wifeKnits

Outlook on My Hobbies

When I began knitting 2 years ago, I did it because I wanted to do what everyone else was doing…making sweaters and socks, etc…I bought all the magazines, tons of yarn and started a bazillion projects. I quickly got overwhelmed. I wasn’t good enough, or fast enough, or experienced enough. It burned me out and I quit knitting for months. Now, I’ve gotten the knitting bug again, but I’m looking at it differently. I’m finishing up what I started long ago. That feels great to be working on those. I feel I have control over my hobby. I started doing a little more crochet. But this time, I’m not doing projects that everyone else is doing. I’m working on stuff I want to work on because I enjoy them. I don’t care what anyone else is doing, what the latest patterns and yarns are, or how many projects I get done in a year compared to other knitters. I’m just doing it at my own pace and finally having fun.

This is my approach to quilting. I’ve only purchased one magazine. Because I saw the quilt I wanted to make. Have I gone hog-wild collecting patterns for future projects? No. Have I gone nuts buying fabrics just because they look pretty? No. I’m taking it one quilt at a time and truly enjoying the process.

I think that is my biggest New Year’s Resolution of all. To knit and quilt for myself. Doing things I enjoy, not because everyone else is doing it. It has really helped me truly appreciate it all. It’s hard to really put into words, but I’ve realized something today about how I’ve been approaching my current hobbies. I was too obsessed with doing what everyone else was doing. Now that I’m stepping back, I find it easier to breathe and have fun with it all.

Posted in Knitting