Have you lost your crojo or knitting mojo lately? Here are 11 practical tips to help you get out of your knitting or crochet funk. They are in no particular order and not all of them will apply to you but hopefully one of them will help. They've all worked for me on different occasions!
1. Put your projects down.
Just leave them alone. Forcing yourself to get on with a project might cause you to resent it altogether.
2. Join a crochet or knit along.
Check your favourite designers social media to see who is running a crochet or knit along. Ask around. Someone always knows someone. I'm currently running the stash blanket CAL to help people get through their stash. Find out more about it here.
3. Make for charity.
Making something for someone else, especially someone in need can spark a bit of selfless productivity if you're struggling to settle down with a project.
4. Engage with another hobby for a while.
The chances are that if you knit, you also do something else to do with craft. If you also crochet, why not get your hook out and watch some Youtube tutorials? If you sew, have a play around with a pattern. If you draw or paint- try it.
Engaging with something that is not knitting or crochet for a while can actually refresh you. I have done this many times and when I do finally come back to my knitting or crochet, I am ready and willing to crack on with it.
5. De-stash.
Sometimes the sheer volume of yarn or projects that you could be getting on with can stifle your creativity. Trade it, sell it, give it away. The process of going through your stash might inspire you.
6. Learn something new
It could be hobby related or not. Focus your mind on something else like some DIY, baking, cooking from a new recipe or participating in a new exercise class.
7. Flick through some craft books.
I always find that even just browsing through knitting or crochet books can scratch that itch for me if I'm not really getting on with a project. Check out the charity shops and hobby shops to see if there's any special books you'd like to buy.
8. Test for a designer.
I know that sounds crazy, especially if you don't feel like working on something however, it could give you the boost that you need. Losing your mojo can have a lot to do with too much choice so if there's a deadline involved, you might work solely on one pattern. Only offer to test if you know you'll do it though.
9. Go for a wander.
Take yourself away from the situation and the stash. Go out. Take yourself for a wander around a museum, a gallery, a park, buy yourself a coffee. There is inspiration everywhere but more importantly, you are giving yourself a break. You need a break from people you love every now and then so why not your projects, too?
10. Plan some projects.
Either using a planner or a site like Ravelry, why not queue the things you want to make and put them in order? Browse sites like Etsy, Lovecrafts Yarn database and Ravelry for some inspiration with patterns. You might stumble across something that you really want to make. Check out some social media tags like #Knitting or #Crochet on Twitter to see what others are working on. Join some knitting or crochet Facebook groups!
Have a look at projects related to yarns that are in your stash. Read some designer blogs to see what's happening and what they're working on. Perhaps organising projects or at least drafting them up might be what you need to shake the dust off?
11. Look at Pinterest and Instagram.
Pinterest is a search engine so you can just search for a few specific or vague things and find pages and pages of inspiring images. You can pin patterns or stitches that you love the look of. Create some mood boards or pattern boards for yourself or gift ideas. You can also just open Pinterest and let it take you for a wander. Who knows what you'll find?
Instagram also has the option of seeing lots of images and videos related to specific hashtags. I always enjoy #CrochetersofInstagram in particular. There's so much colour!
See also:
When should you ditch the stash?