Godspeed

Am I the only one who COMPLETELY misunderstood the meaning of Godspeed?

I (naively) thought it meant super duper fast. Faster than the speed of light. And of course the only thing that could be faster than the speed of light is God. (Am I allowed to call God a thing?) (Of course I am… I don’t believe in God.) And so you have it – Godspeed.

Anyway, this really wasn’t intended to be a lesson in the English language or a religious (or atheist) teaching, so allow me to get to the point. Anyone who’s knitted for a while will probably agree that knitting can become a total ball ache (a yarn ball, of course) when things take that little bit too long. So I want to share some ideas with you about how to stay motivated, and how to feel like you’re knitting a bit faster.

But before I do – here is the definition of Godspeed:

Godspeed

/ˌɡɒdˈspiːd/

An expression of good wishes to a person starting a journey.

“Farewell and godspeed,” the general said, ending his speech, and then it was time to go.

How to Stay Motivated to Finish Your Knitting Project

Now, with that very important information behind us, let’s delve into some tips and tricks to knit your jumper at… well… God’s Speed:

1. Choose the Right Yarn: Opt for bulky or super bulky yarn to speed up your knitting process. These yarns cover more ground with fewer stitches. Or if you’re feeling brave enough to stray from the pattern, add an extra strand of yarn for greater chunkiness. Which brings me to my next point…
2. Use Large Needles: Larger needles mean larger stitches, which means faster progress. If you’re feeling experimental, you could even try using needles a size or two larger than what’s recommended for your yarn.
3. If Knitting You is Wrong, I Don’t Want to be Right: Rules are there to be broken, and straying from the pattern will not only give you a greater challenge (which will in turn keep you focussed), but it will also mean you’ll end with a more unique piece. When it comes to creativity, there is no wrong. Also – if you notice mistakes too late, embrace them! Let them add to the beauty of your hand knitting.
4. Keep it fun, Keep it Fresh: Knitting is supposed to be a joy! Once reserved for grannies and fishermen, knitting has become cute, sexy and fun for all. Choose colourful yarns and surprising projects that will make you excited to knit all the way to the end of your project. There’s no motivation without the right incentive. 
5. Go Sleeveless!: Knitted vests are having a fashion moment, so cut your knitting time in half by losing the sleeves.
6. Crop it Like it’s Hot: If you feel your concentration wavering, speed up the process by adjusting the pattern to make it a cropped piece. A little mathematics at an early point could potentially save the whole project for you!
7. ‘V’ is for Very Fast (And V-Neck!): Knit a V-neck with a clean edge for a super elegant, super fast finish. No collar required. No achey yarn balls necessary. 

With these tips in mind, you’ll be stitching up your speedy project in no time! On that note, “farewell and godspeed”, the Yearn team say as they end their blog post. And now it is time to go.

For a quick knitting project, why not try Yearn’s “The Little Cropped One” for minimal knitting time and maximum impact? The pattern is now available in both English and Danish.