I realized the other day, as I was cleaning and putting things away around the house, that I have been saving up things I want to learn. I bought a few books that I haven’t worked through yet, and some supplies I haven’t touched yet. I decided to make a list of techniques and projects I want to work on this summer, and to start working on them, one by one.

1. Sew a quilt. Ever since I first saw Kaffe Fassett’s work, then met him, then devoured his books, I have wanted to try quilting. I don’t need to make a masterpiece, but I do want to learn how to do it and to use the fabric I picked out way back when.
2. Brioche. I’ve seen various magazines feature amazing work using this technique, but I have yet to learn how to do it and experiment with it. This is one of those techniques I have an unread book for, so I plan to work through the book and at least knit a few swatches so I can get the feel of it.
3. Entrelac. Again, have the book, just haven’t cracked it open yet. Because I love to play with color, I have high hopes that both brioche and entrelac will benefit me as a designer.
4. Yoke sweater. I really love the look of these sweaters, but have never made one. They are such a traditional piece of knitwear, and yet still look so modern. The tradition of knitting and crochet is one of my favorite things to read about, so I think it’s time I celebrated that by learning how to construct a traditional yoke.
5. More Tunisian crochet. I finished my first Tunisian project last summer, but this is still something I would like to explore further. I’ve seen people do beautiful things with it, and I’d very much like to expand my familiarity with it.
6. Knitting and crocheting with beads. This, for whatever reason, has been a technique that has eluded me. A few years ago, when my mom got remarried, I wanted to make her a beautiful Lily Chin beaded shawl. The crochet hook I had been using to try to pull the beads through the stitches was too big, and the whole thing became such a headache, I scrapped it and just bought her a present. (I know, that’s the chicken way out, but time constraints did me in.) I learned the most important thing, however, which is that you MUST have the right tools. You must also be willing to spend some money because beads aren’t cheap, and unless you’re only using a few as accents, you need alot. However, I am ready to try it again, and hopefully this time, I will at least end up with a completed swatch or two.

Tell me, what are your summer projects and plans?