Enjoying the Process of Knitting

With knitting, I sometimes seem to forget that if you don't enjoy the process, you won't want to knit. I don't know why - it seems obvious, but sometimes the desire for a the finished object clouds my feelings on the process. Knitting a garment takes so much longer than sewing it and if you're not enjoying knitting a pattern, it's time for an evaluation.

I began knitting this pod stitch vintage cardigan in November last year. However once I got into the pattern part, I found that I hated doing the 'Purl 7 Together' which was required at the top of each pod shape. It was so difficult and awkward, and I knew that if I kept going with the pattern I would dread knitting those rows. So as much as I liked the look of the cardigan, it wasn't worthwhile keeping going.

I ripped back the pattern and then continued on with the rib to create this vintage number:

But again, it involved a wide band of rib and although I like the look of this I DETEST knitting rib. As a result, progress slowed and has halted. I've actually nearly finished the rib section for the back but it really sapped my desire to knit. Over Christmas I didn't knit anything at all, but I missed it.

So last weekend I decided that I needed to cast on something new to combat my knit slump. Cue a cute hippo from Susan B Anderson's Itty Bitty Toys.

I've used this book once before to make a rabbit, which I was happy with, and as hippos are cute, I thought I'd give this guy a try. He is knitted with sock yarn held double, and I had some lovely Knitpicks sock yarn in my stash which would do the job nicely. Here's progress so far:

Body complete and head started

I thought that holding yarn double would be a pain or get messy but once you've knitted a few rows it's fine. You can apparently make a centre pull ball of yarn and then use yarn from the centre and the end at the same time but I have never succeeded in making one of these so I just wound another ball from the main yarn that I had and this works fine. I keep them in a bag beside me when I knit so they don't get tangled.

However the hippo has now been put on hold while I knit my Current Husband a hat to replace the 2 (2!) he has lost. His 2 lost hats have been London Beanies, a great (free) pattern for a basic beanie hat. However since he requested something warmer, I am making another free Ravelry pattern, the World's Warmest Hat. I've made this twice before for my Dad and Father-in-Law and it is super warm and knits up fairly quickly too.

How about you? How do you balance enjoying the process with getting the finished object you want?

K x