For my first two years of sock knitting, I'd at most have two pairs of socks going at one time. But most of the time it was one pair. Cast on, knit the pair, bind off, weave in the ends, start a new pair. (This is how I know that it typically takes me about two weeks to knit a pair of socks.) Once in a while, I'd cast on a new pair before the first pair was finished. When I did, I always had trouble making eye contact with the temporarily abandoned pair. I almost felt guilty cheating on my half-done socks with a shiny new cast-on.
However, with the start of 2013, I found myself with FIVE pairs of socks OTN (on the needles)! Three of them were started in December along with an additional two for new January knit-a-longs. I found myself getting a bit twitchy. I was alternating between them. Bored with one? Grab a different pair! Tired of lace? Switch to cables! I had become a player. A bonified, sock-knitting play-ah. And there was the guilt.
Five project bags lined up next to each other. "Knit me!" one seemed to say. "No, knit me!" another would soundlessly cry. I was stretched thin... too many at once! How can I ever finish any of them with so many taking my attention??? (Now I know how the husband on "Sister Wives" must feel...)
Then a miraculous thing happened...
I started finishing them. Bam! One pair done! BAM! Another! BABAM! A third! After languishing in various states of almost-completion, I had a rush of finishing that was almost as good as a giant slice of New York style cheesecake smothered in strawberries. (Almost.) So when I saw the article in Knitting Daily, it was as if it was written just for me.
Here's an exerpt:
I also love starting projects, and I let myself start new ones while old ones are still in progress. I find that new projects keeps my enthusiasm for knitting at top speed. To me, looking at yarn and patterns and starting new projects is the lifeblood of knitting—there's always something new to work on!
"Start as many new projects as you can!"
That's my new motto, and I'm sticking to it. I'm not talking about mindlessly and indiscriminately knitting any old thing with any old yarn you can get your hands on; instead, I'm talking about choosing new projects wisely and for very specific beneficial reasons. Yet recognizing that creativity is fluid, I want to keep a steady stream of new experiences flowing with as many different kinds of projects as I can manage.
Huh. How about that? Just when I'm struggling with another three pairs of cast on socks (Haymitch test knit, Jacob (as in the Twilight Jacob), and Elm (by Cookie A)), a not-quite-half-finished Nightlock shawl, and Sock Madness coming up. (If you don't know what Sock Madness is, it's basically a speed sock knitting competition for crazy people. Check out their group on Ravelry.) But even with all of those things, I still find myself wanting to cast on more. Yarn is wound for Gollum socks. More yarn is wound for some fabulous gloves (pattern by Julia Mueller). Do I dare start them? Will I be empowered and feel those creative juices flowing? Or will I just stress myself out? I'm walking the fence here - it could go either way. This weekend may be the determining factor. With two feet of snow supposedly on the way, I should hopefully be stuck in the house and get a lot of knitting done. Will I be bored with my current projects and give in to my slutty desire to start a new knitted love or two? Or will I remain committed to the socks with which I've already built a relationship? Only time will tell...
