2023 Stop Shoulding On Yourself (SSOY) MAL

If you’re like me, you might find yourself deferring the projects that you’d really like to work on because you can think of other things you “should” be making or doing instead. I think that “shoulds” are so limiting in our crafting lives, and they can be the enemy of creativity and inspired making. This year, our make-along is meant to encourage us to stop the “shoulding” we inflict on ourselves, to stop setting aside our dream projects, no matter how large or small, and to make time for them throughout 2023!

Just to clarify, I know we all have things we do legitimately need to focus on other than these projects. The point of this MAL isn’t to limit you to ONLY working on your dream items but to give you projects that bring you a special sense of joy in the midst of the other sometimes less-inspiring projects.

To help keep things joyful, I’m making this MAL as loose and “rule-free” as possible, though I have posted the basic guidelines of how it will work below.

1. The MAL will begin January 1 and run through November 30.

2. The MAL will be open to the usual fiber crafts of knitting, crochet, spinning, and weaving, but it will be open to other fiber and non-fiber related crafts as well. Whatever you’re really excited to do or try totally qualifies for this MAL.

3. The only real requirement for taking part in this MAL, at least if you want to be eligible for a prize in the FO drawing each month, is to create a “wish list” of what you’d like to work on in 2023. If Ravelry is accessible to you, I recommend using the Wish List thread over there to set up your list, as you’ll be able to access it and modify it anytime you’d like.

If you are not able to use Ravelry, simply create your wish list and then either post it here in the comments, or you can email it to me fibernymph@gmail.com.  As you update your list throughout the year, just post another comment or send me an updated version. Again, me having access to your list is only necessary for determining FO prize eligibility. You’re welcome to participate otherwise without creating a public list.

Your lists can include specific patterns/projects you’d like to make or specific yarns/fibers/supplies you’d like to use. These wish lists will be open to editing whenever you want so that you can mark projects as completed or supplies used, or you can delete things you no longer wish to work on and add other things that have moved onto you “wish list.” You can format your list in whatever way makes the most sense to you, however it will be the most helpful.

4. WIPs are most welcome!

5. There are no minimum participation requirements regarding yarn/fiber/supply usage or time frames for when projects need to be started or finished, other than the start and end dates of the MAL itself. WIPs, obvioulsly, can have been started prior to Jan. 1, 2023.

6. Prizes – There will be three ways each month to be eligible for prizes:

Chatter Thread – Chatter will take place in the main Ravlery thread and I will draw one chatter winner each month. (I’m sorry there is no way for me to viably replicate a chatter thread component here on the blog.)

FO Thread – I will start a FO thread closer to the beginning of the MAL in January where you can post pictures and tell us a little bit about your FO and there will be one FO winner each month. To be eligible for a FO prize, you FO should appear on your Wish List post as something you wanted to work on. If you add it after the fact of finishing, no worries. That’s up to you. As long as you feel like the project is in the spirit of this MAL, then it’s good. Also, I’m not specifying what WIPs can count as FOs and which can’t…if you feel like the work it took to finish your WIP makes it a credible FO, then post it. Going with the honor system here.

Instagram tag – Use the hashtag #90KSSOYMAL when posting pictures about your MAL projects. As long as there are at least 25 hashtagged posts per month, I will draw a winner from those hashtags. If there are fewer than 25 in a month,then they’ll roll over into the next month until there are at least 25 posts to draw from.

I’ve decided not to have the FDW yarn/fiber element in the 2023 MAL that I’ve had in past years, giving participants the chance to earn an exclusive colorway at the end of the MAL. I’m trying to keep things as loosey-goosey for this MAL as I can (for you AND for me!) because I want us to all be able to work toward the things we really want to do without unnecessary pressure and restrictions. Since there are not yardage/gram requirements involved in this MAL, and because this MAL is open to non-fiber art projects as well, and I do not want to have to use FO submission forms this year, there will be no fair or easy way to track FOs for this kind of prize purpose. I hope you won’t mind that there won’t be an exclusive colorway to earn in 2023, but I promise there will be plenty of FDW-specific prizes offered throughout the year!