" I am afraid if every patch requires me to restart since it takes me quite a while to catch up"

If you wanted to.. you can use console commands to give you a jumpstart.

Just start a new world and spawn in like 20 surtling cores, a stack of copper, tin and bronze, a stack of deer, boar and troll leather and just start from there. Would help reduce some of the early grind. Only takes a few minutes once you figure out how to do it.

Alternatively load up your current character with a boat load of early game stuff and then just use them to start on your new world. All things in your inventory transfer with the character to whatever world they are on.

Then just play honest the rest of the time and be merry.