I am a monogamous knitter and that will not change.🗣 I am loyal and will not divide my heart, ever again! Continue reading to find out why.
Those of you that have been around for a bit, know I go from project to project with ease. You also know, I am often blown away by the number of WIPS the majority of you keep in rotation. The part that confuses me it this. Are you really working on all of them?
I want to start by explaining how this happened. Amy of Knit Collage invited me to participate in the Spring KAL and I agreed. I would be finished with my KAL, so the timing was perfect. Then I’m scrolling Instagram, minding my business and Chelsea yarns posts pics with the Material girl. I was instantly like “oooo I gotta make that!’”
As luck would have it I had some left over Iconic Orange and Luminescent from LolaBean. I grabbed my needles and cast on immediately 😋 Did I ever admit I’m impulsive? No? Well the truth will set you free or me in this case. 🤣
I wake up the next morning to a note from Christina. She has GG loves Orange in DK weight and wants to send me some 🤩 ugh yea! Just like that, I had 3 sweaters going, 2 patterns but 3 physical sweaters. What in the world was I thinking?
3 Reasons I Will Remain Monogamous
The main reason is the pure joy I get when I’m finished. In this case that joy was delayed. For some reason I didn’t feel I could celebrate until all 3 were done. Does that make sense? I was working on them all so I wasn’t done until I was done. The delay spoiled the fun for me
The second reason is I became lazy. I finished the Spring Fling Cardi first, well almost. Once the main work was complete, I focused on the other two. That babe sat, incomplete for a minute, and only because I had the other two to work on. Here’s the thing for me, I enjoy watching a project come to life and watching more than one was too much.
The final reason is I just don’t feel right cheating on my babies. I like to give all my love to my project and not spread my love all over. I mean I know I’m a YarnHo..but I draw the line with my projects. You know how they say to keep the main thing, the main thing. What say you? Are you a cheater? A fast tail, just casting on everything you see? Let’s talk!
Have a fabulous day…on purpose
GG
You’re so talented! Keep up the awesomeness!!
Thank you!!
You’re so fun and vibrant! I loved the pictures on this post. I am a confirmed 3-project knitter! I try to always have a worsted weight project going, a fingering weight project and then something tiny and portable for in the car/at church etc. :). The different weight yarns keep my hands from getting too sore. I’ve tried to be monogamous with my knitting (don’t worry, I’m strictly monogamous with my husband LOL) but I just get bored and need my 3 projects!
Whew!! Tell Hubby he is safe! Hahahahahahaaa thanks for responding
I don’t usually comment on blogs, but this one touched me. I am not a monogamous knitter. I get board with the same motions. I can actually make myself get sleepy.😴. So, by moving from one pattern to another I keep myself interested in the project. I haven’t counted how many projects have been started (and still waiting to be finished), but it’s an embarrassing number. Also, I LOVE yarn. I love color, all colors. So when I find beautiful yarn, that I can afford, I buy it. And of course, I must see it knitted to get a glimpse of how it works into a beautiful fabric. So there, I have revealed my weakness.
Hi Sandy!! I wish I could be like you! Thank you for responding
This is me too. I loved your post and it made me think about my process. I don’t get that feeling of having completed a project when I have so many WIPs. Yet I’ve experienced that feeling. I’ve finished projects so I know how good it feels. I think I’m going to try to become more monogamous. I just need to avoid that feeling I get when I see a new pattern on Instagram! Thanks for sharing this! I really admire you!
I feel you! That pattern pressure is reall
I must confess to being a serial cheater with my projects and have left many to feel neglected. I love a finished project, but also find joy in the startup. Just like love, it’s all exciting and wonderful until you get to the work, but oh the joy when the work is complete. Hmm! Maybe I need to focus. Love you!
Lol I LOVE IT!!
I need to finish things. So I only have one project going at a time. I do buy lots of yarn! When I store my yarn, I Put it in a project bag along with the pattern I plan on using. Yes, the pattern often changes as I make friends with the yarn. A word about hands: please take care of your hands. Find a hand therapy routine you can do every day. I’ve been dealing with CRPS in my left hand for the last 16 months. KNITTING COMFORTABLY, THE ERGONOMICS OF HANDKNITTING by Carson Demers along with my OT Amy have saved my hand.
Please, more photos of your wonderful sweaters, GG.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the tip I will do that
I am a monogamous knitter. I feel the same way that you do about spreading my love to other projects lol. If I had multiple WIPS I would never feel accomplished. However, I LOVE all three of your sweaters! I also LOVE your uplifting personality and how you keep it real!! Blessings to you always!!😊🧡🧡
Hahaha tell em! Thank you for commenting
You r sweaters are beautiful!
Thank you
You r sweaters are beautiful!
Thank you
I am a monogamous knitter too. I just enjoy focusing on one project and seeing it finished. I am always glad to finish and look forward to the next project. You look fabulous in these photos!!! Take care and stay well.
Thank you! Same to you
I get you! I know exactly how you feel! I was once a monogamous knitter myself!
THEN I got involved in a log cabin blanket, which was fun but got monotonous. I CRAVED a project that I could do quickly to get that feel of having finished!
So these days I usually have two projects going–the long one (in this case a scarf/wrap). and a quick one (a fun crochet backpack/beach bag for a granddaughter when we’re able to go back to the beaches).
Good stuff!
First of all, thank you for being an amazing knitter and woman!! You are an inspiration. I tend to rack up several projects (gather patterns, yarns, notions), but I don’t usually start one until I finish one. That said, I have at least 3 projects going on now. One is my main focus, one is a gift that I can lollygag on for a bit and another is a project I just got weary of and am taking a break on. I am proud that during this whole Covid debacle, I knit a Main Squeeze Cardigan. My first adult sweater! May it be the first of many because my eye is a wanderer and my knit lust is strong!
Congratulations on your first sweater 👏🏾👏🏾
I’m in no way a monogamous knitter, but I like your reasoning of why you are. And I should be one, too, for the same reasons. It’s so easy to get distracted when there are so many awesome patterns and yarn constantly coming out. Not to mention I love to sew and quilt, too, and those rabbit holes get pretty big and overwhelming, too. I love it all and I’m ALWAYS working on something, albeit many things at the same. When it starts to stress me, I try to reign in a few things and finish them and it feels so great! Not gonna lie…I doubt some things will ever get finished because I’ve fallen out of love with whatever it is. Not sure if that’s good or bad(?). Take care, GG! 🙂
I get that, when you don’t love it…it becomes a chore
Ah G,this make me smiiiiile! I like to think I can have multiple WIPS on the go, but like you, it just gets too stressful, so I renounced my impudent ways of casting on at the mere whiff of a pattern and am now a confirmed monogamous knitter! The happy FO dance is soooo much sweeter too 😃💃🏽💃🏽
Exactly! You can dance more often
So funny and true. I just started knitting a year ago and was monogamous. Somehow when the quarantine started I got involved in multiple Zoom groups and like you need up with 3 sweaters on my needles! It has been crazy. I’m finally down to one and NEVER again.
See lol you understand me
Only one WIP at a time for me!!!
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Monogamous knitting is a fast track to repetitive stress injuries for many people. Finishing a project faster isn’t worth the risk of another injury for me. So I alternate between knitting socks (small needles) and sweaters (larger needles) and crochet and the rigid heddle loom. I limit the total number of projects to keep some order but monogamous? Can’t. 🙁
I hear youb
You are a special person and a wonderful knitter.
Thank you
That was hilarious and adorable to boot, that’s right no cheating on your love😂😂😂😂
Lol
Girl, I am so happy that you brought this up! I used to be a monogamous knitter and then I went to my first knit-a-long and everyone started showing me their multitude of WIP’s. I didn’t even know what a WIP was let alone that I could have more than one project at a time!!! I was so new to knitting and was so excited when they gave me permission to knit more than one project. But over time that backfired and like you, I wasn’t getting the same joy out of having multiple works on my needles but what was I to do? The more I knitted, the more yarn crawls I went to and the more I became a Yarn Collector as my UFO’s piled up. I keep promising myself not to start one more project until they are all done. Ha! I have been whittling my WIP’s down little by little adding a project here and there telling myself that a small project will help me feel like I’m accomplishing something – but still really feeling like work and not nearly enough joy or excitement. I even thought that I could knit a quick little orange number for your recent KAL, but here it sits half done. Until I saw this post yesterday… the morning of my monthly quarantine sip and stitch on Zoom. I was immensely inspired to get back to being a MK (Monogamous Knitter) and told all of my knitting girls about your post and that I was going to finish a baby blanket that I started just about two years ago. And I did it!!! I finished and tonight if I can stay awake, I will endeavor to complete my little orange cowl that I started for your KAL and so on and so on until my 4 or 5 UFO’s are all done. I can’t wait to be a one trick pony again – lol. I already know it’s gonna feel sooo good. Thank you GG. I owe my monogamy to you, and my UFO’s thank you.
Much love – Annette
P.S. Would love to have you join our wacky west coast Sip and Stitch one month if you’re able.
Lol they are welcome
GG – love your energy! Thanks for sharing it with others.
I’ve been a monogamous knitter because like you, I enjoy wearing my finished object and there’s a sense of accomplishment when finishing something (though I’m super lazy about the weaving in ends & blocking so sometimes that alone takes me days).
However, I just started trying multiple WIPs because after a super long day of work, I’m sometimes too tired to do even basic increases or a JSSBO. So having something that is just Stockinette in the round for an hour of relaxation is helpful. But I’m a pretty slow knitter so it definitely feels like finishing a project is taking even longer…We’ll see if this experiment lasts.
Let me know how it goes
I have to be monogamous with my projects. I need to be focused. I was working on a Turtle Dove, that will fit, this time. But then the Orange Love KAL started, so it was zipped up in its project bag. When we finished the awesome KAL, I went back to finish it.
Love you. Take care of you. 🧡
I understand
I want to be like you and do one thing at a time but I get bored ( maybe this is why I am single haha) so I always have at least 5-6 things going at the same time. I do work on each of them each week though. I wonder if I should try being monogamous.. I might like it 🙂 Love your words and all the orange.
Thank you for reading
Love your projects and how you look so happy and vibrant in them. Squeee!
Semi-monogamous here: always have a pair of socks going that I keep in my bag for slow moments at work, waiting somewhere, etc.
And may or may not have another larger-needled or more intricate project at home. Right now, that’s often weaving, a new extension of my fiber obsession.
Whenever I try to do multiple projects something just sits