by Renée Callahan

Happy New Year!

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Hello!

Welcome to 2017! How’s it treating you so far? I am off to a flying start. I have made lists by the shed-load and the post-it notes have proliferated, but I am happy with that. This feeling is probably something to do with having had a good, lazy holiday break with lots of movie-watching and naps. I did have a tiny tantrum yesterday just before I accepted that Christmas was really over and Ben really was going to go back to work and I had to get up at 6am AGAIN!?>! but then I set the alarm and got on with it.

Which brings me to the first order of service for the new year: last year’s EastLondonKnit knit-along. It is officially over, but just in case you have knit an EastLondonKnit design and would like a chance to win one of the fabulous prize packages…

[instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BO2eKhug_uQ/?taken-by=eastlondonknit]
[instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BO1w7fIgVnu/?taken-by=eastlondonknit]
If you would like to win of these lovely packages, please post your finished EastLondonKnit project over on the thread in the ELK Ravelry group. I will choose 2 prize winners at the end of this week.

So, let’s talk about resolutions!

If you know me, you know that I love a New Year’s Resolution. Honestly, I am not restricted to New Years to make my resolutions–I make them regularly throughout the year with unnecessary zeal, but I have a real soft spot for the beginning of January. This year, in addition to the usual promises to self: more exercise, less sugar, no booze this January, I also wanted to add some different things: find somewhere to regularly volunteer, don’t be angry about the world, do things to make it better, and something completely unrelated: learn to play the guitar, because, well, why not?

I know that I should have started with the musical things a lifetime ago, but I’m one of those people who thinks it is never too late. If I start now, in 10 years I might be pretty good. If I don’t start now, in 10 years, I’ll just be 10 years older and still not playing any instruments.

And until I figure out where to volunteer (suggestions welcome!!), I am going to knit some hats and things for KnitAid. If you haven’t heard of KnitAid, please do have a look. They are making a big collection on 20th January if you would like to participate too!!

Do you make resolutions? If so, do you keep them?

Happy knitting!

Rx

 

by Renée Callahan

Tardy New Year’s Resolutions

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This year I am all about the New Year’s resolutions.  I have tons of them.  And (almost) none involve fitness and diet.

This year it’s all about the Knit.

Now, I realize I am seriously behind on all of this.  I don’t mean the fact that I am writing about the New Year’s resolutions on 9th February, but about the blogging thing and even the knitting thing in general.  I love knitting, but not so much the social networking aspect.  I love to read other people’s blogs and appreciate the large amount of work that goes into a good one.  And although I am sloooowly coming around to the idea that this here is the place for me to show the knitting world what I am about, I am both extremely lazy and, well, a little shy.

But, as this is the year of the Knit and of the New Year’s resolutions that are adhered to, I am going to work on this blog.  I am going to make it a thing of beauty, or failing that, a useful thing.

Not yet a thing of beauty or especially useful, this post is a statement of intent.

With this blog, I will learn to teach. My first series of photo tutorials will be about double knitting techniques.

With this blog, I will organize my unwieldy and random interests and research.  I have a mile-long list of topics that I have been wanting to explore and the blog is a great way to process this research and share it.  I think it could be the difference between having a look at something interesting on Wikipedia and really engaging with all the weird and wonderful things out there.

With this blog, I will document and promote my hand knitting designs and other works in progress.  Keeping with the theme, I am taking the hand knitting seriously this year.  I am going to publish one pattern a month (I really hope!) and here is the place to talk about it and, well, be held to account.

There is something about making public declarations.  The declaration takes on a weight and significance when it is public.  In this case, I really hope that means I will manage to do something interesting for you with this blog.

I have a ton of kinks to work out, so be patient, ok?  And please, please tell me when you find them!!

So, see you here next week? !