OK all, I seem to have misplaced my knitting mojo. I'm just not feeling it right now. And since we're coming up on 400 posts (this being post 391), I figured I'd ask a question: What do you do when you feel out of the knitting grove?
Prizes will be given for the most creative / interesting answer (as judged by moi) and to the person who entices the most people to answer (details to follow).
To enter, leave a comment on this post with your ideas for jump-starting my knitting engines. For multiple entries, post a link to this contest on your own blog (or anywhere else you might think it useful) and come back and tell me about it. If people also mention that you sent them along in their comment, that's another entry.
And the big question: what are the prizes?! Well, for that you will have to stay tuned!
15 comments:
No se si entendà bien ¿tienes crisis tejeril? ¡haz un andrea´s shawl! es facilito y entretenido ...
bss
SIONA
OK! I linked to you on my blog...
http://uselessbeautydesigns.blogspot.com/2010/08/in-which-i-attempt-to-find-inspiration.html
where I did a post about How I Find Inspiration ;-). I'm not sure it will help, but, you know, don't necessarily be put off reading it ;-). Hope your mojo returns.
I usually have an easier time when I lose my knitting mojo. To put it nicely I am a Crafter of Loose Obligations, i.e. I will try any craft at least once and probably already have the supplies. So I try sewing or scrapbooking or spinning or something else.
Of course normally I lose interest in knitting in the middle of a project that I need to get done OMG! now. So then I force myself to knit and it just gets worse.
When I lose my any-craft mojo, I find it helps to give myself permission to do another craft instead. You could call it playing mind-games, but you could also call it taking the pressure off. ;) Either way, it seems to work for me.
Like today, I'm probably going to have to go knit something before I can convince myself to draft the corset pattern I'm supposed to have had done months ago but didn't start until this week. ;D
And on days when I'm supposed to be knitting but can't convince myself, I spin instead, or read (which semi-counts as creative/crafty, because it usually inspires me to write...).
Oh, and I just tweeted about your return-of-the-mojo contest @starncrossbones. Just FYI. ;)
I usually do some charity knitting and try to sechdule extra time with my knitting buddies. If that fails. It's a trip to one or more of my LYS, being imrused in yarn gets things going again and hopefully I do not buy yarn for to many projects.
Things I do when knitting must get done:
1) Put on a movie I really like and have already seen more than once and knit; the movie distracts from the fact that I'm knitting something I don't really want to be knitting but if my knitting distracts me from the movie, I've already seen it.
2) Put out a bowl of M&Ms or pretzels and tell myself that I get to eat one at the end of each row.
3) Buy more yarn.
(I'm visiting by way of Susie's Useless Beauty blog.) For lost mojo, I simply consider my big project to-do list and pick the most time consuming and unpleasant task on there. Within short order I'm looking for ways to avoid scrubbing the mildew off the grout or cleaning the garage or whatever, which generally makes my knitting look like the best thing I can do right now. On the other hand, yarn shopping usually does the trick, too. Somehow new yarn is always more appealing than what I already have :-)
Oh, I should have mentioned I came here by way of Susie's blog, too.
And while I was attempting to inspire myself earlier, I thought of another mojo-inducing idea that may or may not work: Spritz on a bit of your favorite scent. It seems like it would change your mindset for the better, and maybe push you out of a doldrum. I haven't tested it yet ... but maybe I will. ;)
Three tricks always work to jump-start crafty "blockages":
1. Take a long walk and visualize nature as a yarn palette .... Then find great yarns in those colors/textures. 2. Pick up your favorite craft magazine to look at -- over a hot fudge sundae. (Make sure it has whipped cream and a cherry!) 3. Balance your checkbook and catch up all your bills. That relieves you of remaining guilt over those "to do"s, plus makes you very grateful to get back to something you love: your favorite craft! For me, that means anything having to do with luscious yarn!
Sometimes a visit to a yarn shop inspires. Sometimes Ravelry inspires me. Mostly now I just want some time to knit.
It depends. If I'm working on a project with a deadline, I set up a system of small rewards for each little piece of the project and try to convince myself that if I'm not knitting I need to be doing chores instead. If I'm not working on a project with a deadline, I usually just give myself permission not to knit. I'll replace it with something else I like to do - sometimes I'll do another craft, sometimes I'll go hiking, sometimes I'll read a book, etc. Eventually I always seem to feel like knitting again, and it's surprising how quickly that can happen when I take the pressure off myself.
The other thing that works for me sometimes is to join a knit-along. A bit of competitive pressure can be helpful.
I just don't knit for a couple of days. Then I pick up something easy and just go. After one evening of plodding through a brainless knit, I'm usually back. Today's the first day I've knitted in almost a week.
Hi Erin, I have never (until now) lost my knitting mojo. But if this moment arrives I would pick a couple of hours to myself, good music and surrounded by my books, magazine and ravelry, start to browse in order to find something which inspires me.
Something small could do the trick, a pair of mittens or socks could be great.
Regards from Madrid Knits!!
I mean I hate to be a weirdo but when I lose my knitting mojo I just walk away for a while -- weeks even -- and wait until it comes back. It does. I think you should blog about why we get stressed over a hobby (because I'm currently having major sweater anxiety). So weird.
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