Fiber Fool

Whether it is deadline knitting for gift giving or for pattern submissions, the vast majority of my knitting these days is deadline knitting. It is not unusual to have only 2 weeks or so to complete the knitting of a pattern sample. I have found some things that have made it a bit easier to get through the crunch times and thought some of you may find some of these things useful as we near the height of the winter gift giving season. You might even find some ideas for your own holiday wish list.

One of the items I use most frequently is probably my Easy Reader Reading Stand. It folds into a very slim clipboard that can hold onto my charts when slipped into my knitting bag. But, when unfolded it holds my charts and patterns upright so I’m not putting a crick in my neck trying read it sitting in my lap or along side me on the couch.

Along similar lines, I love my Ott Lite Task Lamp. It allows me to read my charts anywhere in the house with no eye strain. It is also a true-color light so if I’m working in the basement with little natural light I can still accurately judge color combos. They are now making a cordless rechargeable one that I’d like to have. Our knitting group is having a hard time finding a place to knit on these winter evenings and the most frequent reason to not meet at a certain venue is the lighting. It would be nice to easily be able to bring good light with me without having to worry about access to an outlet. TIP: Jo-Ann’s currently has 50% off all in-stock Ott Lite lighting.

Organization is paramount when deadline knitting. This is especially so if you are working on several projects simultaneously. One of my favorite methods for keeping my projects organized is to re-use the plastic zippered packs that linens are often packaged in. I have friends and family save them for me and I’m still always looking for more. Inside I can keep my pattern notes and any needles needed and it is all right there so if I’m going to KIP I can just grab one and go and know I have what I need to be productive.

Two books I find myself referring to when gift knitting are The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns and 200 Braids to Twist, Knot, Loop, or Weave. I find Budd very helpful when needing to whip out a quick gift. Especially, if I don’t have exact measurements for someone. I flip to the braid book for ideas for dressing up my packages and using up scraps of yarn. Sometimes, I even use the left overs from the project I’m wrapping to decorate the outside as just a tiny little hint for the recipient :-)

I’ve dealt with varying amounts of chronic pain for going on a decade now. When it comes to deadline knitting dealing with aches and pains and strains and tension are often the most important part of my being able to meet those deadlines. There are a variety of things I find helpful from ibuprofen to microwavable and freezable grain-based bags. My two favorite microwave packs are the Bed Buddy Joint Wraps and my cape shaped one that gets my upper back and neck as well as a bit of my pecs. I also find the weight of the cape shaped one helps me keep my shoulders down and relaxed. My brand of cape one is not great. There isn’t enough baffling to keep the grains distributed well. I would like to replace it with the Bed Buddy Upper Body Wrap one of these days.

Amanda also turned me onto Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Leg & Foot Creme when she was pregnant with her second boy. It can be quite energizing and helps to increase circulation - not only to feet and legs. If I put it on my upper arms, shoulders and neck it can keep me knitting longer. If a bit more relief is needed because I have pushed too far I like using an arnica-based cream called The Arnica Rub to help reduce inflammation and promote healing.

Perhaps you do not have issues with aches and pains when knitting, but most everyone I know fights with keeping their hands moisturized enough in the winter months. One of my night time rituals is to scrub my hands with a pinch of brown sugar, about 1 T of olive oil and a squeeze from a wedge of citrus to slough off any dry skin, then I’ll moisturize with the best udder balm (it has a pleasant and very faint fragrance and protects against frost in addition to moisturizing - having grown up on dairy farm I should know good udder balm!) or Burt’s Bees Almond Milk Hand Cream. During the day I’ll use a locally made lotion bar that I find soaks in quite quickly and allows me to pick the needles back up. I have been hearing great things about Gloves In A Bottle as well, but haven’t given it a try yet.

In all my years of knitting I have developed some callouses on the tips of my fingers. If I’m working away furiously on tiny sock needles I can occasionally cause a crack in the callous and it can really hurt and make knitting quite a challenge. Deb a year or two ago turned me onto using chap stick to heal it. I’ve tried a few different ones and they’ve all worked quite well. If I really have to push on and can’t wait for the chap stick to take effect (it really only takes a day or two) I use Band-aid Activ-flex Bandages. They are flexible and thin enough to not impede the knitting, but provide enough stability to keep the callous from hurting when a needle tip causes a bit of pressure.

Is there anything I’ve missed that you find useful in getting through deadline knitting? I’m always on the look out for more ways to deal with the crunch!