Finishing Projects

Despite crafting for many years, if I were to be asked to compile all of my finished projects, there would be embarrassingly few. I love to start projects (don't we all) work on them until the next idea and "come back to them later". Then I would end up with an overwhelming number of 'WIP's' and feel guilty at the thought of starting something else. Until of course I would forget about a WIP or two and dive straight into the next project.

I did work out I could finish projects by keeping them very small. Baby clothes small. I found myself with a box of mittens, hats and cardigans. I did not have any use for a box of baby clothes so I eventually stopped. It was around this time I upgraded my yarn to all natural fibres (except sock yarns and that one 50/50 skein of literally irresistible colours). I also upgraded my tools from the straights I grew up with, to a set of Hiya Hiya interchangeable needles.

I then decided I needed to upgrade my projects. I could no longer knit mittens for the sake of knitting mittens, I needed to mix it up. I made my first wearable, a gorgeous shawl in savannah cotton. I finished it faster than I could ever have dreamed because the hyper focus set in and I ignored the pains in my joints. Please don't do that! I then had to take a bit of a break from knitting for my hands to recover. I was happy though, I had finished a project and my first wearable.

Riding that high I casted on another one. The same weight yarn but in another colour way by another producer. I was sure this one would fly of the needles just as fast. But it didn't. A year later I'm just now coming to the end of the first skein in what will be a four skein project. What went wrong?

Well, what went right? I started this blog. I started this website. The website needed images, the images needed finished projects. My focus shifted from going with the flow and hoping for the best, to a more methodical approach. Instead of looking over my WIP's and working on whatever I felt like I assessed them. What projects are bigger projects that I can work a few rows of to get me closer to my goal? What projects are small or close to completion that I can finish shortly? What projects can I sit and mindlessly work away at while a watch TV or listen to an audiobook for an hour or two.

This methodical approach really works for me. None of the projects become a chore because I am not aiming to finish any one thing before starting another. There is still flexibility in what project I work on. My goal is to finish my projects rather just flutter between them as I see fit, and in finishing my projects I am less overwhelmed, more inspired, have more space for new yarns and new projects and have practiced my skills even further. The finishing process of weaving in ends, blocking, piecing together and sewing faces that I previously never got to very often, are now as common to me as casting on.

I know on the face of it "aim to finish" is pretty basic advice and is in hindsight obvious and for many is simple common sense. I know. But to me it was revolutionary. I had for so many years, gotten so caught up in the process and the endless stream of ideas that finishing projects was just something others did and I dreamed of. That's not say I never finished anything, as I said earlier I learnt to take on small projects that I knew I would finish before the excitement of the project wore off. Now though, I have the empowerment to take on any project.

It really helped me to change the focus, I hope this helps someone else.