Hibernating

I have a terrible habit of starting projects, getting distracted, putting said projects in a drawer, and ignoring them for a year or ten. The worst part is, most of these projects are mostly done. The garment has been cut, stitched together, maybe the lining's even been attached. It is a recognizable piece of clothing, certainly not in the stage where anyone would say "So, what's that gonna be?" Or it's fully knit and just the (eleventy million) ends just need to be woven in. So why do I keep getting derailed? Why do I make a New Year's resolution every year (3 - or is it 4? - years running now) to finish all the projects I've started?

Well, first of all, finishing sucks. I'm a process knitter/stitcher. I love the action of the making itself. I love to hear the whir of needles and to feel the fabric pass through my hands. I love that I can turn a really long piece of string into something other than a tangled mess. And I love that it brings clarity and focus into my life, especially during times of stress. But finishing a garment makes it real. It means that the oddly shaped pieces of fabric I've just put together actually have to fit. And look good. Which it better, after all those hours! This leads to derailment #1: Alterations.

If there is no forethought put into alterations prior to cutting fabric, casting on, or what-have-you, then alterations must be made as you go, on the semi-finished piece. More often than not, this requires ripping of some sort -- seam ripping, ripping down (byebye thousands of stitches...). It is easier to avoid the project by shoving it in a drawer, than to deal with the pain and frustration of trying to fix it, when the making of the thing itself is supposed to alleviate pain and frustration in the first place.

Inevitably, time management and overhead are pretty good derailers as well. Sewing requires overhead, a.k.a. a sewing machine. While that may sound obvious, it's not like I can take a sewing machine with me on the train everyday. When my sister and I are sewing, we officially take over the kitchen, the dining room, and sometimes the living room. Sewing requires time to set up, tear down etc, so for all that effort, there should be a sizable portion of sewing that gets accomplished. Because of this same reason, not much sewing gets done when time is tight. So when winter break is over, I'm generally left with an unfinished project or two - and by the time the summer rolls around, I've planned 14 other things to make.

Sometimes just the sheer thought of finishing sounds horribly boring, boring, boring. Again -- I've already planned the next 3 things before I even start the one I'm working on. Occasionally, by the time it comes to finishing a project, I'm kinda over it. It's practically already done anyways, and I've already cast on something else. This is a weak excuse, but it's true.

I finally came up with a couple solutions to this problem.

1. Be strict. I made a "no more buying yarn" rule - with the exception to purchase only what I need to finish a project (a fair compromise, I think), until I've worked a few projects through to completion and taken one or two more out of hibernation and finished those as well. Then I get to treat myself!

2. Be with friends. Friends motivate, inspire, and encourage. Friends tell you how to fix a disaster. Friends look forward to seeing a final product. Friends bond.

The former requires a lot of self discipline (let's face it, not buying fabric, yarn, needles, or notions is not fun), while the latter often spurs even more ideas (and trips to the fabric store!). But one of the benefits of crafting with friends is that friends often gather in a locale that is not your home -- meaning that you have to select projects to bring and work on. It's easier to finish something when that's the only option you have. So, I will finish all my hibernating projects this year -- with a little help from my friends.