Monday 25 April 2016

A-Z challenge U

U is for UFO

Which stands for unfinished object, but how we define unfinished is different. My friend *Kio thinks it means something which is unfinished and something that you do not intend to finish.
I am on the fence, because that would mean that I would very rarely have any UFO's, I think I gravitate more to the definition of something that hasn't been worked on for a long time...

I do have lots of unfinished objects but they are all in a queue and waiting for their turn. I have only one thing I KNOW I will never finish and if I can find it again I will unpick it and use the aida for something else. It is an old Permin kit of a white dog and tabby cat that I got really cheap but I have miscounted and then consequently lost the remaining thread. And I have no idea who to give it to and so have no drive to finish it, I did not enjoy that kit but bought it since it was on sale and all I could afford at the time (it was before my rather big stash). So when I find it I will unpick it and start something else. But if there are any more things I do not know if i want to finish I don't know.

However I  do like the meaning that an UFO is something you will never pick up beacause it means I don't have that many UFO's, but if the meaning is something you have not worked on in X amount of time I have a TON. And I mean a ton. I haven't even located all the started cross stitch projects to put them all in one place yet and so far I have a SAMLA box that is 39x28x14 cm that I can't even close and that is just cross stitch, I have two started knitted projects and a little under ten crochet starts and one of them I haven't done any stitches on in a year, is that an UFO yet? I want to finish it....

The one that can close is full of unfinished objects and the one I can't close is full of unstarted projects.


Mister M likes that there isn't a fixed definition because that is how UFOs work, and unidentified flying object can mean a weather balloon but everyone just associates UFOs with flying saucers and aliens.

What do you think?
When is a project a UFO in your opinion? And how do you deal with them?

6 comments:

Tami Von Zalez said...

I hold my feet to the fire and won't move onto other projects until I have finished the one in the "queue." I do cheat on that tenent once in awhile though as I cut some squares this weekend for my Christmas lap quilts because I didn't want to tackle assembling a bulky quilt sandwich.

CA Verstraete said...

I know what you mean - I have plenty of UFO's around! I may finish all the kits I have by the time I'm 90! Thanks for stopping by for A to Z! In Miniature Style II

abetterjulie said...

To me, an UFO is one that has potential to be finished, but which you aren't currently working on. Otherwise, it would be a WIP. I have too many, and I find they bog me down if I don't do something about them. There seems to be a point of critical mass where I am incapable of working on anything until some of them are laid to rest or finished.

Brenna said...

I'd probably use UFO a bit like WIP? But maybe like when it's done according to the instructions, but you're not quite happy with it and want to do something more to it?

Vilje Vanilje said...

Tami Von Zalez: I envy people that ability I have no stamina for that, my mind is always racing and I need hundred different things to do and change projects so that I don't feel bored, so I have just given up on that point, I will always be a serial starter I just have to get better at being a serial finisher too.;)

Christine Verstraete: Hehe:) Unless you get more, then you have to live longer than 90 to finish all of them;) There is always something new and exciting one has to add to their stash right? :)

abetterjulie: So do you think one only has one wip then? the one being worked on? I think those definitions are tricky, I can work a little on three different things in a day and next day another three may get some work so I am thinking I have many wips but not many UFO's.... I used to have a UFO day a month to finish those pesky things that I hadn't worked on in a while that was almost finished, maybe I need to start that again.... I don't seem to reach that critical mass point but I wish I did then more things would be finished and it wouldn't be so cluttered.

Brenna: Hmm, interesting, that is a new point of view, I do have things that are finished but not like I would want to finish them... Do you have any tips or UFOs? I seem to remember you always finishing things and worked on one thing at a time? and actually frogging and using the yarn for something else if you don't like it? I wish I could do that:)

abetterjulie said...

Oh, I like the idea of a dedicated day to working on UFOs or frogging them. That's usually what I end up doing with them!