Too many ideas and not enough time

[Jakswalk]

There are so many things that I want to do that I keep forgetting what there are. I made a sweater and hat for the first time when I had my last baby. I was so excited with it that I made it for a few other people.

 

Then I did a sweater for the dog, hats for the hospital..... I want to do a scrap rug or afghan, snuggly for the dog, new sweater for the baby because the other one is getting too small, etc.

 

It just keeps going. How do you keep up with what you want to do?

[cgd]

I feel your pain. My brain swirls around, so my project ideas usually come back to me at some point. Unfortunately sometimes that point is after I've returned home from a yarn-buying expedition! Seriously though, my mother does woodwork, and she just keeps a small memo pad handy for project ideas and measurements etc.

[crochetsal]

Uh...keep up? Nuts, no one told me I was supposed to keep up!

 

Seriously, I tend to jot ideas down in the notebooks I use to write patterns. It's kinda like one step forward, two steps back: two things added, one taken off. Or closer to three things added...

 

Sally

[MamaHooks]

If the Good Lord intended for me to keep up with my crochet PIM then he would have given me 5 sets of arms and enough common sense to know when to quit. Just for your information, he didn't give me anything extra arms and the common sense is debatable according to my hubby.

[Crocus58]

I don't even try! I keep a very elastic list in my head and when I finish one thing (or put it in the WIP pile) I do what's next on the list

[Auntie Kellie]

I can't seem to keep up with all I want to make either. Afghans, sweaters, hats, scarves, shawls, afghans, rugs, accessories, pillows, afghans, slippers, mittens, purses, afghans ... There's just not enough time in a day to work on all the projects I want to start right away. So about a year ago, I decided to be like Michealangelo and just let the yarn tell me what it wants to be. I still can't keep up but I've always got my hands and what's left of my mind busy.

 

Hugs and Cookies

Auntie K

[indililu]

I always have a bazillion projects on my mental list! The unexpected yarn shopping always triggers a new project too. My newest thing is little camera bags, my 18 yr old cousin requested one, i made her 3 and off they went to her in California.*jealous*

But it's always fun to have lots of projects, things NEVER get boring because you just keep jumping from one to another!

[Jakswalk]

I get so irritated sometimes because I will be trying to concentrate on a project and I get interrupted 20 times by the kids. Then I feel guilty for getting irritated. Ahh....it's a never ending cycle.

[SnoPeach]

Keeping up with all I want to do isn't on the to-list; keeping the stash of yarn and thread and patterns from overwhelming me is.

Last year was interesting as DD requested several projects (hearts for adding to her valentines; Easter baskets; presents for teachers). Also adding to the stash of patterns (and potential/actual projects!) was the Crochet Pattern a Day calendar ...

 

I find that crocheting can be a good form of meditation as well - keeping the hands busy with a simple pattern can free other thoughts (or allow one to watch TV guilt-free!).

 

Good luck with getting your planned projects actualized!

[riabf]

im starting to put all future projects in one folder.

usually im getting patterns from the internet so i just print them out and file. this file is getting bigger i tell you!

[JoBug]

me, I would be the LAST one to offer advice on this

today I left early for work, because my printer died, that is a NATIONAL disaster by the way when you have a pattern you MUST print NOW...so, I was off to WalMarts.to get the cheepie lexmark printer....planned on sitting for that extra hour I had ,to work on a special graph pattern in my car at work in the parking lot, and ya know what, I had the yarn, hook, but LEFT THE INSTRUCTIONS home, why?? BECAUSE MY PRINTER DIED before I could print my e-mail......see, around, around ,in circles we go

[nucki]

I SO feel your pain! Only add pattern design ideas to MY list.

 

Like one of the others said, I have a notebook. Two, actually. (I bought one, put it away and forgot all about it. Bought another, and wouldn't you know it... THEN I found the first one I bought! ) I write down all my crochet related ideas, whether they're color schemes, patterns I've already seen that I want to do, or original pattern design ideas that are floating around in my head.

 

I don't always get around to them, but at least that way I won't FORGET them.

 

[sammimag]

I have books of patterns I've printed out etc. I forget these too. So this year I made list of LOTS of WIMS on my blog here. I need to live until I'm 150 at least

 

Anyways when I am bored or in between projects I have a place to go to remind myself what I wanted to make.

[Blueat40]

Another thing is the 'ville !!!!! Just when you've about decided on what will be your next project, someone goes and posts a picture of their finished project and it's just so darn cute, you just HAVE to make it and there you go, yet another project added to your list.

 

Seriously though, I've started writing all the project ideas down in a notebook. Last year, I also started taking pictures of my finished projects and writing down the yarn, hook size, pattern and any notes on the back of the pictures in case I ever want to repeat a project. Keeping the pictures in a binder (in absolutely no order BTW).

[everkutz]

For the last couple months, I have kept a small notebook of things I want to make and then cross it off when done. I keep it in my "main" WIP bag. I have managed to make several items from my list, but the list is getting longer instead of shorter! I also have a large notebook with dividers of printed out patterns.

[funkyreporter]

Oh, my, I know exactly how you feel! I have so many projects in mind and WIPs going that I have to stop myself from starting another one! The ideas come faster than I can possibly get them done and I tried using a journal so I could remember what I was working on:yes and what I wanted to work on, but now I can't find it:no ... lost in the yarn, I guess!

[mizduck]

You're better than me Paulette! At least you have the restraint to stop yourself from starting a new project. I currently have at least six projects going right now, and I keep starting new ones! What am I thinking!?

[Jakswalk]

If I start too many new ones I forget about some and then they sit there forever. By the time I find them again, I don't want to do it or I've lost the pattern.

 

It does make me feel better to see sooo many people having the same problem as I do. I wish I had more time to work on stuff, but with 3 young kids, it sure makes it difficult (at least if I want to get any sleep that is).

 

Paulette - I think it's hilarious that you can't find the journal. That sounds like something I would do. I have a datebook that I have to carry around for work so I started writing my projects in there. Hopefully that'll help me keep up.

 

Lisa - You are sooo right. I have found about 10 more things I want to do here since I've joined.....and that's only been a few days. I like you're idea of writing down the specifics of the projects. I tend to forget how I did things too. For instance, I kept having to change my dog's sweater to fit the way his legs were. I need to write that down so I can make him another one if I ever have to. I also started adding my completed projects to my blog so I would have the details there.

 

Samanta - Great idea bout keeping the WIMS in your blog. I need to do that too.

 

Suzy - Hilarious about your notebook too. I did the exact same thing. I came across the first one just the other day. LOL

[moonspinners]

Well! This boat filled up pretty fast! I second everything everybody said in previous posts. Too true.

[fastnet]

I'm another crew member in the same boat!

 

Combining yarn and computer addictions, I have burned

several CD's with pix and patterns from all over the web.

I try not to print a lot of patterns, but use my laptop

for storage and working. Keeping my WIP list on an Excel

spreadsheet, I choose the project, and when I want to work on a pattern, I place the laptop on the nearest coffee table, bed, or car seat, open

the pattern PDF or Word document, crank up the font size, and

get to work. Often I will mark up the pattern with my changes/modifications,

then save as a identifying name (for example: scarf_blue_mary_107.doc).

Is this incredibly geeky, or what? I once tried to build a database with all

my stash yarns, amounts, type, where purchased, etc. You will be relieved to learn I quickly abandoned that ship.

[Jakswalk]

NOPE, not geeky at all. In fact, I think that's a great idea!! I'm going to have to move mine to Excel. I use Excel for everything, including our budget.

 

I have been trying to figure a way to keep the patterns, especially since I modify so many. This is just perfect!

 

Thanks for the idea!

[Addey]

*lol*

About every 4 or 6 weeks I suddenly panic and wonder ***, what all am I supposed to be working on????

I then grab the nearest post-it pad (since this usually happens out of the blue while I'm at my desk at work) and scribble down a list. I then promptly loose said post-it and go about my day without realizing what I've done. I've found that using my sig here actualy helps At least the important ones get onto it and if I don't remember to put it there, it probably wasn't that important.

[skar589]

Hi Everyone, I have the same problem. Too many things to crochet and not nearly enough time!!! I love the Lexmark printer and scanner--it is so much better than any other printer my family has tried.

Sandy:flower