Well, another year is upon us as is the time to set some 2023 project goals. I didn’t do so well with my Make Nine lists from last year. For reference, here they are sewing / knitting/crochet.
I managed to finish some projects from these lists, and a whole bunch more that I still need to document. Sewing was not a focus for me last year, but I powered through a lot of knit/crochet projects. I completed the Make a Statement scarf, the Pathways Camisole and the Piper Sweater. I will provide links to these soon.
2022 brought a lot of things into my life including a weeding and a soon to be here babe so it has certainly been a whirlwind. I hope to spend the next year focusing on creativity (in addition to welcoming a little one into our lives), so stay tuned for updates
I have declared 2023 (and probably 2024) the year of no new yarn or fabric purchases so I can work through some of my stash that has somehow managed to get a little out of control. We recently reorganized our house to make room for the baby so I’ve lost my full craft room. Which is sad, but has also made me very aware of how much stuff I have. So the goal for this year is to work through what I have. Which I’m excited about, because I have a lot of really really nice yarns and fabrics begging to be used.
I have put together a loose (and probably unrealistic) list of some of my project goals for 2023. I have separated them by craft below:
PROJECT GOALS: FIBRE (Knit/Crochet)
I’m only highlighting five of millions of projects that I want to work on this year. Being realistic with my goals is a real challenge to me. I’ve highlighted five, but I probably have ten more that I would like to finish this year. Not entirely sure that is realistic. Especially bringing a new little baby into the mix.
The Weekender Light by Drea Renee Knits
This pattern has been on my list for a few years. I even started the regular version (for worsted weight), but decided I didn’t like the yarn and frogged it all. Back in 2021 (I think), I bought a bunch of fingering weight wool from Knit Picks in sweater quantities because they were on sale. I have enough for five sweaters! So I am going to use a grey twisted yarn for this. I have actually already started it and I am looking the feel of it. Track my progress here.
Child-size blanket
I ended up purchasing too much yarn for the Lakeside Coatigan I recently finished. While I didn’t love the colours for the Coatigan, I did love the main colour, which is a speckled cream yarn. It is all Bernat Premium, which is a good quality acrylic. So with six plus skeins of this yarn and some coordinating colours left over, I decided I wanted to make a crochet blanket. We don’t really need another couch blanket, so this one is going to turn into a (hopefully) twin size blanket for our impending arrival. I am not working from a pattern, so there is a chance that I might write this up into a pattern this year.
Lifesavers by Tanis Lavallee
A friend bought me this pattern for my birthday last year because I love stripes. It’s obvious when you look at all my finished projects. I am excited about this one because I purchased a beautiful yarn set from Leo and Roxy that I think will be perfect for this striped beauty.
Summerlin Cardi by Gorilla Knits
This one is a carry over from last year’s Make Nine. I purchased the kit for this through a sale with Lion Brand and it hasn’t quite made it on my needles. It uses the same Lion Brand cotton blend yarn as the Piper Sweater (link coming soon). I loved working with this yarn. It does split a little, but is so soft and cozy. I am looking forward to this one being completed. I think it will be the perfect summer wardrobe addition.
Opal Tank by Alexandra Tavel
Another kit purchased through a Lion Brand sale two years ago. This oversized tank is knit with Lion Brand Coboo yarn, which I haven’t worked with yet. I made the Pathways Camisole last year (link coming soon) out of the Truboo yarn and I suspect this will work up similarly with regards to feel. It looks like the perfect summer top.
PROJECT GOALS: FABRIC
I did not get much (if any) sewing done last year on personal projects, so most of these project goals carry over from my Make Nine list from 2022. These projects are a little less thought out than my knitting/crochet projects so fewer details at this point but you can get more info from my make nine list.
Cascade Duffle by Grainline Studios
I purchased fabric to make two of these last year and they did not happen. I found some beautiful boiled wool at my local fabric store for a great price, so how could I not. Anyway, I hope that at least one of these will come to fruition this year.
Quilted Tamarak Jacket by Grainline Studios
I’m unsure if I want to repurpose one of my grandmother’s quilts for this one or if I want to quilt my own fabric for it. It will take some research to decide. I did purchase the hood add on for this pattern and I will alter the length to make sit below my hips.
Carolyn Pyjamas by Closet Core Patterns
I have made a couple pairs of these (for winter) and would like to make a lightweight set for summer out of some cotton. I have some fun African prints that I think might work really well and be pretty fun for this.
Baby Clothes from the Green Bean Baby Set
I stumbled upon this baby pattern set one late night on Instagram and thought it was a genius idea. The pattern is a mix and match style, so you can make literally any outfit for your kiddo in a variety of sizes. I accrued some fun knit fabrics for kids clothing (long before I was event pregnant) so I am going to make baby some clothes this year. I have zero clue what styles or sizes, so I am going to wait until he arrives and see what he needs before I do this.
Miller Shorts by Seamwork
I am going to need some new shorts this summer to fit my post party body and I love the paperbag style of this pattern. I will probably use some linen or printed African cotton fabric for these. We will have to see what I can pull from my stash.
PROJECT GOALS: Business
In addition to actually making some things this year, part of my project goals include investing more time in creating content for my business. Taking photos and sharing content of what I am creating is not one of my strong points, so I would like to put some more effort in to that. I have taken a step back (unofficially) from making earrings and things for Mallow & Six, but would like to get back in to that this year and I plan to do some more markets over the summer. Without any concrete plans laid out, I still have some product available on my site and will be running some sales leading up to the summer season.
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