It cannot be avoided this time of year. Everyone talks about it. It's even all over the news.
The New Year's Resolution.
Have you broken yours yet?
I can site two particular people in my life who have helped to form my noncomformity when it comes this annual custom.
The first is my father (hi, dad!). If there is one thing I learned from my father, it's the importance of self-improvement. Now, taken at face value this may sound like an idea that fits perfectly with that of the New Year's Resolution.
But it doesn't.
You see, self-improvement is not just an annual event. It is an ongoing awareness that we all have our faults and that we would be remiss if we did not at least attempt to correct those faults we're able to recognize. The decisions you make on June 24th are no less important than those made on January 1st, so make the right ones every chance you get.
The second influence is my husband (who is much less likely to read this, but just in case...hey, babe!). The man just likes to be a rebel in the silliest situations. Keep people on their toes. Challange them to expect the unexpected.
This is one trait we have in common.
So, why make a New Year's Resolution when something like 99% of them get broken by the week's end? (No official research was done for the writing of this post, so please don't quote me on the percentage.) Just do what you do and if it's not right, do something different. All the time. This has not been an easy lesson for me to learn, being a right thorough perfectionist and procrastinator at heart, but my husband has been a good teacher.
Having kids helps, too. And a dog. And an old house that was a serious diy project for the previous owners.
And, of course, knitting.
That is why I am not too upset about my first pair of fingerless mitts that I decided to make without a pattern because I was ready for a new project right then. For the most part, they turned out okay. They're just a little wider than I would like. And I meant for them to hit higher up on the fingers. I'm sure blocking will help. And hands come in all shapes and sizes, so I'll put them in the shop and they will find the right hand for them glass-slipper-style.
Maybe next time I'll check a pattern or two before I start. And make a swatch. Do some math. Skip the chocolate. Exercise before the kids get up. Be more organized. Keep up with the laundry and the dishes and the cleaning.
But I'm not making any promises.
