Getting Geared Up!

Well now that the New Year's commotion is pretty much through, I'm finally ready to really start planning my next couple of projects. This is the first year that I've really had goals... usually knitting has been a spontaneous and relatively second-hand activity for me - which explains the amount of frogged and unfinished projects laying around my apartment.

This year I'm taking a new approach. I want to accomplish something. This past year I made socks for the first time, and I was super excited that I tried something new. I was even more excited to see that my skills had developed to the point that making a pair of socks didn't take me an entire month.

My goals this year as the following:

• Make at least 3 things from my knitting books
• Knit something each month (even the summer months!)
• Take spinning lessons (fortunately this was a Christmas present this year!)
• Crochet a granny square blanket

Last night, I finished the project I was just knitting for the sake of knitting. You know, in order to get used to knitting something every month I do have to start practicing just having something to work on at all times.

Center Row Lace Headband

So I was able to start planning the next things on my plate. I decided that I want to start planning my granny square blanket and I picked my first "month" project.

First up - February. I looked through my many knitting books and settled on a pattern from Knits to Fit & Flatter by Jane Ellison. I love this book. Everything in it looks easy to make and wear.  I picked the "On the Button Tank Top" - Its a really simple design and looks like it would be a relatively quick knit. Which is an important quality in a first project. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Now, my granny square blanket idea. At some point last year I taught myself basic crotchet just for the purpose of creating a granny square blanket. My grandmother had made one and I remember wrapping myself in it when I napped as a kid. I don't have an end goal for this particular project - other than this is the project I want to work on while up at the farm.

Here I am at the farm last winter. Isn't it pretty?

The farm is a usual haunt for us on the weekends. We go up just a couple of times during the winter to get away from the world for a bit, but its expensive to heat so we limit our time. Once Wisconsin starts to thaw out, we head up more frequently. Everyone else has their own "thing" when we are up there - something they are working on except me, so the blanket will keep my hands busy while I enjoy the views.

So now I just need to pick a granny square pattern - purchase the yarn - and get it up there. I'm really excited about this. It's supposed to be cold again this weekend, so I might have a few weekends before we make it up there again. Plenty of planning time :)