2024 On My Needles

Making Plans...

Hejsa!

For a couple of months, I've been planning that this time between Christmas and the new year would be spent working on something that I have wanted to become better at for ages. Literally, for years.

Knitting. I can cast on, knit, purl and decrease with confidence but everything else seems almost like witchcraft to me. I even have to look up how to cast off…

So I have decided to apprentice myself to this craft. Because I really do want to learn this. And if I want to become a practitioner, well, I'll need to practice. :-)

There are several specific things I want to learn but I also just want to feel more confident about basic knitting techniques and such.

This week I have started on cables and it is going well so far. I have knitted a lot of cables and I have frogged a lot of cables. And knitted the cables again, to build up some muscle memory.

So I do not have much to show for, despite the many hours I have spent with the needles in my hands. And that is okay.

I think I had a vague idea, before this week, that I would definitely be able to get better at cables AND colour work in this twixtmas period. But that was a silly notion. Focus on one thing at a time.

For several years I have had "get better at knitting" on my goals list for the year. Obviously, that is too general, too non specific. And guess what, I haven't got better at knitting!

I need a plan. The next couple of days, while knitting infinite cables, I'll note down what exactly I want to learn and then make a plan for how to do that. Maybe it is that each month will be devoted to a particular technique so I can build up muscle memory and not have to look up ‘how to cast off knitting’ every time I need to do that. I am rolling my eyes at that. Honestly, I should be able to know how to do that.

I hope this plan works. Even if I don't have much to show for by the end of 2024. But hopefully I will have built up my skills and my confidence. :-)

I am going to knit swatches for each technique to remind myself and to have at least some physical proof of what I am learning. Maybe I will make a little textile book with all the swatches. That would be a nice end product of a year of learning.

I'm hoping that, by telling you about it, I will actually do it. The accountability of telling people on the Internet about a goal is as good a motivator as any, right?! I can’t let down People on The Internet! :-D

Hopefully, I will be able to share some knitting updates throughout the year. And feel free to ask me from time to time if I have been doing any knitting!

Is this a new year's resolution? I'm not sure. I don't really do new year's resolutions... Do you do new year’s resolutions?

And now for something different:

I finished this pattern! I am very happy with it. Lots of things in this pattern that I love: flowers, Dala horses, birds, star stitches and a wee squirrel. :-) There is a bit about the pattern in this YouTube video.

The pattern is called Scandi Tree of Life. It is 10% off until next Friday (Jan 5th, 2024), no code necessary.

It is a big pattern, 6.5” in diameter. It also includes a tall, narrow version as well as some smaller motifs based on the original.

This pattern came from a fun commission I had earlier this year (did I mention it already?): to design a Scandi folk art inspired tattoo for someone. The finished tattoo is FABULOUS. Kinda makes me want to get something similar.

I didn’t want to make a pattern that was exactly like the tattoo design, so I altered it and made slightly different tall, narrow design. But I just didn’t like how it would look in a hoop so I went back to the drawing board and came up with this round design. But I included the narrow version in the pattern, in case it’s just the thing that someone else would like to stitch.

I absolutely loved stitching this. All my favourite colours and two of my favourite stitches: back stitch and star stitch. As much as I love trying all kinds of stitches, I love the simple back stitch. Simplicity ♥ ♥ ♥

The pattern only uses four stitches: back stitch, star stitch, lazy daisy and French knot. Perfect for a beginner stitcher or (like me) someone who just wants a low effort embroidery project. :-)

Here’s the link to the pattern again: Scandi Tree of Life. And remember, it’s 10% off until Jan 5th. Feel free to share the link with anyone you think might like the pattern. :-)

I’ll be back in a couple of weeks, next year!

Happy new Year and have a lovely weekend!

x Carina

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Some Things I Am Enjoying

Book: Breakwater* a graphic novel by Katriona Chapman. I read it in a few hours, I’m going to go back through it and enjoy the artwork. Do you read graphic novels? I think it’s something I could get into. Any recommendations?

Watching: Ghostbusters. The films were on telly Wednesday and Thursday and we both really like them. And maybe tonight we’ll watch Ghostbusters Afterlife, just because. :-)

Music: Back to Swedish pop music again! :-)

Instagram: @tirazain.initiative

*bookshop.org affiliate link.

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Free Palestine. 🍉🍉🍉