Getting Your Knitting Mojo Back

Have you ever lost your knitting mojo?

I'm happy to say that hasn't happened in a very long time for me.
But here are somethings to think about if you feel uninspired but want to get back to your knitting with gusto as they say:


*Do you need someone to knit for? Sometimes knowing we are giving a gift is stimulus enough to get back to the stitches.


*Do you need to knit for yourself?  I know one knitter who is magnificent, and has never ever knit for anyone other than herself.  As long as she is knitting, good for her.  Maybe we should knit a bit more for ourselves.. We are certainly most appreciative of our handwork right?



*Did someone dishearten you?  I used to get very defensive if someone pointed out a flaw in my work.  I would deem it a failure, in my mind, when a comment got to me.  No more.  The person was rarely a knitter and I gave up perfection knitting a long time ago.  If a mistake is glaring, I now have the skills to fix it, hide it or the like.  Don't let someone who is critical take your knit joy away...


*Are you ready for a challenge?  Is your knitting too easy?  Or the opposite? Are you trying to knit things that are really beyond your skill set?  This can be defeating unless you have a class for support or a great knit friend.  Think about it.


*Maybe you need a yarn change?  Do you knit with the same weight yarn all the time? A simple change can be fun and reignite interest in your craft.


*Have you ever tried a swap?  Swaps can be so much fun if you know the organizer and trust the participants.  Swaps can be found on Ravelry too.  For real fun organize your OWN swap.


*Finally, maybe you want to knit for charity.  Call your local yarn shop for needs within your own area.  Or again, go to Ravelry and search charity knits.  There is something wonderful about giving your hard handiwork away for a great cause.



*Anyone want to chime in????

Comments

Suburban prep said…
At the moment it seems I have lost my mojo.
I have been in this sort of rut since about the end of March.
At the moment it just doesn't seem fulfilling.
It could be that I have been under a lot of stress since the middle of February and didn't really notice that I was not knitting quite as much until March.
The economy has kind of put a halt to yarn and the likes as well.
Perhaps when the Stitches Market comes to town I might be a bit more enthusiastic.
kathy b said…
Suburban Prep

Give it a rest then!! no harm. Your mojo will return....
SissySees said…
Or for me, a friendly KAL sometimes works. My mojo isn't gone as much as I just have been too busy/tired to knit!
Alyssa said…
I think they're all good tips! Though, I'll second the KAL tip. It's fun to knit the same thing with other people what you're knitting alone.

For suburban prep - Hang in there! Maybe you just need the right project to come along. If you need yarn, well... I have a mountain of it, and can give you some!
fancystitching said…
Very good tips, Kathy! I don't think I lose my mojo, but I guess my knitting this time of year decreases due to extreme heat and less time for knitting. But I am persevering... I WILL knit 12 pair of socks in 12 months! (Although I think it will be on into June before my May socks are finished.)
Kathy said…
Great suggestions! I have another one to add!

Get new glasses!!!

I went into this horrible sock knitting funk and just left two pairs of socks unfinished and left for dead in the bottom of my knitting basket.

Got my new glasses and all of a sudden I could see the small stitches and I finished them and started two more pairs!!!!

And I am doing what Elizabeth Zimmerman said to do during the summer - fill your sock drawer with socks for the cold winter ahead!!
Katherine said…
At times I have lost my mojo. The last time was very recently! It's hard to get started again.

I have slowed down with the time intensive projects I am now knitting but I downloaded Life is Good shawl to give me a quick pick-up and hope for the future!!
Mereknits said…
I tend to lose my mojo when I am overwhelmed with life. Sometimes knitting or crochet helps me through a situation, sometimes it wears me out. When that happens I need great inspiration from a pattern to get me excited to pick up needles or a hook again.
Happy workend,
Meredith
Kelley said…
Absolutely fantastic suggestions!

And, I agree with Kathy - check your glasses and knit socks. A pair of socks with a simple textured repeat works well for "fallback" knitting.

I also find that spending time with my drop spindle or spinning wheel gets me motivated. Something about working with fiber from the beginning reconnects me with the entire process.
Anonymous said…
I'm lucky. Knitting mojo is almost a constant.

Cross stitch mojo? Not so much.
Marguerite said…
My knitting mojo is so gone. I know it will be back someday so I'm just being patient until something jars it loose. Lately I've been daydreaming about knitting doilies, so I guess that's progress.
Celia said…
Those are good suggestions. I think you pretty much covered it.
Lynn said…
when I lose my mojo I either go play in my stash or I look thru magazines. that usually gets the juices flowing again. If not, then I switch hobbies for awhile. I'll pick up some cross stitch or I'll play with my fabric for a quilt.
Unknown said…
I love this post. I get into that kind of a funk now and then. I do say to myself, No, absolutely no knitting or visits to the LYS. None.
Sometimes that reverse psychology does the trick. I have to admit I have been knitting pretty steadily this whole year.....

The Knitter's Review by Clara Parkes has a cool post to read and file away for future reference.

Go check it out here. (http://www.knittersreview.com/article_newsletter.asp?article=/newsletter/120405_a.htm)

Popular posts from this blog

Every Once in a While I Might Post

I'm Making Bunny Rabbits

Do You Smile When You Knit???