New Year's Crochet Resolutions

Last year – 2015 – (that still sounds strange!) – I decided to see what yarns I had in my stash. Or, at least, in some of my stash. For the past few years, at the beginning of the year, I made a resolution regarding my stash yarns. A couple of times, I decided that each month I would select one of the plastic containers or plastic storage bags of yarn that I have, and do something with the yarn that was in it. Either crochet something, or donate the yarn to a person or organization that crochets or knits for charity. Just so I would use up all the yarn in the bag or box. I've done that, and it's been fun, plus it lets me accumulate more stash yarn.

Last year, 2015, I went searching in some of the yarn and project containers that I hadn't searched for awhile. And I found a lot of yarn. But I also found a lot of unfinished projects (UFOs) – lots of sweaters that I had forgotten about. Many of them just needed the finishing touches – an edging, joining together, weaving in ends, etc. I also discovered totes and baskets that I started and hadn't finished. And some cowls and scarves and shawls. So, I decided that my New Year's resolution for 2015 would be to finish at least one of these each month – focusing more on the sweaters. Also, if I decided to start fresh on a sweater, I had to use stash yarns and finish it!
I am happy that I succeeded in this – and more. This is what I did that counted toward my resolution goal:
Finishing a sweater – I did the finishing touches on 4 sweaters – a white one, 2 blue ones, and a self-striping one.

New sweaters – I crocheted 4 sweaters, start to finish, all out of stash yarns – a white one, a green one, a blue one, and a self-striping one,

Shawls – I finished up 2 shawls.

Afghans – I started and finished 2 baby afghans, and 1 "schlep-along afghan, all out of stash yarns.

Baskets – I started and finished 3 large baskets, 12" or more in diameter, out of stash yarns.

I started and finished two more projects  – a tote bag that I felted, and another sweater – both out of stash yarns.

I also started 2 other sweaters, but decided to put them aside for a while.

I know I did more projects – another baby afghan for Redheart Yarns (here's the link to the FREE pattern Tropical Baby Blanket), and other projects I can't mention yet, but the 17+ projects above are the stash-buster ones – they're the ones that I either finished, or started and finished, made with my stash yarns. Oh – I also donated some yarns to various organizations that crochet for charities. And I used some stash yarns to make scarves and hats and shawls for our Yarn Guild's Chase the Chill project (and had to finish some of them that were already crocheted!) I also finished a couple of cowls. And a tote that I had started. So I think 2015 was a successful stash-busting year!

Here is a picture of a pile of projects that I made or finished in 2015.

And here are 2 of the baskets I made.

I will take a picture of some of the scarves and cowls I've made, just as soon as I can gather them all together!  :-)

This January, for 2016, I made the same resolution – because I still have unfinished projects staring me in the face. Three of them I just started in January – a sweater and 2 totes. The sweater is finished, all the ends woven in. The totes are also finished. All ends woven in! I've worked on cowls and scarves – and finished them. (I've lost count of how many!) And I'll soon continue on a few more sweaters that need a little more work – and finish those. And if my goal is just one for each month, I will be able to meet that goal again this year. (In fact, it's just 2 months, and I'm almost at that goal!) And I'll have more sweaters to wear! And more totes and bags to use! And more scarves and cowls to keep me warm. And less stash yarn, so I'll have to replenish it! Yay!!!