Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Your 2010 Knitting Horoscope!!


Greetings Fellow Knitters,
2010 is just about upon us so herewith is your knitting horoscope for the New Year!


Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19)
Cappy the goat is known for patience, resourcefulness, setting big goals, and reaching them. But reaching these goals can, goat-style, require climbing the mountain slowly and sideways, and stopping to eat everything along the way. You can’t help but set your sights on a mountain of projects for the new year—and that’s fine. Just remember that slow and steady wins the race, and it’s okay if you get distracted from that six-month sweater pattern by ten other irresistible projects. Don’t be hard on yourself if meeting goals takes a little longer than hoped-for deadlines—you’ll get where you’re going because you always do. Also, your stubbornness means you like to learn by doing, often on your own. Consider taking a class or two, even if you wind up not following instructions—you’ll enjoying knitting with the herd.


Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
The symbol for Aquarians is the water carrier, and those born under this sign are known to be a little kooky (in a good way of course), super-creative, and dreamy/floaty. Go with your natural flow in 2010, and don’t get anchored down by projects you feel you “have to” knit. Instead, let the tide of knitting take you where it will, and if you wind up with a few unfinished projects, so be it. Remember, it’s the journey, not the destination. You might want to start the year off knitting a dozen swatches, just for the hell of it, trying out a range of fiber weights and needle sizes. Your streak of originality will lead you to some off-beat patterns, some patternless seat-of-your-pants projects, and possibly even a foray into other crafts. Maybe a little crocheting or Cricket Loom weaving awaits you?


Pisces (Feb 19 – March 20)
Greetings my fishy Pisces friends, and welcome to what promises to be an exciting new year—nay, decade—in knitting for you. Time to start swimming upstream, against the tide, and thinking about taking on those projects you only dreamed about until now. You’re known to adapt well to whatever water you swim in, so think about jumping into the deep end, and go ahead and bite off a little more than you think you can chew. You’ll be surprised. Been meaning to try out an Aran sweater? This is the year to go for it. Of course your need for originality might find you knitting such a classic pattern in some bold or even fluorescent color. Do not be afraid. This is going to be a time for real growth in your knitting, with lots of experimentation in textures, colors, and challenging patterns.


Aries (March 21 – April 19)
Oh my stubborn Ram! What are we going to do with you? I have an idea. Let’s put that hardheaded tenacity and incredible enthusiasm of yours to work in 2010. Pick a project, any project—socks, hats, scarves, sweaters, leg warmers—and stick with variations on that singular theme for at least the first six months of the new year. Challenge yourself to memorize a basic pattern—say socks or a top-down sweater—then see how many of this one particular project you can make in the first half of the year. Think of it as full-immersion learning, and don’t move on to something new until you can make your project without consulting the pattern. Then spend the second half of the year taking what you’ve learned and teaching yourself to improvise as you go, and see what kind of designs you can create on your own.




Taurus (April 20 – May 20)
You’re not the only stubborn, hoof-footed member of the astrological pack, my bullish friend, but you might actually be a hair or two more tenacious than Aries the Ram and Capricorn the Goat. You cannot help but charge into projects, and—naturally—you’re drawn to anything made in red, with capes being especially attractive to you. This loyalty to particular colors/patterns has served you well, and with your generous spirit you have given away many a knitted gift. But how many red capes can you gift to friends and family members? Time to come charging out of your corner in 2010. There’s a huge arena of possibilities that away you. If jumping into projects and colors heretofore unknown to you feels off-putting don’t let that stop you from experimenting. Just keep a small project-of-familiarity on the needles at any given time (like comfort food) while simultaneously trying out some new projects that let you show off the fancy footwork you didn’t even realize you possess.


Gemini (May 21 – June 20)
Geminis, symbolized by The Twins, have such a hard time with singular projects. Preferring instead to create two of everything, knitters born under this sign are apt to be working on socks, mittens, gloves, leg warmers, earmuffs, arm warmers, and the occasional knitted bikini top. These smaller projects serve you and your restlessness well, knitting up quick as they do. But 2010 is a time to slow down and pick something big to work on—afghan anybody? If such a big change feels daunting, here’s an idea: grab a book of sampler patterns, and knit up individual panels you can sew together later. This will allow you to try out all sorts of techniques, from intarsia to Fair Isle to cables to bobbles. If you simply cannot break away from knitting in pairs, here’s an idea: try knitting mittens in two different colors or, at the very least, testing out the Noro sock yarn, which—with its cool variegation—yields a pair of socks that match, just not identically (you know, fraternal socks).


Cancer (June 21 – July 22)
Oh my crabby friend—you Cancers are actually known to be pretty good teachers, but when it comes to learning, you prefer to do so on your own. 2010 is going to be different. When the Knitting Muse whispers in your ear, “Time to take a class,” you mustn’t block the advice (blocking is for sweaters, after all, not smart suggestions). Set aside your fears and self-absorbed knitting tendencies, and crab-walk on over to a felted bootie class, an intarsia bag class, or—and this is really the best idea—an ongoing weekly class. It’s not just about learning new skills it’s about camaraderie and also it’s about learning how other people teach, so the next time you’re called upon to show someone how to knit, you’ll have fresh insight on the best way to do so. Being the crab, you’re drawn to the beachy side of life, so go ahead and indulge the urge to work with sandy colored linens, light colored cottons, and sea green bamboo yarn.


Leo (July 23 – August 22)
Leo you know it, but allow me to confirm: you are king of your own jungle. And what a jungle your knitting life has become—that stash in your lair has gotten a little out of control, no? Consider 2010 a time for purging a bit, or at least rearranging to make the space the comfortable den you know you prefer it to be. As for projects in your near future, embrace your regal ways and go for the gold—think mustards, reddish-oranges, and mane-like fuzzy stuff. And before you fall prey to your own love of working alone, be sure to make plans to pop by KnitBuzz at least a couple of times per month to bond with your kindred spirits. That’ll allow you to roar for joy in the new year.


Virgo (August 23 – Sept 22)
Oh Virgo—Virgo, Virgo, Virgo! You with your need for precision, over-organization, and insistence on constant order has led you, until now, to stick with carefully selected patterns, monochromatic designs, and lots and lots of Virgin-y wool. Well guess what? 2010 has some big surprises in store for you. The whim won’t strike often, but when you do find yourself inexplicably drawn to some variegated something, or a pattern with more than two colors in it, or a design that involves something that—at least to your eyes—seems a little…er… messy—don’t avoid the urge. Go for it. You’ll make at least three projects this year that, by your definition, count as unconventional. Enjoy the process and remember it’s the journey, not the destination. Bonus points if you can keep yourself from TINKing and ripping out rows.


Libra (Sept 23 – Oct 22)
Well-balanced, Libra? Not exactly. Despite the scales that symbolize your sign, the thing is, nothing in life is ever totally balanced and, admit it, this drives you nuts. You hesitate to start a sweater because what if one sleeve winds up a hair longer than the other? Your idealism and difficulty with decision-making throw further hurdles in your path. But great news: 2010 is the year you’re going to learn how to exhale, forget about seeking perfect balance, and just knit, knit, knit. Your first knitting assignment for 2010 is a stash scarf—keep the stitches simple (garter, St, st, or a 2-2 rib will do), but really mix it up with the yarn, using light and heavy weights, natural and manmade blends. You might want to toss several balls in a bag and pull out a new one (no peeking) every five to ten rows. This won’t be easy for you, but it will help you let go of that decision-making quirk of yours.


Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21)
Scorpions are a resourceful lot, with plenty of passion to boot. In 2010 it’s time to apply these assets and think about checking out the organic side of the knit-life. Other good project possibilities come in the form of gathering up all those UFOs and making a plan. Perhaps you’ll unravel them and repurpose the yarn for something you truly want to finish. Or maybe, by the time you start unraveling UFO numero uno, you’ll get a burst of Must Finish All UFO’s, and knock out those old projects pronto. Particularly playful Scorpios might want to try something really different—bind off those UFOs now, wherever you are in the project. Now felt these pieces, cut them into manageable shapes and sizes, and sew them together to make a bag, blanket, hat, iPhone cover or whatever your imagination dictates.


Sagittarius (Nov 22 – December 21)
Just about everyone loves the low-key Sags of the world. And Sags, for their part, give the love right back. Both independent and loyal, Sags know when to listen during knit group, and when to offer gentle support. Same goes for Sagittarian knitting—you’ll continue to be dedicated to your projects, and you’ll finish nearly everything you start. Your mellow nature will lead you toward soft yarns and patterns with curves—I’m thinking cables, chunky fibers, and maybe even a few pom-poms thrown in for good measure. And Sag? Do us all a favor and sign up for a knitting retreat in 2010. Your even keel and good nature makes for great fun and great company. You’ll be a welcome addition to any group you join be it ongoing or a one-week knit-themed vacation.








2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a Capricorn and I think I share many of the goat's features mentioned here. But the you didn't mention that goats are sexually active, and I'm as well, that's why I need to buy viagra to keep it up

Cialis said...

These are so creative!