ADHD Knitting

2 Comments:

• Posted by Buglady - Dec 12 2008 @ 1:55 AM
  Another ADD Knitter
  One word: socks. You don't even have to make them match if you don't want to! I made dozens of pairs of socks before I was diagnosed with ADHD; all I knew was they were small and not overwhelming and didn't take a lot of yarn (good when you are addicted to buying single balls of yarn out of the sale bins). After diagnosis (and medication!), I kept making socks but started to use my new knowledge to baby-step my way into bigger projects. Just recently, I finished a beautiful green merino wool sweater for myself - cables, shaped sleeves and all, and I am struggling to resist wearing it every single day because it's such a powerful symbol of how far I have come :)
• Posted by Susan M Shinn - Nov 3 2008 @ 3:44 AM
  ADD and knitting--perfect companions
  I have ADD and I teach knitting. And crochet, and sewing, and whatever other craft I get sucked into big time. Working as an independent contractor gives me a lot of variety in what I'm doing, so I can complete things by using several approaches. I do continue to accumulate UFOs (UnFinished Objects in caft parlance),some of which I simply have learned to accept as what they are and decide to keep them as is, pull out the yarn (or fabric, beads, whatever) to be reused for something else, or given to charity--or my grandkids, who can find a use for anything. On the other hand, rhythmic repetitive motion helps calm the mind in any one, but can be especially useful to us ADDers in a couple of ways. First of all, in a situation where you have to sit still and wait, like waiting rooms, travelling, car repairs on the road, kids afterschool activities and sports, waiting for someone to be ready to go somewhere. Also, as long as you check with the other people involved, you can sit thru and follow meetings or conversations better, as long as you're doing a simple pattern you don't have to focus on. Thirdly, it's a great antedote to confusion or frustration (at least you're doing something with results you can see and control--if you don't like it, take it out and reknit) Until I got on Straterra 5 years ago I couldn't knit anything that had long sections of stockingette stitch because it wouldn't hold my interest long enough to finish it. Over the years I started learning knit and purl texture patterns, cables, eyelet lace, and color techniques, which were interesting enough to hold my attention. I would choose a reasonably simple pattern to start in a new technique in order to avoid frustration, then try a little harder one or at least a different one each project. I've always done mostly smaller projects, which make great gifts. When I'm too wound up or things aren't going right and I need something basic, I still revert to dish cloths and scarves. But I also do a lot of hats, mittens, wraps, and shrugs and little kids and doll and stuffed animal clothes. Purses, cell phone cases, place mats and pillows work great, too, especially in summer and in cotton yarn. I choose larger projects carefully and never during periods of high stress or very full schedules. I keep at least 3-4 projects going or ready to go at any one time, with different techniques in knitting, crochet, embroidery, jewelry making, paper crafts, or sewing, and choose what suits my mood and frustration level whenever I'm ready to craft. I always have something simple and soothing either in progress or with pattern and supplies already bought and packaged together. I try to anticipate the upcoming season in my choices or do something seasonless. And I often adapt patterns when I run into difficulties: Turn a sweater into a vest, mittens into wrist warmers, etc. Mittens and socks are problems because of being paired things, but if you have learned to choose the right technique level for your situation at the moment, work on them only when you are having a good spell and accept that UFOs happen, you can often succeed. On the other hand, I have entered a single two-color, felted Norwegian-style mitten into a yarn show contest and still won the top prize in the category. To date I haven't completed the second mitten, but the supplies await me because I really like the first one. My grandmother started me embroidering at age 5 and crochetting at 6. By the time I was in high school I was making acceptable pieces, but I knew I'd never be able to make anything for my grandmother as well as she could make herself, so I set out to learn an equivalent craft she didn't know: knitting. She was the happy recipient of my second scarf (the first one was for my boyfriend.) By the time she was ready to move into a retirement apartment, I was comfortable with lace knitting (in my thirties). It took me three years to make (and rip out and reknit until I got it right--abandoning it regularly for months at a time) but when I gave her a huge lovely lace shawl she was astounded and delighted. Don't ever think it isn't worth doing if you can't finish in a month. Enjoy the process of making and the joy of giving. If you need something fast, make something small. I try not to set an absolute deadline for most of my projects, so I don't feel guilty if I have to set something aside. And my husband bought me a knitting machine so I could turn out kid sweaters for the growing number of nieces, nephews and grandkids before they outgrew them. I chose a non-cumputerized machine (Bond Ultimate Sweater Machine) which is easy to fix with non-technical parts at home, so no frustrating specialized computer program to break down (a major issue for me). I do my best not to tell someone I am making something for them, and if it gets too much for me to finish in a reasonable time, I buy something different and choose a later occassion to present the finished handmade piece. Don't let one of the most soothing and enjoyable activities available to you fall to the wayside because you think you have to do things in a certain way or on a particular schedule. Figure outhow to make it work for you, and enjoy the process. Hope you can use some of my tricks and enjoy making things to de-stress your life.