I am currently working on 3 projects, the babykid shawl, which is all ss and then you add on the ruffle part which is really boring too, a cabled afghan which will take me years to complete, and a pair of socks. I am bored with them all. I worked on the shawl all weekend so I kinda want to whip it out the window right now:roflhard: the socks have the wrong amount of stitches on one needle, so that might go out too:blooby: and the afghan is just HUGE. So what do you all do when you are stuck? I don’t want to cast on another big project to get frustrated with:pout:
do i just make a bunch of dishcloths? anyone know of a cute easy fast pattern to get me out of my knitting funk???:knitting:
What to do when you are bored w/ your knitting
What about a hat? The Unoriginal hat by the Yarn Harlot is really cute and not boring, but it’s also fast. It definitely sounds like you need a quick fix. Dishcloths often do that for me since you can complete one in two evenings. Try a complex pattern in a fun colour. I know exactly what you mean though. Maybe it’s time you tackled a technique you’ve never done before?
I’ve been making berets and hats. They are really quick and much appreciated. The latest run I’ve been on is with the Lion Brand beret and felted beret patterns. Both of them less than a skein and both free patterns.
I haven’t been knitting for teeeerrrribly long, and a bunch of what I have knit has been on a deadline (for the holidays) and stuff I sorta promised people, so I had to finish what I started. If that were the case with you, I’d say just power through it and get it done, maybe do a quick hat or wrist warmers or neck warmer (like a mini scarf, cheat and make it just long enough to wrap around the neck and then some, and do a button closure) or something to get you through the funk and change things up a bit. But, since it sounds like none of those are HURRY-UP-and-get-it-done projects, what I would do is probably frog and use it for another project. Maybe instead of doing an afghan in one go, make a bunch of smaller patches in a bunch of different designs and then seam it all together? There’s an afghan square knit-along-swap brewing up, you might want to consider joining. So far it sounds like it’ll be one afghan square per month, for an entire year. You make 12 squares, swap a bunch with other people who are making them month by month and then at the end of the year you have 12 entirely different squares to seam up into your own afghan. Some of the details need to be worked out, it looks like, but it sounds like it’s gonna be FUN! And since it’s drawn out so long, there’s a lot of room for growth and learning new techniques with each square.
I find that the most enjoyable knitting projects are ones that GET USED! So, make a list of things you (or someone you love) NEEDS: socks, warm weather gear: hats/gloves/etc, a bathmat, a teapot cozy… check out the thread for stashbusters/“one-skein-wonders” in the patterns section…
Oh, and also. I just started doing socks, I’ve been using silver’s tutorial doing 2 socks toe-up on one long circular needle. So far it’s been going great!
So to summarize: consider joining a knit-along (btw, anyone else wonder why knit-along is acronym’d KAL, since it’s “along” and not “a-long”??) that incorporates new techniques, offers quick projects, or one for a particular FUNCTIONAL piece that you’ll use and smile at every time you do. Those are the best ways I can think of you pull yourself out from a funk.
But then again, I’ve only been knitting for a few months, so what do I really know about knitting funks…?! =]
asg: thank you so much for the thoughtful post.
I wish that i had thought of a block afghan, it would be a lot more fun than what I am doing!
When I’m bored with my current knitting projects (and I am at that point right now, too) the thing that gets me out of it is to find some totally self-indulgent, costs too much money yarn and buy a small amount of it for a really tiny treat – you know, like a hat or wrist warmers. The yarn has to be especially yummy because the point of this project is the yarn itself.
The last thing I made was a cashmere neck warmer made with Lobster Pot Cashmere. I cast on about 68 stitches on a circular needle and knit a checkerboard of alternating knit and seed stitch squares.
The yarn was so yummy to work with and was such a lovely color that it broke me out of my funk.
The other thing I do when I’m bored of my knitting is not knit for a while. I read, I focus on my photography and I do other things. Not for long though – I always come back to my knitting!
Oh, and looking at lots of knitting magazines and books helps to inspire me as well as browsing through people’s knitting blogs – here’s my fave for the moment (not all knitting but still very inspiring.)
[B][U]When I’m bored… I GO BUY NEW YARN![/U][/B] :woohoo: Which is what I did last weekend when I posted photos of some of the yarn that I bought.
Nice new yummy yarn always makes me want to start knitting- now, the only downfall is that I want to knit with the NEW YARN… but, at least… I do enjoy the new knitting project.
It does sound like you need a new ‘small, fun’ project to work on. The shawl and afghan and endless projects w/ miles of stitching…
BUT, if you do want to just keep at it… I do sometimes put in a favorite 30 minute old tv show DVD and knit away. For instance, I still had a baby hat to finish… when I bought my new yarn… but, I told myself that I could NOT start knitting w/ the new project until the ‘baby hat’ gift was finished. IT took me about 2 1/2 more hours… but, I did finish.
So, what if it was 11pm before I cast on for a scarf out of the new yummy Italian mohair yarn?
You could also… knit for 30 minutes on the ‘endless knitting project’ and then 30 minutes on a fun project… reward and getting the knitting done at the same time?
I am making a hat for DH and am having such a good time at it. Go buy some yummy expensive yarn and make a sweet hat for someone. Maybe yourself. I agree with the PP who said to take a break. Run fast from the boring projects. Have fun for a while.
What I do is just a teeny tiny easy pattern… a coaster… I use the "grandma’s favorite dishcloth pattern… you know c/o 4
knit 4, k1, yo knit to end then decrease when it get half the size I want… I use these little coaster everywhere… by my bedtable…in the bathroom (for makeup)… it is a no committment project…
I found some interesting dishcloth patterns at
http://www.knittingknonsense.com
And there’s a lot of neat dishcloths here:
i either make something small (like a baby hat) or pick up my crochet.
Something I do when I have several projects going at once and am not thrilled by any of them is work on them all just a little each day (or each time I knit). For example, I had a scarf (for me!), a dishcloth (part of a friend’s gift) and a wrap all going. I would do at least one repeat (8 rows) on the scarf, 5-10 rows on the dishcloth and a couple on the wrap. That way I was working on everything but keep switching around so I didn’t feel like I was having to work on one thing all the time. Just a thought!
Make a toy! I just knit a alien and it only took me like 2 hours total. When your done you feel inspired to work on bigger stuff.
I think a trip to the LYS is in order! It never hurts to have a gorgeous new yarn to work with - and make something for YOU!! As much as I love to knit for other people, I have to make something for myself every once in awhile.
The other suggestion of taking a break is a good one too. Try doing something else for awhile. You might just be a little burnt out and need a break.
Good luck!
I found that listening to the Yarn Harlot audio book kept me amused and engaged and I got a huge amount done on a sweater mainly done in stockinette with some shaping for darts.
Getting up and doing a little housework can send me right back to my knitting as well.
This is why no one will ever see me making a really big project. I’m too stinkin’ ADD about knitting; I get bored w/what I’m making and want to do something else I’ve seen. That is so BAD of me, too!!! All these answers have been very interesting, though, and might just help me out, too. 
:woohoo: Me too!
I do try to keep my WIPS to three but if I am really bored or frustrated with what I am doing, I will pick up something new usually something small and often charity oriented. Breaks the boredom up a little.
I got an iPod Shuffle for Christmas. I put lots of my favourite songs on it. When I am bored with knitting the same thing over and over or a really big project (like the shawl I am working on now) I put my iPod on and it makes it easier to knit. I bee bop in my chair while I knit! Sounds silly but it works for me!
As with many of the others here - I go to my stash or to the yarn store and start a small, fun, project. Remember, WE are the only ones we are doing this for - we are supposed to enjoy the process!!
Good luck!:knitting: