Who doesn’t love the thrill of starting a new project?  The excitement of picking out yarn and the anticipation of the finished piece can be hard to resist.  But, as time rolls on, some of those works in progress (WIPs) tend to pile up in the back of our closets, gathering dust. So, when is it time to let go of those  projects that you know deep down you’ll probably never finish?

 

How many Phd’s (projects half done) do you have laying around? At any given time, I usually have 3 or 4 in my wip pile. Some of them just need to have the finishing touches added and others need a lot of work to finish. I’m sure a lot of you know what I’m talking about.  

 

I have told myself I will not start another project before I finish my current one but that just isn’t me. One peek at my stored patterns and I’m off and running with a new project. 

 

Today I want to look at how to tame that wip pile and let go of the ones that no longer bring you joy. 

 

First off, take a moment to revisit each project you have tucked away. What initially captured your interest? Was it the yarn, the pattern? I often start new projects full of ideas and motivation but then those feelings vanish and I am left with an unfinished blanket or a sweater that no longer fits my style. If you find yourself no longer feeling that spark of excitement for a particular piece, that’s a solid sign it might be time to say goodbye. Let’s look at some ways of making the decision to keep or let go of our wips. 

 

I have told myself I will not start another project before I finish my current one but that just isn’t me. One peek at my stored patterns and I’m off and running with a new project. 

 

Today I want to look at how to tame that wip pile and let go of the ones that no longer bring you joy. 

 

First off, take a moment to revisit each project you have tucked away. What initially captured your interest? Was it the yarn, the pattern? I often start new projects full of ideas and motivation but then those feelings vanish and I am left with an unfinished blanket or a sweater that no longer fits my style. If you find yourself no longer feeling that spark of excitement for a particular piece, that’s a solid sign it might be time to say goodbye. Let’s look at some ways of making the decision to keep or let go of our wips. 

 

Gathering and Sorting Projects

 

Clean out those baskets, project bags, and other areas where your unfinished projects have been hibernating  and put them together into one pile. Next, sort these projects into smaller piles. 

 

In the first pile, add those projects that just need the finishing touches added - maybe the  pieces sewn together or tassels added. 

 

In the next pile add the ones that you promised someone you would make along with any commissioned pieces. I added 2 stuffed animals, a hooded blanket, a granny square bag and a scarf. These are the pieces that will get finished first. I gave myself 3 weeks to finish as many as possible. 

 

The last pile is everything that didn’t go into the first two piles. These are projects that no longer fit your style or are no longer challenging. They are just taking up space and mental energy. This is the pile we will take a closer look at and  ask some questions to help decide to keep or frog. Sometimes you know the answer right away- these wips will never get finished. 

 

• Are they destined to remain wips because you’ve lost the pattern or the yarn has been discontinued? 
• Does the project still bring the same joy it did when you started it? If finishing the project feels like a chore, it’s ok to say goodbye. 
• How long has it been in your wip pile? If the project has been gathering dust for a year or more, it might be time to say goodbye. Holding onto these wips creates clutter in your crafting space. 

 

The Wips have been sorted…Now what?

 

Now that your wips have been sorted, it’s time to decide how to deal with the ones you know you’re not going to finish. Do you keep, frog (tear them apart) or trash them? 

 

I had 5 projects in my wip pile. I frogged 1, threw away 2 and put 2 in my keep pile. I will wind the yarn from the project I frogged into a cake and use it in another project. 

 

Final Thought...

Sorting through and dealing with my wip pile brought me a sense of accomplishment. It also freed up some much needed space. Now I can get back to what I love most - creating!