For the past two years I’ve been on a yarn diet. In 2018 I allowed myself 100g of yarn for every 500g knit. In 2019 I allowed myself 100g of yarn for every 300g knit, with an exception for keeping a sweaters quantity of yarn on hand. Because of those two years I’m in a place where I’m mostly comfortable with my stash. This year I’m allowing myself 100g of yarn for every 100g knit.
I am going to be more intentional about my yarn purchases. I will be going to three yarn festivals this year, and I have already made a list of yarn that I would like to find. I do not plan on picking up random yarn when I visit a yarn store.
I am going to be intentional about what I cast on. I have always cast on what I feel like in the moment, which is a great way to knit. The problem is, I have projects I have wanted to make for years that I haven’t gotten around to making. Because of that I’ve planned out one cast on a month for the next year. I’m sure I’ll cast on more than that (heck, I finished 43 projects last year), but I want to make sure I cast on the 12 items. If I get excited and cast on a project earlier than scheduled I’ll be adding a project to cast on during the scheduled cast on month. It sounds confusing as I read this, but the principle is simple, I will cast on one new thing each month and I will actually knit the things I have been wanting to knit.
| January | Bike Hat for John |
| February | Fingerless Mitts for Sarah |
| March | Ellie Socks |
| April | Christmas Stocking for baby M-C (need yarn) |
| May | Shawl for Kathy |
| June | Pride Socks (need to find rainbow yarn) |
| July | Chirstmas in July Socks |
| August | 2 color brioche cowl |
| September | Colorwork Cowl |
| October | Oxbow Cardigan (need to decide on yarn) |
| November | Slippers for Mary |
| December | Colorwork Cardigan for me |
As I am likely to cast on several items early I have a list of possible items to add in: dishcloths, Trelawney Shawl, Dreyma Mitts, Inglis Mitts, and many pairs of socks.
Do you plan what you will knit for the year or do you wing it? Are there any things you feel you must make this year?
mildlygranola 
It’s funny I was just thinking I have all these warm jumpers and cardigans to knit but thought I maybe should start on my linen one for summer now…otherwise I know what will happen…warm weather and no finished linen top!
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That’s why I’m making a Christmas stocking in spring. I want to make sure I get it done.
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I plan my knit alongs (Loopy Grad School and Camp) as the projects are assigned. Everything else I sort of wing it. I do have a very full queue on Ravelry but I use that more for ideas than actually a list of things I want to knit.
On the other side of things, I have multiple sweater quantities of yarn that I should be turning into sweaters. I’ve said I would for a few years now but I just keep casting on shawls and socks.
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I’ve been in a sweater knitting mood for two years now, and I’m down to yarn for one more sweater. I need to start stocking up on sweater quantities.
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I am going to work on my nearly forgotten blanket and this morning I bought the Orkney pattern by Marie Wallin. I am swatching some palette yarn just to see if it could work, but I am a but stuck because I’m not supposed to be knitting at all yet.😡 I allowed myself 6 rows. Meanwhile I’ve copied the chart and will try coloring in the pattern. I am going to try and match it up with some wool fabric I have.
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That sweater is going to be so pretty, I would not be able to stop myself from swatching.
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I did 12 rows of 30 stitches throughout the day, and I paid, but if I can sneak enough rows to check gauge I could spend my time working on color choices and then wait for the yarn. By then maybe I can knit a row a day. I’m going to do the main body in a circle and steek it, so a row will be 200 stitches.
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Oh PRIDE socks. I have to go with that theme!!!
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Let’s do a KAL!
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I’m in! I have some rainbow yarn!
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The only thing I feel I must knit this year is a colorful vest for my daughter. She asked me to make her a custom design featuring a explosion of color on the back and a solid color on the front. I think it will be fun to make.
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That does sound like it will be fun. I love it when I work on creative things like that.
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That sounds like a great knitting plan! It’s a good mix of making sure you get certain things done you know you want to get done, but still keeping it loose enough to fit in new exciting things 🙂
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It is my first time with a knitting plan, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes. I am a little nervous I’ll do all of the small projects early and I’ll be left filling in all of the months with socks.
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You always have a nice wide variety of projects – things for the kids, things for yourself and John, gifts… You have a really good range of items you knit 🙂
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I tend to wing it. I have plenty on queue in Ravelry. But cannot guarantee my time to projects. Weight loss for me is the priority this quarter, so some craft projects may take a back seat to that.
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I need to do something about that this quarter too.
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It’s that run down into Christmas and then Christmas itself. I get to a point in the year when the weather turns and a salad just doesn’t do it for me.
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I really should be more organised like this, but this year I’m still going to wing it and just start whatever I feel like starting!
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I have a feeling I’ll be back to that next year…..or by June.
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