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Finishing Workshop: Finishing Triage

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finishing knitsNow that you’ve decided which projects you want to finish and which ones you don’t (and hopefully dealt with those you didn’t want to finish quickly and without regret) it’s time to decide how you’re going to go about finishing the projects in your to do pile.

It’s possible there are some projects in there that are very close to being finished. It could be you just need to weave in ends, sew a seam or finish a sleeve before you’re done. Those should be considered separately and probably completed before you tackle any of the projects that are less far along. It’s a quick way to start finishing and will give you momentum for working on the projects that will take more time later.

Once you’ve decided on an order for working the easier projects (I would probably do them in order from nearest to completion to those that need more work) it’s time to look at the more time-consuming projects. I can’t say you should work these in time commitment order because there are other things to consider, such as whether something is seasonally appropriate or you have a deadline for knitting it (if it’s a gift or you’re expecting a baby, for instance) or if it’s something you just really want to have done so you can wear it. But it’s a good idea to have at least a vague plan before you get started.

I have a knit dress that’s all but done. I think it needs a little more edging, the ends woven in and blocking (really just washing, but it has a turtleneck that curls inappropriately so that needs to be dealt with before I can wear it). It still counts as unfinished even though it’s not on the needles. I’ll make the commitment to finish it this week, and I’d love it if you wanted to finish something this week, too. If you do, let me know!

Comments

  1. I’ve decided this will be my Ravellenic Challenge, as I’ve got several projects that need finishing. Some just need to be washed & blocked, some need that and buttons or snaps (which will require sewing ribbon facings onto the buttonband). Then I have some that need a lot more work, which I’d like to have finished by the end of March. Making a plan!

  2. I’ve got to finish one slipper in order to make a pair for my kid, whose feet are cold. I can do that this week, so I’m committing to it now.

  3. I have a baby sweater that is about half way done that I need to finish up and a cowl that needs a seam sewn and blocking. Those are my goals.

Have you read?

Add Mushrooms to Your Knits with these Fun Knitting Patterns

A few years ago I wrote a post that was full of patterns for knit mushrooms, but I don’t think I ever did a post that was knitting patterns with mushrooms on them, so today’s the day. 

I love the Fungi Beanie from Jacki Bean, which calls for worsted weight yarn and uses duplicate stitch to add the mushrooms and other details. I think the colors she used for the design are tonal/multicolor so it doesn’t use as many colors as it looks like, but you can use whatever red, green, brown and white yarn you have in your stash for those details. 

How about some mushroom socks? The Magic Toadstool sock form Stone Knits includes a ring of mushrooms around the leg, contrasting heel and toe and a little more colorwork at the toe for extra cuteness. As shown it uses four colors and comes in three sizes. 

Or there’s the Fairy Ring Socks from Katie Green, which have mushrooms of two sizes on the legs, plus a bit of wavy grass. They have a contrasting cuff, heel and toe and some colorwork flecks in the body of the sock as well. This one is available in eight sizes to fit everyone from a baby to an XL adult. 

This trippy cowl from Hunt Hand Knits looks like a lot of fun to knit. The Fungus Among Us Cowl is shown using four colors of DK weight yarn, though you can do it with as few as two if you’d rather. 

Stitch some mushroom mittens with this cute pattern from Holly C Watson. This design uses three colors, and it’s shown with a self-striping yarn on the mushroom caps, which makes the colors change without you having to do any work. The pattern is charted but it’s a pretty easy repeat. The mittens are one size. 

If you don’t feel like knitting mushrooms but still want to give your project a touch of the forest, the Toadstools Cardigan from Julie Taylor may be what you’re looking for. It’s stitched as a plain cardigan worked in DK weight yarn and sized for newborns up to 4 years old. The mushrooms are added with embroidery and the pattern includes the design, which you can trace onto water soluble stabilizer to stitch the mushrooms onto your sweater. Or anything else you want. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.