5 Ways to Conquer your WIPs!

Many of us are plagued with WIPs that have gone weeks, months, and sometimes even YEARS before they have been completed. We love this sweater or shawl, have the perfect yarn, and happily start. Then …
- … life gets in the way
- …or the yarn isn’t what we thought
- … or it’s not working the way you want it.
- .. or… or …or <put in your reasons>
#1 Purge your WIPs!
The first thing you want to do is go through all your WIPs. Bring them all into the same room (I know you have WIPs all over the place, even your cars!) Then go through them one by one and separate them into piles. These are the piles I use:- Need to finish first (mostly gifts or projects with some sort of deadline – like a baby that is due soon)
- Not pressing (something I am doing for fun or for myself)
- I don’t want to finish this (I just have no interest in this or its not turning out the way I thought)
#2 Organize your WIPs!
Now you should have two piles left. Starting with the most pressing projects, grab a piece of paper, and create a list! I know there are some bloggers that have special downloads that are pretty to do this, but I just create a list in my planner. On this list you will want to list the following:- The name of the project.
- Who it is for.
- When it needs to be finished.
#3 Start with Easy Win WIPs
So maybe you have a project in the need to finish first group that only needs to have the ends woven in and be blocked to complete. Do that first! even if you have another deadline prior to that one, getting something that will finish up quickly will make you feel productive! From that point, make sure you go to the most pressing project and complete them in order. (And when I say complete – that means weaving in ends and blocking too!)#4 Remove All Distractions
Remember earlier when I said I have a basket that I keep my WIPs in? I can hide it in a corner where I cannot see it. When I cannot see other WIPs, it keeps my mind on the one that I am working on. Also, make some rules for yourself when you are working on a project. Do things like:- Set aside crochet time that is ONLY FOR WIPs.
- Don’t buy new yarn for a new project until the current WIP is done.
- Keep your smartphone away from you as you work so that you aren’t tempted to scroll through Instagram or other social media.
- Set aside time every day (or week) to work on the current WIP.
- Bring your current WIP with you where ever you go when you aren’t the driver and if it is portable enough.