The year of Kauni Effektgarn and some musings on resolutions

I don't do New Year's resolutions. Why would I do that, when any resolution I'd make would be doomed to fail?

Think about it: What types of things do people make resolutions about? Typically, eating less, exercising more, quitting smoking, quitting drinking, giving up sugar, saving money -- in short, removing all pleasure from life. And knitters often make incomprehensible (to me) resolutions about de-stashing, not buying more yarn, not buying more sock yarn, not buying any more [insert favorite color here] yarn ...

All I can say is I'm going to hell in a handbasket, and enjoying every bit of the ride. I'm gonna go in a blaze of glory, but at least when I do, my stash won't melt, because I don't buy acrylic.

I do, however, occasionally think, in a noncommital way, about the fact that yarn makes up a sizable part of my "budget" --  I call it that, just for fun -- and an even more sizable part of my possessions. And I occasionally think that, if I were a person who believed in "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts", I probably shouldn't be spending as much money on yarn as I do.

Oh well, screw that.

My coworker and friend E. did a "year of the sock" last year, during which she made 12 pairs of socks in 12 months. This year, she's doing the "year of the hat", and has already produced several really smashing hats. [I encourage you to follow her at paleopurls.blogspot.com.]  I admire her perseverance and accomplishment, but that whole type of project is way too close to all things I fear: deadlines, shoulds, and lack of variety. (And variety IS the cheese of life, doncha know. More about that another time.)

However, I've decided to do The Year of Kauni Effektgarn. It encompasses everything I like, and nothing I don't. First, I've lost my heart, and most of my money, to the beautiful, delicious Kauni Effektgarn. It's 100% wool, rich with lanolin, and it shades from one beautiful color to the next in at least 20 colorways.

Second, this Year doesn't involve any shoulds or deadlines. I don't really care if I make 12 things in 12 months with Kauni. But I've already made 3 major things out of it this year: A large Spiral Nebula shawl*, and two (count 'em) Maude Vests from the Simply Shetland 2 book, the first according to the pattern and the second enlarged somewhat for a better fit. I figure I've been more-or-less continuously knitting with the stuff all year so far, so I might as well continue. Especially since I have enough stashed to make both a cardigan and a project-to-be-determined.

Watch this space for further adventures with Kauni, and, of course, pictures. When I get around to it, that is. (No resolutions on that.)

*I knit the Spiral Nebula while my mom was in the hospital for two months, and I've decided it soaked up too much bad juju during that time and must be frogged. Not to mention, It's a big shawl, and it's done in the rainbow colorway. I started picturing myself as Rainbow Bright at age 56, looking like hell but really BIG and BRIGHT. I'm going to repurpose the yarn and incorporate it into the collar of the cardigan, and make a few scarves with the rest.

Stay tuned.