It’s doldrums here at String Central. Younger Daughter is back to university. Others are back to work. I fill my time with nosing around for grant and proposal contract assignments, and my various projects.
First, my sanity project – the doodled decoration on the pre-finished napkins I bought on sale from Wayfair, using the cotton four-ply embroidery floss I picked up when we visited Sajou in Paris (stitching with three plies). I can show a modicum of progress. I’m just picking out random designs from my books and doing them rather informally, with a different design along a single edge of each of eight napkins. The first of my mismatched set is complete. The second in process.
The linen is soft and once washed, a bit mushy. That makes count work a bit more troublesome than it otherwise would be, especially on so coarse a ground. But it’s still rather quick work. The first napkin with the interlace took three evenings (about half shown). The in process photo shows only one evening’s worth of work.
On to knitting. I finished a pair of socks, packed up and sent to the recipient before I remembered to take a photo. They were my “briefcase project” – the thing I always have with me to work on while I wait on telephone hold, on line at the post office, or for appointments. Since I ALWAYS have a pair on the needles, the next pair is already cast on and sitting it its bag, itself waiting for me to be waiting. This pair however is special. Younger Daughter picked out this yarn with the proviso that I knit something for myself with it. I comply.
And my project of long suffering guilt. I promised these Octopus Mittens to my niece late last winter. It was inadvertently destroyed, then was re-started with new yarn, and is now sitting next to my project chair, chiding me that it is being neglected. I plead laziness, lack of inspiration, and frustration with stranding using two strands of DK, knit at sock yarn gauge for warmth.
I MUST finish these. I promised.
How do you flog yourself back into working on a sidelined project? All suggestions gratefully accepted.
Oh, And if you know of anyone looking for a project manager/writer/editor specializing in high tech grants and proposals – send them my way, please.
String-Or-Nothing 
Alas, I am unable to flog myself. But I have started a newish thing to knitting. If it’s still in a drawer and not finished, I’m frogging it for the wool. Sometimes the mere thought of frogging makes me finish. As to embroidery, er, ah, stammer, stutter…like a set of napkins?….I moved 4 of 6 into the drawer and am using them. I put the other 2 in a box of linen that can be used. Whatever ends up on them, will go in with the napkins as well, I’m not waiting to do “that” pattern again. I have a jacket on my son’s want list. It’s cut out and waiting still. And it can darn well sit there and wait until I’m good and ready. I’ll not have projects nagging at me. Shh, all of you be quiet. Darn nagging projects.
By rewarding yourself. Promise that if you spend an hour on the Thing, you can spend an hour on a fun project. Or whatever proportion you decide on. Then follow through.
I usually make myself work on the dreaded task for a set time, 10-15 minutes usually. Once started, sometimes I find it’s not so bad and continue for a bit longer. And I do my best to leave the project in a state where it’s obvious and easy to start in. Nothing kills my already wane desire on some projects than needing to fill bobbins, thread needles, chase tools, or figure out where I left off last session. The octopus mttens look like they’ll be adorable once done.