A Fresh, New Start
“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.”
Dear One,
If you've been reading my newsletter thoughts for any significant amount of time, you may recall that I'm not a fan of new year's resolutions. I often think they're too much, "You're such a mess/Try harder!" and too little, "Hey, you are doing a lot of lovely stuff/Keep up the good work." In my mind, midwinter is tricky enough without adding a heavy new personal to-do list to the pile.
But I don't mind challenging myself to a greater lean in, a stronger focus, a gentle re-centering. We give and receive a lot of books in our family during the holidays and I love sitting down to plunge happily into the first of those. Having my adult kiddos home often exposes me to new music--and early in the new year I love to explore those discoveries more deeply. It's also a time when I tend to be curious about new recipes and ways to bring more flavors to my table.
But my favorite addition to the new year is choosing what to create during the annual Yarnology Sweater Challenge! I've been interviewing patterns and yarns for a few weeks now, and Susan helped me pin down just the right combo. May I introduce to you the Snedronningen by Isabell Kraemer:
Please don't ask me to pronounce the Danish...but Google assures me the translation is Snow Queen, which seems very fitting. And it definitely ticks all the boxes: DK yarn (I'm using Palmer Basic DK for the main color and my Palmer Yarn Club mystery skein for the colorwork), top-down, elegant pattern, designer I trust and like.
If you want to stretch yourself to finish a garment during the Challenge (January 1 to March 1) but aren't up for a full-on sweater, how about a vest? Vests are completely legit Challenge entries and this one (Timbo by Gabriella Calderini) uses bulky yarn (Ultra Wool Chunky anyone? Or Lucky Tweed?) and US 10.5 needles. Our friends at The Yarnery sent it out in their newsletter recently and it struck me as a fabulous first garment...that doesn't look like a first garment. The two-tone color block adds a level of sophistication and a chance to make it completely, uniquely yours.
In the spirit of embracing the right challenges as we step gingerly into this new year, consider adding your name to the Sweater Challenge list. You'll be in good company. And what could be more nurturing than knitting or crocheting something lovely for yourself right now?
Warmly,
Gaby
