That's One Way To Do It

Usually I'm a mono-knitter.  It means I have project that I'm committed to.  I'm faithful.  I work on that project.  Sometimes I divert into 2 projects to take off the edge off the one.  But usually it's just one.  However, with this slump I'm in, I'm finding that part of my issue is that the project that I should be working on isn't cast on yet... and just the idea of casting on seems too big.

This weekend I got a lot of things done that have been sitting on my "to do" list for awhile.  I decided to try a different tactic on this slump- just cast on everything.  Everything.

So, with that in mind say hello to...

THE DISHCLOTH (ballband pattern)

THE BABY HAT (Cuddly Teddy Hat... Again.  Such a great pattern)

THE BABY BLANKET (So cute!)

I bought yarn for the baby blanket on Sunday.  I woke up and said to myself "I just need to get the yarn and go."  And so I went to the only yarn shop that was open at 10 am and bought my yarn.  The whole experience was more efficient than I usually am.  Hopefully this bodes well for the rest of the blanket.  I've chosen a periwinkle blue and turquoise green for the blanket... although the blue is looking awfully purple here.  I'm not sure I'm happy with it.  Your thoughts?

The yarn next to each other the blue looks bluer... in the blanket purple-er.  I'm not sure how to proceed.

I figured I'd just get them all on the needles and then pick up what my brain wants to do that day.  This way there are no excuses saying "I just don't want to put in the effort to cast on.  That's done.  It's just a matter of knitting.  I took all the work out of it.  This is either a really fantastic idea to attack the slump or it's going to blow up spectacularly in my face when I decided it's just too overwhelming to concentrate on.

The sock has also seen a lot of progress since the last time I admitted I wasn't really knitting.

I realized last night though there's a problem.  The stripes match BEAUTIFULLY- I've mastered that skill pretty well.  The problem is that the tiny pattern DOESN'T.  I can't decide if that bothers me enough to rip out the entire leg on sock two.  I figured out that I knit the pattern earlier on sock 1.  I am leaning to rip it out and go again because it bothers me... I just can't decide if it bothers me ENOUGH.  Haha.

So lots to see here- hopefully it means the finished stuff just starts falling off the needles.  At least there's a bunch of STARTED stuff now... right?

Big Slumpin'

"Do you even knit anymore?"  It was the comment my husband made 2 weeks ago while we were away re-visiting New Haven and I couldn't hide what I had pretending to ignore for the last few weeks.  I haven't really been knitting.  I'm back in the slump.

Honestly I don't even really know what I've been doing with my time- but it's very little knitting.  I'm not sure what it is right now.  I just don't have the brain power to sit down and knit.  At night I sit on our couch, I pull my knitting on my lap, and then proceed to ignore it for use-less stuff on my phone.  I've been watching TV... something I never do. I listen.  I watch my knitting.  I'm always furiously working on a Stampede project this time of year and not even that can motivate me out of slump this time.  I'm not entering.  I don't want to.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

It could be that we've been away from our home the last 5 weekends out of 6.  Week days seem to be in a never ending game of catch up from things not done on the weekend.  My brain can't focus on anything.  I zone in and out and knitting even the simplest pair of socks seems like such an effort.  Mon-Thurs night are busy with soccer and other activities and it feels like we're barely home.

That's not to say that I've gone completely without it.  Progress is happening.  I still take the simple Take 5 sock out to some of Parker's classes and that does seem to help me get some rows in.  Being away for the last few weekends has meant airplane trips and I'll knit 5 or 6 rows before sitting back and putting it away because my brain "just can't."  It's been enough to get me on sock #2.

Maudie has suffered spectacularly.  I don't think it's seen any progress since my last blog post so many days ago.  The mere idea of taking it out of the bag and taking the 3 minutes it would take to assess where I'm at is too overwhelming.  What happened to all my steam on this project?  Where have you gone mojo?

The baby blanket I needed to have already started is still in "I can't decided on a pattern" phase.  Although I think I'm honed in on an idea.  I'm waiting for a book from the library and then hopefully enough juju to get out the door and buy yarn and cast on.  I've chosen something painfully cute but also simple... because my brain can't handle any more than that.  A simple knit can sometimes be the right project to rally the knitting mojo.  I've also been made aware of another impending wee babe in November who I would also like to knit for.  I sort of know what I want to knit for that family but I also shudder at the thought because it would require effort I don't know I'm up to putting in.

I need to get out of this slump.  Last night, sitting on the couch about to watch TV I even found myself missing it.  I thought to myself "I miss my knitting."  And, just like that, I picked up the simple sock and worked on it for 3 hours.  It was good.  I felt hopeful that the slump is winding down.  I thought about a few things I could do.  Here are my "Goals to July 15" to try and get me towards some progress and less in a slump.

1) Knit baby blanket (I'll share more when I have committed with yarn and a cast on)
2) Knit baby hat/booties for Parker's Kindergarten teacher
3) Finish Take 5 Socks
4) Knit Dishcloth #3

I'm letting go of Maudie for now.  Maybe this summer I'll pick it back up again- but maybe just the idea of a "big effort" project is too much right now and I need to take this slump slower.  Ease myself into something to do with my hands and see if I can rise to a few new challenges along the way.

I'm sorry that it means that the blog has suffered.  I really have no intention on fully stopping the knitting- nor this blog, but I've learned forcing myself to do anything is the sure-est way to not actually get myself to do it.  I have to WANT to do it.  And for that to be something I want right now, I need to keep it simple.

Cross your fingers I'm back here in a week with something to show you?

HOW IS IT MAY?

April... where did you go?  How did I only manage one post in April?  How is it May already?  I guess with various holidays and reintigrating back to snow and 4 hour time difference to contend with, not to mention the start of soccer and various other spring things- knitting and blogging takes a back seat.  I am still sort of flabbergasted that April happened in a cloud of mystery.  It's like "How did I lose a month?" but it's May now so I guess we drive on.

I lied when I said that ski season was coming to a close.  Snow in the mountains was too stellar to ignore- and so this last weekend we gave it our all and left it all on the hill until next season...  Knitting suffers on these trips because really, there is basically only energy enough left to put on one's pajamas, wash one's face and then collapse into bed out of exhaustion.

There is progress on the socks- so I guess some knitting happened in April.  (Did April even happen?  I'm in denial.)

Maudie in particular is starting to look like a sock....

And even Take 5 isn't taking a long break...

I know at some point I need to plan for another project, a baby blanket in particular but I've been struggling to really find the motivation or "right pattern" that inspires me to cast on.  I'm hoping for a more "organic" experience where the right pattern will just jump out at me and I will cast on with ferocity.  But right now I look at pics and can only hmmm and haaa and I'm really coming up short!  So- a cute baby blanket...  (something really REALLY PAINFULLY CUTE).... got any suggestions?