Jenn McKinlay: If you saw yesterday’s post, you know that my oldest spawn graduated from college. I had one promise to myself before he crossed that stage and received his diploma and that was that I would finish the bloody scarf he asked me to make for him when I first taught myself to knit in 2010.
Yes, this project was begun 15 years ago!!! 15 YEARS!!! I am so close to finishing but alas…I didn’t get it done in time. Why? Why am I such a fabulous starter but I can’t seem to close the deal. It is not only Hooligans scarf that lies waiting.
Here’s a throw I started and stalled out on:
Here’s a blanket also neglected:
And another scarf that I recently had to try crocheting because the yarn self argyles (although it took me 27 tries to get the count right) now sits gathering dust.
I’ve heard there’s a non profit called Loose Ends that will take the projects of crafters who have passed away and finish them for the crafter’s family. I think this is wonderful and I was thinking I might volunteer and shift my starter enthusiasm to full finisher (that’s what they call the volunteers - finishers). We’ll see.
Crafters, how are your projects going?
Alas, I am lacking in craftiness. On the other hand, I guess I don’t have unfinished projects giving me the side-eye.
ReplyDeleteSo many side eyes, Lisa! LOL.
DeleteI generally finish my craft projects, but I don't often start on a project in the first place . . . .
ReplyDeleteThat might be the way to go for me, Joan.
DeleteWith no new family babies on the horizon, my remaining craft of quilting is languishing. I gave my daughter-in-law all my knitting stuff a couple of years ago, and I haven't crocheted since college. Right now just getting my garden underway is taking all my "spare" time.
ReplyDeleteBut my sister in Ottawa is a quilt finisher in her retirement! She finished two quilts our mom started and didn't finish, and she finishes quilts for families whose quilter passed away. She also makes baby quilts for the NICU.
So nice that Janet finushed your mom's quilts & makes baby quilts for those little ones in the NICU.
DeleteOh, I love that. Quilting is a craft I have not started but I can see me picking it and never ever finishing...lol.
DeleteLike LISA, I am not a crafter at all.
ReplyDeleteNope to knitting, crochetting, quilting, painting etc.
I made feeble attempts at knitting/crochet in my tween years due to my mom's nagging.
But what I made was so horrible, she was aghast. And never pushed me to try again!
My edible balcony garden is my non-reading hobby.
Gardening is very rewarding. I harvested potatoes today!!!
DeleteI once knit my mother a wool cardigan which she wore loyally despite the sleeves being far too long (they're too long on ME, and I have arms like an orangutan!) I can sew but only well enough to mend. I am not a crafts person. Both my sisters are. All my girlfriends are. My daughter is. They are all both talented and patient. As for me, give me a cordless drill, a shovel, a hammer, or some other tool. I'm not great with them, either, but I enjoy the work. Last summer I replaced the blown head gasket in one of my old lawn tractors. Today I have to pick up a new drive belt and figure out how to take off the mowing deck to replace it. (Selden)
ReplyDeleteRock on Selden. I like handy work, too. Yesterday I fixed the power seat switch in my truck and felt like a total mechanic (thank goodness for youtube tutorials).
DeleteWhen I was inn high school, my sister took up knitting and decided to knit me a pair of socks for Christmas. This was in July. That Christmas I got one sock. Christmas two years later I got the second sock. They never fit properly but I cherished them.
ReplyDeleteMy wife used to tat. Her great-aunt was a tatting fool and, by the time my wife entered first grade, every bit of her underwear was festooned with homemade lace. Her great-aunt's antique ivory tatting shuttle is still around here, but it has not been used for nearly half a century.
Tatting is beautiful. I always wanted to learn but it looks so complicated.
DeleteI have a baby blanket for a kid who probably just turned 45 somewhere in the house. In my defense, he arrived very, very early and for some reason, I never knit anything again. I empathize with you, Jenn. I love the idea of the finishers.
ReplyDeleteLOL! That's hilarious, Judy. I need a finisher.
DeleteI'm not a crafter myself but my mom was and my sister is. In fact, my sister is the opposite of you Jenn, she not only finishes her projects but she makes enough that she occasionally goes to craft shows and sells her products.
ReplyDeleteAlas, the talent for doing any kind of crafting project is beyond me. Though from years of fandom for Bob Ross, I wish I could paint all those happy little trees of his. But who has the time these days?
I would love to paint with Bob Ross. He could just talk me into a calmer place and who cares out the painting turns out.
DeleteI'm a terrible finisher (generally in life), but I do tend to finish my cross stitch projects. I have one I did about 25 years ago that I never framed, so it's sitting in my craft drawer. It's irises in various shades of lavender with two ducks. I like the picture, but not enough to pay to frame it or hang it anywhere. If anyone wants it, I'll happily mail it to you. I have another kit that I bought 30 years ago and never started. It's done on linen, over two threads, so it's a bit different from the easy aida cloth. Now I think my eyes may be too old. It will probably sit in the drawer for awhile longer.
ReplyDeleteAfter mom died, we found a half knitted red sweater. I'm not sure who it was meant for, but it made us sad.
Oh, that sounds lovely, Gillian! You can send it to me anytime you want (and charge me for it)! I used to cross stitch, come to think of it, I did a lot of finished cross-stitch in my 20's but like you my eyes are too old now.
DeleteSadly, I suffered from the same syndrome as Jenn. But at least now I know it has a name.
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!
DeleteOne crocheted scarf? Not finished. Multiple quilt tops? Not quilted. The scarf will definitely get finished. The quilting? My back doth protest loudly at sitting and bending over the quilt frames. But I want to finish one as a wedding gift, one for myself (!). So maybe I'll figure out a way I can quilt again.
ReplyDeleteWe need to have a crafting retreat where we all bring our stuff and help each other finish it!
DeleteI love this post, Jenn. So real. And that 'self-argyling' yarn is amazing! My advice: Pass along the unfinished projects to the 'finishers' and head out to your garden to weed the tomatoes. Do what you love and leave the rest to others.
ReplyDeletePS - my craft is collage art. I have boxes and shelves with finished pieces stacked up; what to do with them all? It's sort of the mirror-image problem of not finishing -- is it? Anyway, either way, lots of evidence of my 'craftiness' lying around...
DeleteI love this idea, Amanda. And I did weed my tomatoes today :)
DeleteJenn, that scarf was your first knitting project?! I'm massively impressed! Your other projects are even more complicated.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest daughter used to introduce me to her friends as "my mom, the sewing goddess". But knitting is a tiresome pursuit for me, and despite my many attempts, all I've ever managed to produce was a very simple scarf or hat.
I love the idea of a project finisher. I have two needlepoint projects I started in the mid-1970's. In my defense, I used to love to learn new processes for handwork, but as soon as I learned the technique my interest waned. So I decided that made it okay not to finish. It was like taking a class.
We will draw a veil over my unfinished writing projects.
Karen, I saw the weather radar this morning--here's hoping the Cinci area doesn't get hit with the worst of the storms heading up the Ohio Valley! Stay safe!
DeleteThanks, Flora. We get bad storms all the time here, so I'm hopefully ready if they do come. But it is scary!
DeleteI think you just labeled my issue. I want to learn how to do something but once I do, I'm over it.
DeleteActually Jenn in your defense, the work you did on those projects looks beautiful and COMPLICATED!!
ReplyDeleteI'll take it! Thank you!
DeleteI grew up sewing and really enjoyed that. Knitting, crocheting, etc. not so much. I think it bores me. A friend recently gave me a felting kit and I am working on not being intimidated by making small, furry creations. I know once I dive into it I will love it. It is the initial dip in the craft that paralyzes me. Also, in this instance, I don't want to disappoint my friend who has so much faith in me that he is already talking about me setting up an Etsy store! No pressure there! AGGHH! -- Victoria
ReplyDeleteOh, Victoria, you have show me when you get the felting started - I am eager to try it! There are so many little critters that are so cuuuute!
DeleteI used to do counted cross stitch. When we moved last summer, I went through my cedar chest and gave away 90% of the kits, aida cloth, etc. (I also gave away the cedar chest.) I might look into finishers for some projects I kept for sentimental reasons.
ReplyDeleteI am very impressed with people who can knit; I tried it but couldn’t get the tension (?) right. I can’t imagine you raising two kids, writing three series (not including the ones you’re branching out to now), doing the home “projects” you take on, etc. having any time for craft projects. Good luck! — Pat S
I am laughing because in two and a half years I have managed to get through one-half of the front of a lovely fisherman knit sweater. We won't talk about the needlepoint projects, right?
ReplyDeleteI just finished a sewing project for the Stitch Sisters group I joined at my new church. Now I came home with materials to make more so it may be a never finished project even though the individual items get finished.
ReplyDeleteI had to shove my husband’s baseball making things down to one end of the dining table in order to have some space.
Not much dining has or is going to happen there.
Jenn, I love the idea of the "finishers." I started a quilt with my friend Gigi, who was a very experienced and talented quilter. I have bags of fabric I very loving chose, but now I suppose it will never be finished unless I find someone who will do it for me. Honestly, I'm just not a crafter at heart. I put a lot of time and energy into my garden, and if I ever manage any "free" time, I'd love to spend it journaling and painting.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time I used to cross stitch and needlepoint. I thought I might enjoy getting into that again so I bought two kits a year ago, one for each kind of needlework. Well, they're still sitting upstairs waiting for me to do something with them. Like start. My problem is actually starting, not finishing. Is there a name for that, other than procrastination?
ReplyDeleteOver the years I’ve done various different crafts, and was mediocre at most of them. Many projects were left unfinished. My biggest problem is that I wanted to do everything perfectly, right from the beginning. Also, I have a hard time learning a new craft from reading directions. Among the many things I tried was crocheting. Several years ago I decided that I really wanted to try it again, for the first time since the 1970s. Through Divine Providence, I met a woman in my town who is a gifted crocheter. I jokingly asked if I could hire her to teach me to crochet. She said “sure!” She’s a special Ed art teacher on the high school level. For three years now we’ve been meeting once a week for an hour at the public library after she gets out of school. I’ve made a lot of small items and a couple of bigger ones. I just finished a sweater that I started last July or August. I’m going to be doing some smaller things for a little while. I still have trouble reading pattern directions; my eyes just glaze over when I see all the abbreviations for the various stitches. But I’m okay when she tells me what to do, and demonstrates by doing a few stitches. She’s wonderfully patient, and keeps telling me that my stitches are perfect! There are more stitches I want to learn to do. She mentioned that I could probably start learning to read patterns now! I don’t know!
ReplyDeleteDebRo
I am not a crafter -the last time I either knitted or chri heated I was in college, decades ago. I admire people who do craft.
ReplyDeleteI used to make earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Yet, somehow the collecting of the beads and metals got out of hand. I have no idea what I will do with my inventory. My latest issue is that I am now taking free arts and crafts courses at our senior center and have started to purchase some of my own tools that are now collecting dust. I guess my priority should be to just make sure that I only purchase plants that I will get into the ground within one week. I guess that my skills and my fastidious nature leave a bit to be desired! I guess that I will just stick to making dinner reservations as that is something that I can complete!
ReplyDeleteWhen I realized I couldn’t go back to beading (carpal tunnel, etc) I donated my beading supplies to the special Ed art teacher who is teaching me to crochet. Maybe you can find a place to donate your supplies?
DeleteDebRo