I have knitting ADD (poll included)

kitkat · August 22, 2016, 10:11pm

I feel like I have too many projects going - and I know its out of hand when I go to a 6 hour swim meet and have a whole bag of projects so if I get bored I can switch.

I am making a motto not to start anything else until I finish SOMETHING! To make matters even worse, my swim meet knitting buddies are being very prolific with their projects - the pressure is on! So at the meet I worked on a strap to a felted purse (friend #1 had finished at least 3, and friend #2 was on number 2, and my body was done two weeks ago…), and then I started the sleeves to my Noro sweater.

Our LYS had a 25% off sale yesterday. The three of us spent close to $400 before our swim meet. I was personally responsible for $130. I bought 8 skeins of Noro for gift booga bags, yarn to make a felted tote for step mom (Auracania Nature Wool Chunky), 4 skeins of lambs pride chunky to make slipper socks for myself (yay me) and my mom, eucalan, two sets of Bryspun DPN’s, and one Addi Turbo 11 inch needle (yes its much cheaper through Jeff but I do like to support LYS). But now I want to start on all THAT stuff!

And then when I put it all away, I realized how many projects in waiting I have! I need to make a list!

Arugula · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I understand not finishing anything is probably bad but I think it takes a very dedicated, not easily bored person to knit only one project at a time. I usually have 2-3 because I get bored too. (But not much more than that simply because I am a new knitter and don’t have much yarn) Right now I seem to always have a project with a deadline so I have a main project and then little ones when I just can’t stand to look at the main one anymore. And of course I am learning drop spinning so I take that up when I am sick of my knitting projects. Know what is the weirdest though? I can only finish projects for someone else. There are tons of things I want to make for myself but I can’t seem to start them and, once started, I never finish them. Why is that?

Nomad · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I have a slightly different reason for having more than 1 project on the go at the same time - I often take my knitting to the bar/restaurant that we expats hang out at, and I can only do ‘easy’ stuff when it’s dark & smoky & I’m talking too much So if I get to a pattern section, or anything I have to keep count of rows or stitches for I just knit that at home in peace & quiet. So right now I have my huge booga bag that I take out each evening & a mitten (yes, mitten singular!) that I work on at home.

But since I’m defnitely a ‘starter’ rather than a ‘finisher’ it’s probably just as well I only have a Boye set so just 4 cables - having no needles forces me to stick to only a few projects on the go!

brightspot · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

There isn’t a catagory for me. I have a lot of projects on the needles, but my fo’s don’t suffer because of it. I get a lot more done, because I don’t stall on them. It keeps me always with something I feel like knitting. If I don’t work on something for a long time, I frog it because I feel like I must not have really wanted it if I don’t want to work on it.

Jenelle · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I usually have to many to count… But, I usually work on each one everyday, like I switch around to keep me from getting bored just knitting back and forth.

I have to finish up some of my projects today, hopefully I can get some of them done for my presentation tomorrow.

kitkat · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I should have added a “I am a power knitter category!”

I do need an easy project for swim meets - the lighting is often terrible, and it is always a stop/go type of activity - you can’t just cheer on your kids, youe have to cheer them all on! Booga bags and scarves are perfect for this venue.

I think my biggest issue is that I get 1/2 to 3/4 of the way there…and then start something else!

So…until I get sock #2 done, booga bag #1 done, and Noro sweater #1 done, I am hereby starting no new projects! I think my future goal will be to have the following always in WIP - one easy project, one pair of socks, and one harder project.

In addition, I am going to update my spreadsheet on projects that I want to do - and prioritize those - and remember not all my knitting needs to be for other people! (a mistake I have made in the past with quilting…you gotta take care of mama too!)

Jenelle · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

Hehe good plan

I think I should do that soon…

Lana · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

[color=teal]As I ummmmmmm age, I realize my brain can only focus on one thing at a time :doh: , so I push to finish what I’m working on so I can move on to the next. I stick with small projects now so I can see light at the end of the tunnel. :shifty:

HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean I don’t have stashed UFOs from 15 to 20 years ago, including cross stitch and sewing. :rollseyes: [/color]

kitkat · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I have started my spreadsheet - and am also going to “inventory” my yarn, to give me a better idea of what I have. I am finding things that I had completely forgotten about!

Julie · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I usually have one big and one small project going…one for home, one to take with me when I’m out and about.

sogrammatical · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I tend to get far too excited about a new project, start it, ignore the others, rinse, repeat. But seeing as I’ve put a freeze on my yarn-buying (it’s become a problem), I should be actually cranking out some FOs soon…

CateKnits · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I picked the five or more with FOs suffering, but I don’t think my FOs really suffer that much - I just end up finishing a bunch all within a couple of days. And sometimes I get motivated to make one thing and will sit and knit just one project all day. Usually, this has to be something quick I know I can do start to finish in one day, like a scarf on big needles. My “firsts” of things usually get finished pretty quickly, too.

mks22300 · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I have 3 projects on my needles and all three are scarves. 2 are for my SIL’s (I was hoping to have them made for Christmas, but that obviously didn’t happen! :lol: ). The other scarf is a HP scarf that I’ve been working on for months (I kind of lose interest in that one because it’s all straight knitting). I’m focusing on one of the scarves for one of my SIL’s though to get it done for her b-day and once my needles arrive, I’ll begin working on her hat too! Oh, I have some yarn I’m waiting for and once that arrives, I’m going to learn how to do Fair Isle to make myself a hat so there’s 2 more projects for me to do. I am so glad that I’m not the only one with knitting ADD. Hmm, maybe I should take my HP scarf to work on during my lunch hour, since it’s straight knitting I don’t have to worry about messing up too much if I’m talking!

Jodyb · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I have several projects going however they’re not knitting.
I just switch between knitting, quilting, crocheting, sewing all the time.

jodstr2 · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I have an “easy” project going for taking to TKD. I can’t do anything there that requires counting or concentration 'cuz I gab way too much with the other parents.

I usually have 2-3 other things going, each in a bag of its own. right now I only have 2: the Chevron scarf is the “easy” project, the clogs are in another bag.

Jan_in_CA · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I have a couple unfinished scarves and am working on a sweater. One scarf requires my undivided attention which I haven’t wanted to do lately, the other I need to get more yarn to finish it.

I think part of my problem is that I’m still new at this so I see something that I haven’t tried and want to try it even if I haven’t finished the last thing I tried. I don’t have anything else I’m planning on starting yet so I should be okay for a bit…and also… my DH was with me when I got the sweater yarn so he knows I’m working on it and if I quit in the middle he’s going to want to know why… it’s kind of like a diet…if you let someone know you are on it you feel more inclined to follow it better so you don’t look like a failure. :roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard:

Amber · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

I tend to be a “one thing at a time” person anyway, but I’m such a newbie knitter that right now I find that each project I tackle keeps me pretty engaged – I’m learning sooo much.

I’ve got a ton of projects on my “to do” list though – and that just keeps growing!

KNITBIT · August 23, 2016, 1:36am

Awhile back…months ago…I had 2 WIP going…and I noticed I worked one more than the other. So the 1st project took FOREVER to finish. Cuz I became bored with it. So…I told myself that’s it…I finished the FOREVER LONG poncho I had been working on and since then I only knit 1 project at a time.

It seems to have helped me tremendously! :cheering: Things now get done. Aww! :happydance: I’ve been sticking to small projects now…hats, and socks. I LOVE socks!!! They’re alot of fun!! Portable, and FAST! So the feeling of accomplishment is so nice! I do a lil here, and there each day. I take my sock with me when I wait to pick my son up from school (20mins.). That’s my daily “guaranteed” knitting session. Then I’ll also knit for about 30min.- hr. later in the evening.

I just finished my sons 2nd sock today. So…I’m waiting to start either a hat/socks when some needles I ordered come. I’m contemplating starting a hat and chancing finishing before my new needles come. I’d rather start socks w/ my new dpns…So if I start a hat and my needles come before I finish…I’ll be like UGHHHHHH…cuz I’ll want to use my new needles for the socks… and want to stick to 1 proj. :doh:

SIGHHHHH :shock:

KNITBIT :XX:

p.s. New obsessed sock knitter!!! :lol:

KNITBIT · August 23, 2016, 1:36am