And so the days are filled...

04 January 2006

new food for new thought

I have really enjoyed reading all of the various new year's thoughts being posted about the place. Everyone's introspections have given me cause to think a few things through myself. Not one who is prone to inner delving at the New Year holiday, I generally don't even make resolutions. (However, it is always good to have one resolution formulated for use at holiday-time parties, as one is bound to be asked to report on one's resolution. This year my resolution was "read more books". This is because I read a total of 50 books in 2005 (yes, I keep a list) and would be really satisfied if I could get the total up to 52, an average of one book a week. Fiver, when I told him of my resolution, pointed out that it is ridiculous for someone who already reads 50 books a year to try to read more. So I said I could change my resolution to be to knit more. This seemed to satisfy him and the topic was not further discussed).
2006 is going to be a year of huge change for me. Fiver and I are moving into our own little abode in about 3 weeks. With that comes all the nice things one gets with a house - the opportunity to garden and keep house, a new chum in the form of a dog...(I promise this will not become a blog about my dog. But there might be a bit about the dog...)
However, there will also be a few changes which will impact or affect my knitting habits, and I'm sure that's what you're here to read about.
1. I will have a much shorter commute from my new home to work. Obviously this will cut down on my knitting (not to mention reading!) time. I am hoping that socks will become suitable commuter knitting, but I will have to see. I'm not sure I'll be able to get a seat on my train, and I have to change trains about halfway through my total journey of 25 minutes. It may be that knitting is just impractical in these short bursts. [A deep down hope is that I might get to ride my bicycle to work, which would of course eliminate knitting altogether from the commute. I still have to trial the route to see if it is too life-threatening to consider.]
2. The small matter of the mortgage. I have heard it said that a mortgage doesn't really mean you will never spend money again. But I am definitely gearing up for a belt-tightening time financially. Not surprisingly, and as I'm sure you, dear reader, have had first-hand experience, yarn is close to the top of the list of luxuries that I will have to cut down on. This leads me to a few more 'knitting resolutions':
  • Salvage more yarn. I currently have about 8 jumpers in my craft room which require unknitting. I recently finished my second project with 'recycled' yarn and I think I'm beginning to get an idea of what is possible and what fibres work best. So I aim to become a salvage specialist.
  • Use up the stash (I know, everyone's SAYING they're gonna do it - can we really do it?)
  • Further to (b), try some colour work in my knitting - probably not full-blown fair isle (an aesthetic I have not yet come to appreciate fully, I admit), but maybe some stripes or blobs of colour here or there. We shall see.
I am not going on a total 'yarn diet' - I will be sure to make yarn purchases but will try to make fewer than I did in 2005. (Of course, the new 'stash' - aka the Vinnie's jumpers waiting to be ripped - is taking up an alarming amount of space already. Maybe in 2007 I will resolve to go on a Vinnies jumper diet.)
I enjoyed the recent spate of photos showing different bloggers' knitting spots so I thought I would satisfy the voyeur/voyeuse in you and show you my knitting spot. (For sentimental reasons I also want to record this spot for posterity since I'll be leaving it in a few weeks. Spot, many things were knitted in you. You were a good spot...you had a window sill right next to you for cups of tea...you had a little place to stow my project basket...you had a window with a lovely view...I shall miss you)

knitting spot, ooh la la
The knitting spot

lovely viewThe view...that blue stuff is the harbour!