It doesn't seem like I should make more resolutions if I couldn't manage to keep the ones I made last year, but I am ever the optimist. This year I have done a lot of thinking about the state of the world. It started when I drove past the huge pet supermarket they are building out on A1A. Suddenly, it seemed obscene when people are starving all over the world. Our pets live better than most of the world.
Don't get me wrong; we have a dog and we love him dearly. He is very well-fed and living the life the people in Darfur can't even imagine. So, what has this to do with my New Year's resolutions? I got to thinking about how much yarn, quilting and needlework stash I have and realized that just because it's warm and fuzzy, doesn't mean that I am not still using more of the world's resources than is right, especially when I am not using it and am buying more (and more...)
I thought about spending a year working from my stash and it suddenly seemed not only a good idea, but a necessary one. I'd like to use same rules another group used with a few modifications:
1. I will not buy any yarn during 2008, with the following exceptions:
a. Sock yarn does not count. What? You think I am made of stone?
b. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that I really and truly do not have the yarn for, I may buy yarn to knit that gift.
c. If I am knitting something and run out of yarn, I may purchase enough to complete the project.
d. I get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- I am allowed to fall off the wagon one time.
2. I am allowed to receive gifts of yarn.
3. Trading stash is allowed.
I really liked those ideas except that I believe I have enough sock yarn to keep me going for several months, so I'll nix that one, at least for a while.
Resolution two: to do some knitting for charity this year. I don't suppose it will help anyone in Darfur, but I can use some of the yarn to knit for various charities, especially the Santa train in Appalachia. I have a lot of scraps that could be knit into hats and mittens. I used to do it all the time, but I haven't for ages.
Resolution three: to learn a new technique. Recently, I decided that I was going to master grafting stitches and to become so familiar with knitting socks that I could almost knit them in my sleep. That has gone really well and I like making socks so well, I plan to always have a pair on the needles. They are perfect to knit while I am working on the computer. I'm even going to make a knitted tree garland that has miniature socks, sweaters and mittens on it. I saw it in one of my books and I just loved it.
That worked so well, I thought I would chose another knitting skill. I haven't figured out just what I want to do, but I have some ideas. I got some qiviut yarn for Christmas and I plan to knit it into a shawl, so I think I might practice lace shawl knitting. I'd also like to do more felting so that I can feel more comfortable predicting the end product.
We'll see how it goes
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