It’s that time again, when many reflect on the year behind and plan for the year ahead. I am no exception, and I like to take reflecting to a super awesome dorky level with graphs portraying knitting data (see here and here for 2011 and 2012). Let’s see what types of things I knit this year, shall we?
Graph portraying the number of FOs in each category this year (green) as well as FOs from previous years (shades of blue).
I think it’s interesting how different project types were more abundant in different years. This year, I was all about the cowls (n=13) while last year it was hats (n=18) and prior to that, shawls (n=11) were a pretty big deal. All of those zeros in the ‘sweaters’ category make me sad, so one of my major goals this year is to knit myself a sweater.
It should be noted that one of my goals for last year (we shall not discuss the rest of them) was to complete 50 projects. And by golly, folks, I did it!
This table shows the number of FOs of each project type finished in 2013 (green) as well as current WIPs (projects started in 2013 but not finished) and what I call ancient WIPs (projects started in 2012 or earlier).
I’m going to take a second to publicly pat my own back for finishing 50 projects this year (woohoo!). Then I’m going to publicly shame myself for the number of WIPs residing somewhere about my home (n=38 total). Guys, that is far too many WIPs. The socks are especially bad: I finished one pair this year but there are SIXTEEN MORE in existence. My second major goal this year is to get a handle on the sock situation (I know, I know, I’ve said it before. I’m for reals this time.).
There’s another situation that I’m finally going to bite-the-bullet and resolve to get a handle on:
Internet, meet Stash.
The stash. That beautiful, wondrous, inspiring, hopeful… dirty little word. At some point in (almost) every knitter’s life, the stash becomes so overwhelming with the enormity of its beauty that one must commit to knitting it down. This year is my year. That photo doesn’t even show any of my fiber stash (which has grown quite a bit, as well) or any of my non-STR Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarns (which I had already packed away during the great re-organizing of the other night). So it’s time. There are too many downright gorgeous yarns in there and too many beautiful projects already knit in my head that I want to make in reality. My only exceptions are: 1) if I run out of something I’m using and need more to finish the project, 2) if I am knitting a gift and I really don’t have an appropriate yarn (such as a superwash), and 3) souvenir yarn. I’m taking a honeymoon somewhere in July and you bet your bottoms I’m going to purchase some commemorative yarn if I come across it.
So there you have it, my three main goals for 2014 (keeping it simple):
- Knit myself a sweater
- Finish or frog all of the socks-in-progress
- Knit only from stash
What are your goals for 2014? Do you like to make a list or do you keep things loosey-goosey?
Woolen Diversions 
LOVE the charts and graphs….but that might just be the accountant in me talking
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haha, thanks!
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amazing tracking system! I would never finish a spreadsheet on tracking what I finish. 🙂 If you really want to work on socks, check out knittingsarah’s KAL this year (www.knittingsarah.com) – it will help! it is simple – just knit some on socks every day. no pressure. I think she will have many folks joining in.
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Thanks for the info, I’ll check it out!
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What great goals. I wish I had that sock problem haha! I love handknit socks so much but I seem to never actually knit them. This year I am though!!! I love your stash too, such lovely lovely yarn.
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I love socks, too, which is why having so many UNFINISHED pairs is a special kind of torture!
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I love your graphs. I’m sure that you can bump the sweater column up by one this year. Is there a particular pattern you’ve been eyeing?
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Oh dear, there are so many I’ve been eying, I basically want to knit All The Sweaters.
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love the lists and the data tracking and the graphs. I’m with you on WIP-ing down, at least for the first half of the year… Good luck!
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Our goals are similar. I’m resolving to knit my stash and spin my fleece stash this year. 🙂
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I should’ve made some fiber resolutions, too, but I’m newer to spinning so my fiber stash is much smaller than my yarn stash.
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Are you drop spinning or wheel spinning?
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I spin both ways, depending on the project
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That is great. Of you’re planning on spinning for TDF this year, then you will have spinning goals this year. 🙂
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Congrats on finishing 50 projects this year and good luck with your 2014 goals. You can do it! I like that your second goal is to “finish or frog” rather than to just “finish”–sometimes a project just isn’t meant to be!
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Yeah, I try to be realistic with my goals!
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