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Arts & crafts

UFOs (unfinished objects)

(32 Posts)
Witzend Mon 01-Apr-19 10:05:08

Another poster has reminded me of mine.

My worst was a long black cardigan I was making for a sister in the US, since I knew she wanted something of the sort.

Having knitted all the major bits, I then went nearly mad/blind, trying to 'pick up and knit' the right number of umpteen stitches all round the front and neck edges, for the ribbed edging.
After trying for ages - it was so hard to see black anyway, even with a good light - I finally gave up.

Never again will I embark on anything with more than a very small pick up and knit section.
Luckily the yarn was not too expensive! Had to be tumble-dryable for sister (in the US) who tumble dries absolutely everything.
What's your worst/most guilty UFO?

Jalima1108 Mon 01-Apr-19 10:11:33

A jumper I started for myself about 28 years ago - I should finish it but I cannot seem to find out how the cabling goes now and I would never wear a cabled jumper these days anyway!!

shysal Mon 01-Apr-19 10:13:38

I knitted a cardigan for myself many years ago, but accidentally made two left fronts. I put it away and never finished it.

EllanVannin Mon 01-Apr-19 10:21:54

Oh yes, a part-knitted suit for my new GS------30 odd years ago !

Eglantine21 Mon 01-Apr-19 10:22:17

Crossstitch! It always goes wrong, even the teeny tiny Christmas cards, that I thought would be so good to send.

I finally bundled up all the fails and sent them to a charity shop. Someone else can unpick them......

BBbevan Mon 01-Apr-19 10:44:41

In our house UFOs are unidentified frozen objects in the freezer. I haven't any of the other sort

Anniebach Mon 01-Apr-19 10:52:37

In my cross stitching drawer, so many unfinished pieces. One I started when my elder granddaughter was suffering a broken heart , as you do with first loves, I started stitching a frog and ‘you have to kiss a lot of frogs etc’ to make her laugh , before I finished it ? Yep , the Prince came along ?

Witzend Mon 01-Apr-19 11:05:21

Far from worst was a cardigan I started for a dd when she was only about 7. It was in a pastel shaded yarn, pale pink, blue and white. I forget why I never got very far with it - it was a simple enough pattern.

That dd recently hit 39 and the leftover yarn has recently been used for dolls' clothes for her little niece. Including one of dd's old dolls that still lives here for Gdd to,play with when she visits. Here she is.
There's still quite a bit left!

Thingmajig Mon 01-Apr-19 11:19:50

I started a cross-stitch before the DGD was born (2013), didn't get anywhere near finishing it ... she was born early and I was distracted! Tried again when DGS was on the way but can no longer see well enough to read the chart easily so it's back in a cupboard somewhere never to see the light of day again I suspect. grin

HootyMcOwlface Mon 01-Apr-19 11:25:11

Same here Thingmajig except I started mine before I had my first child in 1994!

Bathsheba Mon 01-Apr-19 11:36:09

My MiL asked me to alter a dress for her. It had a high round neck and three-quarter length sleeves. She wanted me to convert it to a pinafore style, sleeveless with a lower, square neckline. I got as far as cutting the neckline, then procrastinated about how to do the facings, what fabric etc. There wouldn't have been enough fabric in the sleeves, so I would have had to source it from somewhere else, and I didn't have a fabric stash in those days (no money!!).

I put it aside.

To my eternal shame I never picked it up again, and I never spoke to my MiL about it. It just got 'forgotten' blush

Witzend Mon 01-Apr-19 11:36:17

That was the best sort of Sod's Law, Anniebach!

CanadianGran Fri 05-Apr-19 21:53:18

Ok, now I don't feel so bad reading all of yours! I have a little cable fishermen's style pullover with all but one shoulder finished. Size 9 months... my son is now 26.

Somehow I lost the pattern and it's just the second part of the neck shaping/shoulder on the front. It's still sitting on a stitch holder waiting miraculously for a pattern to appear. About every 5 years I go on line and search. I can still see the leaflet pattern in my mind!

rosecarmel Fri 05-Apr-19 23:08:47

Dress for my grand daughter, started when she was around 2, now going on 14 -- she even has 3 younger sisters, no excuse!!! Sewed them all many dresses, but that one dress in particular I just couldn't seem to finish!

SueDonim Fri 05-Apr-19 23:24:48

This is probably the place to confess that I am giving houseroom to an unfinished needlepoint canvas from 1985 and a half-completed rug from 1987.

I haven't disposed of them because I'm going to finish them one day, aren't I! grin

Witzend Sat 06-Apr-19 07:56:21

One UFO of mine didn't quite languish for ever, and finally had a VIP outing, It was a dress I made for my own (reg office) wedding - something I'd seen in a Brides magazine. Long sleeves, square neck, Empire line, really pretty print (this was the 70s).

Once I'd virtually finished it, I showed it to my mother, who said it looked like an old fashioned nightie!!!

Of course that put me right off it, so I bought something else - admittedly more flattering, given that I was only about a size 8 then.

Went with dh to live/work in the Middle East - at the time there were hardly any shops and it was often hard to get even basics.
One day someone I didn't know very well came round to ask whether I please had anything she could possibly borrow to wear, since she and her dh were invited to a VVIP do with HM the Sultan and other such bods. She needed long, with long sleeves, and hadn't anything suitable.

I dug out that dress - finished except for the lace (which I had) around the square neck and said she was welcome if it was any use.

She took it, stitched the lace on, and wore it.
I later wore it to a fairly formal evening do (same country) when around 6 months pregnant, so it wasn't entirely wasted.

MamaCaz Sat 06-Apr-19 09:20:42

I can only recall two.

The first was my first attempt at knitting myself a garment (a summer top) when I was 12. I did the back but hated the sight of the thing before I was halfway up the front, and abandoned it.

The other was only last year, when I started sewing a soft toy dog from a 'vintage' pattern from a charity shop. I bought some furry fabric and cut out all the pieces, but just couldn't get on with sewing it together. I had to give up, and I threw it away.

It's really unusual for me to give up.

In fact, I seem to have become the completer of other people's UFOs within our family. I am losing track of the rugs, cross stitches etc that I have finished for other people. ?

I enjoy doing most of them (especially rugs), but did come close to abandoning someone's embellished cross stitch - i wouldn't touch another of those with a barge-pole!)

jusnoneed Sat 06-Apr-19 10:31:39

I do have a couple of cross stitch projects to finish. One, a dragon wrapped around a castle, started years ago. The other, second of a set of ladies. I completed the Noel one years ago, it is much admired - reds/golds with beads does look lovely. I then decided to start the Winter one, greys/blues/gold. Still pick it up from time to time, last was about two weeks ago - made me realise I need my eyes checked!

SueDonim Sat 06-Apr-19 13:31:56

It would be a public service to all UFO-owners if you gave us your address, MamaCaz! grin

MamaCaz Sat 06-Apr-19 13:44:31

SueDonim

I have this really amusing image in my mind now of hoards of Gransnetters making their way down my front path with their half-finished projects under their arms ?

SueDonim Sat 06-Apr-19 14:13:27

?MamaCaz It would be good for the environment, too - imagine how much stuff you'd be saving from landfill!

Nannyxthree Sat 06-Apr-19 22:15:13

I have a cross stitch picture of a bird where nearly every stitch is a slightly different shade of grey. I must have been mad to start it in the first place but eyesight is not good enough to finish it now.

MamaCaz Sun 07-Apr-19 08:49:52

That has reminded me that I have an un started cross stitch, Nannyxthree, and it is unstarted for much the same reason as yours is unfinished!

Having worked a kingfisher, then an eagle from the same series, I decided to buy the swan too. Since buying it, I have realised that I will have terrible trouble telling all the very similar shades apart now that my eyes aren't what they used to be.
If I do ever start it, it is almost certain to become a UFU sad

lovebeigecardigans1955 Sun 07-Apr-19 09:00:38

I've got two patchwork quilts which aren't finished.
One is "crazy" made up of small squares (about 4") and as it is embellished with lots of embroidery it doesn't half weight heavy - double bed size. I need to finish one edge. So why don't I just get on with it?
The other is a hexagon quilt which I started with great enthusiasm but I've gone off it.
I'm also re-vamping my memoirs massively - will I ever get it ready for publication?
I will get them done one day but that day never comes.

whywhywhy Mon 08-Apr-19 17:30:07

I'm glad that I am not alone! I have two cardigans that are unfinished because I just couldnt sort out the patterns at the time. I may pull them out and make a couple of jumpers with the wool. Also I have a crochet poncho that I thought would be a good idea from a couple of years ago, still not finished. One day.....