Swiming in WIPs

I have a lot of WIPs (that is, works-in-progress).  The other weekend, I counted 35 cross stitch WIPs along with another 36 projects I could start with buying few or no supplies, one crochet WIPs (the Never Ending Blue Shawl of Doom), and three knitting WIPs.  (You can see all my cross stitch WIPs here.)

I was actually feeling pretty bad about having so many projects on the go, until I read the Spring 2009 issue of Interweave Knits.  There is a cute article in it about the joy of WIPs.  The author talks about how each different project fulfills a creative need.  Take my WIPs.  I’m knitting the socks because I want a nice pair of socks, because I wanted to try the yarn, and because the pattern includes an interesting way to make the gusset.  Some of my cross stitch WIPs were started because they were going to be gifts, or Christmas decorations, or because I took a class.  I started others because I loved the pattern so much I knew I had to have it hanging on my walls.  As for the shawl, it is just something I have to have, even if it takes me ages to finish it.

I would really like to decrease the number of WIPs I have (she says after kitting up three more cross stitch projects last night).  I think it comes down to deciding what I really want to have finished.  For example, I’d love to get the Baby Man’s jacket done, another pair of socks, and the Ackworth Swan Treasure Keep–those things are moving to the top of the queue.  I want to finish the shawl, but more to say I have than to actually use it–so it is moving down the queue a little.  My class projects from the CreativFestival must be finished, so they are going to be in the middle somewhere.  The old WIPs will just have to languish a while longer.

I wonder how long I will stick to this.  There are always so many new designs that I must do.  The only way to avoid them would be to stay off the Internet, and I can’t do that. 😉