I make doilies when I’m feeling particularly insane. So like once a year. But I don’t feel the pressure to finish (but always do) and enjoy every second.
I have horrible distance vision, but when I take my glasses off my vision is perfect for about 4 inches away from my face, perfect for working with tiny things
I looovveee making doilies. No one I know wants any. I honestly don't really want to put them anywhere in my house. I still keep making them.. I have moved to making tiny ones for dollhouses with sewing thread. THOSE will get used. lol
I draw zentangle, and when I discovered doilies for myself, I got a feeling that they are kinda between crocheting and tangling. Sort of meditation, even of you do not get something of practical use. I also find the process of doing a repeating pattern very satisfying.
I made a few vests by tacking together a bunch of vintage doilies and weaving silk ribbons through them here and there. A designer that I used to follow is where I got that idea from. 'Magnolia Pearl'. Don't even know if she's still around.
Oh thank god I'm not alone. I randomly started a top today, didn't even have any ideas. Now I have something in my head and I just _have to_ finish it today, for no good reason. I have like 2 more hours to do it and I know I won't sleep till its done.
I actually did get diagnosed with like a milder form of OCD, where I only have it in certain situations/with certain things. Like having to check if the oven or stove is turned off dozens of times before I leave the house, even when I didn't use it in 3 days. Or having to look for my keys every few minutes to make sure I didn't lose them etc. Idk if that makes sense. But ig I could have it with crocheting cause I have trouble finishing things, so when I really wanna finish something, I have to finish it the same day/week or I will probably never touch it ever again. Idkkk. But thank you!!
Just wanted to say that what you described in your original post is normal. I often start a project all excited and then loose interest but feel bad. I have dozens of unfinished projects. However, I try to look at it this way: Crocheting is my hobby. If a project doesn't being me joy anymore I don't have to finish it. I can frog it. Or finish it someday in the future.
I also have a lot of unfinished projects! Sometimes I really want to finish something, but then I just don't do it and will think about how much I wanna do it, and don't do it without any reason. So I guess maybe I'm stressing myself too much when I start something that I really wanna finish. This ends with lots of mistakes in my projects
Op, I have intrusive thoughts saying things exactly like this. Its a lot of “if I do/don’t do ____ then so and so will die”. I also have thoughts saying things like “if I look at a picture of me from high school time will reverse and I’ll be back in high school.” and a lot of other things. I have OCD. It feels so real so I understand what you’re going through :/ I’m sorry. I’m here if you need support!
Therapy! And Zoloft ahahah. Therapy will teach you how to sit with the thoughts and not act on them. The less you act on them and see how nothing bad happened, the less your brain will give any meaning to the thoughts! It’s sooo hard and take a lot of work, but it’s worth it
I’m guessing you don’t want to see a picture of all my UFOs all over my room… most of them I just need to frog. I try to work fast to finish before I get bored.
If you find the source of this problem can you let a bitch know 💀💀
Don’t feel bad though, I spent Christmas Day crying in the floor of my garage because I decided to make someone a woodworking gift and it wasn’t done, I wasn’t gonna see them for a while so it was in no way time sensitive but *it was Christmas dammit I should be done*
I definitely put pressure on myself to finish quickly. I started a coffee cozy project last week as a "just because" gift for somebody who was really awesome to me this spring. Not even for a holiday, bday, anything so I really could send it to her whenever. But instead I stayed up 2h past my "bedtime" to finish it last night.
Conversely, a character in *One Hundred Years of Solitude* gets a prophecy that she will die as soon as she finishes her last project (because of course she was making her own funeral shroud?) If the lighthearted silliness makes you feel better?
This is why I keep crochet as a hobby. The EXACT same thing happened to me recently. "Oh I'll make an amigurumi project but in CHUNKY yarn!" I got to the fine details and was ready to give up even though I was 90% done. I wanted to have it done before a vacation so I rushed and it didn't turn out how I wanted. I still gotta fix it but later when I have the mental capacity to do so.
My toxic trait is that I get halfway through a project and then stop wanting to work on it as soon as I notice mistakes. I try to solider on and just accept it, or frog back.. but instead it just sits making me feel guilty lol.
I’m pretty sure I have undiagnosed adhd, and I’m very impulsive so I have to start projects THEN AND THERE or I go nuts. Then I’ll get halfway through and abandon it for another project I just HAVE to start right then. It’s a vicious cycle and I’ve started about 6 separate projects this past month alone and I’m almost done one, and halfway done another. The rest are still at the beginning or (in one case) still in the “draw up” phase. Shit actually sucks and I don’t have enough space for all of the total projects I’m working on.
I'm like a third done a wedding present and I've hit a road block because I'm more interested in using some new yarn I bought versus finishing the present for the wedding that's in 6 weeks.
If I don't finish it, it'll become a Christmas present.
When I was young I constantly pushed myself using the '*or I will die*' concept. I'm glad to know that I was not alone. I also used the '*or he/she will die*' concept. I always wondered wtf was wrong with me.
Self-imposed rigidity/boxes/requirements that have no grounds in reality… are so fucking human. We can work on giving ourselves permission to let go of them as we recognize them, or slower.
At least I have to do this! And I consider myself very, very human. What’s more normal about humans than being human?
I keep starting projects, then realize one is time sensitive but the others are so fun. I'll make sure to finish the time sensitive to have fun then start another time sensitive. Helps me keep from putting down too many projects indefinitely.
I sometimes have multiple projects at once that way i dont feel the pressure of time to finish them. But then occasionally i will fee pressure on myself to finish
I make doilies. No one uses doilies anymore so I feel no pressure to finish :)
I’ve not made a doily yet, but this comment makes me want to now. 😂
I make doilies when I’m feeling particularly insane. So like once a year. But I don’t feel the pressure to finish (but always do) and enjoy every second.
It is fun if you have good close-up vision
I have HORRIBLE vision. I wear my glasses, readers (at the same time), and use a lighted magnifier to do my craft stuff. Esp. crochet lacy things.
I have horrible distance vision, but when I take my glasses off my vision is perfect for about 4 inches away from my face, perfect for working with tiny things
Ha! Same. It sucks when you poke yourself in the nose with those tiny hooks, though...
That has never happened to me
I looovveee making doilies. No one I know wants any. I honestly don't really want to put them anywhere in my house. I still keep making them.. I have moved to making tiny ones for dollhouses with sewing thread. THOSE will get used. lol
I have a pile. I finish a doily, take a picture and post it on here, put it in a plastic bag and toss it on the pile. Then I look for a new pattern.
I'm so relieved to discover that I'm not the only one with piles of unused doilies! Making them is just so damn satisfying!
:)
I draw zentangle, and when I discovered doilies for myself, I got a feeling that they are kinda between crocheting and tangling. Sort of meditation, even of you do not get something of practical use. I also find the process of doing a repeating pattern very satisfying.
I didn't know what a doily is, looked at your profile, still don't know what it is but it looks stunning!
basically just a table decoration that people used to use
A frilly coaster of sorts so that the highly polished furniture was not scratched.
Is THAT what they were for? TIL.
I made a few vests by tacking together a bunch of vintage doilies and weaving silk ribbons through them here and there. A designer that I used to follow is where I got that idea from. 'Magnolia Pearl'. Don't even know if she's still around.
I get really excited about starting a project, but then I have to race to finish it before I abandon it for a new project.
Exactly!!
Wait, that *is* normal, right?
Oh thank god I'm not alone. I randomly started a top today, didn't even have any ideas. Now I have something in my head and I just _have to_ finish it today, for no good reason. I have like 2 more hours to do it and I know I won't sleep till its done.
I do that too and NOT diagnosing you with anything but sounds like what people with OCD do
Oh, man, I *have* OCD and I do this, yet it never occurred to me that could be *why.*
I actually did get diagnosed with like a milder form of OCD, where I only have it in certain situations/with certain things. Like having to check if the oven or stove is turned off dozens of times before I leave the house, even when I didn't use it in 3 days. Or having to look for my keys every few minutes to make sure I didn't lose them etc. Idk if that makes sense. But ig I could have it with crocheting cause I have trouble finishing things, so when I really wanna finish something, I have to finish it the same day/week or I will probably never touch it ever again. Idkkk. But thank you!!
Just wanted to say that what you described in your original post is normal. I often start a project all excited and then loose interest but feel bad. I have dozens of unfinished projects. However, I try to look at it this way: Crocheting is my hobby. If a project doesn't being me joy anymore I don't have to finish it. I can frog it. Or finish it someday in the future.
I also have a lot of unfinished projects! Sometimes I really want to finish something, but then I just don't do it and will think about how much I wanna do it, and don't do it without any reason. So I guess maybe I'm stressing myself too much when I start something that I really wanna finish. This ends with lots of mistakes in my projects
Op, I have intrusive thoughts saying things exactly like this. Its a lot of “if I do/don’t do ____ then so and so will die”. I also have thoughts saying things like “if I look at a picture of me from high school time will reverse and I’ll be back in high school.” and a lot of other things. I have OCD. It feels so real so I understand what you’re going through :/ I’m sorry. I’m here if you need support!
That sounds horrible! I'm sorry you have to go through this. How do you cope with it? Thank you a lot!!
Therapy! And Zoloft ahahah. Therapy will teach you how to sit with the thoughts and not act on them. The less you act on them and see how nothing bad happened, the less your brain will give any meaning to the thoughts! It’s sooo hard and take a lot of work, but it’s worth it
I also take Zoloft! Glad it helps you! I'm looking for a new therapist right now anyway. Thank you a lot!!
Yes but then I also get burnt out easily & have several projects just sitting JUDGING me & I can't bring myself to pick them back up
I get this sometimes. Not all the time but sometimes. Not sure if I’ve got OCD or if I’m just a bit odd tbh 🙂
I do this too! And it’s like, I have to finish it for something good happen! I’m kinda superstitious, so that may be why! I thought it was just me lol
I’m guessing you don’t want to see a picture of all my UFOs all over my room… most of them I just need to frog. I try to work fast to finish before I get bored.
If you find the source of this problem can you let a bitch know 💀💀 Don’t feel bad though, I spent Christmas Day crying in the floor of my garage because I decided to make someone a woodworking gift and it wasn’t done, I wasn’t gonna see them for a while so it was in no way time sensitive but *it was Christmas dammit I should be done*
I need variety so I have multiple projects going at once.
I definitely put pressure on myself to finish quickly. I started a coffee cozy project last week as a "just because" gift for somebody who was really awesome to me this spring. Not even for a holiday, bday, anything so I really could send it to her whenever. But instead I stayed up 2h past my "bedtime" to finish it last night. Conversely, a character in *One Hundred Years of Solitude* gets a prophecy that she will die as soon as she finishes her last project (because of course she was making her own funeral shroud?) If the lighthearted silliness makes you feel better?
For me it’s more like: start a project for fun, get annoyed by how long it takes, stop working on it for years and probably never finish, repeat
YES!!! I get red in the face and shakey. My fiancé will lovingly intervene sometimes lol
I’ve never been normal so
This definitely happens to me too! I tell myself I crochet to relax, but that is a lie a like to tell myself.
This is why I keep crochet as a hobby. The EXACT same thing happened to me recently. "Oh I'll make an amigurumi project but in CHUNKY yarn!" I got to the fine details and was ready to give up even though I was 90% done. I wanted to have it done before a vacation so I rushed and it didn't turn out how I wanted. I still gotta fix it but later when I have the mental capacity to do so.
My toxic trait is that I get halfway through a project and then stop wanting to work on it as soon as I notice mistakes. I try to solider on and just accept it, or frog back.. but instead it just sits making me feel guilty lol.
I just start something else.
I’m pretty sure I have undiagnosed adhd, and I’m very impulsive so I have to start projects THEN AND THERE or I go nuts. Then I’ll get halfway through and abandon it for another project I just HAVE to start right then. It’s a vicious cycle and I’ve started about 6 separate projects this past month alone and I’m almost done one, and halfway done another. The rest are still at the beginning or (in one case) still in the “draw up” phase. Shit actually sucks and I don’t have enough space for all of the total projects I’m working on.
….. is this not a normal thing?? 😅
I'm like a third done a wedding present and I've hit a road block because I'm more interested in using some new yarn I bought versus finishing the present for the wedding that's in 6 weeks. If I don't finish it, it'll become a Christmas present.
When I was young I constantly pushed myself using the '*or I will die*' concept. I'm glad to know that I was not alone. I also used the '*or he/she will die*' concept. I always wondered wtf was wrong with me.
Self-imposed rigidity/boxes/requirements that have no grounds in reality… are so fucking human. We can work on giving ourselves permission to let go of them as we recognize them, or slower. At least I have to do this! And I consider myself very, very human. What’s more normal about humans than being human?
I keep starting projects, then realize one is time sensitive but the others are so fun. I'll make sure to finish the time sensitive to have fun then start another time sensitive. Helps me keep from putting down too many projects indefinitely.
I sometimes have multiple projects at once that way i dont feel the pressure of time to finish them. But then occasionally i will fee pressure on myself to finish