Time Management for Knitters
How to prioritize and reach your knitting goals!
11/10/20254 min read
Unfortunately, time is a limited resource for all of us, and as knitters, we want to make so many things! Sadly, there are so many amazing patterns out there that we will never make. So how do we decide what projects to make? How can we manage our time better to meet our knitting goals?
Finding Time to Knit
In this day and age, we’re all busy people, and finding the time to spend on hobbies can be difficult. Balancing time in between our other priorities like jobs, families, and housework is already a lot to deal with. But if you value knitting (or any other hobby), set aside some time just for that. I started streaming my knitting on Twitch not only to connect with my community, but also to set aside a specific time to knit. Honestly, I view it as my time to dedicate to a particular project, chatting and connecting with others is a nice bonus. Once you have some time set aside, you may end up getting lost in the process. You may even tell yourself that you’ll just knit one more row, and suddenly it’s past midnight! I also like to carry a small, easy project with me wherever I go and knit whenever I find the chance to. I recently heard of someone who knits while stopped at red lights, although I suggest only knitting while you’re a passenger! Some people also like the accountability of participating in a KAL (I have a blog post about KALs here). Knitting is a slow process, but even if you commit to knitting just a few rows or rounds a day, and focus on the enjoyment of the journey, you’ll be surprised at what you accomplish!
Knitting Goals and Priorities
Think about your bigger goals for knitting and what you want to accomplish in the long-term and short-term. Maybe you want to learn something new with every project, maybe you want to knit gifts, maybe you want fill your wardrobe with handmade knitwear. Think about if you want to have a knitting bucket list as well, things you want to try at least once. This will help you prioritize which projects to make. Keep in mind how long a project will take, a sweater is a very different time commitment than a hat. For me, knitted commissions and gifts take priority, but even with these, I prefer to learn or try something new if possible.
Knitting Deadlines
If you’re knitting gifts for holidays or birthdays, this gives you a clear deadline. Remember to plan ahead and start early. Even for small projects for winter holiday gifts, I like to start around September to give me plenty of time to finish them all. Some people start even earlier! I am not the type of person who performs better with a deadline in mind, especially for knitting, but maybe you are. If that’s you, you can even set mini deadlines for sections of a project with a set goal to finish the whole piece. Just do yourself a favor and make sure it’s realistic. Be sure to factor in the time it takes for seaming, weaving in ends, and blocking. Consider what else you have going on in your life as well, because while it’s valuable and possibly even essential, knitting is probably not your top priority. Also plan extra time for unexpected interruptions and life events. Using a knitting journal can help you keep track of your progress and deadlines. I have a printable journal page and swatch tags available here if you’re interested.
Staying Organized
Keeping your space organized is admittedly something I struggle with, but it is essential to managing your knitting time well. Last week, I discussed how to keep your yarn stash organized (read it here), but keeping your needles organized is important too. I have a few sets of interchangeable needles, and I mostly keep them in the cases they came in. I also keep most of my DPNs in the packaging they came in so that they stay together as a set. For some sets, I use rubber bands to keep them together, and all of them go in a case together so that I can find them easily. I usually have one or two WIPs that live on my desk at any given time. Other projects get their own bags to keep them all together. Use a knitting journal, a tracker app, Ravelry, or print out the pattern to ensure you know which patterns go with which project. This is crucial when you’re like me and have several WIPs at a time! Keeping everything organized will save you time looking for the right supplies, giving you more time to enjoy knitting.
Avoiding Burnout
When you overcommit to your knitting or set unrealistic goals, it can easily lead to frustration and burnout. This can be especially problematic if you’re knitting multiple gifts for the holidays. Learn your limits and get comfortable saying no to extra projects if it means keeping your sanity. Keep your goals and deadlines realistic, as I mentioned before, and make sure to include breaks, especially for projects that require heavier focus. You can even alternate your knitting time between complex and simpler projects. Remember the reasons why you knit in the first place, for most of us, it’s to bring us joy. Preserve the joy you feel from knitting (and the health of your hands) by setting limits and sticking to them.
I hope this has inspired you to manage your knitting time better, especially for the upcoming holiday season! Use the form below if you have any questions or if you want to let me know what your knitting goals are. I’d love to hear about what you’re working on. Happy stitching!
