#adhd knitting

[nearly-perchance]

Casting on a new knitting project would Fix Me

[janerhoadesart]

one quarter of my hue shift afghan is done! i’m really hoping this project will keep my interest, as i’ve only ever finished ONE afghan (despite starting many lol).

i think the color changes and stripes really help my brain stay interested though, as this has been easier than other attempted large blankets. i do have another panel in process that i’m making good progress on, so that’s good!!

i also chose my own colors for this instead of rainbow/other pre-selected palettes. i’m hoping it will end up kind of sky-like at the end but we’ll see ! 😅

[janerhoadesart]

ADHD knitting tip: resist the urge to start a new project and pull out a WIP you forgot about instead!

i’m in a weird place where i want to start a billion projects, but i’m trying to limit myself… at least a little…. so i pulled out this sweater i started like two years ago lol.

the pattern is “Metropolis” on Ravelry. yarn is lamb’s pride in crème and antique mauve on 10 1/2 needles!!!

[janerhoadesart]

I can’t tell if this is horrible or really kitschy and adorable 👀 Experiments like this are always fun, even if they don’t work out the way i want!!

Maybe i’ll frog it and try to beads out on something else instead

[adhdthreadcraft]

Hi! I’m a beginner who loves crafting. Mostly I crochet, with occasional knitting or embroidery projects.

I have severe ADHD with dyscalculia. (Dyslexia but numbers.) This means most crochet patterns are very difficult for me to read.

To adapt patterns for myself, I write out things like “ch 2, dc 3, ch 2” to say “chain 2, 3 doubles, chain 2.” I also put additional spaces and lines between sections to help me read the pattern.

This blog is primarily to archive the patterns I’ve rewritten for my own brain. I’ll include links to the original pattern or video. I’ll also include pictures where I can.

I will also use this to save patterns I hope to adapt for my brain someday!

If your pattern is reposted and you would like me to take down the adapted pattern, PLEASE let me know. This blog is solely for my own use but I also hope this might make thread craft slightly more accessible for other people with ADHD.

Thanks!

Love, Maddie

[janerhoadesart]

some of this yarn has already been made into socks… the rest has been squirreled away for when i’m done with making all my holiday gifts 😅

[adhdknittingclub]

ADHD Knitting Problem #2: Yarn Storage

We'll get to the obsessive, impulsive crazy yarn buying for that sweater that you aren't going to ever make later.

Let's talk about storage.

This is my current yarn storage:

Horrifying, isn't it?

That's not even all of it and it's usually not that messy. Yarn storage can be difficult for ADHDers because organization is not necessarily our forte. And let's be honest, when you buy new yarn, do you want to put it neatly on your shelf or rip off the label and start working with it?

For me it's definitely the latter.

So using my horrible yarn storage as a guide of what not to do, here are some tips.

1. Keep your labels.

See that box in the first picture? I have no idea what those yarns are. Absolutely none. Why? Because I ripped all the labels off in a fervor to start knitting and threw out the tags. The tag isn't that important anyway, right?

Wrong! Your tag or yarn label will tell you the name, brand, weight of the yarn as well as washing instructions, yardage and dye lot number. Dye lot number can be important when you are working with multiple skeins.

The way I handle this? Ravelry. It has a great system where you can upload all of your yarn and include all of the pertinent information. It doesn't take very long and you can get that info into the system and not have to worry about it.

Another option is to tie a sample of the yarn to the label so you know what it is!

2. Throw out scrap yarn.

You know how after you knit and crochet, you might have some spare yarn left over? I'm not talking half a skein or anything. Like a little tiny ball? Throw it out. Don't keep it like I have done unless you have a greater purpose. (Like using leftovers for a crazy quilt). Half the stuff in those pictures are little scraps of yarn that I don't need or have no idea what to do with.

3. Keep your yarn close and your projects closer.

The main problem with my storage is that it's not where I knit. I usually knit while watching things on my computer which is in a separate room. So of course, I never put anything back and my desk is littered with yarn.  (Seriously, I just counted six separate balls of yarn on my desk). Also keep all of your yarn stashed in the same place if you can. You can see in one of the pictures that I have some in a closet. And I always have to go rooting through there to find anything.

4. Separate storage

I have a tendency to shove my needles, patterns and yarn all is the same place. Separate it out! Then you don't have to dig through yarn to find the scrap of paper that has the right pattern on it. I use an old vase to stick all of my needles in and it works very well! Same goes for books, tools, etc. Oh! And give each project it's own storage space. That way you can find them easily.

5. Clean up.

Once I finish knitting or spinning, I usually put down the needles and walk away. And sometimes I've left disaster in my wake. (Especially with spinning because fleece gets everywhere!). Unfortunately, the best thing to do is to put your yarn and such away. Things will get tidier and you won't lose things. (Like the pattern. I've done that a lot!) This also helps if you are marking down rows and such. Once, I left a knitting project on my desk for several days. During that time, I had used scrap paper to indicate what row I was on. Those accumulated and when I picked up my knitting, I had no idea where I was. Had to  pull out a lot.

So there you have it! A few knitting storage ideas. I'm going to work on this myself this weekend.

Followers, any good tips to share?

[adhdknittingclub]

Sometimes ADD Sucks. (An Essay)

Let's be honest. It sucks sometimes. Like the times when everyone around you is managing their lives and you can't even remember to brush your fucking teeth in the morning.

A lot of people focus on the executive function aspect but there's a whole other side that's equally hard to deal with. And that's the emotional side.

It's no secret that people with ADHD have trouble with self-esteem. When we see people succeeding where we can't, it can be frustrating and exhausting.

And if one thing in your life goes wrong, it can all fall to pieces.

We can be perfectionists because if it's not perfect, why bother. (Or as I like to say, it doesn't count). We drown in insecurity and anxiety and depression.

Raise your hand if you ever thought you were a terrible person.

Terrible for not getting it right and then not caring at all whether your life falls to pieces because you can't do it anyway.

And the worst part is, you can't fix it. I've been on medication for about 4 months now. And a friend of mine commented that I seemed better. But meds don't make you better because there's nothing you can fix. ADD is a part of you and that just sucks sometimes.

Depressing essay I know. But it's going to get better. ;)

Wanderingrainbows was very brave to share their thoughts and struggles today with knitting and with ADD. And in the midst of it, they said something incredibly profound.

Crafting became my therapy as way to learn to be okay with mistakes in the learning process.

Someone cross stitch this for me so I can put it in a frame and on my wall!

To me this is one of the tenets of what I believe to be knit therapy. The basic idea that mistakes can be made in life. That there isn't any perfect or nothing and imperfect doesn't make you a terrible person.

This is a lesson that I, for one, have to constantly remind myself of.

Mistakes are allowed. Sometimes you have to pull out five rows to recentre yourself. Sometimes you have to frog a whole project because it wasn't working for you anyway and that's okay.

And that half-knit sweater that I have shoved in a bag somewhere? It wasn't the right fit for me so I moved on.

And just like knitting, you are moving forward with life. It may be only a few rows and you may have to reverse or fix a mistake but you are still moving forward.

With wanderingrainbows permission, I'm reworking her statement a bit:

Crafting is a way to learn to be okay with mistakes in the process of life.

Say it out loud. Let it sink in.

And use your knitting/crocheting/weaving/spinning, etc as a reminder that for every moment you are here, you are adding a stitch to your life.

And with that, I don't think I can stretch that metaphor further. Although, I do like the idea of life being this giant ass blanket that I keep adding rows to. :)

So yea, sometimes ADD sucks.

But the right tools might make it suck just a little less.