An accounting of projects…

I was reading online where someone suggested that 5 was the optimal number of projects to have.  (I’d share a link, but I was lost online and can’t find the link anymore.  Story of my life.)  The premise was more than five projects slowed down your progress to the point of frustration and less than five left you without something to do at critical times.  She suggested having different types of projects for different situations… fancy lace for alone thinking, small projects like socks and hats for travel, idiot knitting for social times or tv, etc.

I had been feeling lately that I was doing a lot, but wasn’t finishing much of anything; discontent was creeping in.  I wondered what my actual number was.  Was that driving my irksome feelings?  I also wondered how having multiple crafts might change your number, and not necessarily for the better.  Then there are those crafts you want to do next that weigh on your mind.  I think they count too, since they don’t just fade away.  They keep cropping up in your head over and over.  Should I be thinning my projects?  Do I fit the 5 project mold?  What will I see if I account for what is currently in the works and on my mind?  I took these questions and upended my various project niches in search of whatever I might find.

In the works:

Hand sewing kanzashi flowers for the painting.  I’m dragging my feet on this, but I recognize the need for them on the painting.

Quercus Sweater (worsted/fairly easy)

Spectrum scarf (fingering/fairly easy/fairly small)

Kernel scarf (lace weight/dead silence required)

Spinning 2 ply fingering wt yarn (tv watching easy)

Sewing a zippered bag (some concentration)

Sewing a skirt for me.

Knit kimono sweater (easy, but needs ripping and adjusting)

Re-knitting blown out sock toes.  (easy, just need to do) I’d just patch them, but the true problem is the socks just aren’t long enough.  Try as I might, my hoofers are just not that delicate and small.

On the brain:

Spin some fiber for a friend.

Hand sew kanzashi flowers from plastic bags for giggles and grins.

Take hubbie’s ad laden conference bags and put fancy fabric on them to dress them up and hide the ads.

Recreate the baby sweater for the pattern/sweater found in FIL’s attic.  Maybe from homespun…

Rip out wrap I don’t and won’t use… put yarn into something else.  A blanket?

Embroider a felted black project bag I have.

Weaving with plastic bags.  Coasters?  Table runner?

Weaving a wrap.

Sewing a skirt for my daughter.

Sew and cut fabric class on Craftsy.com.

Weaving straps on the inkle loom for my Mighty Wolf loom.

Another Tunisian crochet blanket (of course).

Another post card abstract drawing with markers.

There are probably a couple of projects on the brain I’ve forgotten in the moment, but overall, this list was not nearly as heinous as I expected.  While I obviously don’t fit the 5 project mold, I don’t really think I could trim down the list… as the brain loop would still kick in.  I would be willing to lay money on the fact that most of my crafty friends have a list closer in size to mine than just “5″.  The list is reasonable, and I’ve already acknowledged to myself what the next steps are for everything listed.  While I wouldn’t change anything, I do find it a little comforting just accounting for what is “so” for me in this moment.

As to the discontent that’s been creeping in… maybe I just need a new project.  (Hehehehe!)