Seasonal Knitting

Apparently we get six more weeks of winter, so that means we have time to finish all those winter knits, right? This fits so well with what I’m trying to do right now with my knitting time! I’m going to think of the next six weeks as the remainder of my Winter Knitting Season, which will take me to mid-March. Come join me with this–and you can meet your knitting goals, if not your knitting dreams.

Knitting Planning Math

Let’s think of this as if it is a challenge on Top Chef–so when the six weeks are done, needles down, no more knitting. I’ve allotted time for finishing those projects (seaming, adding trim, buttons, etc.) in the period between March 16 and April Fool’s Day, so this is just the knitting. But for it to count, it must be completed on March 15.

1. If you have six weeks of knitting remaining in your “Winter Knitting Season”, how many hours of knitting do you have? = X hours of knitting
2. In those X hours of knitting, what projects do you plan to complete?
3. How much time do you need to spend on each project?
4. Are you using “new math” or “old math”?
   1. New math is based on your Global Schedule and Project Planning.
   2. Old math is based on what you want to happen–i.e., wishful thinking.
5. If you have more projects planned than you can complete in your “Winter Knitting Season”, how are you going to prioritize them? What do you do with projects you cannot complete?

If you are like me, this is a somewhat disappointing exercise to go through, but it immediately made me prioritize my projects. There is that cardigan that I could put off knitting for the “Spring Knitting Season”, but there are other projects I need to get done because of external deadlines or that I know I’m going to need to do.

So go ahead and pencil this into your calendar and see what it looks like.

2015 Knitting Seasons

Here are some downloadable 2015 Calendars. This has links to downloadable Monthly 2015 calendars. Just a reminder that Knitty will be out in March and Twist Collective comes out in April. I’m setting out a possible plan for 2015 planning purposes because you have to be able to push thing ahead if needed. I personally can only plan a season at a time–although I have my eye on other seasons.

Winter Knitting: January 1 (or whenever you finish your Holiday Knitting) through March 16.

Winter Finishing: March 17 to March 31.

Spring Knitting: April 1 through May 25 (Memorial Day).

Spring Finishing: May 26 to June 14.

Summer Knitting: June 15 through August 23.

Summer Finishing: August 24 to September 7 (Labor Day).

Fall Knitting: September 8 through October 31 (Halloween).

Fall Finishing: November 1 to November 11 (Veterans Day)

Holiday Knitting: November 12 through December 15.

Holiday Finishing: December 15 to December 24.

Free Knit: December 25 to December 31 (New Year’s Eve)

As you review this schedule I am sure you can see ways it may fit better with your knitting, so make adjustments as you need.

I think an important consideration is what you want to be knitting during any season. That is, do you want to be knitting the heaviest wool knits during Winter Knitting because they feel right to be working on, or do you prefer to work ahead so you are wearing those heaviest knits then? This is completely personal preference and inclination. You can obviously blend or truncate any of these seasons, do a combination of seasonal knitting and other knitting or otherwise tailor it to fit. I also suggest that you leave some room–for problems, for that project that leaps onto your needles, or for a change of heart.

My Seasonal Knitting: Winter

I’ve made my list, and put in an estimate of time needed for knitting:

1. Finish Icterine – 4 hours
2. Knit Belon for 2/27/15 dinner – 12 to 15 hours
3. Sport weight Esperance Cowl/Shawl – 12 to 15 hours
4. Figure out Curls projects (2: secret) – 8 hours
5. Finalize and Block Windsor Capelettes – 6 hours
6. Trim on 2 versions of Bellevue – 8 hours
7. Unknown. Probably swatches – ? hours

This totals either 50 or 56 hours of knitting but doesn’t include the unknown projects. The only strict deadline I have at this point is Belon which I really want to wear on February 27th.