knit your library challenge: 2016 edition

 this is the year to tackle the tower!

I don't know about you, but we LOVE books. And after awhile, sometimes my house begins to feel something like this. Stacks and stacks of books. I honestly wouldn't have it any other way! (I would much rather have a house overflowing with books than a family addicted to video games!)


Of course, this love extends to crafting, knitting, sewing, and stitching books too. And after awhile, the love begins to feel overwhelming. Because all those books were bought with intentions, right? Wouldn't it be cool if I made this? My kids would love this! Oooh, I want this! And I don't know about you, but unfulfilled intentions weigh me down. I see that book/yarn/project/thing and feel guilty that I haven't done it yet. I started the Love Your Library challenge back in 2013 to help refocus my knitting, sewing and crafting so that I wouldn't forget to use the amazing patterns in my personal library that I already owned before buying more. Last year I refocused myself even more by picking several books to knit through in 2015. But honestly doing that just didn't fit with my personality. My crafting moods change throughout the year, and restricting myself to only a few books completed flopped (and there's just something about picking a few books to knit through that makes me want to knit anything but those patterns! ha!). But last year I had a few projects that used up old yarn that made something that fulfilled intentions I'd made for it seemingly ages ago. And that felt SO GOOD. So I'm declaring 2016 to be my personal year of follow through. Instead of picking specific books or projects, I'm going to go with the flow. But my theme will be projects that I've been intending to make, but just haven't followed through for some reason or another.
So join me every Wednesday as I post progress on this challenge with a link up! The rules are simple for this challenge: knit projects that utilize patterns you have in your personal library that you acquired before January 1, 2016. That's it! Last year I noticed some people were confused by the name "Love Your Library" thinking it was a challenge to go to your public library (I support that too!). So I'm tweaking the name just slightly this year to "knit your library." If you're on Ravelry, you can come chat about your projects with everyone else here. And if you want to tag your projects on social media, use the tag #knityourlibrary. And come back every Wednesday to link up your projects and blog posts! Of course, I'll get distracted by the ooh, shiny! and there will be projects that don't qualify for this challenge, so that's okay. The intention of this challenge is a fun way to cheerlead each other in support of better following through on our crafting intentions!

And if you want a badge, here's one to snag! See the side bar for the html code to make it a linking button --------------->

Link up below to let me know you're joining in! Wishing everyone a fun and productive 2016!



12 comments:

Meg Wesley said...

This sounds like an awesome challenge! It is always good to try to knit your favorite patterns that you already have. I have to admit that the name Knit Your Library drew me in. For a second, I thought you were going to knit books!

Gracey is not my name.... said...

Okay I started this last year and it so fell by the wayside...but this year's also falls into a goal of mine...I do Year of Project posts on Sundays..and I have been carrying a list over the past couple of years of Projects in Mind..I have the pattern and the yarn..just haven't started them...so I'll connect my YOP to this...hopefully it'll be more successful...what day will you be posting....I thought it was Tuesday last year...and that was what I was planning on....

Emily said...

Yay! That sounds fantastic! I'm going to post on Wednesdays this year, but you could go with Tuesdays and link up your Tuesday post!

Emily said...

Yay! Welcome! A knitted book sounds kind of awesome actually!

Lucy Bowen said...

Ditto! I started but didn't finish. I have loads of patterns lined up and also do the year of projects so should be able to link both - lets see how we go?

Anonymous said...

Great idea. I think I'll include magazines in the "library". I have a metric ton of back issues from the days when I subscribed to nearly every knitting and crochet magazine out there, and they contain lots of gorgeous patterns. (These days I'm down to Vogue and Rowan alone, and that's plenty.)

Emily said...

Oh yes! I should have been more clear--magazines, single file downloads, those count too! Any pattern, as long as you got it before Jan 1st!

Emily said...

Yay! Welcome back! :-D

Gracey is not my name.... said...

That works, as I do a WIP Wednesday linkup on my blog...

Julie said...

Such a great idea- I think we all have loads of pattern books and magazines languishing on our shelves or in stacks. I find that happens to me quite a bit, as well- but then I wish I had more hours in the day to knit all the things that I'd like!

CeltChick said...

I'm glad you clarified the library to use, as I just can't get out to the public one much anymore. But I have a substantial home crafting library! And this challenge will motivate me to finish creating my craftroom, so I can get to the big bookshelf. Not to mention the other furniture there, like my nice rocker, and the floor lamp that hasn't been put in there yet, and the crafting table.....you get the idea.

CeltChick said...

I'm glad you clarified the library to use, as I just can't get out to the public one much anymore. But I have a substantial home crafting library! And this challenge will motivate me to finish creating my craftroom, so I can get to the big bookshelf. Not to mention the other furniture there, like my nice rocker, and the floor lamp that hasn't been put in there yet, and the crafting table.....you get the idea.

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