The Twenty-Four Hour Rule

The Twenty-Four Hour Rule, or how I can justify starting new projects when I know I shouldn't

So, at present, I have fifty started-but-not-finished projects. This includes 24 cross-stitch things, 3 sets of cross-stitch ornaments, 1 latch hook rug, 10 knitted things, 7 quilted things, and 5 canvaswork things. The goal for 2010 is to somehow get under 40 projects going at once - but DEFINITELY not go over fifty. Going over fifty would be BAD.

Thus, the 24 hour rule: If i can finish IT within 24 hours of when I start IT, IT will not count on "the list" as #51. This has led to all sorts of insanity, most recently with the Trainspotter hats and Ravelympics. Getting things KNITTED quickly, though, is new for me - it's usually the Cross Stitch that either gets me in trouble, or saves me in the end. Here are a few things I've used the Twenty-Four Hour Rule to start-without-guilt:

This little Brittercup fox (which should've taken a week, but I traded sleep for stitching time), and a Brittercup JCS Xmas Ornament Issue design:




A sailing thing - I think I turned it into a needleroll:



"Yarn on the Lam" & "Don't Fence Me In" - but these aren't big, so shouldn't take that long. I'm pretty sure, though, that the first was supposed to say "Ewe's not Fat, ewe's fluffy" - which I didn't like, and the other was just a cactus - no words or background or anything. Yep, time pressure means MAKE CHANGES!! (Otherwise, there might not be time pressure, right?)




My wedding shower present for my sister (who had everything she needed... but not quite enough really fancy shoes). (Yes, she's dual-citizen Irish, so the pink w/ shamrocks cloth HAD to happen!) I think she gets most of my off-the-cuff original stuff!!


And, at one point a few years back, photos with my watch to prove I was getting things done that quickly!








So, that's the Twenty-Four Hour Rule: If you can finish it in less than a day, it isn't ever an UnFinished Object!