When to Frog a UFO

UFO: Unfinished object.

Frog: to take your knitting off the needles and pull the stitches apart.

Do you have a stack of UFOs?  Have some sat, untouched, for months or even years?  When is the right time to frog a stale UFO?

Take Stock

It may be a hard thing to do but it’s something every knitter must confront: their pile of unfinished objects.  Since the start of Ravelry, I’ve diligently logged every project that I’ve started…. So my UFOs remain on that page to haunt me, every time I log in.  Some knitters may not be so OCD about their Ravelry pages so it may be best to make a list of all your UFOs.

The hardest part of this process is being honest to yourself and refrain from feeling guilty.  I have major guilt issues when it comes to UFOs. I should have completed all the projects! Why was I so lazy?!  Guilt, guilt, guilt.

Hard Decisions

Once you know what UFOs you have on the needles, look at each one and decide if it was meant to be.  I know that I stopped knitting on some projects because the yarn and pattern were not working well together.  These are the easy calls – if they’re not working, they’re not meant to be. Frog them!

Some projects are halted because of pattern issues.  Perhaps you stopped because you didn’t know how to proceed.  Or perhaps the pattern was too complicated and you got tired of it. These are easy fixes – if you can find a satisfactory solution.  Ask a knitter friend or someone at a yarn store for a solution to your pattern problem. And if the pattern is so complicated that it doesn’t keep you inspired….  It’s time to frog.

The harder decisions come when you have a UFO that, in theory, was going to turn into something great….but it was a bit too monotonous to knit on for long.  Can you picture actually knitting on it until the end? If not, frog it.

Following Through

I now have to follow through with my own advice.  I have seven UFOs sitting in my knitting bag…. Some of them I love and some, not really.  I’ve been meaning to frog some for a while now and haven’t had the courage to follow through.  If I’m accountable to myself, I will tell you about them in future posts.

How many UFOs do you have?  Are you willing to make the hard decision to frog?