The Act of Monogamous Knitting & What it Looks Like in My Knitting Process

Monogamous knitting.  For years I wondered if there was such a thing as being a monogamous knitter.   I knew several people who claimed to only be working on one project at a time, but I confess that I didn't believe them.  I couldn't imagine only working on one project.  There were too many other things that I wanted to make.  There were too many glorious patterns to cast on.  Too many fabulous creations to fly off the needles.  

But then I learned that sometimes casting on everything at once causes brain fog.  Casting on everything at once makes me feel guilty when I exclusively work on that one project for three days in a row and neglect the others.  Casting on everything causes me to worry and procrastinate because I get overwhelmed.  

Monogamous knitting has helped me return to the original reason I started knitting every day.  Peace.

There is nothing wrong with having multiple projects on the needles at a time, but what I have found to be the most helpful to me is to take a step back and pick the project that best suits me at that point in my life. If there's a lot on my plate and I need to have simple knitting, I pick up a set of socks.  If I have more time to devote to learning new things I pick a project with a challenging element in it. 

Knitting magnanimously has helped me complete several sweaters within the past two or three months.  It has helped me get over a little bit of FOMO (fear of missing out) that I tend to have. 

With so many beautiful and amazing designs that are being released daily on Ravelry and other knitting

resources, it can be hard to keep your focus on one thing.  I have been guilty of starting all the things and then ending up putting them aside for long periods of time.  But starting all the things causes major anxiety in my life that I just don't need.

So I've become pretty monogamous with my knitting.  I try to have a challenging/large project (such as a sweater or shawl) on my needles, as well as an easy one (such as socks or a hat).  Then on the days that I want to work on the larger project, I can, but on the days that I need some easy knitting, I have that project ready to pick up.  

This is what monogamy looks like for my knitting.  A sock and a sweater, or a hat and a shawl, etc.  I primarily work on larger projects, but the smaller ones are there when I need a break.  The small projects are there to help me return to a calm state of mind when I become overwhelmed or frustrated.

Those smaller projects do tend to be a little more long term than they probably should be, but I'm comfortable with how that works out.  I'm ok with the fact that I may finish a pair of socks in a month when it really would only take me a week and a half at the most.  I do it this way because it works for me.   

This is not to say that I still don't get the bug to cast on everything at once.  I still get on Ravelry and search through popular patterns.  I still check out what my friends are making.  But I've learned to set boundaries in my knitting that have helped me stay focused.  If there is a project that I want to make immediately I take a step back and plan out when I can add it to my queue.  I try to keep track of things with a running list of what I want to knit and what yarn I have to knit it with and I try to stick to that list diligently.  

It's hard sometimes, and I will admit to wanting to make all the things.  But at this point in my life, this has been helpful for me and so I'm sticking with it for as long as I can.

What about you?  Are you a monogamous knitter or a polygamous knitter?  Do you have a favorite project that you keep on the needles at all times?