I recently purged 4 ufo’s and I can’t even tell you how free it made me. Life is too short to feel guilty about working on a project you don’t enjoy. I also gave a big bag of yarn to a charity store that I knew I would never use. A new start for a new year is what I needed.
Don't give up on your quilting. You can still quilt the same stitches on the rest of the quilt that are the same areas as to what you have already done, but if you want to change, just do it. Part of the excitement of these type of projects with quilting is to see you're development over time rather than expecting perfection. Remember in years past they would have quilting bees and I'm sure those produced all kinds of stitches in the one piece. Just remember there's no right or wrong size stitch to quilt with.
For what it's worth, I think that minty/avocado type color is super cute and, at least on camera, looks like it would suit you well! It's a calming and peaceful color, which I love.
Thank you for making me feel better about letting go of languishing projects. There is so much guilt surrounding it and it’s a nice reminder to let go of the things that don’t make you happy. Knitting should feel fun not like a chore! Also love how Arthur made a guest appearance 😂
Have you thought of, rather than finishing the body when you are losing patience with it, moving onto the sleeves? I usually do both sleeves before I do the body so that I know exactly when it is long enough lol I also know some people will do one sleeve, work some body, do the other sleeve, finish the body
Oh my goodness, I have had those exact pregnancy-related aversions to specific projects and they never went away! I actually decluttered a pair of socks I’d been knitting on during the early stages of one of my pregnancies just recently, so a good 5 years later. Even remembering that project makes me a little sick still. Isn’t that weird? So in my experience, this category of projects has to be gifted. 😄
First of all, NO FRILL SWEATER is just a big success!!!!! I remembered last year you wanted to cast on but was worring about the needle size. It just looks so great on you, so elegant and wearable for all time. :) Bravo!
I have 11 knitting projects on the go, but I would call them active. However, I have over 30 languishing sewing projects, most of them quilts. My main hobby switched from sewing to knitting when I was pregnant with my second and I need to go back and decide what to do with them all. I keep thinking I'll pick one and chip away at it each month but I'm finding it much harder to work on big quilt projects than to pick up knitting at this point. So I'll probably leave it until next year to get them out and decide.
Just a thought Bethany..perhaps you would be happy with sock knitting more if you knit the leg(if doing top down) and place on holder, begin the other sock and bring that one to the point of the first one, going between them and ending up with two at the end! Also, maybe take some of the "single" socks you have and make Arthur some sock puppets? You are not alone with unfinished WIP's!
I loved this episode and Arthur joining. I think it's so helpful to revisit projects. I let two or three go this year. Some bulky, another a sweater that wasn't fitting right. Time is limited like you say, even with a 7 yr old, and his homework, etc. So you have to pick the things that make you happy. Have a great day~ Kimberly
I, too, got rid of projects I no longer enjoyed knitting or were problematic this past summer. I donated a lot of yarn to a second hand/ charity shop. Life is too short. I moved on to projects I really love and enjoy. Thanks for sharing your decision to also dump undesirable UFOs. I really enjoy your videos. TY!
I have one unfinshed projekt. It's a red sweater knitted in some yarn I got from my grandma. The only problem is that it's a kinda special yarn and I can't find a yarn in similar texture. I need the yarn for end of the sleeves which I will make white
I’ve felt a lot of guilt about my UFOs but they aren’t sparking joy or they’re technically behind where I know I am now, and picking it up would leave an obvious mark in where my skill improved. I’ve taken to frogging them and making projects that are more interesting to me. It’s hard to do that with sweaters, but I needed this encouragement!
Love it Bethany! Especially when you look at Arthur lol - adorable! I have an unfinished blanket that's 10 years old lol. And recently an unfinished Felix sweater that just came out gigantic in the shoulders - ugh!! Yeah, it's out of sight for now. Such is life with knitting. We press on in whatever way feels right. Thanks for another fun episode!! Knit on!!👍👍👍
I also made the zipper sweater man for my husband and I used Drops Nepal. It looked small and weird while I was knitting it but washing and blocking really helped. The fabric somehow flattened and has a nice drape now.
You are so lovely! Loved your communication with your son, that was much fun to watch! and yes, the NoFrills Sweater is just perfect on you. This color does magic on you skin tone!
Great video. You have so many great ideas! I suggest that you always use your favorite sweaters to determine how long your works in progress should be. I use this technique and it always works! Also, if you do a gauge swatch and block it you will always know how the texture will be when finished. It’s really worth it.
I have at least 5 UFO’s and some of them have been around since 2019. My brain knits faster than my hands. I always enjoy your very honest knitting conversations. It makes me feel better about those project bags in my closet plus the yarn stash that somehow keeps growing but the FO’s don’t 😂.
Your comments about nausea-aversions while being preggo got me haha even the thought of sewing made me feel I’ll last pregnancy. This pregnancy - knitting 😭
When you spoke about guilt with UFOs, oh god did I agree with that. That guilt has definitely stopped me from casting on new projects! Then I feel guilty about not using the yarn I have!
I have a mitten that is just sitting and begging for attention and I just don't..want... to do it 🤭 I don't know why because they are a cute design and nice yarn. There's just something about them that makes me shove them back in the project bag. I also empathise with the husband jumper situation..I also 'made him' a jumper but I recently turned it into a skirt for me because the gauge was ridiculous. I've started again but again... A thousand things I'd rather work on lol one day! Thanks for sharing ☺️
12:03 the colour looks so good with your hair color and skin tone! If you finish it I can’t wait to see, comes with a lot of memories too even if they’re not all good 🤣
Omg that’s the first time I’ve heard of someone else having a pregnancy aversion to something other than food! I had a huge aversion to so many of my house plants, I had to send many of my collectibles with my mom so they wouldn’t die… only to get them back home and I couldn’t kick that aversion.
I love your No Frills Sweater, it looks beautiful and very elegant. I feel that, often, the plainest designs can bring the most joy. Your pleasure from knitting your “No Frills Sweater” rings true for me. I’m knitting the Semper V-neck Sweater (Knit Purl Girl) and, although it’s a plain old top down v-neck raglan, it’s filling me with joy. I’m more excited about it than all the other garments I’ve made, most of which I love. For me it’s a combination of the classic, understated style and yarns that I’m loving to use and can’t wait to wear. The joy in simplicity is too often overlooked. I don’t have any UFOs, just 3 WIPs: my Semper v-neck, a child’s jumper (I always have one on my needles, knit this mostly with my knitting group & it is part of a charity kit) and a brushed alpaca throw that I’ll return to in about a month (it’s early Autumn here). I do have a long list of projects I want to start and yarn for most of them.
It's important to be honest and let go of UFOs you know you will probably never finish - it's a great feeling to let go. I recently did the same with a couple of projects...at some point I wondered why I have never finished them and realized that I didn't like the process of making them, the colors or the design - and decided to let go of them and use the yarn for different projects that I actually enjoy and know I will finish...
I have one sweater, a second sock, and two blankets as current WIPs. I can only focus on one blanket at a time so one is waiting patiently for its turn. I am way more productive with only a couple projects going…I am trying to get back to being a monogamous crafter.
I am not a multiple project girl, but I do have a crochet and a knitting project at the moment, the croche project is a basket so it will take some time and my knitting project is currently a pair of socks, I am currently on a journey on using all of my stash yarn for projects before I can buy new yarn.. so excited to see how long it takes me and to see if I get to buy anything new this year :)
I would love to see how you store your hobbies in the main living area! My husband and I also live in a 2 bedroom apartment and our computer/hobby room is also now a nursery ❤
I will say, I made my dad the zipper sweater man with the same drops yarn, blocking made a HUGE difference in the drape of the fabric. I'd say if you haven't blocked, sew in the zipper, block it and give it one more chance cuz it really made it sit so much better at the waist and ribbing for mine
I have frogged 3 sweaters in the past month. Felt so good. I have 2 pullovers to finish and a languishing cardigan. And of course socks on my needles. Hiding away is a t-shirt I do want to finish for the summer. Does my scrappy crochet blanket count as a UFO???? Lucky for me, I have a nephew who will be so happy to get a box of leftover yarns when I complete my sweaters! He has been learning to knit and crochet. I love it so much! I believe we all get caught up in what we want in that moment and it is okay to have that change, cause we are always growing and changing!!!
I don't have any lingering knitting UFOs. I usually lose interests in some for a while, then revisit... I almost never abandon projects, but I'm not always 100% happy with results. It's hard making your own clothes 😉 I have some random unfinished sewing projects though. I'm definitely on the beginner side of sewing so FOs are not too exciting. I started this year by picking up two projects that I paused last year and I'm so happy to see progress on them 😀 but you definitely need to give yourself some grace... we are all in the process of learning the craft. Not everything you make will be what you set out to do
I love seeing you interact with Arthur! You seem like such a fun mum. Currently, I have a huge UFO made up of leftover yarn. It’s a yarn basket made out of a HORRIBLE bulky acrylic yarn that I used to crochet some stuffed animals back when I first started. It’s such a pain to work with because you can’t see any stitches and it’s impossible to frog because it falls apart. I finally decided to make it a basket just to get it out of my stash and organise my stash a bit, but I hate working on it. I also have some stash-busting headbands that are waiting to get sewn, and I have two pairs of socks I would like to finish. I’m lucky I don’t have a lot but god it’s such a pain.
Starting in jan. I told myself that I had to work on all my UFOs before I started any new projects;. Of course, I instantly got the urge to start a dozen new projects and that has been my motivation to finish all my UFOs. Bigger needles also cause me wrist pain, I've had tendinitis for a few years now, I highly recommend making sure that you're not only stretching before and after, but also while knitting if you aren't doing so already! Not all stretches work for everyone so try out different combinations and be sure you're not rushing through doing them!
Love your podcast! I always feel like I’m knitting with a friend when I watch it. Good luck with your WIPs! I currently have 3 WIPs. I also have crazy OCD so that’s a lot for me lol! 😂
So proud of you! I purged all my UFOs and unused pieces around Christmas and have been trying to be a monogamous knitting this year. Or at least not have more than 2 projects going at once. It’s freeing to know that everything you’re working on is all you have to work on 🎉
I only have one actual ufo (it's a sock knitted in some gorgeous handdyed yarn, sweaters are just nicer to knit but I'll get to it eventually) BUT, I've got this one sweater that doesn't seem to stop bugging me. It was the second sweater I ever casted on and is covered in cables, which really slowed down the knitting process especially since I still was a beginner. When I was finally done with the body I realized I didn't have enough yarn left for the sleeves and the manufacturer had stopped producing it so I didn't have a chance to ger any more. So I just abandoned it. Last fall I finally got around to finishing it with 3/4 length arms, and I really loved it. I put off blocking it for a long while (still used it though) and last week when I finally did, it grew way too much... I guess it will lay abandoned in my room until I eventually come up with an idea to save it. It just made me so sad, I had struggled so much to get it done and was so proud of it, and now it's once again a problem I have to solve.
I'm so excited to see what you do with the Cardiff Cashmere sweater! It certainly looks like it has a lot of potential and that color would look gorgeous on you. I have one UFO (a botched test-knit) that's been the bane of my (knitting) existence for the past year 😅 Was going to try and finish it up but now I'm leaning to frogging most of it and making an outdoor hiking sweater with the yarn (Peer Gynt from Sandnes garn)
Really enjoyed the UFO chats 😊 I tend to have 4/5 at any time, plus 2/3 which are ‘put away’ for a bit until I can decide if I will cintinue or rip tyem back and repurpose the yarn. Sometimes I find that something I was very enthusiastic to begin, kater am not so keen 😊 All part of the creative process.
The first time you talked about your Camp Fire Glow Quilt inspired me to make one too! it was meant to be ready by my babies birth but I only came to finishing it by its first birthday, so no shame in having a quilt project languishing for so long. I too found the quilting process much more demanding than the piecing and made the decision to send any further quilt off to a long arm quilting service to save me the hassle.
Everyone has different comfort zones with WIPs. I'm not saying my WIP count is comfortable, but I did declare that 2023 was the year to get projects off the needles. I have 8 pair of size 1/2.25 in DPN, 32" circs, 9" circs, and 12" circs. Do you know how many are empty? Zero. I have zero size ones I can cast on with. They all have socks on them. I'm currently down to 25 WIPs, with 12 active projects. The oldest one is my Hue Shift afghan that is in middle school. I cast it on in 2013 and am just over halfway done. My problem is FOMO. I love KALs and cast on with reckless abandon. I also create impossible tasks for myself. Like I would love to make 30 hats this year for our Credit Union. They give out gifts to the Head Start class every year with hats and mittens included. It would be very cool to have enough hats for all the kids. How many do I have done? One. Uck.
I was also making a Fisherman's rib cardigan in WAK Ecolana, even the same colour 😁 The pattern was the Clara Cardigan from Paulastrickt/Susanne Müller. As much as I love the finished piece now - I experienced the same issues as you, especially during the Italian bind-off - at some point I just took the yarn double as it was breaking at every other stitch. And watching your video now, I just mended 3 stitches with the scraps and duplicate stitch that suddenly looked really really thin. I also learned I won't follow the unspun yarn hype - for now 😅 The finished object makes me really proud though! I made it longer, a lot of work went it and it was my first Fisherman's rib/half brioche project, plus the squishyness it awesome, and it really keeps me warm!
I have three on the needles right now, though one has been on hold for over a year.. Then I have two projects with many many ends to weave in, and I've been slowly finishing those. I really should finish my sweater, now would be the perfect time to wear it :D
Hmmm I have lots of unfinished objects. Over the years babies have lead me to stop many many things…. I need to slowly get back at them for sure. My quilt is one that needs finishing - enough that my husband had offered to take up hand quilting for me 😂🤣❤️
Also drowning in unfinished object stess/guilt but I'm trying to tell myself that once this school year is over (studying at 30+ is HARD, and im Dutch it is even harder!) I can focus myself more on them... even though that is when gardening season ramps up... maybe I need to also have a quiet sit-down with myself 😅
I have a lot of Ufos. I just counted them, and I am a bit shocked about the fact that there are 8 in the project basket 🥹 A tip for your single socks. You can use it for an Advent calendar for arthur. Or you can put them in a ball with holes, so Arthur can pull them out when he start to show interest in such activities.
I started a summer cardigan using Rowan cotton Cashmere and hated working with the yarn. I didn't even finish the back panel. It's just sitting there in a box quietly. I haven't unraveled it because I don't want to use it again, but I have like 7 balls of this stuff! May turn it into something else at some point. I do, however, have 2 finished objects that are too big. I want to unravel this year and reuse the yarn for a different project. That is a major goal for this year! The other one for this year is knit up the projects I purchased over the last two years before purchasing any more yarn for clothing. I will only order yarn for new stuffed animals I will be knitting! 😉 ( I have a huge stash for that too, but it is DK and Aren weight, and I just got two books calling for sport! Haha, don't you hate it when that happens! 🤣
glad to say I only have 1 UFO at the moment (not counting active WIPs) and I plan to finish it. it's a dragon doll sort of thing and I only have 1 wing left to knit also, since you mentioned you like the look of the floats, I recommend to look for estonian inlay knitting - it's a really fun technique that creates really nice floats. one of my projects right now is a pair of socks I designed using estonian inlay knitting and it's just so addictive and they look so nice :)
I found your Podcast today and it was funny to see the story behind the pregnancy sweater....I couldn't finish a sweater Projekt, because I felt so sick during a pregnancy.....so funny
Hi, I have 2 ,one is old from last June,and I am working on it as I watch you. It’s the Friday tee, and all I had to do was bind off the body and do the sleeves,which are short! It was the bind off that put that off! But now I understand Italian bind off! Yeah! And the other is a sock, a fancy by the fire sock, which I will do soon. Take care, and lucky winners!
I love your conversations with Arthur, so cute 😍 I haven't had any UFOs for the moment, but thinking about it I understand how it could feel so frustrating having worked on something that you won't finish 😱 love your videos 😘
I actually have only one project that I put on ice. Other than that I have two wips, one is almost finished. I set myself a goal this year, it is not to make any yarn purchases until Dec. meaning makes from my stash. The second one is no more than three wips at one time. I'm finding this more relaxing.
I enjoyed this video! I'm looking forward to seeing how the cashmere sweater turns out. And I love your colourwork sock! I have a cardigan with a very small lace panel that's been languishing in a corner since the autumn. It's my first ever (and possibly last) lace project. I find it takes a lot of concentration, which I can't manage when I knit in the evenings. So it feels like I've spent more time dropping stitches and having to go back, rather than going forward. For now I've promised myself I'll finish it by 31 December 2023. But if I pick it up and continue not to enjoy it, I'll have to use the yarn for something else!
What a nice video, Bethany! It's really great to see how you let go of these projects that no longer suit you. My only UFO is the first sweater I ever tried to knit. It was on 3 mm needles - looking back, I don't know what I was thinking 😂 Of course I was't patient enought and abandoned it. From the moment I started sweaters in bigger needle sizes, I finished all of them. Funny enough I don't have second sock syndrome at all. I sometimes struggle with delaying the first one but once that is done, the second one just flies off the needles. 😊
I recently binned 3 projects, that i kept saying i would fibish and never did. I also gave some yarn away to charity that i had had years. I felt si much better, now i need to try and say no gently to poeple who keep asking me to knit stuff, i need to knit for myself treat myself xx
I currently have 5 projects on my needles - a long standing blanket wip that I pick up when motivated, a tee that I’m pushing forward on, a pair of gloves and two sets of socks 😅 the last 3 are gifts so they’re motoring along nicely. I don’t like to get above my current number so I’m always asking myself if it’s bringing me joy or anxiety and frog or finish based on that. Hello Arthur! ❤️
Style thé sweater over a long dress or some overalls. La Bien Aimée wears Ace and Jig dresses with short sweaters. It’s an adorable look. No length adjustment needed. Your No Frills sweater has. Inspired me. Soft and sweet.
i'm a little late to the part, but ce la vie! just had to comment when you mentioned mondim. i'm a big fan too! can really recommend their yellow version of the speckles too, if you're into that. and another sock yarn that might really make you happy to look at is from the danish yarn company called slyngeriet. their mr. potts is legit a fairytale in a skein. that's the only way i can describe it haha.
Loved seeing all your benched wips. At the very beginning of the year I decided that my moto for the year would be "Stop stating, start finishing!" So in that spirit I went through my wips and there were 17 I decided to keep 😱😱 now down to 5 😅 The goal is not to have more than two wips at the same time, ideally one. I've noticed that having so many wips put me under pressure and I would get anxious if I wasn't knitting or doing something else, because I had so much started and nothing was getting finished. I hope by reducing the number I will be able to slow down, feel less guilty and enjoy my hobby more.
I have a feeling that Cardigan No 4 from my favorite things knitwear is what you’re looking for. Top down raglan cardigan v neck half fisherman rib. Well written pattern. If you figure out how to add in slanted pockets please let me know haha
According to Ravelry I have 10 wips and one project in hibernation. I'm actively working on about 4 at the moment, so I guess 7 UFOs and another 3 sewing projects that qualify.
I am reconverting a failed scarf into my first raglan. I had it abandoned for months and I knew I had to frog it and re use it .. I am very happy finally doing it I had to frog that scarf for like 5 times It was making me crazy 🤣
Recently I did a huge destash and unearthed a handful of decade-old UFOs - stuff that no longer suited my needs, or my taste, or my project standards - things that should've been instant garbage. But instead I spent the afternoon "finishing" them as quick and dirty as I could, just to close the loop on them in my head. They're now in the donate bin. My soul is so much lighter knowing their ghosts won't haunt me 😂
I have a bit less than 10 projects waiting on my list 😭 for me crochet is the worst, cause I tho k it s simple and fast and therefore I start many and never finished it... I decided that 2023 is the clean slate year, so I want to finnish it all and be guilt free by the end of the year 🔚👌😁
I’m finding that I am a monogamous knitter. If I start another project it is unlikely that I will go back to the first one 😅 i have a crochet sweater, a blanket and a knit sock that I haven’t touched in maybe 4-6 months and with all the projects I want to make next idk when I’ll come back to them. I’m actively working on a Monday sweater as my main project. Started in January. I paused to crochet a cardigan fir my grandma’s birthday and I haven’t finished either. They both are taking longer than if I had just done one after the other. So I think I have to stick to one thing at a time
Every 2nd January or so I work down my old WIPs and I love it when podcasters do KALs of that nature. The #crimsonwipalong is happening right now and so I've cast off 2 old wips since Jan as part of the KAL, I'm keeping it to 1 per month and still casting on more things. I have just 3 left I can think of, and 1 to rip out for sure. I can't wait to finish this next one though, its a huge blanket project and stashbuster.
dont think your hand quilting is too big there is big stitch hand wuilting which is getting popular you can really see how it enhances the top if the quilt carry on girl great work
I have two UFO that just need weaving in ends and blocking... Does that count? :D I did a huge yarn-destash last year and have vowed to only buy new yarn when I have cast-off a project, which means that I am always motivated to finish stuff :D (But I am also not a pattern designer so it's easy for me to just knit a thing until the pattern says "Stop here" :) ) I love Arthur commenting on things, he should become an off-stage series regular :)
I was wondering what happened to your husband’s sweater for Christmas. That’s a bummer that you were not happy with it. I have some unfinished projects too. Right now I am knitting on the Lighthouse Keeper Pullover by Lindsey Fowler. This is the second sweater I have used mohair with. I splurged and bought la Bien Aimee Corrie worsted and it’s been so nice to work with. I bought her book Salt and Timber and there are so many projects in this book that I want to make. Your video has inspired me to take a look at my UFO’s and decide which ones I want to keep.
currently holding on to 4 UFOs. One mitten with just the thumb gusset left, a crochet hexagon cardigan, a blanket, and a sweater. currently working on finishing up the sweater and sincerely holding out hope i get to the rest, lol. idk why the thumb gusset of a mitten has me hung up even though it's such a tiny bit left!
In regards to your carpal tunnel, have a look at nerve glides - specifically for the median nerve - it should help xx Its what we give to a lot of our carpal tunnel patients :) You can chuck me a message if you have any questions
Actually, I haven't counted, but I probably have 10 or 12 unfinished projects. They keep calling to me. I know I will not finish 3 of them, but the rest I do want to finish!
I disagree. In think that mint or green sweater you have no desire to complete will look really good on you with your red hair. It may not be your favorite, but I like the color combination!
Y’all are far braver than me when it comes to tossing UFOs!😯 I have picked up work I’ve put down over a decade or more just so I could finish it! About five years ago, I picked up a granny square afghan I had started working on at 16! The person I started it for is no longer in my life, but I did gift it to a new mommy to be!❤ Even projects that have been damaged through moves or life and forgotten in general, once I re-discover them, I make it my mission to finish - if anything, I gift it to Goodwill.🤷🏻♀️ I imagine it would truly drive me INSANE to abandon and trash a work in progress. Even if I frog the whole thing - I still go back and work the pattern to completion. Maybe that’s why they call me anal retentive?🤪🤣
2:36 congratulations to our winners!! If you saw your name on the screen, please reply to this comment to claim your prize :)
I recently purged 4 ufo’s and I can’t even tell you how free it made me. Life is too short to feel guilty about working on a project you don’t enjoy. I also gave a big bag of yarn to a charity store that I knew I would never use. A new start for a new year is what I needed.
I love how you are explaining your thought process so Arthur like he is your manager now.
He kinda is 😄
Don't give up on your quilting. You can still quilt the same stitches on the rest of the quilt that are the same areas as to what you have already done, but if you want to change, just do it. Part of the excitement of these type of projects with quilting is to see you're development over time rather than expecting perfection. Remember in years past they would have quilting bees and I'm sure those produced all kinds of stitches in the one piece. Just remember there's no right or wrong size stitch to quilt with.
For what it's worth, I think that minty/avocado type color is super cute and, at least on camera, looks like it would suit you well! It's a calming and peaceful color, which I love.
Thank you for making me feel better about letting go of languishing projects. There is so much guilt surrounding it and it’s a nice reminder to let go of the things that don’t make you happy. Knitting should feel fun not like a chore! Also love how Arthur made a guest appearance 😂
Have you thought of, rather than finishing the body when you are losing patience with it, moving onto the sleeves? I usually do both sleeves before I do the body so that I know exactly when it is long enough lol I also know some people will do one sleeve, work some body, do the other sleeve, finish the body
Yes! I tried this with the zipper sweater and it worked amazingly to get the project done!
Oh my goodness, I have had those exact pregnancy-related aversions to specific projects and they never went away! I actually decluttered a pair of socks I’d been knitting on during the early stages of one of my pregnancies just recently, so a good 5 years later. Even remembering that project makes me a little sick still. Isn’t that weird? So in my experience, this category of projects has to be gifted. 😄
First of all, NO FRILL SWEATER is just a big success!!!!! I remembered last year you wanted to cast on but was worring about the needle size. It just looks so great on you, so elegant and wearable for all time. :) Bravo!
I have 11 knitting projects on the go, but I would call them active. However, I have over 30 languishing sewing projects, most of them quilts. My main hobby switched from sewing to knitting when I was pregnant with my second and I need to go back and decide what to do with them all. I keep thinking I'll pick one and chip away at it each month but I'm finding it much harder to work on big quilt projects than to pick up knitting at this point. So I'll probably leave it until next year to get them out and decide.
I loved the chaos! It's so fun to see people's reasoning for why they keep or frog a project!
Just a thought Bethany..perhaps you would be happy with sock knitting more if you knit the leg(if doing top down) and place on holder, begin the other sock and bring that one to the point of the first one, going between them and ending up with two at the end! Also, maybe take some of the "single" socks you have and make Arthur some sock puppets? You are not alone with unfinished WIP's!
Sock puppets… that’s an AMAZING idea!!!
I loved this episode and Arthur joining. I think it's so helpful to revisit projects. I let two or three go this year. Some bulky, another a sweater that wasn't fitting right. Time is limited like you say, even with a 7 yr old, and his homework, etc. So you have to pick the things that make you happy. Have a great day~ Kimberly
I, too, got rid of projects I no longer enjoyed knitting or were problematic this past summer. I donated a lot of yarn to a second hand/ charity shop. Life is too short. I moved on to projects I really love and enjoy. Thanks for sharing your decision to also dump undesirable UFOs. I really enjoy your videos. TY!
I have one unfinshed projekt. It's a red sweater knitted in some yarn I got from my grandma. The only problem is that it's a kinda special yarn and I can't find a yarn in similar texture. I need the yarn for end of the sleeves which I will make white
I’ve felt a lot of guilt about my UFOs but they aren’t sparking joy or they’re technically behind where I know I am now, and picking it up would leave an obvious mark in where my skill improved. I’ve taken to frogging them and making projects that are more interesting to me. It’s hard to do that with sweaters, but I needed this encouragement!
Love it Bethany! Especially when you look at Arthur lol - adorable! I have an unfinished blanket that's 10 years old lol. And recently an unfinished Felix sweater that just came out gigantic in the shoulders - ugh!! Yeah, it's out of sight for now. Such is life with knitting. We press on in whatever way feels right. Thanks for another fun episode!! Knit on!!👍👍👍
I also made the zipper sweater man for my husband and I used Drops Nepal. It looked small and weird while I was knitting it but washing and blocking really helped. The fabric somehow flattened and has a nice drape now.
LOVE the quilt!!! I picked up quilting a few years ago and I'm hooked!!!
I m doing the same purge !!! It is wonderful!!!! oxox
You are so lovely! Loved your communication with your son, that was much fun to watch! and yes, the NoFrills Sweater is just perfect on you. This color does magic on you skin tone!
Great video. You have so many great ideas! I suggest that you always use your favorite sweaters to determine how long your works in progress should be. I use this technique and it always works! Also, if you do a gauge swatch and block it you will always know how the texture will be when finished. It’s really worth it.
I have at least 5 UFO’s and some of them have been around since 2019. My brain knits faster than my hands. I always enjoy your very honest knitting conversations. It makes me feel better about those project bags in my closet plus the yarn stash that somehow keeps growing but the FO’s don’t 😂.
Your comments about nausea-aversions while being preggo got me haha even the thought of sewing made me feel I’ll last pregnancy. This pregnancy - knitting 😭
When you spoke about guilt with UFOs, oh god did I agree with that. That guilt has definitely stopped me from casting on new projects! Then I feel guilty about not using the yarn I have!
It’s a vicious cycle!!
I have a mitten that is just sitting and begging for attention and I just don't..want... to do it 🤭 I don't know why because they are a cute design and nice yarn. There's just something about them that makes me shove them back in the project bag.
I also empathise with the husband jumper situation..I also 'made him' a jumper but I recently turned it into a skirt for me because the gauge was ridiculous. I've started again but again... A thousand things I'd rather work on lol one day!
Thanks for sharing ☺️
12:03 the colour looks so good with your hair color and skin tone! If you finish it I can’t wait to see, comes with a lot of memories too even if they’re not all good 🤣
Omg that’s the first time I’ve heard of someone else having a pregnancy aversion to something other than food! I had a huge aversion to so many of my house plants, I had to send many of my collectibles with my mom so they wouldn’t die… only to get them back home and I couldn’t kick that aversion.
I love your No Frills Sweater, it looks beautiful and very elegant. I feel that, often, the plainest designs can bring the most joy. Your pleasure from knitting your “No Frills Sweater” rings true for me. I’m knitting the Semper V-neck Sweater (Knit Purl Girl) and, although it’s a plain old top down v-neck raglan, it’s filling me with joy. I’m more excited about it than all the other garments I’ve made, most of which I love. For me it’s a combination of the classic, understated style and yarns that I’m loving to use and can’t wait to wear. The joy in simplicity is too often overlooked.
I don’t have any UFOs, just 3 WIPs: my Semper v-neck, a child’s jumper (I always have one on my needles, knit this mostly with my knitting group & it is part of a charity kit) and a brushed alpaca throw that I’ll return to in about a month (it’s early Autumn here). I do have a long list of projects I want to start and yarn for most of them.
It's important to be honest and let go of UFOs you know you will probably never finish - it's a great feeling to let go. I recently did the same with a couple of projects...at some point I wondered why I have never finished them and realized that I didn't like the process of making them, the colors or the design - and decided to let go of them and use the yarn for different projects that I actually enjoy and know I will finish...
I have one sweater, a second sock, and two blankets as current WIPs. I can only focus on one blanket at a time so one is waiting patiently for its turn. I am way more productive with only a couple projects going…I am trying to get back to being a monogamous crafter.
I am not a multiple project girl, but I do have a crochet and a knitting project at the moment, the croche project is a basket so it will take some time and my knitting project is currently a pair of socks, I am currently on a journey on using all of my stash yarn for projects before I can buy new yarn.. so excited to see how long it takes me and to see if I get to buy anything new this year :)
The raglan length is super. Short is cool+practical. Looks great with almost anything. If you put a single button just at top it would stay on.
I have many, I will count them and will do the same you did. and it was so sweet to have Arthur near by cooing.
I think the green cashmere sweater length is perfect for over dresses. Beautiful sweater no matter how you finish it though!
I would love to see how you store your hobbies in the main living area! My husband and I also live in a 2 bedroom apartment and our computer/hobby room is also now a nursery ❤
I will say, I made my dad the zipper sweater man with the same drops yarn, blocking made a HUGE difference in the drape of the fabric. I'd say if you haven't blocked, sew in the zipper, block it and give it one more chance cuz it really made it sit so much better at the waist and ribbing for mine
I did block it actually ☹️ I think it’s just not the ease we’d like it to be? Idk I will add in the zip one of these days!
I have frogged 3 sweaters in the past month. Felt so good. I have 2 pullovers to finish and a languishing cardigan. And of course socks on my needles. Hiding away is a t-shirt I do want to finish for the summer. Does my scrappy crochet blanket count as a UFO???? Lucky for me, I have a nephew who will be so happy to get a box of leftover yarns when I complete my sweaters! He has been learning to knit and crochet. I love it so much! I believe we all get caught up in what we want in that moment and it is okay to have that change, cause we are always growing and changing!!!
I don't have any lingering knitting UFOs. I usually lose interests in some for a while, then revisit... I almost never abandon projects, but I'm not always 100% happy with results. It's hard making your own clothes 😉 I have some random unfinished sewing projects though. I'm definitely on the beginner side of sewing so FOs are not too exciting. I started this year by picking up two projects that I paused last year and I'm so happy to see progress on them 😀 but you definitely need to give yourself some grace... we are all in the process of learning the craft. Not everything you make will be what you set out to do
I love seeing you interact with Arthur! You seem like such a fun mum. Currently, I have a huge UFO made up of leftover yarn. It’s a yarn basket made out of a HORRIBLE bulky acrylic yarn that I used to crochet some stuffed animals back when I first started. It’s such a pain to work with because you can’t see any stitches and it’s impossible to frog because it falls apart. I finally decided to make it a basket just to get it out of my stash and organise my stash a bit, but I hate working on it. I also have some stash-busting headbands that are waiting to get sewn, and I have two pairs of socks I would like to finish. I’m lucky I don’t have a lot but god it’s such a pain.
Starting in jan. I told myself that I had to work on all my UFOs before I started any new projects;. Of course, I instantly got the urge to start a dozen new projects and that has been my motivation to finish all my UFOs. Bigger needles also cause me wrist pain, I've had tendinitis for a few years now, I highly recommend making sure that you're not only stretching before and after, but also while knitting if you aren't doing so already! Not all stretches work for everyone so try out different combinations and be sure you're not rushing through doing them!
Love your podcast! I always feel like I’m knitting with a friend when I watch it. Good luck with your WIPs! I currently have 3 WIPs. I also have crazy OCD so that’s a lot for me lol! 😂
So proud of you! I purged all my UFOs and unused pieces around Christmas and have been trying to be a monogamous knitting this year. Or at least not have more than 2 projects going at once. It’s freeing to know that everything you’re working on is all you have to work on 🎉
I only have one actual ufo (it's a sock knitted in some gorgeous handdyed yarn, sweaters are just nicer to knit but I'll get to it eventually) BUT, I've got this one sweater that doesn't seem to stop bugging me. It was the second sweater I ever casted on and is covered in cables, which really slowed down the knitting process especially since I still was a beginner. When I was finally done with the body I realized I didn't have enough yarn left for the sleeves and the manufacturer had stopped producing it so I didn't have a chance to ger any more. So I just abandoned it. Last fall I finally got around to finishing it with 3/4 length arms, and I really loved it. I put off blocking it for a long while (still used it though) and last week when I finally did, it grew way too much... I guess it will lay abandoned in my room until I eventually come up with an idea to save it. It just made me so sad, I had struggled so much to get it done and was so proud of it, and now it's once again a problem I have to solve.
I'm so excited to see what you do with the Cardiff Cashmere sweater! It certainly looks like it has a lot of potential and that color would look gorgeous on you. I have one UFO (a botched test-knit) that's been the bane of my (knitting) existence for the past year 😅 Was going to try and finish it up but now I'm leaning to frogging most of it and making an outdoor hiking sweater with the yarn (Peer Gynt from Sandnes garn)
Really enjoyed the UFO chats 😊 I tend to have 4/5 at any time, plus 2/3 which are ‘put away’ for a bit until I can decide if I will cintinue or rip tyem back and repurpose the yarn. Sometimes I find that something I was very enthusiastic to begin, kater am not so keen 😊 All part of the creative process.
The first time you talked about your Camp Fire Glow Quilt inspired me to make one too! it was meant to be ready by my babies birth but I only came to finishing it by its first birthday, so no shame in having a quilt project languishing for so long. I too found the quilting process much more demanding than the piecing and made the decision to send any further quilt off to a long arm quilting service to save me the hassle.
Everyone has different comfort zones with WIPs. I'm not saying my WIP count is comfortable, but I did declare that 2023 was the year to get projects off the needles. I have 8 pair of size 1/2.25 in DPN, 32" circs, 9" circs, and 12" circs. Do you know how many are empty? Zero. I have zero size ones I can cast on with. They all have socks on them.
I'm currently down to 25 WIPs, with 12 active projects. The oldest one is my Hue Shift afghan that is in middle school. I cast it on in 2013 and am just over halfway done. My problem is FOMO. I love KALs and cast on with reckless abandon. I also create impossible tasks for myself. Like I would love to make 30 hats this year for our Credit Union. They give out gifts to the Head Start class every year with hats and mittens included. It would be very cool to have enough hats for all the kids. How many do I have done? One. Uck.
I was also making a Fisherman's rib cardigan in WAK Ecolana, even the same colour 😁 The pattern was the Clara Cardigan from Paulastrickt/Susanne Müller. As much as I love the finished piece now - I experienced the same issues as you, especially during the Italian bind-off - at some point I just took the yarn double as it was breaking at every other stitch. And watching your video now, I just mended 3 stitches with the scraps and duplicate stitch that suddenly looked really really thin. I also learned I won't follow the unspun yarn hype - for now 😅
The finished object makes me really proud though! I made it longer, a lot of work went it and it was my first Fisherman's rib/half brioche project, plus the squishyness it awesome, and it really keeps me warm!
I have three on the needles right now, though one has been on hold for over a year.. Then I have two projects with many many ends to weave in, and I've been slowly finishing those. I really should finish my sweater, now would be the perfect time to wear it :D
Hmmm I have lots of unfinished objects. Over the years babies have lead me to stop many many things…. I need to slowly get back at them for sure. My quilt is one that needs finishing - enough that my husband had offered to take up hand quilting for me 😂🤣❤️
Also drowning in unfinished object stess/guilt but I'm trying to tell myself that once this school year is over (studying at 30+ is HARD, and im Dutch it is even harder!) I can focus myself more on them... even though that is when gardening season ramps up... maybe I need to also have a quiet sit-down with myself 😅
I have a lot of Ufos. I just counted them, and I am a bit shocked about the fact that there are 8 in the project basket 🥹
A tip for your single socks. You can use it for an Advent calendar for arthur. Or you can put them in a ball with holes, so Arthur can pull them out when he start to show interest in such activities.
I started a summer cardigan using Rowan cotton Cashmere and hated working with the yarn. I didn't even finish the back panel. It's just sitting there in a box quietly. I haven't unraveled it because I don't want to use it again, but I have like 7 balls of this stuff! May turn it into something else at some point. I do, however, have 2 finished objects that are too big. I want to unravel this year and reuse the yarn for a different project. That is a major goal for this year! The other one for this year is knit up the projects I purchased over the last two years before purchasing any more yarn for clothing. I will only order yarn for new stuffed animals I will be knitting! 😉 ( I have a huge stash for that too, but it is DK and Aren weight, and I just got two books calling for sport! Haha, don't you hate it when that happens! 🤣
glad to say I only have 1 UFO at the moment (not counting active WIPs) and I plan to finish it. it's a dragon doll sort of thing and I only have 1 wing left to knit
also, since you mentioned you like the look of the floats, I recommend to look for estonian inlay knitting - it's a really fun technique that creates really nice floats. one of my projects right now is a pair of socks I designed using estonian inlay knitting and it's just so addictive and they look so nice :)
I found your Podcast today and it was funny to see the story behind the pregnancy sweater....I couldn't finish a sweater Projekt, because I felt so sick during a pregnancy.....so funny
Hi, I have 2 ,one is old from last June,and I am working on it as I watch you. It’s the Friday tee, and all I had to do was bind off the body and do the sleeves,which are short! It was the bind off that put that off! But now I understand Italian bind off! Yeah! And the other is a sock, a fancy by the fire sock, which I will do soon. Take care, and lucky winners!
Hehe!you have been busy with your new baby don’t feel bad! Hehe! 👌🤗✨
I love your conversations with Arthur, so cute 😍 I haven't had any UFOs for the moment, but thinking about it I understand how it could feel so frustrating having worked on something that you won't finish 😱 love your videos 😘
I actually have only one project that I put on ice. Other than that I have two wips, one is almost finished. I set myself a goal this year, it is not to make any yarn purchases until Dec. meaning makes from my stash. The second one is no more than three wips at one time. I'm finding this more relaxing.
I enjoyed this video! I'm looking forward to seeing how the cashmere sweater turns out. And I love your colourwork sock!
I have a cardigan with a very small lace panel that's been languishing in a corner since the autumn. It's my first ever (and possibly last) lace project. I find it takes a lot of concentration, which I can't manage when I knit in the evenings. So it feels like I've spent more time dropping stitches and having to go back, rather than going forward. For now I've promised myself I'll finish it by 31 December 2023. But if I pick it up and continue not to enjoy it, I'll have to use the yarn for something else!
What a nice video, Bethany! It's really great to see how you let go of these projects that no longer suit you.
My only UFO is the first sweater I ever tried to knit. It was on 3 mm needles - looking back, I don't know what I was thinking 😂 Of course I was't patient enought and abandoned it. From the moment I started sweaters in bigger needle sizes, I finished all of them.
Funny enough I don't have second sock syndrome at all. I sometimes struggle with delaying the first one but once that is done, the second one just flies off the needles. 😊
I recently binned 3 projects, that i kept saying i would fibish and never did. I also gave some yarn away to charity that i had had years. I felt si much better, now i need to try and say no gently to poeple who keep asking me to knit stuff, i need to knit for myself treat myself xx
I currently have 5 projects on my needles - a long standing blanket wip that I pick up when motivated, a tee that I’m pushing forward on, a pair of gloves and two sets of socks 😅 the last 3 are gifts so they’re motoring along nicely. I don’t like to get above my current number so I’m always asking myself if it’s bringing me joy or anxiety and frog or finish based on that.
Hello Arthur! ❤️
My mum has finished quite a few of my jumpers!! As she always likes to remind me! 😂
I adore the colour on the green jumper. Think it really suits you so if you do decide to pull it back i hope you make something else xx
Hi Bethany, I have so many ufos in my room , I’m afraid to go through them! Lol but this does motivate me to get my butt moving!
26:00 I was thinking the same thing-I almost never match up my socks anyway so why not just have single socks around? 😅
Style thé sweater over a long dress or some overalls. La Bien Aimée wears Ace and Jig dresses with short sweaters. It’s an adorable look. No length adjustment needed. Your No Frills sweater has. Inspired me. Soft and sweet.
That cropped green sweater would look great on you; the color is good with your skin tone and hair color
i'm a little late to the part, but ce la vie! just had to comment when you mentioned mondim. i'm a big fan too! can really recommend their yellow version of the speckles too, if you're into that. and another sock yarn that might really make you happy to look at is from the danish yarn company called slyngeriet. their mr. potts is legit a fairytale in a skein. that's the only way i can describe it haha.
Loved seeing all your benched wips. At the very beginning of the year I decided that my moto for the year would be "Stop stating, start finishing!" So in that spirit I went through my wips and there were 17 I decided to keep 😱😱 now down to 5 😅 The goal is not to have more than two wips at the same time, ideally one. I've noticed that having so many wips put me under pressure and I would get anxious if I wasn't knitting or doing something else, because I had so much started and nothing was getting finished. I hope by reducing the number I will be able to slow down, feel less guilty and enjoy my hobby more.
You motivated me to go through this process with my UFOs. I think i have 5. Priority for this year is to finish projects before casting on new ones.
I have a feeling that Cardigan No 4 from my favorite things knitwear is what you’re looking for. Top down raglan cardigan v neck half fisherman rib. Well written pattern. If you figure out how to add in slanted pockets please let me know haha
when you pulled the quilted blanket out in the intro I audibly said "nonono!!!"
I loved having Arthur in this video :D
According to Ravelry I have 10 wips and one project in hibernation.
I'm actively working on about 4 at the moment, so I guess 7 UFOs and another 3 sewing projects that qualify.
I am reconverting a failed scarf into my first raglan. I had it abandoned for months and I knew I had to frog it and re use it .. I am very happy finally doing it I had to frog that scarf for like 5 times It was making me crazy 🤣
This was such an enjoyable video. 🧶
I always enjoy your episodes 😊
Recently I did a huge destash and unearthed a handful of decade-old UFOs - stuff that no longer suited my needs, or my taste, or my project standards - things that should've been instant garbage. But instead I spent the afternoon "finishing" them as quick and dirty as I could, just to close the loop on them in my head. They're now in the donate bin. My soul is so much lighter knowing their ghosts won't haunt me 😂
I have 3 throws on my needles/hook, all worked on daily. Two have a deadline and the 3rd is a year-long project, all projects started this year
I have a bit less than 10 projects waiting on my list 😭 for me crochet is the worst, cause I tho k it s simple and fast and therefore I start many and never finished it... I decided that 2023 is the clean slate year, so I want to finnish it all and be guilt free by the end of the year 🔚👌😁
I’m finding that I am a monogamous knitter. If I start another project it is unlikely that I will go back to the first one 😅 i have a crochet sweater, a blanket and a knit sock that I haven’t touched in maybe 4-6 months and with all the projects I want to make next idk when I’ll come back to them. I’m actively working on a Monday sweater as my main project. Started in January. I paused to crochet a cardigan fir my grandma’s birthday and I haven’t finished either. They both are taking longer than if I had just done one after the other. So I think I have to stick to one thing at a time
Every 2nd January or so I work down my old WIPs and I love it when podcasters do KALs of that nature. The #crimsonwipalong is happening right now and so I've cast off 2 old wips since Jan as part of the KAL, I'm keeping it to 1 per month and still casting on more things. I have just 3 left I can think of, and 1 to rip out for sure. I can't wait to finish this next one though, its a huge blanket project and stashbuster.
I have about 24 WIPs if that makes anyone feel any better 😅 Loved seeing all of these!
LOL now that’s just impressive!
Love this episode, it’s so cathartic! Can I ask where you got your black and white checkered dress? I love the fit of it, so cute!
dont think your hand quilting is too big there is big stitch hand wuilting which is getting popular you can really see how it enhances the top if the quilt carry on girl great work
I have two UFO that just need weaving in ends and blocking... Does that count? :D I did a huge yarn-destash last year and have vowed to only buy new yarn when I have cast-off a project, which means that I am always motivated to finish stuff :D (But I am also not a pattern designer so it's easy for me to just knit a thing until the pattern says "Stop here" :) )
I love Arthur commenting on things, he should become an off-stage series regular :)
congrats winners!
I was wondering what happened to your husband’s sweater for Christmas. That’s a bummer that you were not happy with it. I have some unfinished projects too. Right now I am knitting on the Lighthouse Keeper Pullover by Lindsey Fowler. This is the second sweater I have used mohair with. I splurged and bought la Bien Aimee Corrie worsted and it’s been so nice to work with. I bought her book Salt and Timber and there are so many projects in this book that I want to make. Your video has inspired me to take a look at my UFO’s and decide which ones I want to keep.
currently holding on to 4 UFOs. One mitten with just the thumb gusset left, a crochet hexagon cardigan, a blanket, and a sweater. currently working on finishing up the sweater and sincerely holding out hope i get to the rest, lol. idk why the thumb gusset of a mitten has me hung up even though it's such a tiny bit left!
I was planning on making the zipper sweater for my partner with the same yarn 😬😬 would you not recommend it?
I only have the projects I'm working on 🙈 so 2 unfinished objects ☺️
In regards to your carpal tunnel, have a look at nerve glides - specifically for the median nerve - it should help xx
Its what we give to a lot of our carpal tunnel patients :)
You can chuck me a message if you have any questions
Actually, I haven't counted, but I probably have 10 or 12 unfinished projects. They keep calling to me. I know I will not finish 3 of them, but the rest I do want to finish!
I disagree. In think that mint or green sweater you have no desire to complete will look really good on you with your red hair. It may not be your favorite, but I like the color combination!
I used the same yarn for my partners zippers jumper and found the collar was too floppy which personally I feel ruined it 😭
Y’all are far braver than me when it comes to tossing UFOs!😯 I have picked up work I’ve put down over a decade or more just so I could finish it! About five years ago, I picked up a granny square afghan I had started working on at 16! The person I started it for is no longer in my life, but I did gift it to a new mommy to be!❤ Even projects that have been damaged through moves or life and forgotten in general, once I re-discover them, I make it my mission to finish - if anything, I gift it to Goodwill.🤷🏻♀️ I imagine it would truly drive me INSANE to abandon and trash a work in progress. Even if I frog the whole thing - I still go back and work the pattern to completion. Maybe that’s why they call me anal retentive?🤪🤣
Hi Where are the details regarding your No Frills Sweater? Is it posted on Ravelry? Arthur is a great name!