...Knitting is very time consuming and my 'to do' list is already a mile long. How can I add knitting to my already too busy life? Knitting is very good for your stress relief. Start with something simple...
Very Easy Knitting - Eye Pillow
Sew a cotton bag and fill it in with organic rice or beans. To knit this eye pillow you can use any soft yarn like Bernat bamboo yarn. We used cotton yarn leftovers. Cast on 21 stitches.
* All Odd Rows: All Knit
* All Even Rows: All Purl
How Busy We Are Now?
If you feel busier these days than ever before; if you don’t have time to think of what matters most to you, let alone to find time to do it; if you are too busy to even read your ‘to do’ list, then you are not alone. Try googling the phrase “too busy” and you will find at least 25 million results. Search for “time management” and you’ll find even more – about 30 million results. Just this single task – trying to understand why we are so busy and what we can do about it – can make us too busy.
Why We Are So Busy?
"Well, in our country," said Alice, still panting a little, "you'd generally get to somewhere else - if you ran fast for a long time as we've been doing."
"A slow sort of country!" said the Queen. "Now, HERE, you see, it takes all the running YOU can do, to keep you in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!"
Lewis Carroll. "Alice in Wonderland"
When Lewis Carroll was creating his fantasy storybook
"Alice in Wonderland" in the 19th century he probably did not know that he was in essence describing the reality of the 21st century. When computers first replaced typewriters people expected that paper usage would soon decrease. But this never happened. On the contrary, it was never easier to produce as much paper as it is now with the help of the modern computers and laser printers. Something similar happened with time saving devices (e-mail, cell phones, blackberries and iPhones): instead of saving us time, they take up a lot of more of our time and overload our brains with data. Since most people are expected to have these devices, then they are in turn also expected to do everything else in their life even faster.
In the old, slow times we had time to think; now when life is so fast, we often don’t have enough quality time to complete our thoughts thus producing a lot of mediocre work.
This is how Dr. Hallowell describes the modern phenomenon of brain overload in his book "CrazyBusy":”Without intending for it to happen or knowing how it got started, many people now find that they live in the rush they don’t want and did not create”.
Dr. Hallowell compares modern life rush with symptoms of ADD. People with untreated ADD rush around a lot, feel impatient, love speed, easily get frustrated, lose focus in the middle of a task or a conversation because some other thought catches their attention.
Remodel Your Life
Sarah Susanka, a well-known architect and the author of the famous series “Not so big house” in her new book "Not So Big Life” compares our busy lives with houses that are too big, and that require too much maintenance.
She continues the architecture and design metaphor and shows how to create a blueprint of the life we would like to live and then remodel our lives according to the blueprint. “When you remodel a house, you don't need to change a lot of things in order to shift the character of the house, but you do need to evaluate what isn't working and determine what you would like to have room for but don't”.
The author advises to develop a blueprint for a new way of living by noticing the things that inspire you, identifying what’s working and what’s not working for you and most important by listening to your dreams.
Prioritize, Plan and Implement
"Don't keep him waiting, child! Why, his time is worth a thousand pounds a minute!"
Lewis Carroll “Through the Looking Glass”
Time is a limited resource and you need to spend it wisely. You have to decide what matters most to you, plan to do these things and insist on implementing these plans no matter what obstacles may come your way.
If your health is one of your governing values, set aside some time every day for yourself. Try different activities to relieve stress - exercise, meditate or take a knitting project. Two major time robbers are procrastination and perfection. Don't try to outdo yourself in every project. Don't wait until you have time for a sophisticated garment. Start with something small and just do it!
Find Your Rhythm
Did you ever wish to have more than 24 hours in a day? Finding rhythm in your life certainly puts you in the right direction. In his book "CrazyBusy" Dr. Hallowell describes Rhythm as a “complex set of neurological and physiological events that create the apparent effortlessness of a person doing complicated work well”. The apparent effortlessness of a professional golfer or pianist or an experienced knitter creating a complicated pattern are examples of rhythm.
Dr. Hallowell further explains that when a person practices any activity, the process of planning and executing it moves gradually from one part of the brain – the frontal lobs – to the back of the brain, the cerebellum, which is the automatic pilot of the brain. When we just begin to knit, we have to think about every stitch, but with practice, the cerebellum takes over and we are free to use our frontal lobes for creative work.
Knitvana Modern Art Patterns
Knitvana Tea Cozy Patterns
Read more about health benefits of tea.
Two Cute Toys Together - Tea Cozy and Knitkinz
If you love knitted animals toys, please look at our animals sets - Knitkinz and Tea Cozies
We have: Two Cats, Two Dogs, Two Pigs, Two Monkeys, Two Bears, Two Hippos and of course we have Two Cows!
Each of "Two Animals" patterns would cost you only $7. If you buy these patterns separately they cost you $9. An exception is the set of cows: Lizzy Tea Cozy pattern is free!
If you want to see all 18 our Big Knitkinz Animals, please go to
Webpage "All Big Knitkinz"
