New Years Resolutions

Hi There,

It's here again, that horrid cold feeling in the pit of my stomach that another year has flown by without me noticing and I am here again on the brink of  a New Year. Last New Year I was having a lot of stresses. I look back to last New Years Eve, I was desperately trying to get a job and pay the bills, whilst planning a wedding and everything else, I felt like I had a lot on my plate and had had a pretty hard time. The only thing that got me through that year had been learning to knit. So on New Years Eve I wrote a list to focus on what I wanted to achieve in the year ahead , what I wanted to do in 2012. I also wrote a list of all the traditions I had to do in order to get good luck. These included opening all the windows and doors at midnight to let the new year in, and leaving a basket outside, and letting a dark haired man come into the house first. (I did know the dark haired man so that wasn't a problem!) But from that list I  desperately made last New Years Eve I have a come a long way. I got a job, I pay my bills, I got married and had a lovely wedding, I moved house and I improved my knitting and I started this blog. So in a time honoured tradition I wanted to share with you my new list for New Years. This time I don't feel as low or blue, this time I feel optimistic and happy with my life, so here are my resolutions and they are not as bad as last year.

1. I have been given a brand spanking new sewing machine for Christmas. (It was love at first sight and it has been named Kirsty, after Kirsty Allsopp who inspired me to ask for a sewing machine.) 2013 will hopefully see me mastering this machine and producing some sewn items which are not too wonky or unravelled. I hope to learn to quilt and to use applique, I would like to make cushions and maybe even establish a little dressmaking ability?
2. In order to do this, I will have to find my confidence again and go to some new classes, I would like to join a class in sewing machines but also in applique, quilting and free embroidery. This I must force upon myself.
3. I would like to improve my knitting. Knitting is my first love and I am so glad I learnt this skill as it is sometimes all that keeps me sane! I would love to master knitting socks in the round and cable knitting so I can make some interesting patterns in the knit but I would also just like to continue knitting and improve that way with new patterns and projects. 
4. I am already in the process of completing my first knitted jumper, (but I won't mention the ribbing on the back as it is just awful! who knew my downfall for a jumper would be the first bit of ribbing?) so I would like to finish my jumper and be able to wear one of my own first knitted garments. I would like to improve on this and make other knitted garments.
5. I will work on my blog, and I will strive to update it more than I do now, with my current projects. I am afraid a lot of my Christmas projects have been and gone without their recording on here so I would like to improve on that so I don't lose anything.
6. I will work on my Etsy shop and learn to make more 'sell-able' things and also learn to price my knitted objects rather than just asking people to pay how they feel. But I will also not let the shop/price of things get in the way of making the object. The minute something becomes a chore I will move on, I knit because I love it, not because I have to.
7. This is a more personal wish- I am looking for a new house again and cannot wait to move from where I am now back to be near my friends and family, I would like to see them more and spend more time doing things in the evenings and weekends instead of collapsing on the sofa and sulking about my day.
8. I will also strive to be more proactive in my day to day life, which includes cleaning dishes and ironing clothes and keeping the house tidier, clean house clean mind and all that, even though it is horrendously boring.
9. I will not allow others to assume that because I am a crafter, that I am a boring old woman, I am not. and I haven't met any other crafters who are boring, we take delight in simple things and they are some of the most talented and creative people I have ever met.
10. I will find my nearest antique/vintage/junkyard and will explore 'Up-cycling' (Love you Kirsty!)

So there we have it, my focus for 2013 set out in stone, or in blog, who knows what will happen to me in 2013, so much has happened in 2012, that a quiet year may do me good. But then I have never been very good at being quiet.

Happy New Year,

Lots of Love

Bomo Knitting