Goals and Designing....

Or is that designing goals?  :)

Today I found myself contemplating some goals for my knitting.  While I rarely consider where I want my knitting to go. Any one that knows me, quickly realizes that I’m more of a process knitter than a project knitter! Clearly, as I have far too many UFO (unfinished objects) to show for this!

It is only recently that yes I want to ‘stretch’ my abilities and venture out trying new projects, new stitches, and learning new techniques.

I’d like to learn to:   

1.  Make a pair of mittens (in progress!)
2.  Dye my own yarn (heck I have all the supplies for this one! I’m thinking come Spring, I’ll dye up some fabulous Spring themed yarn which leading me to ….
3.  Make a pair of fingerless gloves!
4. Double knit
5. Swatch.  Seriously I’ve never once made a swatch. I’m thinking for my next goal, it will be an absolute necessity…
6. Design a sweater and knit it.  This had been a goal for 2013, but hey this is the year of many changes and opportunities for my personal and professional growth. Perhaps more than I realize…  I even have a vision of what I want it to look like.  A hefty goal, but hey how hard can this be?(ha! I’m pretty sure I’m about to find out!) Isn’t every knitting pattern based on another pattern just with some modifications!
7. Design more projects.   A shawl perhaps? I just now realized I actually have designed a few projects – but not with the sole purpose of designing!  More often than not, it happened accidentally.
8. And a wee ‘mystery’ goal that will remain secret until further notice!

I’ve discovered how very satisfying to design and then knit the project.  And the very process, teaches you so much more than knitting a new stitch! (Discipline, experimenting and yes even practice at math!)

With my latest project/design, the designing happened quite by accident!! I had a luscious pink tonal Malabrigo yarn, I knew that I wanted to make a cowl/infinity scarf.  So unlike me, I simply cast on some stitches and just knit away.  Before long, a few rows in and I realized that wow, had accidentally/on purpose(?) created my own pattern! Overall I’m tickled pink with pleasure at the results.  So, this one will be my very first published design.  Once I’m finished I’ll be publishing the pattern both here and on Ravelry.  I’m planning to have it posted over next weekend. (Feb 28 – Mar 2)

My sweater is coming quite nicely. I am nearly half done the back, and I only cast on a week ago.Loving the colours!  Happy colours! I also noticed that the yarn is pooling, however I’m a fan of colour pooling in general - so no worries.  But an interesting thing is happening there are diamonds emerging!  Very cool!

Last week I started my next class and yep!  I quickly realized that oh yah baby it‘s like coming home!

Such an appropriate course for what’s been on my mind – Layout and Design!

Have a superb rest of your weekend! It is a proud day to call myself Canadian, we've done well this 2014 Winter Olympics!  (I may be yet even closer still to getting that maple leaf tattoo that I think about each year!)

O Canada!!