LOVE which we all need the most.
Does JOY! count as a four letter word?
If you make it plural, “Joys“
Always!
KNIT
Yes! KNIT on the front and PURL on the back!
Are you sure that Ann’s “I don’t want to, but I’d be glad to.” isn’t actually, “I don’t want to, but I will for you dear Kay”?
How about WOTY? Then, when asked you can share whichever 4 letter word fits the moment!
Dear Kay,
I always give thought to my WOTY, and have a few (choice) 4-letters for 2025. Help, Calm, Fine, Damn…
My own is 7 letters;
COURAGE, which (with a mod) I will be able to fit into the design, and thank you for the inspiration!
As for yours, watching you walk into the cold Atlantic yesterday brings to mind Play and Glow, and then Slay (lol)
But really, you are (all the) BEST.
x
Lovely post
LOLZ
I like JOY! too!
Shortlist!
OHNO
(“Last Christmas” is on the PO sound system.)
BLES
(Leave them guessing.)
WUUT
OOPS
DONE
(In line at PO with nothing to do.)
Y’ALL
I LOVE it
This will work for me ….PLAY!
So much fun to be had creating.
Nadine
It’s gotta be HOPE
I’m thinking YEAH! With a little embroidered Oh above it.
Energy and enthusiasm, Ann’s SURE with even more oomph.
Also thinking of a little Carpe and a big DIEM. Sorry, I am an incorrigible maximalist.
My daughter’s name, Hope, is the 4 letter word for me. I think SASS works too. Merry Christmas Ann and Kat!
If you’re considering NASH, YARN, FEST…then what about JANE?
SURE
TRUE KIND WISH ETC!
How about MDK? It’s a conversation starter for those who don’t know, and if you know, you know.
I nominate DONE. Teems with finality, confidence, achievement. And maybe an edge of snarkiness, if necessary.
Kay,
Use Mallard for a wonderful four letter word ~ WOAD.
Gotta admit, my 1st thought was also, “HOPE” bc we all need that moving forward in SO many aspects of life right now.
But then…
Nell posted “COURAGE”, an exemplary word no doubt, one to be lauded but well beyond the 4 letter “GOAL”. However, within “COURAGE” lays another word that, when combined with “LOVE” and “HOPE”, sometimes “FEAR” and “HURT” comes something so motivating that it can overcome the latter 2 and lead us, with “COURAGE” to “STOP” the things before us that bring us “FEAR” and “HURT”.
I’m nominating “RAGE”
Not the “RAGE” that loses control and goes off on a tear.
Not the “RAGE” that conjures excess and self-inflated trauma.
I’m nominating the “RAGE” that motivates the craftivist to quietly & steadfastly produce dozens of Pussy Hats while watching and feeling the political sands shift under our feet.
I’m nominating the “RAGE” that leads a Momma Bear to stand strong against the forces that would unfairly reduce her child to a “least” instead of enabling them to be a “MOST”.
I’m nominating the “RAGE” that empowers political prisoners to continue to stand on principled ideals of right and wrong even in the face of great personal sacrifice.
I wish I did not feel the need to nominate this as the WOTY right now, but with all the “LOVE” and “HOPE” in my heart, I nominate “RAGE”.
I just began my RAGE sweater this week! My beloved is from Anchorage… and it suits my mood.
Thank you for sharing this WOTY. It so expresses my feelings right now. I am finding ways to share my sentiments in a non-threatening way. I painted a tree on my Christmas cards writing on each side of the tree…choose joy, practice peace, share love. I also used multicultural stamps. Likely few even noticed, but it made me feel that I had at least sent that out into the world. And I unearthed my pink, knitted hat with the pointy ears. I have one in a tweedy gray as well that I wear with a sparkly brooch on the brim since I am older. Never dreamed I would be sporting these again.
Wow, I love this! Well said, J Diane. I may not make the sweater but the sentiment sits well as I think about coping with the coming days.
RAGE.
I whole heartly agree…
RAGE not in angry but with courage.
Yes to this entire chain.
As Joyce Vance says, we’re all in this together. x
How about OKAY. I think a New York OKAY would match Ann’s Southern SURE perfectly.
NOPE, OKAY, TRUE
If there were a four letter word that defined Courage, I would be all for it because current events require it (and, more pertinently for us, so does trying a new knitting technique). But I could only find VALOR. Looking forward to a litany of suggestions. – In the meantime are you serious about a Panettone French toast? Is there a recipe? Cuz we pigged out on M&M-encrusted Rice Krispie Treats yesterday so there’s half a loaf left.
GUTS
MORE
Lots of great suggestions!
Probably can’t go wrong.
I am partial to the ones with another word embroidered above. Good idea!
This is such a fun way to start the day!!….and a hiccup to my plan to begin the New Year by weaving in all my loose ends before I start anything new!! I’ve spent the last hour jumping back and forth between cxapturing a a word and choosing my Atlas colors!!
HOPE has been an important word to me since I was a kid many many years ago. My daughter and granddaughter both carry the name! Seems from comments, it’s a popular choice! So, there is a chance for a group picture at the fest! My other favorite words – LEARN and CHERISH have more letters than I want deal with right now. ( I’m no Nell!! lol)
Other words that came to mind were – COOK, SEEK,SING,GIVE,GOSH, BAKE!
Best Wishes to All MDKers!!
My suggestions are MAKE or FLOW.
If there were a four letter word that defined Courage, I would be all for it because current events “sure”require it (and, more pertinently for us, so does trying a new knitting technique). But I could only find VALOR. Looking forward to a litany of suggestions. – In the meantime are you serious about a Panettone French toast? Is there a recipe? Cuz we pigged out on M&M-encrusted Rice Krispie Treats yesterday so there’s half a loaf left.
Looks like I already said that. I’m confused.
Why limit to one word? Every sweater has a front and back, not to mention the sleeves which could accommodate more than 4 letters!
My word . . Read
For you Kay? Icon popped into my head first! Then so many others: play, ally, muse, phew, woop, good, ease, and band.
Knit
BOLD
I am voting for FEST. Everyday should include a fest of one sort or another! A wonderful celebration of the simple or extravagant! I am certainly looking forward to NASH FEST!!!
Love
YOLO
You only live once!
FOCUS
Pray
another vote for KNIT
Wtaf
Sorry. But it needs to be on a sweater.
For those seeking a 4-letter synonym for courage, how about DARE?
Love it!
PAIX (peace)
BLUE (in the Clementine colour)
KNIT or PURL (but they seem a bit obvious)
NOPE (not the most positive but occasionally very accurate)
MAKE (because we do)
BOTH
it’s a favorite word of mine.
Often two things are simultaneously true: my mother loves me And she can be difficult. It’s a word that leaves room for understanding and consideration: ‘I can see it from both our points of view.’
Also, it can be a fallback when trying to decide between two things: stripe your sweater word with Both Clemente and Mallard. ; )
Good luck.
Would you consider three letters and a punctuation mark? If so, this Minnesotan wants to sneak OPE! right by ya. iykyk
Love it!! 🙂 (this Ohioan understands)
HOPE
Because thats what i need heading into 2025!
HELP
Works as either an offer of help or a cry for help depending on the day/hour/minute.
So now you’ve opened a floodgate and the words are pouring in faster than possible Wordle answers (yes, letter count not the same):
HOLD
or
VEEP
or
2029 (I know it’s a number – iykyk)
My son gifted me a trio of yarny tales by Allie Pleiter. Her protagonist, Libby, runs a yarn shop with the name Y.A.R.N. When Libby is asked what the acronym stands for, she replies with “You Are Ready Now,” but invites her clients to write their own meanings on a blackboard in the shop. It’s interesting to see what they come up with (and why). 4-Letter sweaters could invite similar conversations. Fun!
Cast, ur gas so many flavors
KIND as in be. Lots of this is needed.
How about FINE. It could be snarky, it could be a compliment.
It’s a tie for me between COOL and RARE
Happy 2025 Kay and Ann!!
MAKE
Has anyone mentioned WOOL? 50 years ago when we named our daughter LANA, I had no idea it is the Spanish word for wool. I profoundly love both – my daughter and wool.
Alternative WOTY for me is FLOW. All of us creativists need/love it! And it just happens to contain the 3 letters in WOOL.
FINE
My friends joke because I use it all the time…with lots of different intonations/meanings
I’m fine
It’s fine
Ok, fine
Etc.
GEEZ
As in surprise and anger!
PURL….it is so overlooked!
GRIT
Play
Calm
Best
Pray
Four, 4 letter words, different day, different moment, different word. Hmm…
The possibilities are endless – depending on your mood, your COZY sweater could say DIVA, VAMP, or PUNK. A Xmas sweater could have the word NICE. Olive wants STAR on her sweater. (And you missed a meaning of sure as in the lyric “Okay, fine, fer sure, fer sure, she’s a valley girl….”)
Another vote here for DARE. As in DARE to start, DARE to act, DARE to care.
Knit, or yarn. Have fun with it! The yarn looks yummy.
My word is deep, as in deep work, deep friendships, deep diving into techniques and skills. I hope it’s a great year, whatever you choose!
I am sometimes very unimaginative. So my very clever husband suggested “lark” which has a delightful double meaning. Happy Boxing Day to all
Just writing to bump other commenters’ nominations of FINE and MAKE. SURE + FINE together also creates a lot of possibilities, so bonus points to that one for working well with Ann’s.
Love
HOME that so many are unsure of on a daily basis. May they find the peace and security of digging in to life.
As much as I’d like to say something positive and uplifting, I’m just not there yet. The thought of 2025 brings to mind two word – shit show. So borrowing another poster’s idea to put “knit” on the front of the sweater, and “purl” on the back…
My vote is for the letters M.D.K.–Move, Dream, Know–Make, Draw, Knit–etc,etc.
My word for the year has not revealed itself to me yet. I’m trending towards
Resilience right now. Life is feeling harried and unsure in my world. Peace and ease is what I am hoping for but I think that I am going to have to fight for that. Good luck on picking your ‘4’ letter word! Anything you think up is going to be perfect!
FINI
I was told the game of Golf was so named because all the other four letter words were already taken, so GOLF
KTOG
Love. We all need more of it.
I’m thinking about Grok.