The irony of knitting in public day was that it was one of the few days in the year when I didn't knit in public! The problem was that none of my numerous WIPs was at a suitable point to tuck into a bag and knit without thinking. They were all at a point that needed complicated shaping, too big, needed to wind more yarn, etc. So for once, I found myself staring out of the train window.
The experience made me think about all the UFOs I have, and why they are languishing. I decided to examine each of them:
1) Erin jumper
- out of season
- not sure where I am in the pattern
- bulky and hard to carry around
2) Ozzy octopus
- fiddly bits and making up left
3) Sunrise circle
- making up
4) Adventure bag
- too big to carry around
- the pointy needles hurt my finger tips
5) Lucy handbag
- not sure where I am in the pattern
- reached a really fiddly bit with lots of stitches on holders
- bored with pattern
- out of season when I stopped on it
8) Sahara
- one fiddly bit left to do
9) Fish sampler
- not sure where I am in the pattern, lost the flow
- not sure where I am in the pattern
- need to cut out lining pieces
- not sure where I am in the pattern
12) Mystery stole 3
- Need to concentrate to get back into flow of lace knitting
- Rows are getting longer and longer
13) Garden path shawl from elann
- Hmm, not even sure that's what it is, let alone where I am in the pattern.
- Yarn and needle combination is too sticky
14) Purple cardigan
- Adapting the pattern gauge and size is too hard
- Yarn dye comes off on my hands
- Don't know where I am in the pattern
15) Fuzzy scarf
- Needs frogging
16) Chevron tie
- Fiddly as have to keep cutting yarn and darning in ends
17) Fuchsia crochet bag
- Lost place in pattern
18) Jolien
- Reaching fiddly shoulder shaping
The overall themes are:
I don't know where I am in the pattern and/or I'm at a fiddly bit ie. it's not just case of pick it up and go, I need to invest some time and brainpower in figuring it out
The projects aren't portable due to size or complexity
The longer the project has idled, the greater the mental barrier to picking it up
However, I have successfully finished some large projects, and some of the features these shared were:
Blitzed in one go ie. never sat in the UFO pile
No finishing or finished immediately
Lots of simple stockinette or crochet so suitable for TV knitting
Not really sure what I do with this information, other than think twice before starting a complex project; experience shows it's more likely to get off the needles if it's easy, even if it's large.
I really do have to try and get some of these UFOs moving. I haven't even counted the items that need lining, buttons, etc.
4 comments:
I used to have the finishing, would knit away and could have a large bag full of sewing up to do. Had to get really strict with myself to finish before I started something new. Think the fact that I had children that wanted to wear the items gave me the incentive
D'you know what? Start something else!!! (this is what my mum does...she says to me...I don't know what I'm doing, or I'm stuck....and then I brace myself, cos the next thing is....could you....? or Will you....? and guess who sews it up, or does the complicated bit....or finishes the project? Yes, ME!!!
OR....take a coupla weeks off work when you've no money and can't or don't feel like going out, and MAKE yourself sit at home finishing it all (I did this with my WIPs when I'd been discharged from hospital, but couldn't go back to work....I finished all my projects except the fluffy scarf that makes me wheeze (that's NOT difficult, just hairy, I might get Mum to finish THAT one for me!!!)
Fran
Thanks for the support, glad I'm not the only one! I think I'm going to use a combination of the be strict and force myself technique, with the incentive of a new project!
Crapping heck! I was just scolding myself yesterday for starting another item meaning I have three on the go! How about frogging some of them (eg the ones where you lost interest, or don't really know why you started them?).
You might find with fewer UFOs, it's less daunting!
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