Is it Okay to Stop Crocheting Mid-Project?
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A couple years ago I started crocheting a king-size blanket with this beautiful mosaic crochet pattern. I wanted a bit of a statement blanket for our bedroom, and I excitedly dove in. The colors are sort of Mediterranean, pink and teal and cream, colors I am really into and yarn that is so soft and cozy!
I worked on it for a few months and then it started settling in how long this was going to take... And, as you can imagine from the photo below, it took a lot of attention and a lot of counting stitches. This wasn't a project I could work more passively while I watched the new season of Ted Lasso or chatted with my husband about our days. After a while the novelty of the pattern began to wear off and I wasn't sure I wanted to keep going. I began moving through stages of doubt, frustration, and overwhelm.
Long story short, the project has been neatly folded up in a basket and hasn't been touched since. Do I feel guilty? Sometimes! Will I pick up the project and finish it some day? Maybe! Is it ok that I stopped and currently do not have a plan for whether I'll finish it or not? Absolutely!
Sometimes it's easy to forget that crochet is just a hobby. We are passionate about the projects, yarn is expensive, our time is valuable, and so it is easy to feel like once you start something you have to finish it. Or to feel that if you start losing interest in the project that you've somehow wronged yourself and wasted your time and money. But it's important to remember that, for most of us, crochet is not a job! You don't have a manager handing you deadlines and monitoring your progress, and you won't be turning in your work for a grade. I actually think there's something very powerful in deciding to not finish a project you no longer love and move onto something else instead.
The case for taking a break
Most of us are so used to being graded, monitored, and pushed to meet deadlines all day, every day (I talk about this topic more in this blog post here). We all know our culture is focused on how much a person can produce and that we are wrapped up so tight it's hard to separate ourselves from it, even for our hobbies. Maybe you feel guilty when you treat your hobbies as another item on your to-do list that is hard to squeeze into your already-packed day, or perhaps after comparing your WIP piles to those around your or online with a closet full of handmade sweaters.
These projects you have on pause or have decided not to complete aren't failures and crochet is not a competition. Let this be your reminder that it is ok to let something rest for a while. This is also a reminder that taking a break from a project doesn't mean you've given up; the project will still be there, the yarn doesn't expire, you can always come back to if it you choose.
The case for never picking it up again
Sometimes taking a break and getting some distance from a project gives you the perspective you didn't know you needed. Say you set a project down and come back a couple months later and you realize you hate the yarn choice or the design isn't something you can actually see yourself wearing, or just the idea of doing one more row in that stitch makes you queasy. Maybe you're simply in a different place or mood now than when you started. Did you know you can just NOT pick it back up? You don't actually need to finish any project you don't want to. What a relief!
If you find yourself in this position, it actually sounds like you're in luck. Unfinished projects actually teach us a lot. Take some time to reflect on what it is you don't love about this piece anymore as it provides important lessons that will help you in your future projects. Was it the color? The stitch, the pattern, the yarn type?
Years ago I bought this sweater pattern I'd been eyeing for months. It featured vertical rows worked in the back loop only, with the texture shifting seamlessly from single crochet to half double crochet to slip stitch at the neck and waist. It looked elegant, stretchy, cozy, everything I wanted. But once I started working through the first chunk in fingering weight yarn, I couldn't visually tell where one stitch ended and the next began, especially through a dense stretch of slip stitches that were as miserable to track as they were to work. After enough rows of that tedium, I realized I wasn't going to enjoy making this sweater, no matter how much I loved the idea of it. So, I put it down and never picked it back up. Some days what I want from crochet is exactly that kind of challenge; the satisfaction of working through something difficult and coming out better at it. This just wasn't one of those times, and I've since gotten better at gauging what level of difficulty I actually want before I commit to a pattern.
When we put ourselves out there and try something new, we create opportunities to learn more about our likes and dislikes. Don't be afraid to put something down for a while and come back to it later. Crocheting is about the craft, the process, and being present in the moment remembering this amazing skill you have to create something from just a pile of fiber, a hook, and your hands. Don't be afraid to let something go that doesn't suit you right now! The yarn will still be there if you decide to return.
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