How many UFO´s are too many UFO´s?
Now that is my question for you today. As I was organizing my yarn, it occurred to me that I have a giant stack of knitting UFO´s. I tend to start on projects, and then move on to something else (almost) right away. Actually that is just part of the truth, I have more UFO´s than usual. This year has been special. Because of some trouble I´ve had with my neck, I took a break from knitting for almost six months, from February until mid-July. This made my UFO pile larger. Because when I stopped knitting it was mid- winter, when I started again it was summer! You can imgagine, I wasn´t too keen on only knitting winter accessories all summer.
I don´t mind having a couple or three projects going on at the same time. In my opinion, different kinds of knitting are for different kinds of occations. For instance, lots of the projects I started back in January were lace or cable knits, rather complicated stuff that I need to concentrate on to get right. This meant that I didn´t have any “social” knitting projects at all. And during the summer months, with a lot of family gatherings and so forth it´s crucial to have knitting projects that aren´t too complicated. I need to be able to craft and talk at the same time! 🙂
Well, all in all there are eleven UFO´s in my knitting basket. And I am actually planning to start a couple more. Of course, that´s because I´m trying to plan ahead, I´m thinking about knitting some Christmas gifts, and most of the UFO´s in my pile are for me. But you never know, maybe some of them will become Christmas prezzies instead?
So, here they are, in all their glory. I don´t really have a set time line for any of these, but I hope to finish the Aidez cardi before winter. I really could use a nice chunky sweater before the chilly weather arrives.
1. Aidez. A nice chunky cardigan with lots of cables and fun! I´m knitting this in Viking of Norway´s Eco Ull.
2. Hedera. I´ve jumped on the sock knitting wagon! I thought I´d do it right, and bought the e-book from Cookie A; Knit. Sock. Love. These are knitted in a long- abandoned yarn from my stash, Viking of Norway Baby Ull. Sooo soft!
3. Agatha. A couple of the participants of Me Made May had made this gorgeous cardigan, and I immediately knew I had to make my own! In my opinion, this is the PERFECT cardigan. Sigh… I am using Sandnes Duett for this one.
4. Dew Drops Shawl. Now this one, I´ve been working on for AGES. I started to knit this because I was missing me-made neck accessories last Self-Stitched September. Still working on that… The yarn is a lace weight re-purposed wool yarn from Ullcentrum.
5. Next up is 198 yards of Heaven, another lace shawl! This one is knitted in DROPS Garnstudio Alpaca.
6. From Russia With Love. This is a cowl with a rather cool story. This pattern was used by women in the USSR to make an impressive looking, yet easy to make knitted accessory to sell. Thrifty women trying to add to the family´s budget by selling handmade goods. I like that! I am knitting this with a luxurious mohair/silk blend from Sandnes Garn.
7. Linen Lace Cardigan. I´ve actually come quite far on this cardi. I should just sit down and finish it, because I think it will become a great layering piece this autumn. I don´t have a link for you for this, as it is from a Scaninavian magazine that unfortunately don´t provide links to their patterns through Ravelry. So you just have to trust me when I say it´s a gorgeous pattern. I´m knitting this using Permin´s Scarlet. A linen/cotton/rayon blend.
8. Cruiser. Now this project is actually for my man. Some warm and cozy mittens for him to wear when the winter comes. Knitted with Garnstudio DROPS Lima.
9. Strawberry Field. Oh, moss stitch, how I love thee. You are so shiny and elegant, and yet so simple! Enough said, the yarn I use for this cozy cowl is Garnstudio DROPS Eskimo.
10. Hang on! We´re almost there! Stripes are everywhere. And soon also on my wrists. I am using scrap yarn from my Wisdom cardigan to make me some matching wrist warmers.
11. Sideways Grand Cloche. I hope my hat will turn out as cute as the original. I could really make use of a stylish black winter hat! It´s knitted in Garnstudio DROPS Andes.
I hope I haven´t forgotten any ongoing projects now. I have a lot of yarn in my stash, and I like to have specific plans for everything. I cast on projects just to remember what the yarn is there for. Casting on more than one project at a time is kind of like cutting out more projects at a time when I sew! I think maybe that is part of why I have so many projects going on at the same time.…Apart from the fact that my head is just bursting with ideas and the aforementioned neck troubles.
Now, people. Do you think I am insane? Is eleven too much? And how many UFO´s , be it sewing, knitting or anything else, have you had at the same time? Did it make your head want to explode or did you keep calm? I´d love to know!
Happy crafting!
I admit that if I have more than 3 or so UFO’s I tend to feel overwhelmed. However, this is not at all the case with books. I am currently in the middle of about 9 books. Unfortunately sometimes I let the book sit so long without going back to it that I’ve forgotten what has happened and I have to restart it! That can happen in knitting too if I don’t take good notes to describe where I was in the process. 🙂
Wow, nine books, now that would probably make me overwhelmed. I have a (rather) strict one book at a time policy.;-) and I agree about taking good notes, it is absolutely necessary, although my iphone app knitminder, is helping alot too!
i laughed at this post…the ufos just kept on coming and each one made me think “hmm i want to make that”. Especially stripey wristlets! I got my negelected knitting bag out this week for the first time since january and found two ufos in it, both scarves. I hope to finish them but have 3 sewing ufos too. xx
I love the strpes too. It’s such a good relaxing knit, just regular knit and purl, but the shifting of colors makes it fun!
The number of UFOs in my house is rather fluent, lol. Sometimes, I just have to start ALL THE THINGS, and then I have phases where I just want to sit down and finish all of them, have a clean slate to start from again.
Generally, tho, I try to limit my UFOs around 5 the most, ideally 3. And I totally agree, I have different projects for different occasions – mindless TV knitting, semi-mindless TV knitting, and “I actually have to pay attention Sunday afternoon” knitting 😀
Hehe, I do recognize myself in your description of making EVERYTHING at the same time. i guess it’s just the mysterious ways of inspiration?:-)
I have a lot of UFOs in both the knitting and the sewing realm. The sewing ones bother me more than the knitting ones. My feeling about the knitting is that there are no rules, and as long as you are comfortable with the number of projects on the go, that’s fine. That being said, I’m pretty sure I’m on the sleeves of Aidez and I should probably finish that up. The one thing I did do a few years ago when things were really getting out of hand was to whiz up a few drawstring bags on the sewing machine out of some leftover cotton so that all the pieces of the UFOs and the pattern are together. Now, if I need a project quickly, I just grab one of the bags.
I should totally do that drawstring bag trick, what a great idea! 🙂
Brilliant!! Love the idea that you get started and inspired so often!!! Thankfully ( or is it?) Im a one knit woman…but maybe that’s why I’m making such slow progress – hit a bump and completely stop!! Your knit projects are wonderful , some really beautiful designs and colours….
Yes, I´m not sure if it´s a good thing or a bad thing to have so many projects at the same time. All I know is that at the moment, I don´t mind. 🙂 Hope your Wisdom is on it´s way, you made such a gorgeous color choice! 🙂
I understand this problem! But 11 does seem like a lot. 🙂 I usually have about three projects going at one time (like you said, something simple and something else complicated). Anything more than that and I start to get frustrated because I don’t make much progress on any of them! Good luck finishing these. They will all be very beautiful.
Hehe, you might be right. Three seems like a common ground for many! 🙂
Wowzers! That’s some seriously lovely and cosy garments on their way…. So sorry to hear about your neck troubles lovely lady. Hope it’s much better now.
Zoe xxx
Thanks, I´m much better. It´s amazing what some targeted exercise can do! 🙂
I would have a panic attack if I had that many projects on the go! At the moment I have one pair of socks and one cardigan on the needles. I also have half a cardigan and a glove to frog, but they are in hiding. When I find them, their number is up!
Ooh – Aidez! That’s high in my queue – I look forward to seeing yours!
Haha, I´m glad I´m not that glove or half a cardigan. 😉 I made some real progress on Aidez while watching three episodes of Mad Men last night. I hope to start on the front pieces soon. It´s such a fun knit!
Oh wow, those are all lovely UFOs! I’m almost jealous!
Eleven really is quite a lot, although I guess if you manage not to lose your place (or the instructions), more power to you. 😉
I’m working on two UFOs, a little lace shrug in red cotton yarn and a lace shawl (Percy on Ravelry) in aqua lace yarn. I think the pattern might be a bit complicated for me, though, I had to unravel it after 17 rows and have yet to start again. I guess I need to cast on a little mindless project for when I’m knitting in company. Maybe socks. With that nice alpaca sock yarn.
😀