Happy New Year, friends! You won't hear this girl vowing to eat less and exercise more any time soon (I mean, my desk is just 12 steps away from the Test Kitchen!). However, I do love the opportunity that the new year gives us to reflect on the year past and make plans for the year to come. For me, it's not about making hard-and-fast rules, but more about realigning my plans to fit my interests and ambitions – and, hopefully, encouraging myself to learn and grow. Here are my 2011 crafty resolutions. 1. Craft with intention. I live in a small space and try to keep to a realistic budget, which means I don't necessarily have the room (or the money) to make things just for the sake of, well, making things. This year, when I'm inspired to rush out and buy supplies for a new craft project, I'm going to ask myself:

• Is it beautiful or useful?
• Will I actually wear it/use it/look at it with pride?
• Is this something I'm going to resent having to dust (or hand-wash) in two months' time?

2. Use what I have. Just before Christmas, driven by who-knows-what urge, I dumped out part of my yarn stash, lined it up on my coffee table, and took this photo: Good grief! For the next year, when I want to cast on for a pair of socks, a shawl, a hat or any other single-skein project, I have to go "shopping" at home. And the same goes for sewing projects: no new fabric comes in until some of it departs – in a form other than that of a neatly folded fat quarter. 3. Do more to celebrate Canadian talent Canada is home to a whole bunch of seriously talented knitters, sewists, crafters, designers, yarn-dyers and pattern-writers, some of whom I'm lucky enough to know personally, and many of whom I'd love to meet. So, 2012 will be the year I make an effort to connect with more of Canada's talented makers and do-ers, and to support them by shopping at their stores, buying their books, yarns and patterns, and wearing Canadian designs with pride. (Know a great Canadian crafter you think I should know about? Please, introduce me!) 4. Try something new. OK, so 2011 was the year I learned I'm not going to convert into a full-time moccasin maker or a talented jewelry artist. (One pair of shoes was enough!) But just because I intend to stick to knitting and sewing  doesn't mean I can't learn a new skill. Maybe it's time to tackle a cathedral windows quilt or try making some Estonian-inspired lace ( nupps, anyone)? Then again, maybe this is the year I'll finally break down and buy that Cricket loom... 5. Resuscitate my sewing machine. It's been months since I used my sewing machine – and that's no good! Last week (well before I made resolution #2, mind you) I pre-ordered a fat quarter bundle of Free Market Fancy (it's being re-released in March). I'm going to make a quilt and I can't wait! Tune in tomorrow to find out what resolutions Lisa made for 2012, and on Thursday to see what Tina's planned for the year. Then get ready to share your resolutions with us on Friday (we've got a great prize to give away to one lucky commenter!).