This year, I didn’t throw myself into the knitted-gift frenzy that has made the last few years a little dicey in terms of holiday engagement. (That means I was the Grinchiest Grinch ever as I glared at every recipient of the scarves, hats, mittens, and cowls that I was knitting for them. Poor planning is my defense.) I’m taking the long view this time around. I’m looking ahead to 2015, because I’m thinking about what I might want to do differently in the coming year.

I don’t make resolutions. Too much commitment. I make vague goals and if (when) I don’t end up fulfilling them, well…lesson learned. Move on.

Next year, I’m really going to concentrate on the details. I’m going to move past my go-to Long Tail Cast-On and Knitted Bind-Off. I’m going to experiment with cast-ons and bind-offs that are complementary to my project and look beautiful.

I’m going to learn how to do Kitchener Stitch. I’ve done so much to avoid this necessary fact of knitting life, and it now seems ridiculous. How hard can it be? (stop laughing). I’m also going to learn to read charts. I can protest all I want but I love stitch patterns and cables and those babies are charted. Once again, how hard can it be? (see above.)

Lastly, I’m going to stop making the thought of perfection ruin a perfectly good knitted piece. Only I know that I bumbled a knit stitch into a purl. Nobody will ever see the mismatched decrease except me. I want my knitting to be fun and comforting, not a showpiece. That’s why I started knitting in the first place.

I might add, in a self-serving way, that some of these things can be learned in a class. And that leads me the now open-for-business winter/spring class registration! Check out our offerings and see what you might like to tackle in 2015.

A knitting teacher in your pocket!

I’m more and more convinced that Knit-Kards™ are the most genius thing ever. Produced by Nancy’s Knit Knacks, which sounds very folksy, these 14 double-sided laminated cards (with handy keyhole and ring included!) contain every piece of information you need to make a sweater, a sock, or a blanket, along with tips and tricks to make that project hum. A long-tail cast-on can be a pain, because what happens when you don’t leave yourself enough yarn to complete the cast-on? You have to rip that sucker out and start over. Believe me, my kids have learned the most choice swears from lurking around my knitting chair. The Long Tail Cast-on Knit Kard™  provides a table with a simple formula to figure out the number of inches of yarn needed based on number of stitches cast on and needle size. Bingo! Job done.

Along with yardage requirements for any kind of garment, from sweaters (baby) to afghans (huge), Knit Kards™ instruct users through Kitchener Stitch, basic increases and decreases, and how to use those increases and decreases for optimum graceful shaping. Yarn Label Guides explain the care symbols used by clothing makers so that your treasured garment doesn’t end up fitting your American Girl Doll. You can convert ounces to grams, meters to yards, and vice versa, learn how to make the perfect gauge swatch, or learn what the abbreviation K1b means. And to top it all off, you get a knitting needle/crochet hook inventory card to keep track of those needles you keep in a plastic shopping bag (Hey! maybe we can talk knitting bags and storage solutions in a follow-up post!). The bright colors make them easy to find in your crowded project bag, and the index-card size makes them convenient to take anywhere.

All the WEBS sales team keep Knit Kards™ in our apron pockets, and we all use them religiously. You should too!