Recovering your knitting mojo.
Psst - how’s your knit life?
COVID-19 has seen people taking up their needles in droves, but that’s not the case for everyone. During lockdown have you found your creativity supercharged, or have you noticed a definite lack of knitting mojo?
At times of stress people often go running for yarn and needles. I’ve witnessed this in a previous role as a Rowan Design Consultant in a John Lewis yarn department many years ago. I had numerous conversations with (usually) women experiencing all manner of emotional strife - life threatening illness, bereavement, and acrimonious divorce to name but a few. What they shared was a deep and often urgent need to start or get back into knitting. This was no coincidence, and I’ve been fascinated ever since about the role of creativity in promoting well being, and protecting us in times of emotional distress.
Ironically though, it’s often difficult to embrace creativity when you are in a difficult place. While some knitters have been taking full advantage of time on their hands in lockdown, some have noticed a distinct tailing off of their knit drive, or even come to a complete standstill which can be distressing in and of itself.
If this resonates with you, don’t worry you’re in good company. A loss of knitting mojo can be disconcerting, but it’s rarely permanent and there are a number of strategies you can try to recharge your creative batteries. And I’d urge you to do so, as creative activities boost your wellbeing in numerous ways.
While we’re talking here about the impact of the pandemic on your knit life, really it applies to any period in our lives where we are facing adversity and/or crisis. In this post we’ll be looking at a number of ways to recover a loss of knitting mojo.
Carve out some space
First up we’ll look at how you can get some breathing space.
Time and space
Although it may be challenging under lockdown conditions, particularly if you’ve a larger household, it’s essential to find some space in terms of time and place for you to engage in some creative activities. Everyone’s situation is different, but with some negotiating you should be able to identify a regular ‘slot’ for you to have some uninterrupted ‘play’ time. This may be a welcome conversation to all in your household - with a good plan you can all benefit from having a bit of time to yourselves.
Mental and emotional space is also key for nurturing your inner creative and promoting wellbeing. You may be having a rough ride at the moment, facing profound losses and deeply worrying issues which you have little or no control over. This can feel overwhelming and exhausting, but there are ways you can carve out a little bit of breathing space for yourself.
Turn the noise down
Step away from social media and the news! Ironically, the outside world has never been so present in our homes with endless news reports and social media commentary which can dominate our days. Being over exposed to the news and other media only adds to our fear and anxiety levels, stealing our time and leaving us unable to focus.
We need to be kept informed of course, but the best thing you can do for yourself is to reclaim your private space at home and limit news and social media streams to once a day.
“As a mixed media painter, I am struggling at times to get my creative side going. I find that I am preoccupied with world events and have to bring myself back to the present to enjoy the beauty around us in our garden.” Judy Alexander.
Find a new groove
As lockdown has extended our normal daily routines have been disrupted, if not obliterated. Routines are important - they add shape to our day, making mundane tasks easier and requiring less mental energy. Dependable rhythms of everyday life have all but evaporated, leaving a sense of being adrift in COVID limbo. Many of us have concerns for loved ones, new worries about finances, plus having to adapt to schooling children etc. Previously simple errands now take considerable time and energy to negotiate within current restrictions.
Building a new routine is key to reaffirming structure and boundaries, and making everyday stuff a little less effortful. This will help to reclaim some time and energy, by adding some shape to our days and relieving some of that constant gnawing anxiety.
Switch things up
Having ring-fenced some time for yourself, you still might not feeling like picking up your knitting. That’s ok - don’t worry about this, just find other things to help relax and that make you feel good. Putting pressure on yourself won’t help - you need to be kind to yourself at this time.Approaching things differently can give your creative brain a bit of a prod. Here are a few strategies that can help.
A change is as good as a rest
Take time off from knitting and enjoy something else. Find new ways to express your creativity - check our your cupboards and rediscover some ‘old flames’ - like that pile of fabric you have, or big box of beading supplies for example. You probably have some sketchbooks or notebooks you could doodle in, and maybe write some words in. You have an instrument lying around you haven’t picked up in years, or maybe you can dust off a camera to capture details of beauty you encounter on a nature walk. It doesn’t have to involve high art or result in a product -for example cooking or gardening offer alternative opportunities for creative expression.
Keep it simple
If you’re having trouble focussing, step away from that all over lace sweater project and switch to something simpler. Lack of focus make complex projects frustrating as it’s hard to keep your place, and easy to make mistakes. Simpler projects don’t have to be boring though. Take a leaf out of Hunter Hammersen’s book who has found her ‘pandemic knitting sweet spot’ to be projects that are mostly stockinette with just a ‘little bit of something fancy’.
Using the nicest yarn you can get your hands on will add to the experience, and make your project shine without having to do too much fancy stitchwork.
If you usually have multiple projects on the needles, then give monoknitting a go. Decision making takes up mental energy, and limiting choices can help reduce ‘frazzle’ factor. Commit to just one project at a time and try to have daily contact with it, even if you can only manage one row a day. During COVID many of us are learning to appreciate a simpler, quieter way of life. With small consistent steps your project grows and you can see a change each day. This is a great antidote against feelings of stagnation and ‘stuckness’ that we can experience with lockdown.
Simple repetitive action that demands little concentration can ease anxiety, but also allows you to engage in shared activities or conversations at the same time. Ironically, many of us find ourselves having no time alone. Simple knitting allows for family chatter, watching TV together, family Zoom chats etc.
Challenge yourself
While some folk benefit from simplicity, others may thrive more from setting themselves a technical challenge or learning new knitting skills. Ever fancied trying brioche or entrelac knitting but never got around to it? Well now might just be your chance. Focussing on a challenge can help by increasing motivation and distracting you from your worries. You’ll also gain a sense of achievement in adding to your knitterly skill set.
Rest up or get busy -either can help, just do whichever works for you.
Feed your creative soul
Creative ideas rarely appear out of the blue, but come from that interface between our inner selves and the outer world. I really miss going to the creative shows, or to see an exhibition at the museum, not only for the creative stimulation, but as a part of who I am as a creative person.
If you feel unable to create, linking in with what and who inspires you can go a long way to making you feel like a creative person again as well as providing a meaningful diversion from current stresses. Basically if you’re not ‘feeling’ it, feeding your creativity can help you ‘fake it til you make it’, as you begin your road to recovering your knitting mojo. Here are a few strategies that might help you achieve this.
Virtual trips out for inspiration
While actual trips out are currently off the menu, it’s possible to ‘venture out’ in other ways. You could take a book tour, visit creative blogs or online courses. Watch some inspiring programmes on TV relating to art and craft, or indeed any topic that tickles your creative fancy -travel, nature, different cultures, cooking and gardening etc.Museums and galleries may be closed, but many now offer Virtual Tours, and other online resources such as the UK’s National Gallery, or the V&A museum.
If such excursions have always been more of a social than solo pursuit for you, why not arrange to ‘go’ with a friend or two to share the experience?
Spend some quality time with your stash
Go fondle your stash yarns to get inspired or simply comforted. Maybe that'll lead to picking those needles back up, but don't worry if not - be kind to yourself and just enjoy some time squishing that lovely yarn. Take in the colours, feel the texture, smell it even - yes knitting is a multi-sensory experience and some us like to sniff it too!. I personally draw the line at tasting it - but I won’t judge if that’s your thing!
Spending time with your yarn, or any craft materials can often be a source of inspiration. Even if it doesn’t result in ‘making’ anything, you can still enjoy feeling creative by sorting through your tactile treasures. By sorting through you’ll also know what you have and where, ready for when you do feel like creating.
“… [playing with your stash] does help to give one ideas. Tidying up my studio is the next best thing as well as talking to friends online.” Judy Alexander
For those who have it, going shopping from your stash can get the creative juices flowing, but also make you feel better if you suffer with any ‘stash shame’ issues - not looking at anyone here of course ;-). Creativity is often enhanced by a degree of constraints, so thinking about what you can create with what you have to hand can spark ideas. And you can be surprised at what forgotten treasures you may find.
I ‘shopped’ recently and found an ideal project for a simple but satisfying knit. I found a project I’d bought years ago called Knit Night by LouiseZass-Bangham using a gorgeous fyberspates yarn (twizzle silk 4 ply 70 merino /30 silk - now discontinued). It’s an easy garter stitch knit with a smattering of excitement by way of a picot beaded edging, and border. I found the pattern, beads and yarn in a bag, abandoned in the depths of my stash. For some reason I never got around to knitting it and it completely fell off my radar. I swapped the beads for these bronze ones also shopped from my stash.
Get by with a little help from your friends
Staying connected with creative or crafty friends can really help for getting inspiration from each other, and generally cheering each other on. Why not try a regular ‘no pressure’ hang out with your crafty chums via Zoom, Teams or similar? It can be very therapeutic just ‘hanging out’ and chewing the creative fat. If having a bit of ‘accountablity’ (to finish a project for instance ) is helpful you can provide this for each other. If this only adds to your stresses, then don’t - just enjoy sharing. You can even do a bit of a stash swap (or redirection of excess yarn to a stashless friend in need).
Rounding up...
Carving out time and space to nurture your inner creative (and we all have one) is important to protect well being in times of strife. It’s become clear with COVID we are in for a marathon, not a sprint. Keeping your creative spark alive will help build resilience for your wellbeing over the coming months.
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