Knitting Fits....

[rileybear67]

I am discovering an interesting trend to my knitting and I am hoping that it will actually go away...

I knit in fits and starts. I'll go like a week and knit every day for a couple hours and then I won't touch any projects for like another week or so.

Has anyone else experienced this? How did you get past it? I want to be able to finish my projects in a more timely manner, but I get stuck in this rut.

Anyway, just musing.
Thanks.

Comments

[geeksdoitbetter]

definitely!

i tend to look up and notice that one of my craft projects is getting all dusty and sad

and, i once went 2 whole years without touching anything fibery

(turns out, i'd made cooking into my craft)

so long as i'm creating/feeling fulfilled, i try not to let myself worry about the lack of finished product

[rivenwanderer]

Right now, I'm trying to knit a little bit each night before going to bed, and I've identified some times in my week where I'm usually bored and stationary enough to bring my knitting along. I'm working on some mindless shawls right now that I expect will take forever, so it's definitely about keeping in the process :)

[geeksdoitbetter]

"bored and stationary enough to bring my knitting along"

i love those times!

i started carrying a sock project in my satchel, when i noticed my bored times piling up

(is that really how to spell piling? pilling? made into piles?)

[rileybear67]

Cool, thanks! That makes me feel better.

And Happy Birthday (yesterday)! We share that day, BTW.

[james]

I generally try to not worry about it. I knit for fun, so if I don't feel like knitting then I don't! (This means being careful about promising things to people.)

The best thing I did for my knitting pace was learning to knit without looking, so now I can knit while I watch tv. It's sped me up quite a bit, unless the project is complicated. And it helps to remind myself that even knitting just a row or two will get me there faster, when a project seems like it's not going anywhere. If you can pull the project out and give yourself permission to only knit one row and put it away, then your project will get one faster than if you don't touch it at all!

But mostly, if I don't feel like knitting, I don't! it's not my job. :-)

same, I do knit in fits and spurts

[jazzypom]

So, I'm trying to do the easier knits in front of the TV. Since the stuff on TV tends to be drek anyway, I'll knit (right now, I'm knitting a garter stitch cardigan for a friend, and just... yeah). Because this is top down one piece, it's a bit too cumbersome to carry on the bus with me, so I try and leave it by the TV.

In order to get some knits from needle to my back, I'll be doing a knit along with a friend of mine. She's much faster than me, but it will give me enough impetus to just get the darned thing done already, so that's cool too.

[pensnest]

Like jazzypom I knit in front of the TV, although in my case that generally means in front of DVDs I've watched before. Mostly. Although I would also recommend books on tape and/or podfic. It's an encouragement to sit down for a while, and requires you (if you're like me) to keep your hands busy while you listen. So there is the dual enticement of More Story and More Knitting. This also works with the BBC version of 'Pride and Prejudice', as it happens.

I guess the alternative plan is to have small, portable projects in a neat little bag that goes everywhere with you. At this time of year you could probably knit a sock or two at the post office. ;-)

[ironed_orchid]

Yes, but I also go through phases of coming home too tired to do much of anything.

[lilmoka]

^ This

[hugh_mannity]

This.

Even when I'm not much into knitting, I always have a sock in progress with me for those unavoidable waits. Of course, I also always have a book (or more now I have an ebook reader) and sometimes the book wins.

I also have phases of doing other things -- so my knitting goes on hold because I'm weaving or painting or making things out of metal... or something.

[frotz]

I seem to be the same way; I try not to let it bother me too much, but if a half-done project starts making me sad instead of being something to look forward to, it's a pretty good discriminator for when it's time to give it the axe.

The nice thing about knitting projects, as opposed to so many others, is that they're so self-contained and, at least for smaller stuff, easily portable.

(If I wasn't so hung up about knitting in public I'd get more done, too, but that's another kettle of fish.)

[evilawyer]

Yes. All the time, and usually for more like months on the "no-knitting". I've been trying smaller projects, which seems to help a little, and scheduling specific time slots to knit in my schedule, which helps much more. Also, if I am working on one project and decide to jump to another one, I no longer beat myself up over not finishing the first one before moving on to another.

[lullabymoon]

Oh yes, I'm exactly the same, except usually my 'downtime' is longer. I usually put it down to what a big procrastinator I am, and as such haven't figured out a way past it.

[woolychicken]

I bounce between knitting and spinning. It works out pretty well and then I have yarn for my next project all lined up. I tackle fibre by the pound, so it takes me a while to spin it all and right now I am working from raw fibre, so I alternate between combing, spinning, and knitting.

[rileybear67]

That's cool. I haven't tried spinning yet, but I have friends who do...

[woolychicken]

We are a very enabling and friendly bunch :-)

I do drop spinning, which is nice since it is portable. If I am working on a knitting project that is too large or complex to tote along, I take my spindle to gatherings instead. As a shy sort, it is one hell of a good conversational piece and gives my hands something to do :-)

[lindorie]

Oh yes, sometimes for months! I've started just making projects for myself, that way no one but me is disappointed :/