Where do you find the time?

#1

Okay, I have posted a little and read A LOT of things on this site, but my big question to you all is, where do you find the time to knit?? I have two toddlers, a part-time job, and many projects at our house. We bought a duplex with my SIL two years ago and we are still working on the yard/landscaping, now building a fence to fence in our backyard, and various other indoor projects as well. That’s besides the point I guess… I know someone mentioned that they knit in the movie theater, but since I still have to look at what I am doing most of the time, especially if I am following a pattern that has a lot of changes in it…

I guess I am just jealous :crying: that you all seem to get sooo much done and I still have not gotten a lot done and never seem to have the time for a hobby that I love. :heart:

Suggestions??

#2

I knit under the cover of darkness. Really, I TiVo all the shows I watch (because I have small children) and I watch them after the kids go to bed, and I knit then. I’m a total night owl.

Now that it’s nice out I can knit during the day too – I sit on the porch while my kids play in the back yard. I can’t knit at the park yet because my youngest is not yet two and a total daredevil. Maybe next summer! :smiley:

#3

Nap time. That is the only time I get. Screw laundry I got a tank to knit!

#4

Julie, I also sit for a 9-month old (which I forgot to mention) which makes it tough to knit at the park, because she is only crawling and needs constant attention or she’ll eat anything she can get her hands on. :wink: I end up being a night owl a little bit too. So, instead of doing so much around the house, I should set aside time to knit.

Nuno, if you don’t do the laundry during naptime, when do you actually get it done?? I work Tues-Thurs evenings, so those nights are shot.

You both gave good suggestions though. :smiley: Thanks.

Determined to find the time to finish my projects…

#5

Don’t feel too down about it. Since I joined up I’ve only actually finished one project, the picture of which I will be posting in a few minutes, hopefully. I started socks, but I got so angry with the way one half of every stitch curled up to make ridges on my socks when all I wanted was a pretty stockinette stitch—(breathe)----so I put it away rather than take it out in the yard and set a match to it.

Most people are overloaded with things to do. Since I discovered knitting, I have cut down on my book habit (minimum 4 per week). I take my knitting everywhere. I knit between classes, waiting for my kids at activities, etc. Having little babies really makes it hard to do the important stuff, let alone knit, so enjoy what knitting time you can and enjoy your little angels.

I try not to compare my output to that of others. I only have time for so much and I’m knitting because it makes me happy. The day it becomes a drag, I will put it down and walk away, and probably stick my nose back into a book.

I think that your “yarn envy” is just the normal feeling of any knitting addict. We are always on the lookout for the next project, we look too closely at strangers’ garments as we try to decipher how it was made and can we copy that, we go to our LYS to slobber over the yarn even though we have three projects at home already in the works and a big enough stash to fill a cargo container.

Congratulations, you are one of us! :smiley:

#6

Thanks Sara. That is a great name by the way! :wink: I would say I am a total addict, especially to yarn. I love to look at my LYS and online, and spend when I can. I am always thinking of the next five things I could start working on but alas, I must finish the booties that I have ripped out three times and knit wrong side out once and did not notice until I was finished. Grrrr. :evil: But, I think I am making progress on this one. I also have to finish my tote so I can do my first attempt at felting.

I have begun to carry my knitting everywhere too. It is so calming, I love it!

#7

[color=orange]lol…i am the movie theatre knitter! in fact i am leaving for a movie here in a little bit :wink: i love combining two of my favorite things. i must say though, i am still fairly knew so i mostly only take stuff that is garter stitched or on nice big needles to the theatre so that it is easy to see. i also knit when i am watching tv. i rarely actually look at the tv while i am watching as i am either on the computer or knitting. i also carry a project with me just about anywhere i go so that when i do have a few minutes i can grab the needles and do a little. I work about 14 hours a day so finding the time to do it is not easy. i think that is why i do run off to the theatre just about every weekend so i have the time automatically carved in. i don’t have kids however so even though i am never home, i am sure you finding the time is a lot less challenging than it is for me. I think you just need to make sure you carve a little time out of each day so that you can just sit and enjoy. even if it is an hour that you just give to yourself![/color]

#8

I knit for an hr. or so when my kids are in school. Then in the early evenings while I watch the news. Also when I watch my fav. reality shows! :cheering: heehee!

I knit in the car when we’re (husband, kids, and I) are the way somewhere a bit far. Maybe on our way to visit in-laws, or on the way to dr. appts., etc. I knit when hubby and son go in to get a haircut. :XX: I stay in the car and knit.

LOL, whenever I can work it in, I K-N-I-T !!! :thumbsup:

I try to work in some knitting on the weekends as well. During the day sometime. Cuz at night we watch movies!! :happydance: So…maybe in the morning for awhile.

Happy Knitting,
KNITBIT :XX:

#9

Sara, I’m in the same boat as you! I am amazed at the projects some of the women here complete! It seems like it takes me forever to get any knitting project done. :frowning:

I have 2 children under 5, teach part time at a preschool and volunteer for my church’s outreach ministry. I also have a small home based business (Stampin’ Up! - rubber stamping and scrapbooking) that has me out of the house a few nights a month. And that’s another obsessive hobby of mine, so its hard to divide the time between my scrapbook, stamping and knitting! Now I know why my husband rolled his eyes when I started knitting again. he he he!

I have found that the only time I can knit is at night after the kids are asleep. Occassionally I knit during the day when we’re playing outside. That’s a little hard for me cause I get distracted by them and lose my place or my knitting groove. (Swing mommy SWING!!!) I have just come to realize that I’m going to be a slow knitter. :frowning: That’s sad because I have a huge list of projects I’d like to do! And I need to stop looking in magazines. That only adds to the list!

Have fun…and don’t stay up too late! :wink:

#10

I have started to tote my knitting everywhere I go…I knit when Im waiting in line for ANYTHING. I knit while I watch TV. I have knit in restaurants at the table while we are waiting for our food to arrive. I knit a work on my lunch break. The car while DH is driving is my favorite though, I think.

#11

Kelly, I can’t believe you can knit in the car! I tried it once and got so motion sick.

And I love that Brenda can knit in the movies! I tried to knit last night while watching a video (George Clooney…yum!) but couldn’t do both at the same time.

#12

I got motion sick ONCE when I tried to knit in the car after having a couple of drinks. :oops:

#13

Well, I’m a student and only have to go to campus 2 days a week for a total of 5 hours! All other courses are “optional”. But I do sometimes attend them…sometimes.
Than I have to do homework, reading the lecture notes for the courses I didn’t attend, do some extra work for my studies. All that adds up to 15 hours a week.
Since I don’t have a job at the moment and still live with my parents I have mucho time to knit. Everytime I feel bored, I knit.

But I don’t think that’s something you have to envy. Look at it this way:
Your having a job, kids, a house AND still find time to knit! I don’t know if I could manage that.

#14

Hmmm, I think I need to invest in a knitting bag. I never take mine anywhere because I just don’t have an easy way to transport it.

Nuno, if you don’t do the laundry during naptime, when do you actually get it done?? I work Tues-Thurs evenings, so those nights are shot.

I make my husband do it. Or I just don’t get it done. I live by my friends motto “Life is to short, I can either have an immaculate clean house or fun… I’ll wear dirty underwear” :thumbsup:

#15

I have a hard time reading a map in a moving car, sometimes! We’re taking a fieldtrip to the National Women’s Rights Museum in Seneca Falls on Friday and I begged the instructor to let me drive so I wouldn’t get sick. Knitting in the car is out. I get sick on the swings at the park. DH had to take DD on the ferris wheel at the town fair last weekend, I couldn’t do it. I had to stand on the top risers at the choir concert last night, I could barely look up at the director and then down at the music. I learned just how well I had memorized my part! I’m a little worried at how bad the vertigo has gotten. I have a dr appt next week, I’ll have to put that on my list.

I want to go to school with Javede! I’m actually required to be in classrooms 15 hours per week. Then there’s homework and practices on top of that.

#16

I don’t leave the house without any knitting. Sometimes I knit while I’m walking. It’s a long walk from where I work/school to downtown where the library/bank/PO/Kinkos are, so I knit while I walk. then I knt while I’m in line. I knit in class (Lots of boring lectures. I need to knit to stay awake) and I knit at my PT job as the lab attendant in the computer lab. Then I knit when I get home and the boy is asleep and watch my Netflix movies or shows that I taped. It’s a maater of how far advanced your knitting disease is. I been doing this for 15 years. Even when I’m broke, I sell off CD’s or books and stuff for yarn.

#17

I knit for a little while in the morning before starting my daily chores, and everyday when I’m waiting in the parent pick-up line at my daughter’s school. I get there early, on purpose, so I have a good 30-40 minutes to knit. I also knit in the evening while watching tv after the kids have gone to bed. In addition, I don’t stress myself out over getting the house spotless. Everyone needs “me time”, and my time is knitting. I don’t feel guilty at all about letting the laundry sit for a while as I knit a row or two.

I also don’t leave the house without my knitting bag. Like I tell my mom, you just never know when you’ll have some time to kill. Dr offices, traffic, visiting a friend or my husband at work. I seize every single opportunity. I am a knitting fool. :XX:

#18

:XX: :XX: I’m totally disabled and am unable to work (or do most anything else as a result!)…sooo…knitting :heart: :heart: :heart: , which I love, would have to be my silver lining…so, even tho I can’t do the things all of you can do…I can knit more :stuck_out_tongue: :stuck_out_tongue: …lol!!
I envy all of u that so successfully juggle family and life…u r an inspriration to many…I want all of u to remember that when u r having one of ‘those days’…u r MY INSPIRATION!! :heart: :heart:

#19

Benniesma: You sound so much like me with the kids and the Stampin’ Up stuff. I have hosted two parties in the past month and the demonstrator is trying to talk me into being a demonstrator, even if I do just enough to cover the $300/quarter. I am still debating it. Do you like it? Make enough spare money?

And with the kids, I am always getting “mommy, push me in the swing, mommy, I need a snack, mommy, he/she’s hitting me, mommy…, etc.” I am always losing my count, my place, etc. I have to also come to realize, maybe I will be a slow knitter as well. :wink:

Nuno, I just purchased the Jordana Paige knitter’s purse and it just came into my LYS. I have to pick it up next week and am very excited! :happydance: Can’t wait to start using it. Although, mine will also have kids snacks, diapers, etc. :smiley:

#20

Wow! I feel lucky that in my job as a nanny, I get three hours in the afternoon (give or take a half hour) to knit or do whatever I want. I try and knit in that time, but sometimes other things take up that time, so I knit in the evenings before I go to bed.

I love to knit, but the only things I have gotten done are a hat, booties, and mitts for a preemie at the local NICU, so I don’t consider myself I fast knitter at all!!

Katy