Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Unfinished Craft Projects

Like almost everyone who does crafts, I have at least one, and usually quite a few more, unfinished projects lying around somewhere. Unfinished is a tricky word. It can mean a project that definitely will get finished. Or it can mean something that I started and for some reason, stopped, and have not picked up again. This type will probably not get finished for a long time, if ever.

For me, there are many reasons I stop a project. The reason I stop a project is a good clue as to whether it’s ever likely to get finished.

Sometimes the pattern or design is too hard or I just can’t figure it out. In this case, I often pick it up again, find I’ve learned something along the way, and it flows smoothly to the finish. Or, I still can’t figure it out, and it’s time to rip it out or take it apart and re-use the materials.

Once in a while, I just lose interest in a project or I really dislike it after I start it. With these, I should just take them apart and re-use everything.

Other times, I stop because I run out of yarn or other supplies. This one is the worst because if the project has been sitting around a year or more, I probably do not have the label telling me what color(s) or brand(s) of yarn or beads or other supplies I need to finish it. It’s probably best to just take it apart and re-use the yarn or beads or whatever. Of course, sometimes it’s just next to impossible to take something apart. Then what do I do with it?

Please, Father, help me to make the right decision on my unfinished projects so I can avoid waste, complete some projects, and decide which ones to take apart.

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