The first week of January is often a let-down after the frantic pace of the holiday season. This may be why everyone feels impelled to make New Year’s Resolutions that often try to match the drama of the last few weeks, and this may also be why they seem doomed to fail. For the coming year, why not think of these as a form of goal-setting rather than as an ill-fated effort to turn ourselves into Superperson?

As makers, we have the power to make an impact on the world. Why not use our creativity for the greater good this year? The concept of slow fashion is gaining ground as we learn more about the ecological and humanitarian impact of the clothing industry. Perhaps we should resolve to knit as a way of reducing our clothing footprint. Simple sweaters that can be worn in a variety of ways can expand our wardrobes, as can accessories that brighten up our everyday dress formulae.

Another way that we can benefit the greater community is to knit for charity. This needn’t be overwhelming, either. Perhaps we can pick one charity that speaks to us for whatever reason, resolving to knit and send one item a quarter. That is only four times a year, a very doable goal. Combine this with another goal: let’s knit in public and with friends more often. Is there a Knitting Meetup in your area? Why not start one at a local coffee shop or library?

All of us resolve at some point or another to reduce the size of our individual yarn stash, but few of us ever do more than dream. Why not take the initiative with this by planning a project that uses up odd skeins of yarn? A simple scarf, shawl, hat, or sock pattern can be personalized with stripes, slip-stitch patterns, or simple stranded knitting. It’s not difficult – gather materials that are the same weight, decide on a design that works with your amounts, and go!

We often resolve to try a new form of knitting. Instead, perhaps we should resolve to dig deeper into something that we already love. Socks, for example, can be knit toe-up, top-down, or side-to-side; how many of these have we tried? What about the varieties of heel and toe construction? If we like to knit top-down sweaters, maybe varying the styles might be all the change we need this year. Or perhaps we could commit to a style we love that isn’t normally found in ready-made, and digging deeper into that? Raglan sweaters, for another example, can be knit top-down, bottom-up, or in pieces and sewn together.

However and whatever you decide to knit this year, may you enjoy yourself and add to the greater good in the process. Happy knitting!