Knitting / Spinning

Patience

Are you a process or a product crafter? Do you mostly craft to get that awesome, one-of-a-kind item that is tailored to your own size and shape and colour and texture preferences? Or do you really enjoy the process of making the item, and is the final product less important to you than the crafting itself? I think we are all on a spectrum here, because I doubt that many people will knit something when they hate the look of a knitted item, or spin every day when they hate spinning. I consider myself a process crafter usually, because I mainly enjoy the process, and I’m less concerned with the practicality of it all. I mean, look at my FOs, who needs dozens of shawls, really? I just very much enjoy knitting them.

My shawls…. five years ago

I’m also a usually (serial) monogamous crafter. Some people cast on everything they fancy and work on multiple things simultaneously. I hardly ever have multiple knitting projects on the needles, and I never have multiple spinning projects going on. And I’m currently being reminded why that is the case. You see, I am knitting a large shawl (Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust by Lily Go) AND I’m spinning a project for the latest MirkwoodArts SAL.

Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust in handspun silver and shiny little light blue beads

And I’m really starting to stress out about both these projects, not because they are stressful, but because I have such a hard time choosing which project to work on, they’re both so much fun! My brain and heart go back and forth and I cannot make up my mind. It’s tiring. I want to do them both at the same time! But I need to be patient and pace myself.

Smaug and Friends SAL: SpinJones WildWood fibre in a delicious green

I thought I had an idea: just pick one of the two projects to do now, and do the other one after that. Sounds very rational and logical. But I still cannot choose, this time, which one to do first. In Konmari terms: they both bring me equal joy.

The SAL goes on until the end of May, and that’s far enough away for me to easily finish this spinning project and do the shawl as well. So neither project is more urgent than the other.

I’m frozen.

I need your wisdom. Which project do you think I should focus on first? Should I focus on one project, or is there a nifty way of combining them that I didn’t think of yet? Oh wise internet people, please help me. Do you see a solution?

(and no, casting on a third project is not an option. Just saying.)

4 thoughts on “Patience

  1. the good news is there is no wrong choice πŸ™‚ So chose the spinning project. There.

    The nifty way of combining them both would be to work on the one that works best with the natural light that enters your house at the time you’re going to work on it. For example I specifically spin on Sunday mornings, in the morning sun. I sew in the evening, when the light is in the sewing room upstairs.

    oooh, I’m so good with theoretical questions! Now come and visit my house and look how good I wrestle WIPs in real life πŸ˜€

    1. You are so right! The fact that there is no right or wrong is both the thing that freezes me and the thing that comforts me πŸ™‚

      I actually did choose the spinning project in the end. But not for light reasons (good idea, by the way). I was just really tired in the last few days, and spinning requires less concentration than this knitting pattern. So the choice was made quite naturally in the end.

      And you’re not just good with theoretical questions. This was very practical, don’t you think? πŸ˜‰
      And those WIPs in your house, they’re art, right? They’re supposed to be like that, right? Organically growing and changing over time, brightening up the house all that time. That must be it.

  2. I would wonder about noticing your mood as you do one or the other, and to keep them both going but use one as a respite when you are working too hard or losing equanimity with one of them.

    I don’t take my own advice, of course. The Mirkwoods have me so mesmerized that I am neglecting a three-quarters finished project to spin an art yarn from a Tsigaie heritage sheep fleece. I was enchanted with that project until the seductive little Mirkwoods arrived and spun me into a dreamy trance whenever I pick them up!

    1. That’s a good idea, Sarah! I should be more aware of my mood anyway (I usually just do do do and only later realise how I’m feeling). So I’ll try and take your advice, thank you.

      Those Mirkwoods are lovely, aren’t they? And soon you will feel in the mood for the Tsigaie project again (it sounds very cool!). Until then, keep those spindles spinning and dancing, and enjoy the trance πŸ™‚

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