Yes, I do realize it is February 19 and I'm still talking about Xmas. But the syndrome I am about to talk about does last for sometime so talking about it mid-February is still appropriate, at least from my POV.
It seems to happen every year to many knitters, myself included. We have deadlines to meet with gifts that must be completed by a specific time so we are so motivated before the holidays. We will sit for hours on end getting projects done knowing precisely what the next thing that needs to be done. No time for browsing online for new yarns, new patterns or new techniques; the focus has to remain on the projects that are intended to be gifts and must be done by Xmas.
Then the holidays come and the gifts are shared and we knitters collectively all sigh in relief. We rest for a bit, releasing the tension between our shoulders and then sink into some form of unfocused knitting withdrawal. We know we should be knitting, but we have trouble figuring out the right next thing to do. So we hem and haw about not doing anything, generally with other knitters until we get our mojo back. I've written about knitting withdrawal before here; but this is different. This is something like knitting inertness, a time of idleness with anxiety about being idle, or a state of inability to move forward. Knitting withdrawal is a state where you can't knit because your situation or circumstance you are in. Knitting inertness is not being able to get motivated enough to think about using a pattern or needles even though they are available to you. And this knitting inertness is most apt to happen just after the holidays.
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Knitting inertness almost always leads to varying states of startitist. It is the state where the knitter is motivated to start several projects, almost simultaneously finishing none of them almost simultaneously as well. Startitist leads to much of the WIPs a knitter struggles with for the rest of the year. Should you wish to explore startitist check out what the Yarn Harlot has to say about it here and here. She's a professional knitter and describes the aftermath of knitting inertia and the consequences of startitist.
So knowing this cycle, for 2013 I changed things up for myself. I had yarn in the house and ideas of what to do with it before the holidays. Getting the Yarnia yarn for my Before and After scarf just made things all the better. I made it through that state and beyond. I'm even moving forward with holiday knitting for 2013. Finally after several years of knitting inertness I've found a sensible way to beat it. And it involves planning ahead and then acting on that plan.
It seems to happen every year to many knitters, myself included. We have deadlines to meet with gifts that must be completed by a specific time so we are so motivated before the holidays. We will sit for hours on end getting projects done knowing precisely what the next thing that needs to be done. No time for browsing online for new yarns, new patterns or new techniques; the focus has to remain on the projects that are intended to be gifts and must be done by Xmas.
Then the holidays come and the gifts are shared and we knitters collectively all sigh in relief. We rest for a bit, releasing the tension between our shoulders and then sink into some form of unfocused knitting withdrawal. We know we should be knitting, but we have trouble figuring out the right next thing to do. So we hem and haw about not doing anything, generally with other knitters until we get our mojo back. I've written about knitting withdrawal before here; but this is different. This is something like knitting inertness, a time of idleness with anxiety about being idle, or a state of inability to move forward. Knitting withdrawal is a state where you can't knit because your situation or circumstance you are in. Knitting inertness is not being able to get motivated enough to think about using a pattern or needles even though they are available to you. And this knitting inertness is most apt to happen just after the holidays.
Knitting inertness almost always leads to varying states of startitist. It is the state where the knitter is motivated to start several projects, almost simultaneously finishing none of them almost simultaneously as well. Startitist leads to much of the WIPs a knitter struggles with for the rest of the year. Should you wish to explore startitist check out what the Yarn Harlot has to say about it here and here. She's a professional knitter and describes the aftermath of knitting inertia and the consequences of startitist.
So knowing this cycle, for 2013 I changed things up for myself. I had yarn in the house and ideas of what to do with it before the holidays. Getting the Yarnia yarn for my Before and After scarf just made things all the better. I made it through that state and beyond. I'm even moving forward with holiday knitting for 2013. Finally after several years of knitting inertness I've found a sensible way to beat it. And it involves planning ahead and then acting on that plan.
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