An Empty Project Bag is Full of Possibilities
Sometimes, as an independent designer, it is hard to stay motivated. Sometimes I just feel like my creativity is in a rut and I’m not making any progress. This week was like that. It wasn’t that I didn’t do anything, it was more that I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. The Thing in my Star Wars project bag did not get any bigger.
The Red River Wrap pattern did not get finished. (I still haven’t decided on a border. I think I might flip a coin.) I did not write a blog post, and I did not work on the sweater pattern I’ve been putting off finishing for months. I did manage finish knitting these fingerless gloves, but even that didn’t give me the feeling of accomplishment that I wanted (and I felt guilty for not working on the Thing.)
And then, last night, just after midnight, this happened.
I finished the Thing in my Star Wars project bag! I stayed up past my bedtime to wash and block the Thing so it would be ready to send to Interweave on Monday, right on schedule.
This morning I felt like the taps had been turned back on! I blocked my fingerless gloves and finished writing the pattern, emailed my tech editor, and put all my self-published patterns on sale for Malabrigo March! (They’ll be 25% off through March 12 with the coupon code MM16. Click on the thumbnails in the sidebar or visit my Ravelry Pattern Store to see them all.) Now I have a wicked case of start-itis, but I know my next project needs to be The Red River Wrap.
It’s not the Thing itself that got me into a rut. I love the design and I’m really pleased with the way it turned out, but it just started to drag. Some projects are like that. I love figuring out the pattern, trying out the yarn, watching the thing grow, but usually my excitement diminishes before the project is finished. Knitting is slow. I am really happy that I had a deadline to keep me going, and I met my deadline, which was a week earlier than the publisher’s.
I don’t feel like I have ever been very good at self-discipline, but it is something I want to be better at. When I signed up for the 100 Days of Making I knew that making a commitment to my peers, and to the yarn company that agreed to support the project, would help me to stay disciplined. When I have weeks like the last where it feels like my creativity has dried up and I don’t want to do anything, I need those kinds of commitments to keep me focused. So, I’m off to flip a coin. Knitting The Red River Wrap is on my schedule for next week!
Thank you for knitting!