Ah, the New Year. A time of resolutions and optimism and dreams of potential. *sighs wistfully*
However, experience has taught me that it’s all too easy to make a whole lot of promises to myself, then by February I’ve lost track of half of them, and in March I’m a downright grouch. To start this year differntly, I decided to dig up some of the started-but-not-done projects instead of facing my Pile of Unknowns.
Previously known as UFOs (unfinished objects), I have rebranded these started-but-not-done projects as Works In Progress or WIPs (yes, I know the “s” is in the wrong place but work with me here). I feel like UFO means they are a lost cause, relegated to being forever unfinished. Whilst likely true, that also makes my ego surly and rather furthers UFO as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sooooo Work In Progress it is!
First up are the projects that are most likely to actually get finished. I’m sandbagging but hey, a win is a win.
Lampshades! File this one under “Jacquelyn never turns down an opportunity to do something for a friend, especially when that something is a thing she’s never done before.” A dear friend approached me in July (August? a shameful amount of time ago), and asked if I would be willing to re-cover two antique lampshades for her. The lamps were her grandmother’s and therefore had Nostalgic Value, but the shades were quite worse for wear. I’ve never covered lampshades before, but how hard could it be? My confidence was apparently feeling its oats that day, and my curiosity is notoriously impulsive, so of course I said “Yes!”
Why, Dear Reader, is there are a difference?
I’m thoroughly enjoying the learning and puzzle-like quality of this project. I documented in photographic detail the “autopsy” of the first lampshade to understand how to put it back together again, and it was FASCINATING. However, the re-assembly is slow – between kids and household plus the fact that this is a completely hand-sewn project, means I’ve blown every estimated completion date I’ve given. My self-inflicted guilt has been doing its best to ruin my enjoyment, but I’m soldiering on and having FUN, so THERE. Plus, this is all going to go into a future blog post anyway. *sticks tongue out at guilt*
The second project is a year-long Stitch-Along that I started to be an oasis of sanity and an excuse to frolic in spreadsheets. Holidays being what they are, I’m not done with it despite the year being over. Have no fear! There is not much left to do, so chances are I won’t let this one slide until June. Or 2022.
Next up in the WIP pile: things that I’ve abandoned long enough for me to stop avoiding them and forgive them for what they’ve done find interesting again.
This …bucket… of yarn is my Eomer’s Shield Tam project. I received the kit as a gift an embarrassingly long time ago from one of the Crafty Council. It’s a crazy complicated hat – colorwork AND cabling – but I love a knitting challenge. That is, until I made a mistake and had to frog it and got mad at it because obviously this isn’t MY fault and it got stashed in a bag and left to think about what it did wrong.
Well, the kittens found it. One or both of the fluffy devils decided that taking the skeins out of THIS project bag, this very specific bag, is The Best. I have moved the bag on top of dressers, hidden it under other projects, you name it – and yet, I have a much-abused skein left in my shoe or at the bottom of the stairs as a prize for me to admire. *shakes fist at kittens* Maybe they are telling me to finish the hat?
Lastly, let’s discuss this Christmas tree skirt, of Time-Sucking Tedium fame. I have made some progress since I last posted about it, but it remains unfinished. Each December, I tell myself I’m going to get this tree skirt done before we buy the tree, only to blow that deadline completely. Stashing boxes under the tree and covering them with presents to hide the naked tree base is totally legit, right?
I’m pretty sure I could continue like this for a decade or more (again, Olympic level procrastinator here, my stamina is LEGENDARY) but maybe if I work on this after the holidays I could make some headway… mix it up, keep my procrastination on its toes. I’ll still wiffle-waffle until November 15, but I’m sure I can do a seam or two before acquiescing to procrastination in the face of something shiny and new. Because these are Works In Progress, right?
Ahhh, yes. I do love a good rebranding. *wink*
That Creative Place 