There seems to be something about being nearly done with a project that stops me, at least temporarily, from completing it. Some mystical force that slips in and mucks up the works. This last phase of my Einstein sweater coat is the perfect example of that phenomenon.
I got all excited about finishing the second sleeve, then the collar, and then…I stalled. Finally, about a week later I stitched up the sleeves, and then I stalled again. The only things left to do were weave in the yarn tails and sew on the buttons, but there it sat for several weeks. Over the next few weeks I tried on the unfinished sweater, yarn tails drooping, buttons still in the bag; I decided it was going to look dumpy and put it down again.
The next time I looked at the project, I silently criticized the stitching quality of the sleeve seam. I just knew I wasn’t going to like the finished product. Should I redo the sleeve seam? Maybe shorten the sleeves a little? Maybe then I’d like it. And didn’t I have to use backing buttons to keep these buttons in place on this un-plied wool? Who knew, I just knew that these thoughts were keeping me from finishing. Turns out I’m really good at inventing things to keep me from finishing!
Luckily I didn’t do any of the things I thought about during my incompletion doldrums. One day I finally decided to just finish the darn thing. Wove in the tails and sewed on the buttons. Hmmm, looks pretty good. I looked it over and finally donned the finished coat. When I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t believe it: it looked GREAT. Sassy even with the collar up. How fun. And even though late May really isn’t sweater weather, I wore it that day. With a bounce in my step.
It even looks better in person!
But like I said, that was late May. It’s almost mid-June now and I’m just posting about it. I’m not sure what stopped me from writing this completion post. I guess it was that mystical force again, keeping me from fully completing the piece. At least now I feel like I’m starting to learn something about the completion process.
In any project, there will always be that time, right before finishing, where the project could still match the hyped-up expectations set forth at the outset, it could still turn out just like it looked in our imagination at the beginning of our work; the possibilities at that point are still beautifully available. Right then we are reluctant to finish, thinking we may ruin things and cut off the possibility for greatness. Also, at this same time is that messy place, where you are almost finished, but the incompleteness so overshadows the piece that you’re fooled into believing that this is your worst work ever. But once again, pushing through, literally tying up the loose ends, a worthy creation emerges. Amazing.
With my next project, I intend to remember this natural part of the process and push through the messy place as quickly as possible. Because completion doesn’t actually kill the possibilities, you simply get to find out what the project really wanted to be. Sometimes you’re surprised and it’s better than expected; other times there may be a twinge of disappointment. Either way there are still more than enough future possibilities available to hype-up, dream about and build up in our imaginations.
Next!
