I was thinking about, you know, about the next few weeks, which include the new year. And I was thinking about New Year’s resolutions, and I don’t really have strong feelings for or against resolutions. I think the New Year offers a intentional time to think about how you spend your days. And I always think it’s a good idea to maybe reevaluate some things, but I also don’t think it’s required if it’s not something that motivates you or whatever. So for me, like I said, I do like to reflect and think about how I might wanna shift in the New Year. And for me, one of the things that I want to do is change my relationship to knitting, which is my main hobby and how I spend a significant part of my life.
I was thinking back over the last few years of knitting and I rarely, if ever, make myself anything. I make hats — a lot — for people as gifts and for my partner and things like that. And I finally, just yesterday, cast off on a hat for myself, but that’s the first one that I made for myself in years. And I needed one. I’ve needed one for a while. But I’m always prioritizing other people’s, you know, things or gifts, whatever. Every now and then, very rarely, I’ll take a commission but more often than not, I’m knitting for a gift for someone that I’m giving them. And I realized I kind of feel guilty when I knit for myself. Like I shouldn’t, I don’t know, hoard this gift. And I’m making myself sound like I’m this exceptionally talented knitter. I’m a good knitter. I’m not, you know, anything too special so — um, but I do have a skill that not a ton of people I know have and so sometimes I feel like, “Oh, I have to do this for them ’cause they can’t do it for themselves and I can do it for myself and I’ll, I’ll get to it someday.” But, I’m finding that someday isn’t coming very often. So in 2025, I’d like to shift and become a more selfish knitter.