Mon 31 Dec 2012
It’s that time again, suddenly – time to check off another year. 2012 was a year of change for us; both Branden and I started new jobs, and we moved again (twice). Both of us got one year older (funny how that works). As of last week we’re both in our 30’s. Neither of us is particularly attached to our age, so there’s no sense of loss or midlife crisis looming…just a sense of surprise that time really is passing quickly. We celebrated our tenth anniversary this month, and are now busy plotting the next 50 years. Earlier this month, I was “elected” to take on some family-related responsibilities now that we are back in the state, and am struggling a bit to figure out exactly what that will mean in our lives, and to build edges that define what we will and won’t do. We’ve made many new friends this year, and reunited with some old ones. I lost one friend to cancer last week, after two years of hoping that he’d beat it. Good things and bad things, large things and small things, one after another, somehow all piling up to make a life.
I can’t say I’m sorry to see this year go, nor am I particularly anxious to put it behind me. It is time to move on, though, I think. I don’t know exactly what I’m hoping for in 2013…I generally prefer take things as they come rather than making expectations for a new year before it arrives. A little more quiet, perhaps.
I do like to set some general intentions for my crafting, though. These aren’t goals or resolutions; just directions I want to explore. For this year, I’d like to weave more. These past few months have been so full of things to think about and process through that knitting has been too quiet an activity at times; too much room to think, not enough feeling of progress to pull me in. Even this process knitter grows impatient sometimes, and more product right now would be good. Weaving goes quickly and can be either mindless or very challenging; I think this will be an important part of my crafting in 2013.
Of course, I don’t intend to leave knitting behind, either. I really enjoyed the colorwork in the Fall Colors sweater, and have a tickle at the back of my mind that says there may be more colorwork to come this year. I don’t know what it will be yet, but the seed is there, waiting for the right time to send out shoots.
I have always loved simple knit designs with lace inserts or small details to make them special. This may be a year of exploring those ideas, working toward clothes that are easily worn to work.
I think that I will also continue pushing into ever-finer gauge knitting. This might seem counterintuitive, given my current want for quick progress, but I really am finding that I like fine gauge knits better for some things, work clothes foremost among them.
Along with all the yarn, there are piles of wool in my closet, just waiting to be spun. I hope to turn at least one of them into a sweater by the end of the year, and to finish the spinning for Branden’s Blue Eyes sweater very soon.
I’ve been saying this for a while now, but I think this may also be the year of the drum carder. At this point, the decision is made as to which carder it will be; it’s just a matter of waiting until the moment is right.
I am also hoping to get my workload to a point where I can begin reawakening Desigknit over the months to come. We have a basement here, and though it’s not ideal as a dye studio, it will work well enough. We need to reclaim my tools from our friends’ garage, but I am hoping to be dyeing again soon. I am still pondering what form the business side of things will take this time around, but I’m looking forward to playing with color again in the near future.
There are so many things to look forward to, so many projects to put on the list, but I think that this is enough for now. I may get to all of them, or perhaps to none at all. Only the new year will tell.
What’s on your list for 2013?
The New Year always brings so many possibilities doesn’t it? I hope some of yours come to be.
I hope your 2013 proves an excellent one and that you find a balance of time for work and family and crafting! My list for 2013 is to resume better blogging habits and the finish off most of the projects in my overflowing knitting basket. (Which, if I get a move on, should only take me until spring–there’s a lot of ends to be woven and lace to be blocked–not big time-consuming knitting to be done.)
Have a happy New Year!
A thoughtful and appreciated post, Erica. I share your use of the word “intentions” rather than “resolution”, and my intention is to live lighter this year. I’ll enjoy watching your intentions spin into action as the year rolls out.
I am so sorry to hear about your friend – my thoughts are with you. I like your laying-out of intentions for the new year. I haven’t yet articulated crafting intentions for myself, except to work my way through some much-desired projects that have been back-burnered (or never cast on) for one reason or another. We’ll see…