Around a month ago, I wrote about suffering from a condition I called “The COVID Fog Phenomenon”. Since then, people have alternately called it other things such as the millennial-burnout, spring-fever, and plain laziness (my Dad didn’t actually use the last word but I know he must have thought that while reading my post). Well, never mind! I know what I have and it is very real. The worrisome part is that this is not the only problem I have – I think (in fact, I know) that I am also in an endless Knitting Rut.

Now, the Knitting Rut is an unusual place to be in because it’s not that you are not knitting. In fact, you are knitting for many hours every day; it’s just that you are not producing anything. Like a butterfly you flit from one project to another, you knit something and then unwind your entire work only to start again with a different yarn. This happens again and again. Let’s just say I have been doing that a lot which is why I presently have 8 WIPs (Works-In-Progress) that are nowhere close to finishing. This, my friends, is a Knitting Rut.

You know the symptoms; now for the causes. One simple cause is superfluity. Too much yarn, too many designs, and too much time. The only thing wanting is the presence of concrete goals. As you are well aware, last year in the Winter I started the Afghan KAL, but now with the hot weather on top of the Knitting Rut, I can’t bring myself to restart the KAL. On an aside, for all those who were interested in the Afghan, we will go back to it or else I will demonstrate how to use the blocks you have knitted in a different project.

Now back to my problem. Since I couldn’t see any end in sight vis-à-vis the Knitting Rut and the WIPs were just piling up, I decided to knit small objects which I could finish before my mind started wandering again. There were several small projects to choose from – headbands, bracelets, toys, etc. – but I chose the humble Coaster.

No no, don’t tut tut! I’m not wasting my time if that’s what you’re thinking. In my world, coasters play a remarkably important role. My friends will swear to the fact that the quickest I have ever moved is when I saw someone putting a glass on my table without a coaster. I hold the same views about other people’s tables, and unless there are no coasters in sight, my responses are equally prompt. One of the best gifts my friends give me are the coasters they bring back from all the exotic places they have travelled to – I love looking at them and they serve their customary purpose as well.

Anyway, I have wandered from the point I was making – so yes; I am knitting lots and lots of coasters these days. I am trying out different styles, sizes and patterns – basically whatever suits my fancy. When this rut gets over and I get my knitting mojo back, I may even extend my collection of coasters to table mats or table runners. Who knows? There are so many possibilities.

This is the best part about knitting or anything creative, really; even when you’re stuck in a rut, even when you’re knitting just for the sake of it, you’ll end up producing something wonderful and pretty that is also useful. Time spent in knitting these that is actually never wasted!

Let me show you some coasters I have knitted so far – I’ll keep adding to my collection till this rut gets over. My suggestion is that you do the same if you ever find yourself in a similar rut- start small and keep coaster-ing along.

Till next time then. Ciao!

~P