Has anyone else out there ever been overwhelmed by their knitting? I am not just talking about having to finish a bunch of projects by Christmas. I am talking about complete knitting burn-out.
Before we moved to Wisconsin this fall I had (gasp!) not one, not two, but three WIPs! As a monogamous knitter this was completely astounding. I can only account for it by blaming some extra anxiety that triggered some start-itis before the big move. By the time we got settled I was glad to have some time to sit and knit but then I became overwhelmed by the number of things on my needles.
I forced myself to complete one project after another. First, my Spector sweater, then my Pandemic CAL blanket, and finally my Cozy Autumn Socks I promised my mom. Eventually, I was back down to only one project and didn’t feel so overwhelmed by the number of projects I hadn’t yet finished.
I still had a problem. I simply had too much time to knit. I know it sounds like blasphemy. As an obsessed knitter I didn’t think that kind of threshold even existed. My husband went off to work every morning and I slept in a little and then started knitting. Somewhere along the way it started to feel like work. Ultimately, I ended up dreading even looking at my knitting bag. I spend days wandering the house just avoiding my knitting and also pretty much avoiding everything else. I was miserable.
I knew moving someplace where I didn’t know a soul would be lonely and challenging but I wasn’t counting on not being able to find solace in my knitting. It had always helped before. Finally, it dawned on me that I was burned out and I needed to find something else to fill my time.
As a teacher I was unsure about heading back to the classroom. Having finished last school year and begun this one teaching in the uncertainty of a pandemic my original plan was to look for work in the fall when hopefully things were a little more normal. As the weeks passed and I started to resent my knitting I finally came to the conclusion I needed to find a teaching job.
Thankfully, special education teachers are in-demand everywhere. I was hired almost as soon as I applied. I start working full time again on January 4th. Now that my time at home 24/7 has an end date my knitting doesn’t feel like so much of a chore. I have a limited amount of time to enjoy my craft and I can relax and knit without feeling burned out.
Dove Call Knits 
Glad you sorted all that out. Wait till you have to retire. So much time and knitting is about it. That’s why I got the corgi puppies last February. They keep me entertained, active for walks in every weather and busy as they needed (and still do) a lot of training. They are my companions during the day and full of joy and love. It’s almost like having small children again. I forced myself to stop knitting after the Christmas gift push, for a whole week. Every once in a while we must push ourselves to just find other interests. I have a huge Astronomy and physics interest so occasionally I just do some studying and reading to remind me how wondrous the universe really is. Good luck with the new job.
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