Year of Projects, Year 2: The List

This post contains affiliate links.

I’m so excited to be embarking on a second Year of Projects along with the folks in the Come Blog-A-Long group on Ravelry.  Last year, I aimed to work my way through Crochet Master Class: Lessons and Projects from Today’s Top Crocheters – you can read more about why here – and in some form or fashion, I blogged my way through 13 out of 18 chapters.  I learned a lot and met some great people, but at times, I felt restricted by using one book.  For this year I decided to try something different.  My 2nd Year of Projects list includes a mix of projects and techniques.

The Projects

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I like to donate charity projects each year made from stash yarns.  My first project goal is to crochet 52 granny squares for charity. (I crocheted 40 this year, so I’m hoping this is manageable.)  To keep things interesting, I plan to use 52 different patterns – there will be no two squares alike!

Granny square books from my collection for inspiration.

I also plan to participate in the (newly renamed) Ravellenic Games for the first time this year.  I will attempt to complete my very first pair of knit socks.

Sock knitting books from my collection.

I’ve already started my Holiday Stashdown Challenge, and I have quite a few small holiday projects that I’m planning to make in 2012.  But I’d also like to make my mom a very special bedspread in time for her birthday in February.  So far, I have a few ideas, but I haven’t settled on anything.  This will need to be a really great one, since she is celebrating a milestone birthday next year.

The Techniques

This year, I’d like to learn a few new skills, and improve others that I picked up in the past year.

Learn to spin.
Continue to develop my Bruges lace skills and create my own Bruges lace pattern.
Learn overlay crochet, a technique frequently demonstrated by Melody MacDuffee.
Create my own hairpin lace pattern.
Try double-knitting.
Try out domino (modular) knitting.

 

Make something cool inspired by Pop Knitting.
Add knit entrelac to my entrelac repertoire (along with single crochet entrelac and Tunisian crochet entrelac).

I’d also like to create a crochet lace shawl pattern or recipe to use in my spring crochet classes at DC37.  I’m familiar with broomstick lace, hairpin lace, pineapples, and Tunisian lace, but I can always learn more about crochet lace!

The final list

I learned last year that I need about a month to work on each technique, so my final YOP list for 2012-2013 has only 12 items on it.  I seem to work best with books as my inspiration, so I’ve included links to the books I’m likely to use for each goal.

  1. Crochet 52 granny squares for charity. Likely inspiration: 50 Fabulous Crochet Squares, 99 Granny Squares to Crochet, 101 Granny Squares, 200 Crochet Blocks for Blankets, Throws, and Afghans, 201 Crochet Motifs, Blocks, Projects and Ideas, Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs, Contest Favorites Afghan Squares, Go Crochet! Afghan Design Workbook, The Granny Square Book, and When Granny Meets Filet.
  2. Knit my first complete pair of socks.  Likely inspiration: The Knitter’s Book of Socks, Socks a La Carte, The Sock Knitter’s Handbook, and Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks.
  3. Make my mom a special bedspread for her milestone birthday.  (Suggestions for stunning crocheted blanket patterns are welcome!  I might even consider knit patterns, but since I’m a slow knitter, that might be too daring.)
  4. Learn to spin.  Likely inspiration: Respect the Spindle and Start Spinning.
  5. Design my own Bruges lace pattern.
  6. Learn overlay crochet. Likely teachers: The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet and Crochet Master Class.
  7. Create my own hairpin lace pattern.
  8. Try double knitting. Likely teacher: Extreme Double Knitting.
  9. Try domino (modular) knitting. Likely teacher: Domino Knitting.
  10. Make a small project inspired by Pop Knitting: Bold Motifs Using Color & Stitch.
  11. Learn knit entrelac. Likely teachers: The Complete Photo Guide to Knitting and Entrelac: The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting.
  12. Design a crochet lace shawl pattern or recipe for my DC 37 crochet class students.
What’s on your list?

 

Leave a Comment

Subscribe to the newsletter to get my secrets and access to the subscriber vault!

5 Secrets for Improving Your Crochet Skills