About a year ago, I started keeping a reading journal.
I’m in a book club, and I like talking about books with my mom and my friends and I found myself quite often saying things like “I just read this great book. I remember thinking you would really like it. It’s about this woman who…” and I’d give a rather detailed account of what went on in the book. My only problem was that I could never remember the actual names of books and authors. So at the end of my recount, when I’d gotten everyone’s interest good and piqued…I would leave them hanging. No book. No way of figuring out how to get it.
Or, I’d read several books back to back, and then I’d get mixed up about what happened in which book. I’d forget which book was really good, and which one was awful.
So I started keeping track in a plain notebook, jotting down titles and authors as I finished them, along with a few notes about the book and whether I liked it and whom I might recommend it to. It’s proven hugely helpful.
It hit me about a month ago that I should do the same with my knitting.
I do already keep track of my knitting projects on Ravelry, just like I was keeping track of my books on Goodreads. But there’s something about writing things down that appeals to me. I like a pretty journal. I like a nice ink pen – not those awful clicky ballpoint pens, but a good, smooth-gliding ink pen that makes lovely swirls and curlicues. I’m fond of gel pens as well – anything that looks pretty when you write with it.
Inspired by the idea of knitting journals, I have now set a few up in my shop! They’re blank notebooks with yarn and other knitty things on the front cover. The spiral notebooks are 6×8 inches, with 120 lined pages inside. They also have two document pockets – one on either side of the last page – that are perfect for holding pictures of projects, or yarn labels, or printed patterns, or anything else you’d like to keep track of.
You can add your name to the front cover if you so choose – in permanent marker or maybe with a mailing label underneath the logo. I think I’m going to do that once I settle on the ink color I use to write my name. These kinds of decisions aren’t to be made lightly, you know.
I have so many ideas for ways to use this notebook! You can write each pattern on a separate page, along with where you found it, the yarn you used, who it was for, the date, and any notes about your project you’d like to remember. You could also use the notebook to help you keep track of your yarn and needle stash and bring it along when you shop so you don’t buy duplicates (I currently have three of the exact same size 6 circular needles because I can never remember if I already have them at home when I’m out shopping). You could use it as a place to jot down names of patterns you’d like to try, or other skills you’d like to learn. Or you could use it as simply a notebook with a cute picture on the front.
You can find the notebooks in my shop (along with a pretty funny knitting T-shirt, if you’re in need of one). If you do purchase one, I’d love to know what you use it for!
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