Get ready to hit that delete button. 

The new year brings an opportunity to organize your life and remove the clutter that is no longer serving you. Once you’ve completed that closet clean out and donated the toys that your kiddos no longer need, it’s time to take a critical look at your knitting queue. This article will walk you through a foolproof process to update your knitting queue for 2024.

Let's do a quick exercise:

• How many projects do you have listed in your knit/crochet queue?

• How long does it take you to complete a project?

• How many years will it take you to make everything on your list?

It would take me 3 years to knit everything on my wish list…and I knit for a business.

If your queue is long & overwhelming, let's change it.

How to Update Your Knitting Queue for 2024

CREATE A LIST

Create a list of all the projects you want to make, compiling all your separate lists in one place.

TAKE A CRITICAL LOOK AT YOUR LIST

This is the hardest part, but it's time to be honest with yourself. Here are some things to think about as you look at each item on your list:

YOUR BODY

Your body is a beautiful thing, exactly as it is right now. Don't put projects on your list for a body you want "one day" or "if only." You deserve to knit for your body exactly as it is today. Whatever your relationship with your body, you are alive, and that is worth celebrating. 

If a pattern doesn't serve you or your body, it doesn't deserve to be on your list.

ACTIVITIES & ADVENTURES

You are constantly doing - from raising babies, heading to & from soccer practice, answering an inbox full of emails, running team meetings, going home at the end of a long day trying to get dinner on the table - it's constant.

And while sometimes it can be overwhelming, you wouldn't want it any other way.

But it also means that your knitting needs to keep up with you. 

If a pattern on the list can't move with you throughout your day, get it off your list.

YOUR WARDROBE

Take a hard look at the clothes in your closet. What gaps are there that can be filled with a handknit?

What pieces do you wish you could replace with a handknit?

Which handknits deserve an update?

Add these projects to your queue.

Shorten your list

If your list is still long, that's okay. If you did the exercise right, the only projects left are worth your time. Once you have your list updated, think about what should be made in 2024.

BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT YOUR TIME

In my day job, I manage several projects at a time and rely on a few software tools to ensure I don't forget anything. Using a Gantt chart or other timeline features can be eye-opening. It allows you to see your knitting plan visually.

This exercise prompted me to cut a few projects from my design schedule because I want to spend time with my babies and don't want my fingers to fall off.

Some other tips for managing your queue

KEEP YOUR LIST HANDY

Keep track of all the projects in your queue and various notes (like when you'd like to make them or what yarn you want to use) so you can refer back to them often. 

If you're a paper and pen girlie, treat yourself to a new favorite journal to start this year off right.

If you're more of a techie, clean up that Ravelry queue. If you prefer to stay off of Ravelry, use your phone's notes app or something more flexible like a project management software. My favorite is the free version of Asana. I can create a project board with a column for each month of the year and drag & drop my projects around.

What to do with all those WIPs

Now that you've determined what to make in 2024, it's time to look hard at your WIPs (works in progress) and decide if they should still be finished.

Sort them into 4 piles:

• Finish & keep

• Finish & gift

• Frog

• Time out

For the finish piles, use the snowball method. Like the method used for getting out of debt, start tackling the projects closest to being finished. 

Finishing a project will feel satisfying and give you momentum towards finishing the next WIP.

For the projects that need to be frogged, if you have a yarn swift, use it to rewind it into a loose yarn cake. It will allow the yarn to relax and straighten it by the next time you want to use it.

Need a little inspiration? These patterns are totally queue-worthy:

A few Questions for you:

• How will you evaluate your queue for the new year?

• What are some projects that top your list?

• How will you prioritize your time so you can make those projects?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below!