They are a non-profit based in the US, but with global operations, who accept projects left unfinished when makers either die or become otherwise unable to finish, and assign them to volunteer finishers for completion. It's a wonderful organization. And for knitters (or crocheters, or quilters, or sewists, or ...) who have the time and inclination, they are always looking for volunteer finishers.
I was going to make the same rec! I finished a sweater for a man last year, had to hunt down passable yarn to do it, because as a non-knitter, he’d matched up cut embroidery yarn with it.
Oh you’ve bought a (good) tear to my eye this morning - you reminded me of my nan’s (also called Beryl ☺️) unfinished work that I have upstairs in her knitting chest. The pattern is with it but I have no idea who she was making it for and it’s been too sad to think about doing anything with it. But maybe that’s ok and it’s not meant to go any further anyway.
I have lots of old metal needles from my Nana and one unfinished project- I put it in a shadow box and hung it up in my so-called craft room ... I'm sure she would say I should have finished instead but I would never dream of it
Wow….that sounds so lovely Anne, the shadow box idea honestly gave me goosebumps. What a thoughtful way to honor your Nana’s work and keep a piece of her creativity alive in your space. I totally get the feeling of not wanting to finish someone else's project, even if they might have wanted you to. It kind of freezes a little moment in time, doesn't it? This post reminded me so much of my mom, she used to knit all the time when I was growing up. We had baskets of yarn and half-finished sweaters tucked everywhere. I used to think it was just her getting “distracted,” but now I see it was just her following inspiration wherever it led. I wish we’d saved more of her pieces even the unfinished ones. There’s so much story in them. And also she gave a piece on my 6th year birthday and i have always kept that with me, even till now, but i didn’t bring it here with me, i left it back home.
Curious, do you ever sit and look at the shadow box and feel like she’s kind of there with you? I imagine it’s comforting in its own quiet way.
Regarding the unfinished project, you could tink/ unravel it and use the yarn for something you might use in the future. It would be a reminder of your husband's grandmother.
I’m willing to admit to 11-15 but my guess is that it’s more along the lines of we do not speak of it. Craft is “bright shiny objects” for me I am easily distracted by them and always want to try new things.
I go through phases of “I must finish things” only to be distracted by “ooh THAT looks fun!” Currently I’m in a “THAT looks fun phase” and I’ll see where it takes me. I agree life is too short to spend all your time slogging through.
Oh, I’ve just realised - those three are just the Box of Doom! The granny squares are odd job projects, there are seven “pick it up and do a bit, maybe finish it” and two on the naughty step!
I have three unfinished projects of my own, aged between 10 and 20 years old. One is a jacket for which I no longer have the pattern and can’t make any of the sections fit together to sew up. Will eventually frog. One has been frogged and restarted once already and looks accusingly at me when I open the box, and one that I want to finish because it will be pretty, but I have to change stripes by weight rather than the number of rows and that takes concentration. Oh, and the granny squares, of course.
I also have my best friend’s last project, given to me by her sons when she died. I don’t know what to do about that one - it’s a log cabin, so it’s not difficult, but. Every time I see it right now, it’s her so l think I’ll wait till I can think of it as Heather’s blanket, not Heather.
I’ve the current piece I’m working on that is fighting with me at the moment! lol I’ve encountered many issues with the shrug I’m knitting but it will get finished! I also have a bag of granny squares - someday I’ll join them and make a scarf or blanket!
I have a cross stitch project that was originally intended to be a wedding present for my closest friend from college. She got married in 2000, and it became a kind of joke between us that I would finish the project one day. Her husband committed suicide in 2022, so now it seems heartless to remind her of it - and I have pretty much moved away from cross stitch to knitting anyway. So it's sitting in my cupboard, where I hurriedly tucked it away last time she visited.
This post helped me to park the ‘experimental fern mashup’: it’s not working and is too woolly for the heat. Instead of finishing the beehive cotton crochet, I have cast on a cotton knitted tennis-ish top with a very chancy argyle pattern that I might not have enough yarn for….
Do you know about Loose Ends? https://looseends.org
They are a non-profit based in the US, but with global operations, who accept projects left unfinished when makers either die or become otherwise unable to finish, and assign them to volunteer finishers for completion. It's a wonderful organization. And for knitters (or crocheters, or quilters, or sewists, or ...) who have the time and inclination, they are always looking for volunteer finishers.
Thank you - that’s such a fascinating project.
I was going to make the same rec! I finished a sweater for a man last year, had to hunt down passable yarn to do it, because as a non-knitter, he’d matched up cut embroidery yarn with it.
Thank you so much for your big-hearted generosity in finishing that sweater/
Oh you’ve bought a (good) tear to my eye this morning - you reminded me of my nan’s (also called Beryl ☺️) unfinished work that I have upstairs in her knitting chest. The pattern is with it but I have no idea who she was making it for and it’s been too sad to think about doing anything with it. But maybe that’s ok and it’s not meant to go any further anyway.
Oh how moving, I know exactly how you feel. And how funny we are both custodians of a Beryl project 🧡
Beryls are the best 💕
I think Beryl's unfinished piece is true wabi sabi. Beautiful because it's marked with impermanence not perfection.
Absolutely agree. And that's a lovely way of phrasing it.
By the way im the queen of unfinished projects.
It’s the mark of a creative mind 🧡
I have lots of old metal needles from my Nana and one unfinished project- I put it in a shadow box and hung it up in my so-called craft room ... I'm sure she would say I should have finished instead but I would never dream of it
Wow….that sounds so lovely Anne, the shadow box idea honestly gave me goosebumps. What a thoughtful way to honor your Nana’s work and keep a piece of her creativity alive in your space. I totally get the feeling of not wanting to finish someone else's project, even if they might have wanted you to. It kind of freezes a little moment in time, doesn't it? This post reminded me so much of my mom, she used to knit all the time when I was growing up. We had baskets of yarn and half-finished sweaters tucked everywhere. I used to think it was just her getting “distracted,” but now I see it was just her following inspiration wherever it led. I wish we’d saved more of her pieces even the unfinished ones. There’s so much story in them. And also she gave a piece on my 6th year birthday and i have always kept that with me, even till now, but i didn’t bring it here with me, i left it back home.
Curious, do you ever sit and look at the shadow box and feel like she’s kind of there with you? I imagine it’s comforting in its own quiet way.
Regarding the unfinished project, you could tink/ unravel it and use the yarn for something you might use in the future. It would be a reminder of your husband's grandmother.
Jacque Boothe
I’m willing to admit to 11-15 but my guess is that it’s more along the lines of we do not speak of it. Craft is “bright shiny objects” for me I am easily distracted by them and always want to try new things.
I go through phases of “I must finish things” only to be distracted by “ooh THAT looks fun!” Currently I’m in a “THAT looks fun phase” and I’ll see where it takes me. I agree life is too short to spend all your time slogging through.
Oh, I’ve just realised - those three are just the Box of Doom! The granny squares are odd job projects, there are seven “pick it up and do a bit, maybe finish it” and two on the naughty step!
I have three unfinished projects of my own, aged between 10 and 20 years old. One is a jacket for which I no longer have the pattern and can’t make any of the sections fit together to sew up. Will eventually frog. One has been frogged and restarted once already and looks accusingly at me when I open the box, and one that I want to finish because it will be pretty, but I have to change stripes by weight rather than the number of rows and that takes concentration. Oh, and the granny squares, of course.
I also have my best friend’s last project, given to me by her sons when she died. I don’t know what to do about that one - it’s a log cabin, so it’s not difficult, but. Every time I see it right now, it’s her so l think I’ll wait till I can think of it as Heather’s blanket, not Heather.
I’ve the current piece I’m working on that is fighting with me at the moment! lol I’ve encountered many issues with the shrug I’m knitting but it will get finished! I also have a bag of granny squares - someday I’ll join them and make a scarf or blanket!
I have a cross stitch project that was originally intended to be a wedding present for my closest friend from college. She got married in 2000, and it became a kind of joke between us that I would finish the project one day. Her husband committed suicide in 2022, so now it seems heartless to remind her of it - and I have pretty much moved away from cross stitch to knitting anyway. So it's sitting in my cupboard, where I hurriedly tucked it away last time she visited.
Oh goodness, how sad.
This post helped me to park the ‘experimental fern mashup’: it’s not working and is too woolly for the heat. Instead of finishing the beehive cotton crochet, I have cast on a cotton knitted tennis-ish top with a very chancy argyle pattern that I might not have enough yarn for….