Finishing Touches

As much as I love knitting, I really don't like finishing my projects. Finishing refers to all the work required on a knitted item once the actual knitting has been completed. This could mean sewing different pieces together and always involves weaving in bits of yarn. I find this process tedious and boring and, in the case of assembling, stress inducing, because if I don't sew my sweater together nicely, no matter how well it was knitted, it will look awful.
 Don't ask me how this happened but I am currently in the process of finishing three different baby blankets, two of which are for the "Knitting for Charity" club that I am part of. When I was faced with lots of different squares that need to be organized, sewn together and their ends tucked in, I did what most people would do- I stalled and procrastinated. I knit a quick hat. I read a few books. Every night, I would eye the growing pile next to my bed and choose to ignore it. But this week I decided to bite the bullet. I am anxious to start some new knitting projects and cannot do so in good conscience until I have finally finished with all these blankets. So I started: Monday night I assembled one blanket, Tuesday night I worked on the second and last night I wove in over 50 bits of yarn on the third blanket, as I was waiting for my children to fall asleep.
It's funny that I was dreading all that weaving,when really it only took about 40 minutes and was actually pretty painless.
I started thinking how life is funny that way. I often start projects with a lot of motivation and enthusiasm. I am sure I will complete it successfully in no time. But then I get to the nitty-gritty or the parts that I don't enjoy as much. All of a sudden it doesn't seem like so much fun anymore and I am not sure I want to continue. This could be dieting, writing an article, networking and building up my doula practice, exercising or even just my evening dishes.  But if I give up mid-way, all the work I put in until that point will be meaningless and will have been a big waste of time. Sticking it out and pushing yourself to finish will be much more gratifying and often the work that we are fearing is not as bad as we are imagining it to be.
When the adrenaline of newness has worn off you need to find something else to keep you going. Maybe a vision of the completed project or anything else that does the trick. I am sure I am not alone in this attitude. Please share what works for you.
Speaking of knitting, I registered for a class at the Vogue Knitting Conference and am sooo excited. I am planning a fun day off with my knitting buddy S. First brunch, then browsing the yarn at the conference and then a class on how to knit a beaded handbag. Too bad it's not till January...
So here is to new beginnings and their successful completions!