A Fresh Start Making Challenge 2024
And it’s back! This new year challenge I started in 2023 is returning for 2024! A little challenge on Instagram to get us connecting, with our craft and with each other while figuring out how to lay out the year in a meaningful and mindful way.
New Year resolutions and everything else a new year’s pressure brings can be quite heavy. We really don’t have to have it all figured out in the first second of the new year to have a great year. It’s about acting on our intentions daily that makes our goals happen every day, not just in the first month of the new year.
A Fresh Start Making Challenge are full of prompts that not only connect you to your making but also hopefully connect back to life, being human, and connecting with yourself.
So what are the prompts?
Monday, Day 1: Cast-On or Carry on!
Let’s all cast-on a project together! Already cast-on something recently or have a project already? Share your WIP with us! Let’s start the new year with a cast-on or carry on of a project to start the celebration, making something new or continuing on with something old, bringing with us good intentions.
Tuesday, Day 2: Intro - Making Story
A must to any month-long prompt in the making community, what’s your making story? I love who people learned from or how they learn. I love hearing about that moment when making with your hands becomes a click in the brain like, “wow this is fun, I love it, I’m obsessed”. Like your first project, or that yarn or fiber that inspires you, or an end product that pushes you to go, “oh, I can make that”. All those feelings, those making sparks, I want to hear about them.
Wednesday, Day 3: Word of the Year
This one is important for me to get the year started. I’ve done it since 2019. This can be as personal as you want or as relaxed as you want. It helps me set my intentions for the year of what I want to work on. While this word can be broad, it’s what you make of the word, how you interpret it, and how you work it into your daily life. My word for 2023 was CONNECTION. I spent most of 2023 reigniting and examining all my platonic relationships, parasocial relationships, professional relationships, and my relationship with myself and my creativity. Everything is connected. One aspect affects the other and another, and so on. While I feel I don’t have it all figured out, I think I’m growing to understand the relationships I crave and what I can leave behind and move on from, and that that is okay. So what’s your word? A word that sets the tone for the year, to live slowly and with purpose, to understand yourself, your life, and your part in society and humanity.
Thursday, Day 4: New Year Traditions
With the tradition of setting a word of the year, I have other new year traditions that I do. I like to examine my stash, for one, before the end of the year so I can better set myself up to use from stash or stash dive for a project in the new year. If I can examine what I have, I can best plan with them. So I revisit my stash every year. I also review the clutter in my closest from ready-to-wear clothes to my me-mades. I will put anything I find up on @lucky.sweater or sell to a local secondhand shop or donate to an organization.
Friday, Day 5: Most Recent FO Fit
Grab your most recent finished object and come up with an outfit around it! If you haven’t made garments, let's see those pieces you crafted in the setting you want to decorate it in.
Saturday, Day 6: Small Biz Shout-Out
Every Saturday for these prompts in the month of January, let’s shout-out some of our favorite small business makers, whether they are yarn dyers, stitch marker makers, pattern designers, craft book authors, and so many more people who we support.
Sunday, Day 7: No posting! Just Make!
Monday, Day 8: Color Palette Inspo
Do you have a favorite color palette? Or inspired by a color combo to make with? Let’s see it!
Tuesday, Day 9: Crafting/Making Space
What does your crafting space look like? Whether it’s cozying up on a couch with your fur babies or in your studio, where do you make?
Wednesday, Day 10: WIP(s) Check
Share your current work in progress! More than one? Even better! We want to see them all!
Thursday, Day 11: Throwback
Throwback to something you made recently, months ago, or years ago! We want to see it!
Friday, Day 12: Dopamine Fit
Put together an outfit that gives you that good dopamine fix, whether it’s bright and colorful or neutral and dark, whatever outfit that gives those happy, good feelings.
Saturday, Day 13: Small Biz Shout-Out
Every Saturday for these prompts in the month of January, let’s shout-out some of our favorite small business makers, whether they are yarn dyers, stitch marker makers, pattern designers, craft book authors, and so many more people who we support.
Sunday, Day 14: No posting! Just Make!
Monday, Day 15: Community Shout-out
Shout-out someone in your communities or an organization you'll like to highlight and draw attention to so others can also support.
Tuesday, Day 16: Favorite Stitch/Technique
We all have one, or two, in each of our crafts, knitting, crocheting, sewing, spinning, etc. Share one or more of your faves!
Wednesday, Day 17: WIP(s) Check
Share your current work in progress! More than one? Even better! We want to see them all!
Thursday, Day 18: Tina Tse Knits WIP or FO
IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! What better way to help me celebrate by showing me a WIP or FO of a Tina Tse Knits pattern design. If you don’t have either, maybe you’d like to add one of my knitting pattern designs to your making queue from my Pattern Shop! *wink wink*
Friday, Day 19: As Many Me-Mades in 1 Fit
Yes! Make this fun! Put on as many me-mades into one fit as best you can! It can be a fun, goofy fit or it can be an outfit that you’ll actually wear out. Whatever inspires you!
Saturday, Day 20: Small Biz Shout-Out
Every Saturday for these prompts in the month of January, let’s shout-out some of our favorite small business makers, whether they are yarn dyers, stitch marker makers, pattern designers, craft book authors, and so many more people who we support.
Sunday, Day 21: No posting! Just Make!
Monday, Day 22: Made More Than Once
What is something you’ve made more than once? For me, it's usually an easy pattern that I make to gift to others because I personally do not love making the same thing over and over again unless it is quick and easy.
Tuesday, Day 23: Tip or Trick
Share a tip or trick that you think anyone can benefit from. Or some advice to your fellow makers, making or life related, that you wish someone had told you.
Wednesday, Day 24: WIP(s) Check
Share your current work in progress! More than one? Even better! We want to see them all!
Thursday, Day 25: Thrifted/Secondhand
Gotta love when you find something at a thrift store that you just can’t find anywhere else. Or it could be secondhand tools and notions or me-made clothes from loved ones.
Friday, Day 26: Most Worn/Used Make
There is that one make I know you do not even hesitate to have around when you need it. No matter what outfit or to what event or a permanent fixture in your home, it’s your go-to. Show us the make that you are wearing or using the most of!
Saturday, Day 27: Small Biz Shout-Out
Every Saturday for these prompts in the month of January, let’s shout-out some of our favorite small business makers, whether they are yarn dyers, stitch marker makers, pattern designers, craft book authors, and so many more people who we support.
Sunday, Day 28: No posting! Just Make!
Monday, Day 29: Something New
We’re almost at the very end of the challenge! What is something new you’ve discovered during the first few weeks of 2024? Maybe you got something new from over the holidays you want to show us? Whether it’s a new to you idea or a new to you object, let’s see it!
Tuesday, Day 30: Appreciation
Closing out January with taking a moment to recognize the real stuff that we appreciate. The theme of this challenge and my past challenges on this platform is showcasing that making with our hands, our crafts, our passion transcends just the physical thing we finish. It’s the process, the feelings and the moments going on in and around us when we are making something. It’s all connected. Taking a second to pause and appreciate all the things that got us to where we are, why we make, and our intentions for slow making.
Wednesday, Day 31: Making Goals
Now at the end of the challenge, what are your making goals for 2024? Was something shared in this challenge from other fellow makers that inspired you to learn a new technique or new craft? Has this challenge inspired you to finally add that project to your queue or do some stash busting? Whether you came into this challenge to set your making intentions for the year or you came in with a plan and the challenge was your way of sharing with us, thank you for joining! We’ll see you again in 2025!