When I really started getting serious with knitting, back in college, I scoffed at knitters that I thought had “poor self control.” (As a straight-A’s, honor roll over achiever-type, I scoffed at anyone who I thought had poor self control. Not one of my more endearing character traits.) I would never have more yarn in my stash than I could use. I would never start a project and not finish it. And, I would never have more than one project going on at once.
Never!
Well.
Maybe not never…
18-year-old me would be horrified with 30-year-old me. I’ve got a room half-filled with boxes of yarn that “I will definitely use… some day.” I think I’ve got 4 or 5 projects on the needles right now, and about half of those are somewhere between hibernating and I-just-need-to-frog-this-but-I-can’t-be-bothered.
In fact, I now carefully plan my multiple projects. I always have a big knitting project (sometimes it’s for work, sometimes it’s a gift) that I work on at home. This is usually something awkward or complicated, something that’s just easier to keep by the couch and not worry about dragging all over town.
I have a simple project- something that’s just a lot of stockinette or other mindless knitting. I use this project for keeping my hands busy when my mind is doing something else- playing a game with friends, watching a tense movie, or something with subtitles. (My bears are great for this!)
And, I always have something small in the works, a project that I can keep in my purse and work on when I have a few minutes. Waiting in line to get into a museum? Knit. Got to work a little early? Knit. Barber running a bit late? Knit. In my opinion, there’s nothing better for purse knitting than a pair of socks (one at a time, of course, to leave more room in my purse for chocolate and a sketchbook).
Do you work on multiple projects at the same time, or are you a one-and-done kind of knitter?
On the Needles 
I am a newbie at knitting but, I already have a rather large yarn stash ( I also crochet so, it started a while ago ) and I now have about 5 projects going at the same time. I am a Sagittarian and like a variety of things in life so only one knitting project is just not going to sit right with me.
Richard in Charlotte, North Carolina.
I currently have 4 projects on the needles. I just completed and freed up 3 other pairs of needles so I am itching to get something else started too. I like to have a variety of ongoing projects, some more simple tv knitting kind of projects and some more challenging and requiring more attention than usual. Then I always have a hat that I keep in my purse to work on when I’m out and about.
I currently have two projects on the needles: another hue shift Afghan for knitflixing, and a soft teddy bear in bernat pipsqueak (goes slower because I dislike seaming, but plan to power thru it this weekend). Just finished another pussyhat that I worked on when I was early for work and/or waiting to clock back onto the system at work.
Also plan to start a science march earwarmer for a friend to wear at that event.
Multiple projects = no boredom because I can switch it up between projects and stay alert-ish. 🙂
I tend to work on 2 projects at a time; one that’s easy to work on and/or easily portable, and another that’s large and/or complicated. That way I have something to work on no matter what my mood. 🙂
I usually have a blanket rolling along in the background; a sweater (that’s sometimes simple and sometimes fiddly); socks–at least one pair for toting around to soccer games and waiting rooms; and, if I’m really feeling inspired, some kind of ornate shawl or accessory that includes colorwork, lace, cables, etc. 🙂 You are not alone in your multiplicity!
Ooooh! Where did you find the pattern for that gorgeous cable sweater? I want. Or did you make it up yourself?
It’s “Ben”by Norah Gaughan, and it’s free on the Berroco site. I’ve knit it twice (once for my husband and once for my father-in-law), using Berocco Vintage. It’s probably one of my favorite sweaters I’ve knit (it goes surprisingly fast for having all those cables).
http://www.berroco.com/patterns/ben