The Never Ending Knitted or Crocheted Project

I had just knotted the last three strands of fringe to a lush and very large knitted shawl, when I pumped my fist and literally shouted "Hurray!"  The words to a familiar party song popped into my head and would not let go.  "Celebrate, good times.  Come on!  Celebrate, good times.  Come On!  I could hear Kool and the Gang playing in my mind.  To keep that celebratory mood, I clicked onto You Tube and sang along.  Why was I so happy?  I had been working on this piece for months.  The shawl was not difficult.  Actually,  it was just a large Homepsun yarn rectangle made entirely with garter stitch. I had made several similar shawls before.  (http://www.lilcreates.com?lilliansblog/it-all-started-with-a-shawl).  I even liked the yarn that had been donated to Threads of Love. 

As with many knitted or crocheted large projects, I started with best of intentions.  Have you ever been in a crocheting or knitting situation where the sheer volume of the enterprise seemed to feel overwhelming?  You keep asking yourself, "Have I reached the midway point? How many squares do I have to go?"  I took the first couple of feet of shawl with me on a road trip.  However, as the weather warmed up, I really did not want a large, warm, cozy piece laying on my lap and over my knees.  The shawl was banished to the knitting bag  to be taken out at night (with air conditioning) while I watched one of the many series I was following on the cable networks.  I was easily distracted by other projects:  baby shower gifts or a shawl for my bff.  The attraction of a smaller piece of work (like my fingerless gloves I was writing up for a pattern release) frequently led me astray. The deadline for project collections for Threads of Love was coming up in early August.  The time for excuses was over.  How do you feel when you have to get serious about your work. When my granddaughter was napping, I tried to get in a few more inches. 

---

I gave myself pep talks.   "You can do this.  You are almost there, " I told myself.  I promised myself that I would not take on any additional WIP's until I could sign off,  project completed, ready to donate.  Everyday, I draped the shawl around me as I stood in front of the entryway mirror.  When the piece reached mid-thigh on both sides, I heaved a sigh of relief as I finsished off and chrocheted the single crochet foundation row on each end.  Two hours remained for  cutting 190 individual strands  to be knotted in 3 strand bunches on both ends of the shawl.  When the last knot was made I was really ready to "Celebrate good times.  Come On."

As I scroll down the Facebook Newsfeed, I admire the work of so many knitters and crocheters who have completed intricate shawls, blankets, and afghans.  I admire your workmanship and above all your tenacity and patience.  My fellow knitters and crocheters, how do you deal with a large project that does not seem to come to an end?  Does it still reside in your craft bag out of sight, or have you managed to finish?  How do you celebrate your accomplishment?