to serial knit, or not

I've been musing on the idea of serial knitting (knitting a certain project more than once, even over and over). I don't do it*. This must put me over into "product knitter" territory, because I almost never feel the urge to knit something more than one time. But I'll come back to this in a minute. 

Let's digress to that time I had to knit something four times. 

My mom is a twin. One day she and her twin are on vacation together. Separately, they each go to the knit store in town. They each phone me from the store, and ask if I would please make them socks if they bought the yarn. First time, I said, "sure!" Second time, I said, "wow, your sister just asked me that, but ok."

Then the twins came back from vacation and delivered their yarns to me, one at a time. And wouldn't you know it, they had bought the same exact yarn. Same yarn, same colorway, same everything. Oh yay. 

(kind of reminds me of the time they showed up to their birthday party in essentially the same shirt and then both closed their eyes for their picture - let's revisit that for a moment, shall we? 

They're going to be super happy with me for this one.

 So, I had to make the same sock four times. And you thought Second Sock Syndrome was hard to deal with. 

No, you're not seeing double. That's four of the same g*d*$# socks.

Even the things I have knitted and loved the most don't compel me to knit them again. Sometimes I think I might, or even say I might, but I never do. 

How about you all - do you serial knit? Even large projects like sweaters? 

*The Fine Print: there are a few things I have serial knit in my life - like 6 matching striped ski hats so my Six-Pack friends and I could look like dorks on the slopes (apparently there's no photographic evidence of these); or pussyhats for my whole family; or plain vanilla socks. I don't really feel these count. 

Comments

[Julia]

Ha, ha, ha, ha...great story, Sarah! Not a serial knitter here, but I have knit the same thing more than once on a few occasions. Agree that socks don't count.

[Kris Sullivan]

The only serial knitting I have done is with super chunky yarn for hats that took less than 2 hours for Christmas presents and those scarves with the special yarn that knit up in less than an hour. Otherwise every project is new or I would get bored. Love the story about your mom and aunt!

[barbara wright]

Once you knit your first pair of socks you are addicted to doing that and I am guilty of being addicted to doing that. I have yet to knit something twice other than socks but I must might in the future.

[janice t]

I have a difficult time convincing myself to knit the second sock. Thanks for rebooting the blog!

[Reta Bray]

My mom was an identical twin also, and they too had times when they would choose the same wrapping paper for Xmas gifts (separated by 2,000 miles), or show up dressed in the same color and style of dress. Definitely on the same wave length! Congratulations on getting through 4 socks - that would be hard for me!

[Denise Rehse Watson]

I have a favorite tam/beret pattern I've knit for most of my (Outlander-crazed) friends...and losing count on the number of pussyhats, lol!

[Emma]

I serial knit all of the time. I think that sometimes I'm just not ready for a project to end, so I cast it on again right away. Halfway through the second my attention starts to fade, though. I've been trying to avoid this by casting on projects that are similar, like shawls by the same designer or socks with the same technique, instead of identical.