New year's knitting resolutions

Happy new year everyone!

I've not been one to make new year's resolutions--does anyone keep them more than a few days?--but setting some knitting goals seems like a good idea. Aiming to complete all those scarves in time for Christmas helped push me to become a better knitter, so why not give myself knitting objectives for 2007?

This is a modest list, or at least I think it is. I have no idea what is feasible, but I'm okay with that. My knitting experiences have been constantly surprising. There's no need to set limits now. Some of these are goals I've had as I've picked up a little knowledge, and some are coming to me as I write this. In other words, I didn't sketch out some master plan.

Here are my knitting resolutions for 2007:

-Learn five other stitches.

There are at least five more, right? I know how to do the knit stitch and purl stitch. I've heard of other stitches. Five seems like a good number.

-Learn how to use circular needles.

When composing a list, it's always good to have something relatively simple to cross off.

-Learn how to use double pointed needles.

I don't know what I'd used them for, but it's something else to learn.

-Make Kristin's Jazzy Coffee Cup Cozy.

From the directions, this would also knock off one or both of the previous two goals.

-Make a hat for myself.

I need something to go with my scarves, although the way the weather is staying warm, it may not be essential this winter.

-Make a baby blanket and baby sweater.

I have a pregnant friend, so there's all the incentive I need.

-Make two adult sweaters.

One seems like a cop out, and who knows what kind of a disaster my first attempt might be.

-Felt something.

I don't know what, but I feel the need to felt.

-Knit with something lighter than worsted weight yarn.

I've only used worsted weight, bulky, and super bulky yarn so far.

-Become better at knitting and watching TV at the same time.

Less looking at what I'm working on and more watching the television. Maybe I need to knit at the movies so I can't really see what I'm doing.

-Knit in public on my own.

This might be the most difficult of all of these goals. I'd certainly feel more exposed than knitting with someone else.

-Continue to blog regularly about knitting.

Writing on an almost daily basis has kept me sharper, I think. I've enjoyed writing about my knitting escapades and personal life almost as much as the knitting itself and reading your reactions and suggestions. And yes, even if more people in the offline world know that I knit, for the purposes of this site I will remain the secret knitter for the foreseeable future. Those of you with any interest probably know who I am by now anyway.

-Continue to knit for others.

I think this is a given if you knit, but I put it here to remind me how much fun it is to make things for other people.

-Take better care of myself.

Although not knitting-related per se, knitting has helped me relax, even if my last month's worth of posts make it sound like I'm stressed out. (That's because I am stressed out.) Knitting calms me down, whether it provides temporary relief or longer term stress reduction, so it is an integral part of my effort to be better to myself. Don't get me wrong. I don't have a background of hard or harmful living, but I've not always been good at taking it easy when I need to rest. I know that I'm hard on myself when it come to expectations, which can be good and bad for self-motivation and self-confidence.

That seems like plenty for now. I'll revisit these resolutions from time to time to track my progress, and I'm sure I'll have new goals to add to it as others are completed. For those of you familiar with my knitting experience, what goals aren't on here that would make good additions to the list?

Next...participating in Donna's inaugural The Archies.