In Progress: Top 5 Craft Projects

One of my resolutions this year was to do more crafts. I have a huge number of craft projects in progress -- 52! (Or even 56 depending on what I classify as a craft.) Even to me, that seems incredibly high, but I practice many different crafts, from crochet and knitting through to hama beads and embroidery. I realised that I had quite a few I'm never going to finish, for various reasons. I didn't like the colours anymore, or the little person it was for had outgrown it, or it just didn't pique my interest anymore.

Back in December, I decided to cull 12 projects. That would bring it down to 40, which is still high, but not quite as bad! It wasn't as hard to choose as I thought it would be. I have all of my craft projects listed on a spreadsheet, which is incredibly handy because it would take me hours if I'd had to sight each one physically, digging through boxes and tubs. Some of the projects I culled were:

✖ a baby blanket with squares that puckered
✖ a scarf I didn't like the colours of anymore. Also it was supposed to replace one I'd made years ago which is getting a bit ratty, but which I still wear. (Also, I'd rather put my energy into making a Hufflepuff scarf instead.)
✖ a scarf for my Lammily doll, though I might re-work it one day
✖ a sewn handbag which I can't find anymore. I already have a lot of handbags anyway.
✖ an experimental monster plushie which I didn't like the way it was turning out. I tried knitting it, but I've decided I prefer crocheting them.

Once that was done, my craftload seemed much more manageable and I felt lighter. However, deciding which project to work on in any given session was still a bit overwhelming. So I made a Top 5 Projects list. It includes some small projects that I can finish quickly for (almost) instant gratification, plus some larger projects that I want to have finished sooner or later. I collected them all together in my craft basket in the lounge room for easy access. Here's the Top 5:

1. Pink Flower Cushion
I bought a flower loom a while back and made this flower while learning to use it. I didn't want to waste it, but didn't know what to do with it for a long time. The obvious solution was a hair deco, but the colour doesn't work for me. I finally had the idea of making a doll floor cushion and sewing the flower to the front.

2. Polka Dot Coathangers
My dream is to have nothing but nice coathangers in my wardrobe. For some reason I always make them in sets of 3, because it seems easier to make them in batches, but also because I like the idea of matching ones. I had nearly finished knitting the second one when I found a third one I'd started ages ago which is sort of polkadotty, so the project is even further along than I'd thought.

3. Travel Bunny
It's a small, simple bunny that I'm going to make into a trackable. The method of turning it from a plain square into a bunny seems quite clever. I'll explain further in a future post. To finish it, I'll have to find the website with the instructions again...

4. Swedish Christmas Shawl
I call this the Swedish Christmas shawl because it was inspired by the shawl a girl was wearing in a TV ad comparing Australian Christmas to Swedish Christmas. The pattern is just a simple straight granny stitch, so it's good for mindless crocheting. It's incredibly long though, and I think it will take quite some time to finish.

5. Granny Land Blanket
I always have at least one blanket or afghan in progress. This one was inspired by Pinterest and I want to make it large enough to really snuggle under in Winter. I haven't thought about how I'm going to join the squares yet, but there are plenty of methods to choose from. The internet is a wonderful thing!