When we were children, my two older brothers and I were given many opportunities to try out any extracurricular activities we wanted. My parents’ rules were, if we decided to try something new, we couldn’t quit the entire season. We had to stick it out even if we didn’t like it. We NEVER had to go out for it or try it again if we hated it, but once we joined, we had to finish. It was a lesson in not giving up, not quitting, not letting your teammates down, and a whole lot of life lessons bottled up in that one rule. It was good and bad. Good because I found out that I enjoyed being part of the chess club and became the chess club president, but bad when I realized my athleticism consists of how hard it is to dodge a volleyball coming straight for my face. Yeah, that smarts.
My mother is an avid reader. On average she is able to read three books a week. She told me long ago that when she decides to read a book she has a rule; once you commit, finish it. Even if it’s challenging, once you begin, don’t stop until the end. That rule, again.
I am to crochet, what my mother is to books. Crochet is my passion, my delight, my respite and relaxation from the crazy chaos of life, but my threshold for commitment has yet to reach the standard of sticking it out no matter what on each project I begin. I have a half dozen WIPs (Work in Progress) as we speak, maybe more, all unfinished and no definitive plan to finish. I need to re-learn that rule to commit and finish, but my attention span is different with crochet, and it isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Sometimes, the easiest thing to do is walk away and leave a project alone for a little while…or a long while.
Several years ago, I purchased beautiful wool. I had begun to make lovely granny squares with the intent to put them together for a blanket; this was BEFORE I started the 365 Days of Granny Squares Project. Those early squares are still waiting in a basket to be made into that beautiful throw I always planned to get to.
I started a butterfly project a month ago, it sits in a bag unfinished because I didn’t like the shape of the thorax and it was frustrating to frog and change it over and over so I tucked it away for an “I will revisit this someday” project.
As I sort through my crochet and craft area, preparing to transfer several things to my new home, I am surprised by how many projects I have stumbled across that I have yet to finish. A partially finished cowl, a graphgan, a cute start to a hat, a baby blanket in its early stages. What in the world was I thinking?! It’s a bit sad really, I have a great beginning but no ending to these lovely pieces that sit in boxes waiting to be brought back to life.
I have resolved to get to work on finishing what I started, to revive that rule. Maybe now is the time that each project can be brought back with the potential that was always there, it just took this time to realize it! The future is bright for those lost works in progress! My work is cut out for me, but a stockpile of great material awaits our YARNutopia community! I see lots of tutorial and pattern potential!
I know I am not alone when I say I have a few projects left unfinished. Are you that “commit and don’t quit” crochet artist? Or are you the one who has your works in progress on hold to revisit someday? Share here on your strategy on tackling your long lost WIPs (Work in Progress)!
~Nadia
I also have many wip…I love your emails I’m also still working on 365 days of granny squares I have learned so much more than I ever knew I’m so glad I stumbled on your site ..just did a bunny lovey for gift
I don’t like to quit but sometimes I lose interest in a project. Crochet is my relaxation and stress therapy. Because of that, I’ve learned that if I’m not enjoying a project, it’s best to let it go.
My only WIP that I know of is an Afghan I was determined to knit. I have totally lost interest in it and am seriously thinking of finishing it by crochet! I have also just started the 365 days of Granny Squares and am up to date for the month!
We must all be going through that mind set together, right now! I, too, just went through my WIP’s and FINALLY completed 3 of them! Thinking the same thing, these beautiful pieces need to be resurrected and completed, what’s wrong me?…So I’m back on the road to completion 🙂 Thank you so much Nadia, for your wonderful insight and beautiful writing! Once again, you hit the nail on the head! xo
I think I have atlest three, no make that four.
Two are “pop” blankets, one is a tail for a mermaid blanket and then a project for my mom.
I also have lots of projects waiting to finish. Although I am quite proud of myself that I totally finished a baby blanket that I didn’t like the pattern details a couple of days ago. I think I pulled out enough rows to make three of them!! Couldn’t concentrate in the three row repeat pattern and was always pulling out the hours I worked on it in the morning and redoing it in the evening, my two times I work on crocheting. With bad arthritis I have to set ground rules of how much I can work at a time or else pay the price and not work for a couple days on anything. Even at almost 66 years old, I am still learning!!!! Thanks for all that you give of yourself to your followers, you’re a really great role model for all of us to follow when life gets really hard.
Oh I do love the colors in those grannies! The stack on the right, in the basket, look like they were made from Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable. Am I right? I am only successful at finishing what I started when it comes to grannies or hexagons if I join them as I go. I get my color inspiration for the next square from the ones surrounding it. I am no good at making X-amount of one color scheme square, and X-amount of another, then joining them when they are all done.
I’ve recently decided I’m going to use my Guage squares from all my projects as squares for a blanket! I have enough coasters finally! 😁😂
Thanks to my ADHD I always have multiple projects going. I find once I put one aside I completely lose interest. I kept bags of wip’s in my closets and finally decided that if I did not go back to a project after six months then I should just get rid of it. Same thing with my yarn stash. I would buy yarn and never use it. I found a woman who is financially struggling but loves making things for her children and family. I know donate my unfinished projects and the yarn for them to her and she pulls them apart and reuses the yarn. This allows me the joy of seeing the yarn being used and the freedom to begin a new project.