Happy New Year - 2011

Yes, I know, there's about 12 hours til the New Year but haven't we already started looking ahead? Don't we wonder what this new year will bring? We know that only the calendar changes yet we do entertain the notion of change and new beginnings.

This year passed unbelievably fast. I made resolutions for this year and I think it would be fitting on the last day of the year to review what I said I would do starting the first day of the year:

1. Don't buy any yarn unless it is to match up with yarn already in the stash which is being used immediately on a project.

I am giving myself a B- on this. For the most part, I stuck with that and stayed within the exception guidelines. But there were a couple of moments where I did not - like a couple of days ago when I was in Joann looking for buttons. I didn't find any buttons I liked better than the ones I had but I did notice Joann has redone their brand yarn and I saw the new Love Bug yarn (new to me) and I thought, 'Bridesmaid shawl' so I picked up a couple of skeins. Though the intention is honorable, that was not in the rules, so I score down a little.


2. Do projects which require the use of scrap yarn - such as squares or leaf patterns or learning how to make that darned elusive granny square.

Well, score a big whopping A on that one. Not only did I make several square afghans, I also made several granny square afghans. Didn't do a thing to harm the stash though.


3. Stay out of temptation's way by not going to yarn stores.

Flunked that big time. I've been in yarn stores more this year than any year past and I'm happy to break that rule. I said back then Melissa would laugh at me for making this resolution and would work towards my demise and in fact, she introduced us to a couple of new yarn stores this year - enabler to the core. She just can't help herself.

So the new resolutions for 2011:

Face my fears - I have a much greater fear of success than I do failure. Given my age, I really don't have that much time to live to my potential so starting today instead of waiting until the magical 1-1-11 gives me one more day to move forward.

Finish the books I'm writing and find an editor to look them over.

Kill the stash - a holdover from mid year this year and still worth doing. I would like to replace stash shopping with real fiber shopping when I start a project and given how fast I knit and crochet that could be a fun outing several times a month.

Get back into shape - hard to believe I was a high school and college athlete. Can't go way back there but can do way better than where I am now. No magic numbers - just improvement.

That's enough to keep me busy for more than a year, but I'm giving it a shot for the next 366.

Whether or not you make or break resolutions, I wish you every good thing in the coming year - the love and joy of family and friends, the appreciation of the laughter of children (yours or someone else's)the comfort of a warm bed and a good book. Warm and breezy summer days, the willingness to help someone in your community, the country and the world and the peace you desire in your soul.

This is the only 2011 we'll get - let's make it a great new year.