5 Ways to Finish with Steam

Looking around at all of my unfinished projects is sobering. I see you and I know what the problem is. I have "startitis," craft attention deficit disorder, or what the Yarn Harlot calls "frenzy of intention."

And I am not alone.

I know of only a few crafters who complete a project before starting another. Most of us juggle between several projects, working on a little bit here and there. But that makes sense to me.

Small portable projects, like a pair of socks, can be worked on while in waiting rooms or in the car. Larger projects or those that require more intense concentration are worked on at home. Okay, it works when it's manageable. But that's not all we have going on.

The real issue is that we're over-stimulated. We search online communities, buy craft magazines, electronically download patterns and go on yarn crawls...a lot; always drawing our attention to the next project.


For those who'd like to curb this craving, there is hope, here are a five ways to manage "start-itis":

1. Reduce the Stimulation
   Limit yourself to reading craft magazines, visiting yarn or fabric shops, or pattern "window shopping" until you've completed a project.
2. Don't Queue
   I love the online knitting and crochet community, Ravelry. One of its coolest features is that you can find projects you intend to work on and queue them. But they end up sitting there ready for you to start, calling your name, (kind of the way chocolate chip cookies do when you're watching what you eat). Rather than have a long list of queued projects (or cookies in the pantry),use the favorite feature (another cool feature) and queue only the one that is truly next when you get to it. It's less tempting to stop what you're working on and start something new.
3. Cross "Train"
   I've found that I tend to put a project down and look for another one when I bored, e.g., doing repetitive stitching,or when the piece requires too much concentration, e.g., reading a colorwork chart. To stop the urge to start another project, We may want to take a page in the athletes' handbook.In the same way that bicycling may help an athlete's performance in skiing (building the quadriceps), reading a craft-related book or working in a different medium may stimulate you enough to come back to a project and complete it.
4. Make it a Game
   Create a challenge that rewards you along the way from start to finish. During the Winter Olympics, Ravelry ran its very popular and creative Ravelympics. During Ravelympics, which had the same beginning and ending date as the 2010 Olympics,knitters and crocheters picked a project or projects and entered events in the hopes of joining fellow crafters on the podium of finished projects.
    
   And, I did it. I'm a Ravethlete. I chose Eunny Jang's Endpaper Mitts and finished them, something I probably wouldn't have done had I not joined. Challenges like this are great fun and they work! It felt great to cross the finish line and get my medal. Look for fun opportunities that challenge you (and give out cool medals).
5. Anticipate Your Project's Goodies
   Carefully select or create projects that give you something to anticipate from beginning to end. If you love knitting lace, for example,work on a project where the lace comes at the end. With the Endpaper Mitts I just mentioned, the pattern called for beginning and ending techniques that I had never done before.

By developing a few simple routines and strategies, you'll be able to reduce the number of works-in-progress and create excitement about finishing.



(Photo courtesy of mdove64)

Comments

[Sahara]

I think one problem, is that we take on projects, especially those we want to wear, the way we shop. Shopping gives you the immediate promise of being able to use the item. We impose this thought upon our craft projects, forgetting that it'll take more time to make––even the portable ones.

As a designer, I plan projects in advance. If I don't finish a winter sweater by the spring, I put it down without guilt. I'll finish in late August (under the AC),and by September I can wear it. In spring I plan housewares––napkins, placemats, maybe something larger, but no garments, as I know there'll be too many outdoor things competing for my attention. As for the holidays? I will only knit or crochet a few Christmas ornaments for gifts. Stress doesn't save money.

And I'm no longer in a hurry about a craft project. Why? Because whenever I finish it'll still be beautiful!