Creativity, Variety and UFOs (un-finished objects)

 

I have at least 51 areas where UFO's reside in my life. If we take household, yard, pets and personal growth out of the equation, then I have 1 area for UFO's - it's called a craft room. Although my husband could successfully argue that it's called a craft room and a living room and a kitchen and a bedroom... Before I had a craft room it was called under the bed and a closet (and a kitchen and a living room and a bedroom...).

When it comes to making things I'm a bit like a kitten after string, I chase whatever catches my eye. If they looked around my craft room, UFO spotters would find a lace scarf - make that 2 lace scarves, a felted bag, an un-felted bag, a Double Irish Chain Afghan (blocks in process), a Mitered Square Afghan (blocks done), a crochet afghan of indeterminate age (blocks mostly done), an alpaca bunny, a Fair Isle Pillow (knitting complete), a Fair Isle Pillow (knitting complete but undecided whether to make it a pillow or a bag), a Fair Isle stole, another Fair Isle pillow, 2 pairs of socks, and 1 hemp grocery bag.

Don't believe me? Fine, here's a picture - just don't blame me if Christmas is ruined.

Rats I forgot to add the socks, the stole and the 3rd Fair Isle pillow to the picture, but I think you get the idea.

I've had a fully pieced, and 1/4 hand quilted quilt tucked away in my cedar chest for...approximately....21 years (perhaps I shouldn't count it because the cedar chest isn't in my craft room). Oh and there's all that flannel I bought at Mount Rushmore last summer. I suspect this list just scratches the surface. I'm not counting the planned projects waiting patiently with yarn and pattern packaged together. I started packaging my yarn with it's intended pattern or at least a note describing intent, when I began looking at yarn and thinking "Now why the heck did I buy this?" I don't think these technically qualify as UFO's because I haven't started them yet. The urge to make multi-colour fish mittens may pass and I'll turn the yarn into something else...or not. My point is, if it was never started does it really qualify as unfinished? I think not, but I'll leave that for you to decide.

Both my daughters poked their way around my craft room and said "Mom, you really should finish some of this stuff". They are right, I should finish some of my UFO's and in fact, I do finish them - often and frequently. I'm always returning to partial projects and finishing them off. Or I'm tweeking that nasty Fair Isle vest (forgot that in my initial list) and turning it into a bag (for which one of my daughters should be eternally grateful). It's the circle of life or more accurately it's the circle of crafts. If you are the type of crafter that can start a project, work on that project until it is done without purchasing or planning any other projects, then give yourself a Gold Star (but don't make the star unless you've finished your current project).

I have every intention of finishing or tweeking the UFOs in my craft room. I'm still working on the roughly 900 two inch squares of my Double Irish Chain Afghan (156 squares down and 744 to go), but in the mean time I started and finished

a cashmere hat,

and this...amigurumi bird (yes Meghan, it is crochet).

Crafting variety is not a mere spice in my life it's a main course or at the very least a substantial side dish. That's okay with me. When it comes to creative variety I believe it's a crucial part of my well being so I keep starting new projects and finishing old ones and leave worrying about the UFO's to aliens.

The adult group of the Library Knitters meets every other Thursday at 7:00pm at the Prince Rupert Library. Next meeting is March 22nd.

Bring your UFO or better still bring something new!