100 Ravelry Pojects
I recently wrote a post about my 2014 resolution to knit less, focusing more on knitting quality and less on knitting production. “Look, another project, taa daa!” may be a silly approach for me to take to knitting after I have reached the 100th project mark. My goal instead is to knit for pure pleasure and to produce some heirloom pieces I will want to wear for years to come:
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/01/caught-up-in-the-knitting-race-stop-and-knit-an-heirloom-instead.html
My husband was very amused by this post, as he has for years been subversively combating the slow creeping menace of stacks of sweaters, yarn, and knitting supplies in our living space. Although a containment field has been operating for years, there lurks the threat that my fuzzy knits, like the troublesome tribbles, will proliferate until they crowd out everything else! After reading my post on heirloom knitting, therefore, he craftily devised a challenge to keep my knitting in its place. If my knits really warrant the storage space they are taking up, he said, they should be good enough for daily wear. Since I rashly admitted I have completed 100 projects, he proposes that I wear those knits for 100 days. Sadly, he knows my achilles heel, I cannot resist a challenge. The terms are that I do not have to wear the same sweater every day, or even wear every single project I have ever knitted—since some of those items are gifts, baby blankets or items I have frogged, it would be impossible! But any item that is not worn after 100 days of opportunity will be gifted or thrown away.
I admit, I am a bit stumped by this challenge. How to incorporate a hand-knitted item into my wardrobe every single day for 100 days? Wow, as the weather grows warmer that will get more difficult, but I’m willing to give it my best. What I like about this test is that it will force me to reflect on my knitting and how my projects relate to my style and daily needs. At the end of even 30 days I will have a clearer idea of what kinds of knits I really like and that are worth making again. I mean, if I wear the same scarf every time we go out, perhaps it would be worth spending my time knitting something similar instead of the odd design that strikes my momentary fancy. And I will certainly figure out why I like certain sweaters the most and what makes them so wearable that I want to put them on again and again. That will be vauable information I can incorporate into making future knits better and more useful so that they won't clutter up our space. But I’m getting ahead of myself. So far, I have only gotten through my first week. Now only 93 more days to go!
Day One: The Dinky Pull by Anny Blatt
Day Two: My Beaded Cardigan, inspired by Martin Storey’s Brigitte
Day Three: Emerald Blocks by Jean Frost
Day Four: Bead-trimmed Custom Sweater inspired by Wendy Bernard’s Custom Knits
Day Five: Striven by Jennie Atkinson
Day Six: Ciao Bella by Laura Bryant
Day Seven: Uist by Jennie Atkinson
Have you ever determined what your top knits are, and why? If you had to wear your knits every day, which would you choose?
The 100 Day Challenge is now complete. If you want to read the series of blog posts regarding the 100 Day Challenge, see the links below:
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/01/the-100-day-challenge-knit-it-wear-it.html
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/01/the-100-day-challenge-week-two.html
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/01/knitting-at-work-the-100-day-challenge-continues.html
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/02/the-vanishing-shawls-mystery-the-100-day-challenge-continues.html
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/02/pep-up-your-knits-the-100-day-challenge-continues.html
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/02/day-50-of-the-100-day-challenge.html
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/03/farewell-to-winter-knits-day-60-of-the-knitwear-challenge.html
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/03/top-5-modern-lace-knit-patterns-knitwear-challenge-continues.html
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/05/sherry-by-kim-hargreaves.html
http://yarnstylist.com/2014/06/the-finish-line-of-the-100-day-challenge.html