Tough Decision

Hi,
After a long break, I’ve been browsing this site again, and I just can’t make up my mind. I’ve seen so many things I’d love to knit or crochet… but unfortunately, I’m pretty slow. So it’s all going to take a very long time….
I can’t decide where to start.
Do you guys have this “problem” too??

Best regards

Hi katrin-ihly,
I'm glad you're having so much fun.
As far as I can tell, you have two options.
- work on one project at a time
- start a project, set it aside, then start another project and work on all of them more or less at the same time

In the end, you'll have a whole bunch of UFOs = unfinished objects.
You can then show them in this thread and hopefully finish them too:
Finishing UFOs: 1st Quarter 2021 January to March: Use this thread to get rid of all your UFOs / unfinished craft projects (No advertising)

Hi Katrin :)

Yes, we’re all familiar with that “problem.” There’s only one thing to do: start with one project and see if you enjoy it. What appeals to you the most? Or… what would you most like to have finished first, and what will you do with it then?

I hope you enjoy making your decision. I’m sure it’ll be the right one.

Best regards
Monika

This is how I usually do it: I have a bigger project going on… and in between, I work on something smaller every now and then :)

That way, you get little successes along the way and can look forward to the big project again. 

Dear Katrin,

yes, that sounds very familiar to me :-) There are so many ideas, and it always feels like there’s not enough time to bring them to life. But it’s great that you’re finding so many beautiful things for yourself here.

I’d start by making a wish list and then picking your top five favorites. And then, just as Monika already described, you can choose one or two things that make your fingers “tingle” the most. If you decide on a project that takes longer—like a shawl or a sweater—you can always work on a “little something” from your wish list in between. It really feels good and is incredibly motivating to hold something you’ve finished in your hands :-)

Have fun, and best wishes, Sonja

In the end, it doesn’t matter how long it took you.

Before I start my new project, I lay out the yarn in a shoebox… So, of course, it can happen that one day there are three new shoeboxes sitting there, and then I have to decide which one to start with first… I do that based entirely on how I feel, of course, and I’m allowed to start on all three at the same time… The main thing is that I actually get started…The important thing is to just let your creativity flow… That’s been my experience

Here’s a really weird tip from me… Let’s say you’ve picked out 5 patterns from your wish list. Of course, you look at them all very closely. You read through everything; your brain stores the details—how big, how long, how complicated, how much yarn, and so on. On top of that, your brain has stored how you handled previous projects and what your experiences have been so far. So these are all facts that your brain compares. It’s churning and churning.

Then you turn off the computer and just do something completely different: tidy a closet, bake a cake... Then you go to sleep. At night, when your conscious mind is switched off, your subconscious mind revisits the patterns in its own way. The rational considerations take a back seat, and your intuition takes the lead. What touches your heart the most crystallizes, and that should become your new project—no matter how long it takes. It’s what you’d most love to do. That’s why you’d tackle this project with such joy—because it’s a labor of love, no matter how long it takes. You’ll be all the more proud when it’s finished.

If you were to choose something from your list just because it’s quicker or easier, it wouldn’t bring you nearly as much joy—neither while you’re working on it nor when it’s done.

Yes, of course you can also do small, quick, uncomplicated projects in between. But the sense of accomplishment and the joy of the finished piece are much, much greater with a project close to your heart.

So if my subconscious had worked through the five patterns overnight, I’d realize early in the morning when I wake up which of the five would be my favorite project.

Many times, when I couldn’t make up my mind during the day using my rational mind, I’ve put off the decision. Then at night, things sort themselves out, and in the morning I know exactly what the right decision from the heart is. That’s the project I can really get excited about, no matter how long it takes.

With that in mind, I hope you’ll switch off your mind and have sweet dreams :-)
Warm regards, Ina