New Year's Resolutions

[apocalypsos]

I never make them, not for real. It's usually because I'm positive I'm never going to do them anyway. But this year I'm going to try and do these anyway, mostly because for the most part they're things that I not so much want to do as NEED to do.

1. Write 150,000 words this year. It's less a matter of jumpstarting my writing and more a matter of ... well, The Walking Dead of Wilkes-Barre is halfway done and I want to write a novel that's not one of the Books of Boggs. One hundred and fifty thousand words. See? :)
2. Get in shape. Which is definitely not about losing weight -- I'm a hundred and thirty pounds, so that's not a problem at all -- and more about getting up off my ass and not sitting around feeling all flabby. (Hell, I'm pretty much trapped in my apartment for the next two months. I can at least do stomach crunches while I'm watcing TV every afternoon.)

3. Save up some money for a vacation outside the US. Which also means I should probably see about getting a passport, huh? Really, I'll just be happy to put anything away at this point, so if I make it out of the year with fifty bucks in a savings account somewhere ... well, I won't be going for a while, but it's a start.

4. Learn to knit. I already know how to sew, but my sewing machine's missing parts (one of these days when I have throwing-around money I'll buy them, so ... never, at this rate) and everyone I know knits. It would be something to do while I'm watching TV and movies and stuff, and I've been wanting to learn for a while anyway, and if nothing else I've been wanting a new afghan forever and a day but my mom is the one who makes all the afghans I own and I'm not about to go make requests, you know?

Also, Emerson knits.

... what? You've never done something at least partly because a fictional character did it? Please.

Comments

[tinyplasticmeat.livejournal.com]

On #4: try http://www.knittinghelp.com -- that's where I learned almost everything. But do try and have someone (like your mom!) teach you in person first, it makes everything that much easier to grasp.

[leiascully.livejournal.com]

Knitting is great! I highly recommend signing up for Ravelry once you get started. Great resources, great people.

I really need a knitting icon. Preferably with Emerson.

Knitting

[harmonyfb.livejournal.com]

You need to get hold of The Klutz Book of Knitting. It's a kit that comes with two or three skeins, a set of needles, a crochet hook, and a tapestry needle, and a book with clear directions and illustrations. It's how I learned to knit.

[rani23.livejournal.com]

Let me add another voice for knittinghelp.com -- it's amazingly helpful.

I learned how to knit from the Interwebs. You can find tons of information out there. Tons.

[eleniangel.livejournal.com]

I also highly recommend Knitting Help. The videos totally help, and there's a standard list of abbreviations that I always come back to.

[rashaka.livejournal.com]

I met a bunch of people in 2007 who knit. I never knew it was something people less than 50 *did* until this year. But I joined AmeriCorps, hung out with only 18-24 yrea olds for 10 months, and to my surprise-- several of them knitted. In the beginning of the year, during our training, I saw some and was surprised. By the end of the year, I think the number trippled. Guys and girls. I guess everyone who knitted taught everyone else on their teams how to knit. In AmeriCorps you get enough free time to do hobbies like that, but not enough time for other hobbies.

I learned how to make hemp bracelets. That's what my team did. Other people knitted, we did hemp. In the car, crossing half a dozen states every two months.