Planning your projects for 2025
Are you a better-late-than-never planner like me? January rolls around, we’re midway through February, and suddenly I’ll be thinking “I need to plan my knit and crochet projects for this year!” January always feels like a bit of a nothing-month. A bonus month from the previous year. Of course, everyone knows the year truly starts in February, right?
Okay, well even if *maaayyybe*, *perhaps*… the year has already started, surely it’s still better late than never to think about what you would like to knit and crochet this year.
Where to start?
It’s best to start your craft planning session by thinking about what you desperately want to make this year. A cosy blanket? Finally learning how to make socks? There’s plenty of sweaters in your closet but not enough cardigans? Take a minute and write down what comes to mind.
It’s good to take stock of what you would actually like to make, before you go and browse Ravelry and just ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ your way to a full project queue because the pictures just look so swoonworthy. I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely fallen into the trap where I make something because it looks so stunning on the model, before considering if it would actually suit *me* as well.
Aside from which projects to make, also think about any techniques or methods you might want to learn. Perhaps you have been wanting to really master the ‘Judy’s Magic Cast On’, or you want to try a new stretchy bind off technique.
If you don’t have something particular in mind that you would like to make, maybe you’ll find some inspiration in your yarn stash. Are there any yarns you really want to work with this year? Some beautiful yarns you’ve picked up at a marketplace, or some skeins that have been in your stash for far too long and need to be turned into a project.
Do you have to make winter clothes only in winter?
Well, I’m sure you already know you don’t need to be making season appropriate projects. For myself, I find it nearly impossible to both start and finish a project in the same season! But still, a lot of makers will be questioning whether to cast on a cosy sweater in summertime or if it’s weird. Of course it’s not weird, feel free to knit or crochet whatever you want, whenever you want! But… there is one thing I want you to keep in mind regarding seasons.
Pick seasonally appropriate yarn
Yes, this is the ONLY thing I want you to consider whether you’re knitting a blanket, a tanktop or a cabled sweater. Think about the season you’re making it for and which yarn is suitable for it. Take into account how cold it gets in wintertime where you live. When I lived in the Netherlands, I had some sweaters that were SO warm, I could only wear them for a couple days each year. But now I live in northern Scotland I can wear them way more often.
Some climates never get cold enough to wear anything with mohair in it, while cotton tanktops may be wasted on other more frosty environments. Also consider sleeve length: warm fibres and short sleeves just make no sense if you’re not layering it over something else. for anything with mohair or alpaca, I knit long sleeves. And vice versa, long sleeves with mostly cotton yarns don’t work for me, since they don’t keep me warm and take too long to dry after washing.
If you’re mostly making homeware like blankets and pillows, think about how often you want to wash your project and if it should be easy to care for. Yarns with acrylic content are often easy to wash and quick to dry. For a blanket, you want strong durable yarns that won’t be too heavy – unless you’re making a weighted blanket of course!
Keep it fun with the Craft Planner!
The New Leaf Craft Planner is something I’ve made as a free bonus for my Patreon subscribers. It is a fun planner that motivates you to write down your goals, track your progress, and set challenges for yourself!
There is a fun bingo card as well – my personal favourite – see if you can get bingo this year! It includes challenges like ‘frog a project’, or ‘incorporate 2+ mini skeins in a project’.
This printable planner is only available for Patreon subscribers, you can check out Patreon via the button below!
If all else fails..
..or if you’re simply not the type of person to plan your projects, just have fun with your knitting and crochet WIPs this year! I’d love to hear what you plan to make this year, and what aspects you’re taking in consideration.
For me, my 2025 projects are mostly based off which yarns I want to use in my stash. If you didn’t know, I’m doing a ‘Year of Stash’ where I only knit and crochet from stash, and don’t buy any new yarn for a year. Drastic I know, but I think you would make the same decision if you saw just how many yarns I have. It’s just literally too embarrassing, although I might have to do a ‘yarn tour’ at some point.
If you want to know more about the Year of Stash, click the button below!
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