Good intentions

You know all that gorgeous yarn you have in your stash? And all those ace patterns in your Ravelry queue or on your bookshelves? And all those hats/gloves/wraps/cardigans you’ve pictured yourself or a loved one wearing which are merely waiting for you to get around to actually making them?

Well. The lovely Louise Scollay over at KnitBritish has come up with a delightfully low-stress way of bringing some of those things together and feeling happy with your thrifty and productive self at the same time. Her Good Intentions Club starts on Sunday, and I am a fully paid-up* member.

* Not actually paid-up – because it’s free. And it’s not even really an organised club – it’s just up to you. Keep on reading, you’ll see what I’m talking about.

The plan (if you can’t be bothered to skip over to her blog to take a look – but you should!) is to get four projects ready to go for casting-on over the next 12 months (casting on one every three months). Four patterns from your queue paired with four sets of yarn from your stash, with the patterns printed and the yarn wound (maybe – I might not have quite managed that) and neatly put together into a project bag, hot to trot. (Bonus points if you put the right needles in too.) Given that: a) I’m on my yarn-ban right now; b) am in general on an economy drive; and c) get somewhat overwhelmed by clutter every few months and have to konmari the heck out of our house, this appeals to me immensely. Love and use what you already have = win.

So I had a really enjoyable Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago pairing stash yarn with projects. (I think the GIC plan is for you get out those patterns and yarns that you’d always had projects specifically in mind for – but I went a bit off-piste and added in a few combos which I hadn’t thought of prior to that day but which seemed perfect when I just put my mind to it.) This is, as mentioned last weekend, also what prompted me to cast-on for my Belyse gloves (ahead of the official start of the Club, get me!).

These are the projects I’ve ended up with:

1. Passerine Hat by Erica Heusser, paired with Baa Ram Ewe’s Titus in White Rose and Rhubarb.

Aaarrghh, birds on a hat! There’s nothing not to like here, right? I’ve had this in my queue for a few months, and now absolutely seems like the time to make it happen – plus a hat is a nice achievable first project. The White Rose Titus is left over from my Birstwith hat, and the pop of bright pink Rhubarb is from a couple of the mini-skeins that I bought at Pomfest. If this all works out then I have lots of other Titus combos available to me so might make more. I think I might make it fractionally longer/slouchier, and may also add a pompom.

2. Oasis hideaway shawl by Agnes Kutas-Keresztes, paired with Bilum Muli.

I bought this Bilum yarn at last year’s Fibre East, where the version of this shawl which only takes one skein was pinned to the stall (and was basically the reason that I bought the yarn – clever marketing).

3. Sabbatical Cardigan by Connie Chang Chinchio, paired with Rosy Green Wool Cheeky Merino Joy in Blackberry Sorbet.

YES, this is the cardigan I’ve been banging on about all year. And that’s the yarn I bought specifically for it at Pomfest. IT’S HAPPENING.

4. Mookari Shawl by Ambah O’Brien, paired with Julie Asselin Fino (in Pom Party) and Third Vault Yarns Companion 4-ply (in Inari).

Full disclosure – the Companion 4-ply is NEW YARN that I bought at the Great London Yarn Crawl after-party three weeks ago. I totally broke the yarn-ban. BUT: it’s sock yarn (so it doesn’t count); I was otherwise VERY good that day (the only other yarn I brought home was free!); and I actually specifically went out to get this (or something similar), because I had already worked out that I wanted to use the two skeins of PomParty Fino yarn for making a Mookari shawl and I needed something complementary to make up the third colour. (You can still judge me, it’s OK.) LOOK at that purple, though. If anyone wants to get me another skein so I can make a seriously rocking pair of socks you are absolutely welcome.

So that’s my lot (I now realise, photographing the yarn, that there’s more pink than I might have expected – interesting, given the blue/turquoise jag I’ve been on for the last year). Trouble is, I found I couldn’t stop at four. There are various other combos I picked out, which may or may not happen in the next 12 months too (or might skip the queue ahead of some of the ones above – we shall see!):

Mormorio Shawl by Heather Zoppetti, in John Arbon Alpaca Delight (in natural grey and rich turquoise)

I think I’ll adapt this into a scarf, and use this beautiful alpaca yarn I got at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival earlier this year (originally planned for a different shawl, but I am a fickle thing and have changed my mind).

Elska hat from Ysolda in autumn colours (mostly Jamieson’s Spindrift and a pop of Baa Ram Ewe Titus pumpkin orange)

I have sooo much Jamie’s Shetland spindrift left over from making Eunny Jang’s Venezia pullover (still to be blogged), and there’s all those Titus mini-skeins still… so I had a look through it all and put together a batch of autumnal colours. I really like this and hope I find the time to make it happen.

Non Troppo wrap by Asa Tricosa in Ainsworth Prin Alpaca Silk Lace (in teacup), and Natural Dye Studio Precious Lace (in silver)

One yarn added to my stash a year ago, alongside another that’s been there for a good ten years. I have too many skeins of beautiful laceweight yarn which are going nowhere – this shawl is lovely and light and very wearable (I just hope not too boring to knit) and would be a great use of two of them.

 

OK enough for now (there are more!). I wonder if I really will have all of the first four completed (and maybe more), 12 months from now? Let’s see. If you’re inspired by this approach too then please let me know, I’d love to see what you put in your plan.

One year on

And talking of 12-month milestones – I realised yesterday that I’ve recently passed the one-year anniversary of me kick-starting this blog again. Aww! I am so glad I did – I’ve met some excellent people online and am feeling so much more connected to knitting and all the joy it brings to my life. Thanks, blog! *blows kisses to everyone*

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