A big box of TFA postcards was delivered the other day. I was unpacking the box and putting the cards away when I glanced at my desk and noticed that one of my piles had fallen over. Took my breath away.
Did you know that Celtic Cast On is hosting a Business Casual KAL over on her blog? Cast on date is set for Monday. I think I'll be knitting mine in a rogue skein of Truffle that I have laying around. You should join! It's gonna be fun and there is a prize!
I've become the type of knitter who gets very focused on whatever project I'm working on. People often comment that I finish projects so quickly, and that's true, it's because when I start a project I usually work on it very faithfully until it's finished. Not always, but usually. I think that most knitter's have the opposite problem of always having a ton of WIP's on the needles and are always feeling like they're juggling so much. While I like my project monogamy, there is no worse feeling for me then the anxiety that hits when I cast off a WIP and then don't have another project lined up to get started on. This happened to me the other night. I finished a little something that I had been working on by around 9pm. I was definitely not ready to turn in for the night, but didn't have the mental capacity to make a critical decision about what to cast on for next. That would involve picking a pattern, picking a yarn, maybe swatching... all too much. I sat there, with valuable evening knitting time slipping away with nothing to do and I felt so lost. I've decided to never let that happen again. Yesterday I cast on for a pair of socks, I'll be starting another on Monday (for the Business Casual KAL), I have yarn and pattern lined up for a scarf I'll be starting on this weekend and I have a skein set aside for a baby sweater. Bring on the giant WIP basket!
All I can say is that you are starting the slide down a very slippery slope!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhoa, pretty!
ReplyDeleteI am the same way about being "faithful" to one project at a time(and also get comments about how fast I knit. I'm not fast, I just focus!). WIPs actually really stress me out. But, I also HATE when what you described happens -- you finish one, don't have the energy to choose/start another, and end up wasting valuable knitting time. Having a little project (or projects) to work on here and there sounds like a really good idea.
I do the same thing with projects, but I usually have more than one going at a time. I get SUPER EXCITED about something, and I've found that if I can finish it before the excitement wears off I can have something like a brand new colorwork sweater in two weeks. I usually have some super-boring projects on the side, or things that don't take concentration. You can't always work on lace or cables or colorwork, so the side projects are usually something like a striped scarf or something in garter.
ReplyDeleteLovely stack of cards. I'm the exact same with getting too anxious when my WIP basket has one too many projects and then my productivity goes to zero!
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem, Tanis! I tend to work on one project at a time...then I totally get flummoxed when I cast off. I am stash diving and looking on Ravelry at my favourites and my queue to decide what to start next. Gah! I call it Startitis for lack of a better word. I signed up for the KAL, too! Going to use a beautiful skein of Dove I think...
ReplyDeleteI have the same thought as Hilary: whoa there! However, a wip basket with three or four projects is quite manageable, and if it gives you peace of mind to know you'll always have something to work on, then go for it! If only my wip basket had just three or four projects ... :)
ReplyDeleteLove that fallen pile of postcards - just wonderful.
Ha! That cracks me up! I admire your efficiency and productivity. :)
ReplyDeleteI greatly admire focus, I am a cast-as-many-projects-on at once girl. I was just thinking this morning how much better it would be to start and finish a project without picking up another one. Well, either way at least we have a wonderful hobby to keep us creative and happy :)
ReplyDeleteI'm curious - what do you do with the cards? They are gorgeous! As is the Business Casual pattern - don't know how I missed seeing that one before now. For me, I figure knitting is supposed to be fun, so I try not to make up a lot of rules for it - if things start to feel chaotic with too many WIPs around, then I push a bit to finish up on some. BUT, I nearly always have a simple take-along project going in addition to the larger or more focused one(s) I keep at home. Is there anything worse than lost knitting time?? :)
ReplyDeleteGo for it!! I love my giant basket full of projects :D The problem is balance between mindless fun projects and things that need actual concentration. I have the issue of wanting too many things that need focus.
ReplyDeleteI'm usually pretty good about project monogamy, although things don't always work out quite that way, but socks are a good way to deal with that "Crap! What next?" moment. Especially because I don't really do the whole patterned sock thing. If there's sock yarn around, it's always easy and doesn't take too much mental energy to grab some and start a pair of nice plain socks. (Of course, even if you do patterns, the initial ribbing still gives you a bit of leeway before you actually have to decide what pattern to do, right?)
ReplyDelete