The Case of the Vanishing Mojo

Since I am currently in the throes of indecision, I thought that I could perhaps analyse and elaborate upon my process of choosing what to make in the hopes it may kickstart my creativity.

• Approach the First: Browse Ravelry for a pattern, attempt to find correct yarn in stash, and if all goes well, cast-on.
• Approach the Second: Browse yarn stash, search Ravelry for pattern and then cast-on.
• Approach the Third: Cool pattern comes to attention, search stash for appropriate yarn, cast-on, discover it just won’t work, frog, order yarn, forget about project in meantime, start something entirely different.
• Approach the Fourth: Pull out the N.E.D.G. and work on it until I absolutely can’t stand it any more and cast on something else out of sheer desperation,

Sometimes nothing works, sometimes your knitting mojo just deserts you. It rides off into the sunset without looking back to the strains of bluegrass guitar. Four days! FOUR WHOLE DAYS of mojo-less searching. It was devastating.

So instead I played the new TombRaider game and some Bioshock Infinite, both of which are fantstically awesome games of fun and joy and gore. Totally worthwhile.

Second verse, same as the first.

I did not post last year about new year’s resolutions, which does not surprise me at all since I tend to avoid that kind of bandwagon-jumping. In checking whether I posted about my good intention, I realised that despite my sporadic posting, I have had this blog running for quite a while now. November 16, 2011 to be precise.

I do have new year’s resolutions, the central one being to do *something* with my knitting, to begin the process of taking it *somewhere*. I’m sure a hell of a lot of knitters have this same desire, and I’m equally sure I’m not the only one who has made this resolution. Usually, I would find that discouraging. Usually, I would let that talk me out of even trying, because if so many people have the desire the “marketplace” or whatever will be saturated with people who are trying. Some of them will be more talented, more motivated, more experience, more interesting, just generally better than I am. How self-defeating is that perception? Sometimes, I just have to shake myself. I have to tell myself that if I never try, I will never have the life that I want to have and in order to deserve success you have to work for it! Not everybody gets lucky, most people work their asses off (and most of the people who appear to have gotten lucky have probably put an incredible amount of blood, sweat and tears into their success that just isn’t obvious to the outside).

I’ve also decided to use the try-try-again model of success… which is the one where you don’t beat yourself up when you slip up or get lazy, but instead get back on the horse/bicycle/dogsled and forge onwards. Hey, it works for quitting smoking (four and half years cigarette-free, baby)!

Wow, that was all ponder-y. Don’t worry, the next post will contain actual knitting content!