A memorial to my unfinished project (and everything else I’ve ever thrown away)

Summary

The author reflects on the experience of discarding a flawed crochet cardigan project, recognizing it as a learning opportunity and a reminder to make better-informed decisions in the future.

Abstract

The author describes the emotional and practical challenges faced when abandoning a crochet cardigan project that was fraught with mistakes, including color mismatches and uneven panels. Despite potential fixes, the author's dislike for the yarn and the realization of the project's futility led to its disposal after three years of procrastination. The experience prompts introspection about the broader implications of waste and the value of lessons learned from past mistakes, encouraging a more mindful approach to future endeavors and purchases.

Opinions

The author expresses regret and frustration over the significant errors in the crochet project, such as mismatched dye lots and uneven panel lengths.
There is a sense of personal responsibility for the project's failure, attributed to uninformed decisions and stress at the time of crocheting.
The yarn used for the project is criticized for being difficult to work with, described as slippery and splitty, and not worth the effort to salvage.
The author acknowledges the financial and emotional investment in crafting materials, lamenting the loss of time and effort that cannot be reclaimed.
A decision to let go of the project and the associated negative emotions is made by discarding the cardigan, symbolizing a release from irritation and regret.
The article suggests that every mistake, including the discarded cardigan, offers valuable lessons, such as the importance of research and diligence in crafting.
The author reflects on past consumer behaviors, considering how

A memorial to my unfinished project

and everything else I’ve ever thrown away)

Last week, I threw away a nearly completed crochet project. It did not feel good.

It was a basic cardigan that I started years ago during the lockdown period of the pandemic. I stopped the project at its final phase, when you sew all the separate panels together. Unfortunately, by that point, it was a little too late to discover the all major mistakes in my work.

I bought a bunch of this cotton in different colors for a project that ultimately fell through. Photo by author.

For one, the yarn dye lots didn’t match. Half of a front panel was a pinkish gray instead of the bluish gray of the rest of the cardigan. In daylight, the color difference was stark. It looked like it had tumbled in the wash with a red sock in its pocket.

Also, one front panel was shorter than the other. Not by a little either: about five inches too short. If yarn tension is any indicator of emotional levels, I must have been going through a very stressful time.

Now there are fixes for some of these things: a box of Rit fabric dye or some strategic stretching and blocking of fabric. And for truly lost causes, I can always unravel the work, get the yarn back, and start anew. But, in this case, I kind of hated the yarn too. It was slippery, splitty, and a pain to work with. Definitely not worth salvaging.

Completely defeated, I set the project aside in a basket of craft supplies and vowed to come back to it later.

Much, much later.

Specifically, three years later.

This yarn has given me much grief. Perhaps I just haven’t found the right project for it yet. Photo by author.

I finally returned to it. It collected a bit of dust from time in storage and collected a heap of bitterness from me. Any crafter knows materials aren’t cheap. But even if that expense could be reimbursed somehow, I couldn’t get back my time and effort.

But, of course, the real target of my frustration was not my project but my own bad, uninformed decisions. I needed to make a choice. I could cling to my irritation and regret or I could let it go for good.

So I put the cardigan in the trash.

Hovering over the garbage bin, I wondered how many others have had this same experience. Not just as a crafter, but in general as someone who buys and owns things. I wondered at how many others have discreetly rolled an unwanted but costly item into the garbage bin like a criminal getting rid of a body.

A dramatic reenactment, courtesy of this unfinished baby blanket. Photo by author.

But I decided to treat this moment not as a crime scene but as a memorial. While the time and materials were wasted, my experience from it didn’t have to be.

My unfinished cardigan taught me a lot. I learned to invest more research before starting a project and be more diligent about dye lots and gauge. These are lessons that have served me well over time, even if the project they originated from was ultimately rubbish.

It made me think of everything else I’ve ever thrown away and wasted. What lessons could I have learned from them too? Perhaps I should have slept on that mini waffle maker instead of buying it impulsively. Perhaps I could have repurposed the all those salsa and pickle jars instead of buying a new case of Mason-branded ones. Perhaps I should have invested in a well-made turtleneck sweater instead of a cheap, fast fashion one that had an unnatural fit.

But I could dig that hole for ages. Better to learn and move on.

So farewell, old cardigan! Goodbye, unfinished WIP! Your time with me has come to an end, but your lessons are enduring.

Thank you.

And rest in peace.