The start of a new year often means talk of New Year’s resolutions. That used to feel like the norm, but thanks to the wonderful (and noisy!) world of the web, there are now lots of different opinions. One of the loudest seems to be that spring is the best time to start anything new – when the days are brighter and things begin to bloom and grow.
That makes sense to me too. Are the dark, cold winter evenings really the time to learn how to garden or start Couch to 5K? I was once someone who loved going to the gym in winter because it made me feel good – but that was already a habit I’d built over several years. (Please don’t ask me if I’m going this winter!)
But knitting and crochet are the exception. They are habits that *can* be started in cold, dark, wintery evenings – because they bring colour and joy, and they calm the mind.
If you’re reading this as a beginner and you’ve tried a few rows of knitting but didn’t feel that calm straight away, please keep going. It will come. There isn’t a timeline for when knitting starts to feel soothing. It happens slowly. Bit by bit. Stitch by stitch.
When the nights draw in, that really is the perfect time for drawing yarn around a needle or hook. To watch those soothing stitches form on the needle and know that you created them – something that can be seen and felt.
January can sometimes feel tricky for motivation. Some knitters are wonderfully organised – they come into the Skipton studio in December and plan their next project ready for after Christmas. Some do this because they don’t get much knitting time while friends and family visit. Others know they’ll need the excitement of a new project once the decorations come down and the twinkling lights are replaced with… twinkling tweeds.
And yes, I’m thinking of all the tweeds here – Donegal Aran Tweed, Soft Donegal Chunky, Darnie, Donegal Twists DK – all those beautiful little flecks catching the light.
So is January the month for beginner knitters or experienced knitters?
You can probably guess my answer. It’s for both.
Knitting isn’t just for January, and it isn’t just for one type of knitter. It’s for anyone who wants to begin – or continue – slowly. That slow magic of becoming. No rush. Just gently starting, gently growing. By the time spring arrives, who knows what you might have created?
One pattern I always come back to at this time of year is the Davina Cowl. Many of you will already know it, and perhaps you’ve knitted it before, but it remains a favourite of mine.
For experienced knitters, it’s my perfect amuse-bouche knit – something to pick up between more complicated projects, or to knit alongside them. It’s great for playing with colour. I love the idea of knitting it with a solid and a tweed together – perhaps new to Purl &Jane Woodnote Aran with Donegal Aran Tweed – or even two tweeds.
It’s also a brilliant stash buster. One year I knitted one with a natural shade throughout and striped it with leftover bits from other projects. Not enough yarn for anything big, but far too precious to throw away. (Who am I kidding – I never throw yarn away. I even hesitate to throw out the tiny ends!)
For beginners, the Davina Cowl is a perfect slow start. Two strands of aran yarn and 9mm needles mean big stitches and visible progress. You’ll see it grow quickly – but there’s still no rush. It might take an experienced knitter a couple of days, or it might take a year because there are other projects on the go. Six projects… or more!
And if you’re a beginner, don’t think about how long something “should” take. Just enjoy the process. If you knit one row in an evening, that’s brilliant. You knitted a row! That’s a beginning – and that’s everything.
