I’ve been thinking about what I’d like to knit in 2020, and one of the things that has been at the front of my mind is that I’d like to make more socks. I’ve always enjoyed sock knitting, but it has been a while since I made anything more complex than a plain vanilla sock, or a pair with a straightforward stitch pattern. I love how the small canvas that a sock gives can be used to put together complex patterns. I have a few patterns in my Ravelry queue that I’d like to work through: Bitter & Twisted by Jimenez Joseph and Delbert by Rachel Coopey are high on the list.

I have set myself a challenge to make 12 pairs of socks in 2020. In the normal run of things, a pair of socks would take me around 10 days of knitting, so I think that this is a reasonable goal to set. I can knit some socks for smaller members of the family if I get behind!

I thought it might be interesting to show you how I’ve set up my Strickplaner for 2020, as I’m planning to use it to keep myself on track with my knitting goals for the year…

I have to admit that one of the fun things about having a Strickplaner is having some nice accessories to use with it! I’ve added a pen loop to the rear cover of my planner, and I’ve also amassed some stickers, page tabs and washi tape to brighten up my pages. I’ve always been well-motivated by stickers (I had quite the sticker collection back in the 80s!), so I’m using them in my planner to help chart my progress.

One of the first sections that I’ve filled in is the Goals spread. The Strickplaner has nice sections for the different types of goals you might have for a year. These don’t have to be demanding things that require concrete results – they can also be reminders for thing things you’d like to me mindful of, or the direction you want to be moving in. Having things written down can be really helpful in reminding you of how far you’ve come for example. I’m aiming for my 12 pairs of socks, but also keeping in mind when things bring me joy, and maintaining time for personal knitting (as well as work-related things).

There’s also a run of boxes along the top of this spread for longer-term planning. Do you have bigger milestones coming up? We are working on a book for next year, so it’s helpful to have that noted up top. There is also a section at the bottom for each month of this year, where you might want to add reminders or big events.

The Quarterly Overview spread is one of the sections I find most helpful… Having decided on some of my aims for the year, the quarterly spreads are where you break the large goal down into manageable chunks. So in my pursuit of 12 pairs of socks, it makes sense that I aim for 3 pairs in this first quarter of the year. I’ve written the main goals in the top section, and then given each goal a section of the chart (it’s a Gantt chart for anyone who likes a fun fact!). In this way my sock knitting goal is broken down into three pairs of cuff and leg, heel turn, foot and toe sections. I’ve then coloured in the weeks in which I’m aiming to work on these parts. I have planned my sock knitting to be linear – I’ve planned to knit a pair, and then the next pair, and then the final pair. But if you suffer from second sock syndrome, you could switch them around and consciously knit six single socks before working on their pairs later in the year? Or plan to knit six sets of cuffs before working on six sets of legs? I wouldn’t have enough sets of needles to do that, but it does have a weird appeal to finish six individual socks in quick succession at the end of the quarter!

Other projects each get their own section of the chart, and any jobs that need to be done are broken down into manageable chunks. If you have been wondering about what will come after the Boost Your Knitting knitalongs are complete, then you can see that we have a new knitalong planned, and that I’ll start talking about it once we are into February. Not long to wait!

Next to the Quarterly Overview is the Quarterly Tracker spread. This is a great place to just note anything that you’re aiming to do more (or less) of. The act of keeping track is a powerful way to influence your behaviours. I’ve got the same two things I’m working on as I did last year – regular blog writing and keeping at least slightly active by getting my step goal as many days as possible. This spread would be great to use with stickers, but I’m just giving myself stars at the moment! I’ve got my eye on some of the lovely watercolour dots from Symposipress on Etsy. It’s quite the rabbit hole, so follow that link with care! I went over intending to just get you the link, and ended up placing an order!! It’s a sacrifice I was happy to make for you. :D

With all of these sections, I use them encouragingly. It’s too easy to look at a tracker and be fed up that you’ve not totally achieved your aim. I try instead to be pleased with what I have achieved, and then think about whether there were any obstacles in my way. If there were, then can I get rid of them in future, or do I just need to make my aims more manageable? My planner is there to help me, not to make me feel guilty!

The photo above is of my current 2020 sock knitting progress… I’ve completed one sock each from a pair of Dave socks for Jim, and an Alcedo sock for our January knitalong. So I need to tick off some of February’s progress in my Quarterly Overview. Whoop! I’ve also cast on for the second sock of both of these pairs, which is a good sign! I am well on track to 12 pairs at the moment! Here’s to using my time to make progress on the things I care about! Do you have any knitting plans for 2020?

We no longer have stock of the 2020 Strickplaner, but you can get a copy directly from its mastermind – Martina Behm over on her website: Strickplaner (where a German version is also available).

Update, August 2020: Jen’s sock knitting is proceeding apace, and Strickplaner 2021s are currently available in the online shop, along with stickers, washi tape and our Complete Strickplaner 2021 kit. Happy planning!