I’ve been following callmedwj on Instagram for a few years now. I think it happened when we were both added to a group for promoting the Fibre Co, but honestly it doesn’t matter how it happened. Her content is so much fun to look at and as more challenging conversations have been happening in the crafting community, her content has been thought provoking.
Lately, I’ve been think a lot about what Dana posted about on her story: how she apologetically knits for herself and that every year for her birthday she makes herself a sweater. Now, Dana knits a lot of sweaters, so it really should not have been a surprise that she took the time to make herself a sweater just for her birthday. For some reason, I felt as though she gave me permission to no longer feel bad about knitting sweaters for myself even though it meant not working on something for others.
I probably didn’t really need this permission, it’s a concept that I’ve been working towards in the last few years, but I started my knitting journey by knitting someone a baby blanket. I literally started my knitting career with the goal of knitting gifts for other people and spent years stressing myself out around the holiday season to get it done. Last year was the first year I decided not to knit for for the holiday season only to change my mind and crank out a few last minute items.
When Dana admitted that she learned to knit so she could knit for herself, I was in awe. I mean, how awesome is that? To, from the beginning, say that this is something special that I do for myself. So, I took Dana’s message and my almost non-existent yarn stash (at the time that this post is being written I only have two skeins) and picked out a few projects on Ravelry that I’ve been eyeing for myself. Then I bought the yarn for them and I’m so excited!
It’s not even super fancy hand dyed yarn, I bought some sale yarn from KnitPicks (ok and some non-sale yarn). The point is, I sat down, let myself get excited and then bought yarn for three projects.
The first project I purchased yarn for is Alicia Plummer’s Stonewall. This pattern was my third or so sweater and went so wrong the first time I made it. First and foremost, it grew about a foot when I blocked it. Don’t ask me whether or not I did a gauge swatch a) because I did and b) because the circumference of the sweater fit great. The next problem was that I wasn’t good at picking stitches for necklines, so the neckline didn’t lay flat. The last big problem, is that the hip shaping on most of Alicia’s designs look terrible on me.
So here we are, 5 years later. I’m a better knitter and am still in love with the look of this sweater. It’s going to be knit in Wool of the Andes, colorway pumpkin.
Next up is another sweater by Alicia Plummer: Campside Pullover. This is a sweater that has been in my queue for a long time, I think I purchased the pattern the first week it came out. I’m not sure how easy it will be to eliminate the hip shaping, but I’m going to knit it in Capra, colorway Embers Heather. Hello on sale Cashmere blend! I wonder if I can get it done in time to wear it for the Holidays.
The final project I’ve picked out (and bought yarn for!) is Cold Spring Shawl by Kirsten Hipsky. The plan is to blend three colors of Aloft (Celestial, black and Koi) in the hopes of ending up with a warm airy piece. Separately, these colors are in my wheel house, but they’re not something I would have thought to combine.
I’m excited! It isn’t always easy to buy yarn for larger projects and I’ve just purchased yarn for three of them. I’m lucky to have a supportive partner and the ability to jump at yarn sales.
Thoughts from iswimlikeafish 