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Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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Stuck in a Rut?

June 3, 2015 3 Comments

What to do if you're stuck in a knitting or crocheting rut

Karie writes, “I was wondering if you could do a post about being in a knitting rut? I’ve been knitting a lot over the past year or so but find myself unmotivated and not really loving any project lined up in my queue. Any advice?”

You’re in luck, Karie! We’ve all been there, and the struggle is real. Knitting projects can take a lot of work. Especially if I’m not on a deadline, personal WIPs can end up staying in progress for a long time. Here are a few of my go-to strategies for knitting (or not knitting) my way out of a motivational slump.

Try a new fiber. Or just switch it up.

A few weeks ago I wrote about a new-to-me fiber, yak. Sometimes getting your hands on a new fiber, particularly one with a new feel, can get you excited about knitting. Some fibers are really slippery and frustrating to work with. If you’re in a rut, maybe try something a little more user friendly like cotton or wool. Removing frustration-inducing barriers when you’re unmotivated is a very good idea.

Schedule time off.

I’ve written about this before, but I suffer from intermittent bouts of tendonitis. When I have a flare up, the only solution is to take a few days off from knitting or crochet entirely to rest my hands. If it’s a minor flare, I take 2 to 3 days off, and if it’s major I take up to a week. (PS: Minor flare ups stay minor if you take your short, 2-3 days off!)

Even if you’re not a person with hand issues, scheduling yourself a specific amount of time off between projects can be a good thing. During that down time, you could focus on other relaxing pursuits, like reading, cooking, walking, or yoga. Setting aside time to stop knitting, but also setting a deadline for when to cast on your next project is a great way to refresh your knitting brain. For me, absence tends to make the heart grow fonder (and the hands stronger) when it comes to taking time off my knitting!

What to do if you're stuck in a knitting or crocheting rut

Play Ravelry roulette!

If you’re not on Ravelry,* you should get an account ASAP, and be my friend/join the Hands Occupied group. :) Once you’re on Ravelry, go the patterns section and use the pattern browser & advanced search feature. You can browse thousands of patterns by popularity, date published, difficulty rating as voted by Ravelry users, and more. You can do everything from typing in your favorite color or garment type to an animal’s name to see what the pattern browser brings up. Who knows? Maybe that’s what will kick your butt into knitting gear!

*The links above only work when you’re logged into Ravelry. A lot of Ravelry features require an account to access, just FYI.

 Have any tips for getting out of a rut? Please share them in the comments! :)

Filed Under: Knitting Tagged With: crafter's block, crocheter's block, knitter's block, knitting motivation, motivation, stuck in a crocheting rut, stuck in a knitting rut

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

Previous Post: « Spring Meadow Scarf Knit Along Week 3
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Comments

  1. Julie

    June 3, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    all great suggestions! I find reading new-to-me pattern or technique books really helpful, too– sometimes you see something new or read about a new technique that broadens your skills and gets you thinking about patterns in new ways.

    Reply
  2. Jane rogers

    June 3, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    Hi wow love your photo on the subway (?)…new fun fibers is a great idea..a quick project might get you going too. Jane

    Reply
  3. karie

    June 8, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    Thank you!!

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! T It’s time for the monthly review and giveaway! This go around, get to know two new sister yarns from @manosyarnsusa, Marla and Sami, and enter to win a skein of each to try for yourself. 
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What makes these yarns sisters is that, while dyed differently, they’re the same weight and come in intentionally coordinating color palettes. For my review, I opted for a sky-inspired combo of Sami in Natural and Marla in Nube. 🌧️ 
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Check out the full review & enter the giveaway at the link in my bio. 
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#handsoccupied #yarnreview #manosdeluruguay #knitting_inspire #crochet #yarngiveaway #knitters #yarn #crochetersofinstagram
If only knitting a whole project took 39 seconds… 😮‍💨 
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In this video, you can see how the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern knits up - two flat panels, one with intarsia, both are blocked, and then they’re seamed. Find the pattern on @hi.ravelry & my website, just search Intarsia Flower Pillow. 🌸 
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P.S. I’m really smiling in this video while seaming the pillow, so I guess I’m proving last week’s claim that I truly enjoy that sometimes-dreaded task. 😆🫣
In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you In knitting, a Left Lifted Increase (LLI) lets you add a stitch in between two columns of stitches that leans to the left. Similar to an M1L, LLIs allow you to increase nearly invisibly.
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To learn more about lifted increases, including when to use them and how they differ from Make 1s, head to the 🔗 in my profle. 
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Have you ever used lifted increases? I used M1’s almost exclusively for a long time when I needed to inc between stitches, but when I designed the Intarsia Flower Pillow pattern, I needed something that would allow me to increase a lot near my cast on, and M1’s resulted in edge curling. The more you know! 🌈 
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Yarn: @lionbrandyarn Wool Ease from my Stash / Neddles: @boyeyarncrafts - Just remembered these are the needles I learned to knit on at age 8. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #learntoknit #howtoknit #sweaterknitting #knitinspiration #knittersofinstagram #liftedincreases
Last week I got to hang out with my family & helpe Last week I got to hang out with my family & helped babysit my red-headed niece and nephew. So here’s some plane knitting, and a couple pictures (shared with permission) of my babysitting adventures.
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Lessons learned: 1️⃣ Trying to knit around 2 toddlers, 2 cats & 2 large dogs is pretty hard. 2️⃣ I learned during water color time that pink and black make “colorful black.” 🩷🖤 3️⃣ Toddlers do NOT care about your rainbow sorting of their toys. 4️⃣ Toddlers are very good at finding mischief in a very short amount of time, what a surprise. 😂
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#handsoccupied #knitting #placesyoucanknit #knitters #knitinpublic #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration
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