I’m moving soon, and my UFOs (unfinished objects) are going to need some sorting. I started this post by just making a mental list of these items and feeling confident I knew firmly all of the things that I have unfinished. Ha. When I actually went to my knitting room to obtain some photographic evidence I realized I had been fooling myself about many items.
Clockwise from left: Minimalist Cardigan, mittens to match Zooey, Bandana Cowl
I have a Minimalist Cardigan lurking in there, with all but the top of the sleeves knitted. I have a pair of mostly done Fair Isle mittens that I was knitting to match my Zooey hat pattern. I have a mostly done Bandana Cowl that I paused on when I realized the skein of yarn was not going to make the whole thing, despite it being within 2 yards of the yardage recommended by the pattern.
I will definitely finish the Minimalist Cardi. It’s 85 percent done, and I do still like it, so that’s a keeper. I originally stopped when I ran out of yarn on the sleeves. I purchased a new skein, but rather than ripping back some on each sleeve and striping, I plan to be brazen and just continue knitting, because the dye lots look identical. It’s called Yucca Mix. And no, I’m not one of those smarties that keeps track of all my dye lots in Ravelry. Sigh. See how it’s in the seafoam/aqua/blue greens family? Big surprise! I’ve been purchasing that color for years I guess, because I got that back in 2007.
I should (here I go…shoulding all over myself) finish the mittens to match the Zooey hat since I don’t own any mittens and they’re mostly done. But I don’t actually own a Zooey hat either (I gave them all away), so matching something that doesn’t exist for me seems not so urgent.
The Bandana Cowl will be frogged. It may live on as something else, or I may alter the pattern. The yarn is Terra in the color Acorn. It’s 98 yards of Aran weight in merino, alpaca, and silk and is much more gorgeous than shown.
Left to right: Tangled Koigu socks and Wicked sweater
I don’t know how those Koigu socks got so tangled. I think I took them off the needles to cast on another pair of socks and they just got shoved around in a couple of moves. I should have just purchased more 40″ size 0 needles. I think I’ll try to save what I can and cut the knit part from the tangle, and the untangled balls from the mess too.
The sweater is a Wicked out of CEY Renaissance. I can’t believe I can remember these details because that baby is from probably 2005. The yarn is recycled wool, I think, and it feels a little weird. I definitely have enough left in the stash to finish it. Maybe one of these days. That I won’t rip just yet… At least I made a note to myself that I was knitting it on size 6 needles. The yarn is discontinued now. Eesh.
Clockwise from left: Sky Sweater, Garter Stitch Mitts, cotton napkin, Noro Striped Scarf, baby bib.
The Sky Sweater is all done except some skinny arm bands, blocking, and weaving in ends. That one is no biggie.
The Garter Stitch Mitts I was making two at a time on two different size 4 needles (no idea why) and I realized since I added length, I was going to run out of yarn before they were wide enough. Those can be frogged. That Blue Sky Alpaca Sportweight is too yummy to discard.
The cotton napkin will be finished, but I robbed it of its needles (size 5 if I’m remembering correctly). I made a few cotton napkins last summer. They never got publicity in the form of a Ravelry project or blog post, but we use them all the time. They’re made with Rowan Purelife Cotton DK. It’s not very absorbent, unfortunately, but it’s very soft.
The Noro Striped Scarf is about 90% done. This should really be finished, and before fall. No idea about the color numbers. Maybe I’ll find the ball bands in the move.
I think I also have some kind of baby bib started out of some Jil Eaton Cottontail yarn from over a year ago. Since I am in the process of incubating a human, I may or may not finish this one. It seems more decorative than absorbent or useful.
Not pictured: I have a pair of socks that someone at the weekly knit night gave me to finish. They’re on double points… Looking back, I shouldn’t have taken them on. I could switch to magic loop, but knitting them one at a time might give me second sock syndrome. I have a pair of plain socks out of Noro that I was knitting for an ex before we parted ways. Those can safely be frogged. That means “unraveled” for those that are less familiar with knit speak.
When I first started making that list I was feeling confident that I only had a couple of things. The reality was much more frightening, but it was time to face up to it anyway. Aside from these things, I’m pretty sure all of my WIPs are accurate on my project page. I have knit on all of those things within the last two weeks and the only thing not shown is something that is secret and will be a present. Does anyone out there have a rule for UFOs? I’m out of control, but maybe this post can make some of you out there feel better about your UFOs.
I have a few UFOs but most things I just unravel. If I put it up, I lost interest in it. The only thing I’ve kept is a cardigan that I ended up starting over. I’m trying to get better control of my projects. It’s difficult when there is so much yarn and patterns out there!
Hey there! 🙂
Wow, I was quite surprised! I was thinking that I had many UFOs at the moment … three or four *ahem*.
Please don’t beat yourself up about them! I mean, as far as I have understood your posting correctly, most of the stuff is either really almost finished or can savely be frogged, right? So it’s just the number of stuff, not the real amount of work.
You’ll do fine, I’m sure. 🙂
Have a great day – and I wish you as little stress as possible for moving!
I’d like to say that the first step to fixing your problem is admitting you have a problem. Haha! I don’t have a lot of advice for UFOs. They drive me crazy so I rarely have more than two or three things going on at once. I say rip what you know you won’t use and start by finishing the project you like(d) the best. As for the Koigu socks: I’d be more than happy to untangle that yarn for you without cutting it! I’ve done quite a few untangles for people with similar tangles. Let me know if you’d like me to do it. It’ll return home to you happy and whole again 🙂
I can totally relate … one of my UFOs is from 1994. It’s a beautiful red alpaca cabled sweater … all that is left is to put it together and finish it. But, somewhere along the line I think I decided I didn’t like the cabling. You see, it’s 100% alpaca DK and, as a soft protein fiber, simply doesn’t support a crisp cable. So I think I’ll rip it out, skein the wool and wash it, reset the twist, and then use it for something else! It’s gorgeous alpaca – just not good for a cabled sweater.
You’re not alone – I was just scolding myself the other day for my tendency to work a project through to about 90% completion and then shelve it. I did pull one of those out and finish it though, and the gratification I got from that has given me a little extra steam to check some more off of my list. My main thought here is that once you get started you may not want to stop! (in a good way)
If it makes you feel better, you’re not alone. I have many more UFO’s than you. I literally have boxes of them. My daughter just turned twenty-one, and I still have an unfinished dress that I made for her when my wife was pregnant. The dress is knitted, and the lining made. All I had to do was put the lining in it. Once I see that the project is going to turn out like I have it envisioned, I tend to lose interest…
I’ve decided I’m like a teenager discovering love. I fall in love with one yarn or pattern, and then suddenly one of the other yarns that I have in boxes starts wooing me, and I fall out of love with the first yarn. Then, I foolishly go to the yarn store, and I fall in love with another yarn. Of course, I ALWAYS promise myself that the yarn I’m purchasing is not going to go into one of the boxes of yarn in my garage. The promise I make to myself–every time–is that I am going to finish this project, and finish it in a timely fashion.
If only I kept my promised to myself…
I used to have a rule about UFOs…only 2 a once. That has totally slipped in the past few months, but I am happy to report that I still want the finished versions of everything I currently have in progress!
Yours look like total keepers, too–great pattern choices 🙂
I made a list of my unfinished projects. The list remains unfinished. I would be totally hopeless, but even that aspect of my life remains unfinished.
Well I wish I hadn’t read this as it prompted me to go and look at my ufo pile and that was a lot bigger than I had thought, plus looking at it gave me lots of ideas for new stuff . Ah well, seems like it will the same as my ‘to do’ list – tick one off and add three on 🙂
We’re moving soon too, and I have a knitting problem as well as a sewing problem. With sewing, it’s scraps rather than UFOS. I can’t BEAR to throw scraps away, but … I mean, seriously. I have some scrap pieces of fabric that I’ve moved across the country twice now.
Ah, so there is hope for me!! I have a whole basket full of UFOs and I thought it was just me! Thank you for posting this, now I have an urge to pull out one of my ‘objects’ and finish it.
phew! that is quite a pile!
oh man! i can’t stand to have ufo’s! finishing a knitting project is such an endorphin rush (much like starting one). i kinda hate having more than one project on the needles at once, unless one of those is socks 🙂 i feel like it’s just too easy to lose my place otherwise, because i’ve gotten to the point where i usually like to make a lot of modifications, and sometimes i forget to write them down… but your pile looks pretty tackle-able, i’m sure you can do it!
I like how you colour coordinated them, probably done by accident lol.
I don’t knit, but have plenty of UFOs in the form of art projects and blog entries. I don’t have a rule for them other than to file them away and pretend I’m going to finish the some day!