The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

ECanoy-Wise@2 — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:35:37 GMT

What happen to this pattern:
Heart Sachet
Designer: Vicki Sever
Technique: Domino Knitting, Mitered Squares
Skill Level: Intermediate

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

MaryT — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:27:44 GMT

Ha ha! You didn't say I had to count sewing, embroidery, or needlepoint! So I get to tell you a much, much smaller number...

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

GinaK — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:20:34 GMT

I have 15 UFOs. Just finished counting them and was actually surprised to find the number that, um, low! I've recently started 5 of them, and I tend to finish 4-6 projects a month, so I didn't find 15 too bad.

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

Fiddlestix — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:00:34 GMT

I knit for afghans for Afghans, an organization that distributes handknit and crocheted garments and blankets (they ask that you use wool or another animal fiber, for warmth)to needy families in Afghanistan. I would like to suggest that everyone choose one UFO that would be appropriate, finish it, and send it to them. Please check out their website at www.afghansforafghans.org
They are a wonderful organization.
Susan in Portland, Oregon

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

VikkiR — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:22:59 GMT

If each of my UFO's has a pair of neddles in, each bag also probably has a pair of scissors, sewing up needle and I know all my stitch holders are in various bags waiting in vain for those stitches to be picked up sometime soon!

My UFO's also reside in cotton grocery store bags, so each time I go food shopping I have to buy more bags to put the food in.

It might be cheaper to actually finish some off these things, recover all those lost accessories and regain some bags!

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

CharleneM — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:02:20 GMT

I've already given my count days ago but then my daughter reminded me of the UFO's That my mother handed down when she passede away. OH MY GOSH!!! My mother didn't really knit more than ribbing, st. a few yo's never cables but we would tease her on how fast and that she could watch TV and never drop or miss a stitch. I wasn't left a quanty of ufo's but its what they are and the yarn used,1 from the late 60's and 3 from the early 70's and 2 from 77-81. A Heavy chinelle(yes, thats how the pattern spells it)Halter top and a "HOT PINK" strange looking sweater thing of unknown fiber, and oh yeah a chrocheted flower bath rug of Wool Rug yarn. I've stored them in plastic sweater bags and their at the bottom of one of my stash barrels. Yes, I said barrels.Yarn is a member of the family and it has its own room, it a reluctant roomate of fabric.

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

Doris7264 — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:21:53 GMT

To frog mohair, put it in the freezer for at least an hour. (No, not as a hiding place - don't hide things where they'll be seen so often!) Anyway, freezing seems to make the little hooks in the fiber less sticky. You might have to put it back in again if it warms up too much before you finish frogging.

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

CaraT — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:10:16 GMT

Okay, people. I must confess that I made an exception on the UFO poll I just completed. I had 10 UFOs if I didn't count the dishrags/bathrags that I am constantly churning out. I produce a couple of them a week (in spare time while standing in line, etc.), and I take one or two WIP washcloths with me on errands to knit while I wait. I will sometimes collect up to 5 of them that just need finishing while I stand in lines and knit. Then on a car or plane trip I'll take the to-be-finished ones and weave in all the ends. Because they turn over so quickly, I didn't count them. But if I would have, it would raised me to 16 UFOs instead of 10. Of the 10 UFOs I spoke of, however, they date anywhere from 3 years old to 2 months old. Several are finished except for the literal finishing (weave in ends, etc), 2 or 3 are just taking a lot more time to finish because they're big and not portable (bath mat, sweater for my husband, large baby afghan, etc), and in my life, what's portable gets finished quickly: what's not portable drags on and on. Another UFO is a felted bag that was once finished but so ugly I cut it apart and will now sew it together in a smaller and more chic way on my sewing machine; another is the first pair of mittens I've attempted (that I will hopefully finish in the next month!) That pretty much sums it all up.

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

CaraT — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 14:41:08 GMT

Hi--

I am very excited to find out the results of this UFO poll (I'm just gathering my results this morning), but when I went to fill out the poll, I was disappointed to see that we only give a number; we don't give any explanations. I am even more interested in WHY people have UFOs than I am in how MANY they have. For example, some personalities are more ambitious than what their knitting time allows, so they have complex projects sitting in lonely in corners. Other personalities might enjoy starting more than finishing. Still others might have cast on to a project that they eventually got stuck on, as they didn't yet possess the necessary skills to finish it. Sometimes you might run out of yarn, or you might lose the pattern instructions in order to finish it. In other words, I would love to find out the "why" behind the respondents' numbers. Thanks for doing this, by the way! I just love Knitting Daily--

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

CathyAnn — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:19:32 GMT

I think I answered 6 on the poll, but it's really 8, and I am thankful that the oldest is less than 2 years after reading all the comments:
--a teddy bear that needs to be stitched up, stuffed, and embellished
--A sweater for my hubby that I started a year ago, just needs a fastener at the neck that I can't find anywhere
--an afghan worked in squares, begging to be blocked and joined
--a felted purse waiting for embellishment
--that Fair Isle sweater that is waiting for me to get the courage to cut the armhole steeks and start the sleeves
--and 3 that I'm actually working on!

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

JudyS@3 — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:51:42 GMT

I refuse to count UFO's. It would take to much time that I can spend on creating another. I like many of you have not only knitting but quilting, embrodiery, cross stitch etc. The worst part is I have UFOS from relatives who have died and left them behind. I am going to leave quilt tops behind just to let somebody like my daughter finish it.

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

JeanD@2 — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:50:52 GMT

I have not only my own UFO's to work on, but also I'm trying to finish a lot of my sister's UFO's after she died in June 2006. So 3 of my own, and 4 of hers (though there are more of hers I haven't had the courage to tackle yet). Jean

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

PattiO — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:19:28 GMT

In reading all the posts, I realized I have more UFO's than I put in the poll... but it's good to know I'm not the only one who miscalculated their UFO's. I submitted 6, but remembered a few more :-)

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

PattiO — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 18:48:25 GMT

Ok I'm late in adding my comments, and I'm not at home, but if my memory serves me I have the following UFOs: One pair of socks in progress, One scarf that I ran out of yarn and am trying in vain to find more, one baby sweater, one triangle scarf for me, one cabled scarf for hubby for christmas -- not bad I guess, but truth is I'M SICK OF SCARVES. With My knitting needles as my witness I will NOT -- EVER -- AGAIN knit another scarf. For the Love of all things wool, it's time to move on.

re: The Courage to Count: The UnFinished Objects Poll

AmyS@11 — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:57:20 GMT

UFO's... a baby sweater (I HAVE to finish it before it's too small for her - but after reading the other posts I'm beginning to wonder if that will happen...) a pair of gloves for the boyfriend, a sweater that I started four years ago and will finish "some day", a lace cowel (sp?) that I forgot the "easy to remember pattern" for, 3 scarves, another sweater, ...I guess that's only 8! I did just finish a pair of gloves that I started in January!! Woo hoo! I made a dent!
Thanks for the laughs, and the consolation that I'm not alone.
Amy