Good for you. And we're all still waiting for the details on that sock yarn.

Geez. Am I first??

...and second...Also meant to comment on the snow...get those toes covered!

I had a bout with that 'disease" several years ago. I took all of my yarn, and made it into chemo hats (about 44) and announced that I would never own yarn again-my knitting days were done. I rediscovered knitting about 2 years ago. One of my friends reminded me of this moment, when I was showing her my latest knitted project. Funny how selective amnesia can be.

Life is funny. Maybe you just need to completely restock your stash. Out with the old and in with the new. Enjoy!

Baby steps! Finish something and then tackle a small bite of something else. Then finish something. Then tackle a small bit of something else. It's a great system!!

It must be something in the air. I was wandering through the stash closet to find some missing Christmas gift yarn and I ended up compiling a basket of UFOs instead. I'm now inspired to finish some projects instead of starting them.

It's just time to finish the old so that you can fill your basket with new UFOs.

No matter how you slice it then, it's still avoidance knitting. As a side note, finishitupitis makes it sound like at least one of those mitten pairs must be Latvian.

I could really use a severe case of finishitupitis right now. Not just for knitting, but for everything else that's going on in my life.

Or maybe Finnish.

Weekend coming....just in time to get some of those things REALLY finished. And get out to the LYS to start on something new. Oh - wait! That's the wrong disease! I'm so confused!

Wow, I sincerely hope this is a contagious illness.

If I gave you my address, would you cough into an envelope then give it a good lick and send it my way? I really could use a case of that.

If the people in your house really want clean laundry, they'll do it themselves.

I agree with your diagnosis. . . finishing the knitting projects seems more achievable than the rest of that mountain of stuff-to-be-done, hence the onset of finishitupitis. I'd like to contract finishitupitis myself, but not if the condition is triggered by having even more non-knitting projects on the schedule.

You knit the sleeves of your sweaters before the body? Is that just for this one pattern or do you always do it that way? Maybe knitting the body first is the reason I have so many unfinished sweaters lying around the house.

Maybe it's the New Year and all that? I have a distant cousin of finishituptitis which is stashyarnonly-emia. Not only do I feel like I have to finish UFOs, if I start any new projects, they have to be from the stash. This is not being noble and averting my eyes from the LYS - I don't even FEEL like buying yarn. This is a state I have not been in since before Bill Clinton was president.

Having the same urge here. I think it's just when I feel the rest of my life is beyond control that it's nice to be able to corral something! Current list on the go: sweater (finishing today), cardigan, second mitt, and three shawls...

Was Joe's gansey on the list of projects to finish up?

I commend you on your diagnosis and hope that the disease runs it course with many finished projects in its wake. Including some of that paperwork pile on your desk. You don't want Tina to get ahead in the paper chase do you? Looking forward to many great things come July. Have Joe give you a hug from me.

Can you come to southern Wisconsin and infect me with this disease? I have so many WIPs and UFOs and I have the urge to start new things left and right and...I think I need this disease you speak of.

I can't wait to see all the finished projects. Now I feel the need to finish up some things myself!

you have a moral obligation to spread this disease to your fellow knitters. start coughing on people asap!

I think your analysis of the infectious nature of this disease is dead on, or at least, it mirrors my own experience. I'm trying to finish up my dissertation right now while teaching full time. This is my first year at the job, so everything is new. And the dissertation eats far more than its fair share of time. So yeah, I'm enjoying--enjoying!--seaming up two baby sweaters for friends. Because they're far more likely to get done than this next chapter. I hope you can juggle the priorities better than I can.

I am swearing by my rotation this year. I have only been doing it since the first week or so of the year, but I've finished a sweater from 2008, socks from 2010, a hat, a second pair of socks, a coffee cuff (which a bit harrowing for a coffee cuff) and there are a few other days in which I expect to finish at least one more hat.

Of course, the rotation also meant that I started a coffee cuff and two hats), but I'm finishing things almost as fast as I'm starting them. It makes my blog a much more interesting place to be.

Finishupitis? I think that must be what I have - as a perpetual condition. Coupled with monogamous knitting, it's very good for getting things done and makes for some awkward traveling projects. May the bug stay with you until your workbasket is much lighter!

(I also get Clean-up-itis when my workbasket is empty, so the next project has a neat tidy home to live in and the room I look out on is in proper order. But I only have two teenagers.)

It's funny - I have startitis when it comes to quilting but I CAN'T work on multiple knitting projects at a time. You'd think it would be the same for both hobbies...

I'm curious to see how far you'll get before you start recovering from this disease... I've had it before, but then I discover that the reason the UFOs became such were b/c there was a problem that I didn't want to deal with, or I was just bored of knitting it, or some other reason. I usually manage to get about one thing done if I'm lucky, and then the temptation of knitting something that hasn't developed an "issue" yet becomes overwhelming.

Do you think you caught it from someone at VKLive? Maybe you didn't wash your hands enough after passing your sock around. Drink lots of liquids (coffee, tea, beer, wine) and let us know how you're doing!

I see that someone else beat me to the question about Joe's Gansey.

I would like to catch a case of finishitupitis(tm)

I have a bunch of woven projects that need fringe twisted and washing. A warp almost on one loom that could be towels with just a few hours of attention.

Instead I am working on the new colorwork fingerless mitts that are my homework for the steeking class. Too cool - knit both at the same time on a 16" circ - then steek them apart and add buttons up the back. They are so cute and my first fair isle project. These will be finished first - then I'll decide if starting something new or finishing something in progress will happen.

In my experience, laundry never gets finished, unless you make everyone walk around with nothing on. And in Canada in the winter, that seems a cruel thing to do just to make a point.....better to focus on something like knitting that has real purpose.

that's awesome! go with it!
maybe by letting projects sit around for awhile, the old becomes new again.

Still no info about the sock yarn? You're such a tease...;)

Ah the duality! They're two sides of the same coin! If you follow through with the urge, what are you going to work on afterward? And why isn't Joe's Gansey on the list? Hmmm? :D (PS: MKLR started it this time!)

Everytime I read "Finishitupitis" all I can see is the word "shit" in the middle. And it makes me laugh. :D

At the risk of sounding like a freak - I start one thing, I knit until I'm finished, and then I start something new. Might be because the rest of my world is very disorganized? Can't be the only one in the kniterverse, can I?

Here's hoping that Finishitupitis is contagious. I could use a bout of it!

I love how you use the triage approach for your UFOs - this IS a medical condition! Hope it continues as long as it's fun . . . it definitely sounds productive.

I totally have reached this point. I cleaned out the knit nest last night (which is an extension of the knitting insipiration zone which is extension of the fiber den/craft room). All of my WIP are in one place. I don't have as many, but they still need to be finished.

Yay! (clapping) a round of FOs to show us. I can't wait...

"I have a to-do list that is so long that it makes virtually no difference to spend a twelve hour work day on it." I know exactly how that feels! Here's to your case of Finishitupitis lasting for a good while!

I have had that before! It happened last year, when spring began, and I finished EVERYTHING. All the second socks were completed, I added sleeves to a sweater, and I was in shock. I never knew it could happen! Enjoy it while it lasts, a mere two weeks later, I was starting four projects in one day, and only one of those is finished now.

I'm totally with you. I chalk it up to the month of January, does it to me every time.

thanks for the explanation and a giggle or three.
you totally nailed the reason of why best to sit and finish something...I love the distraction from the other important things in life...

I also have a burning desire to finish up my mittens, but I think it's more because my hands are freaking freezing than because of some new-fangled disease. Good luck! I'll be watching to see how long you're afflicted (blessed?)...

I've got finishitupitis too! I recently joined Ravelry (way cool site) and my queue is growing daily but I've yet to enter any finished dates for projects. Not much substantial knitting exists beyond hats and scarves.
I want to move onto something new but the knit bug gave me a fever I can't shake. I have finally seen the wisdom of gauging and wonder if my past UFO sweaters will actually fit. I want to get over my anxiety of finishing up (seaming, picking up stitches for the collar, etc) so I can move on with another sweater. I really love just the activity of knitting but then I can't even come close to explaining to my husband why I need so much yarn. "You never finish anything, why do you need more yarn?" He'll never understand, and I've tried to splain it to him.
Good Luck! I'm avoiding other work myself.

Is one of the symptoms a self imposed yarn diet as well? Then I have it. Reduced stash by 75% but would never think of giving up knitting, just decluttering and being more selective of what I want to knit. Perhaps it's knitting monogamy I'm working towards.

take advantage, as it apparently only happens once every 30-some-odd years.

Good for you! It must be something in the air: just this week I finished a cobblestone with stripes on the yoke for my hubby, and a large square shawl of Merino Mia for myself, and I am burning through a Shadow[]Box! Oh, and last week I sewed together a vest of Colourscape! And while I was set up for blocking the square shawl, I blocked a Birch out of mohair/silk that was just waiting for months. I am eagerly contemplating putting the finishing touches on several other UFOs.

Now the problem I am encountering is not having space for all the new garments as yarn moves from stash rooms (formerly children's rooms) into our room. Need to do some reorganization, I think. Hope I can do it without being distracted by new projects.

Perhaps its your inner adult coming out. Take advantage while it lasts.

every once in awhile finishitupitis sweeps over me, too. last year i thought that instead of knitting a sweater a month (or whatever) i would focus on finishing something every month. it sort of worked, and i did finish a few things that had been languishing. now i've made the same bet for this year and i'll see how it goes. after all, the startitis might come back and you can't be help responsible for what you do when you're ill... :)

Just thought I would add to the dilemma by letting you know that spillyjane has offered a free pattern to anyone that posts a picture of a finished pair of Camilla mitts before the end of Feb... I had resisted until that moment now all is lost :)

Isn't it grand that knitting offers us challenge, simplicity, thrill, serenity, control, abandon -- you name it -- depending on what's lacking in the rest of our lives?

And perhaps this is why I ignored everything in "real life" yesterday and finished off two knitting projects.

Take care!

Finishitupitis. Please tell me this is communicable. I desperately need to catch this. I don't even care if it doesn't help with the house cleaning causing getting all the project in various states of completeness done would help clean the house enough to make a small difference.

Hope the finishitupitis continues and goes well for you.

Is your basement big enough for a Comfy Chair? Put a comfy chair and a good lamp down there, so you can knit while the laundry is going. You'll catch up with your laundry quickly enough.

Myself, laundry is my favorite chore. I consider it good knitting/watching movies time that I get to check off as time spent working.

As a monogamous knitter, it really bothers me whenever I have a pile-up of WIPS in my basket, so I frequently have Finishitupitis. It just feels so good to have nothing staring at me while I watch Doctor Who.

I wondered what had become of Wild Apples. It looked so pretty as a WIP.

How does one contract Finishitupitis? Every once in a while I get a spurt of isthisfixabletosus which causes me to investigate the WIP pile leading to a bout of ripititis.

Knitting -- the ultimate do over.

I love getting bouts of Finishitupitis. It makes me feel so productive watching things fall off the pile. Or getting the courage to frog things that aren't working.

Here's your challenge. Finish your oldest WIP. Mine is from the early 90's when Bush the elder was prez.

I am so there with you. It must be that feeling of happiness just from imagining everything finished. Also, I have a great longing to inventory my needles. May the (finishing) force be with you.

Excellent! I wish I had the same motivation to finish my projects and not start something new instead. Now if only I could come down with a strong case of Finishitupitis...

I definitely contracted Startitus, but unfortunately, I then contracted Ripitoutitus. Nothing worked out. Fight the good fight!

Finishitupitis is only that as long as you put it to use. I really hope it works for you and anyone else who has it.

I only catch it occasionally, and rarely when a project is actually near. I have plenty of startitupitis already. I have that by the 18-wheeler truck full.

Small projects are good for the fastest there-I-did-its. That sock is beautiful! (And I want to run go cast one on like it, looking at it.)

Sometimes that urge just creeps up on you, when you least expect it! I have a real urge to cast on some lace, but need to get my cardigan finished. The more I tell myself to knit the cardigan, the greater the urge to knit lace. I've been rummaging in my stash for the perfect yarn! Next step will be winding it! And before you know it, the little beggar will have cast itself onto my needles!

Ah....That's got to be it. So much else going on that you want to be fulfilled now. I hope you have it for as long as it takes to get a pile of finished stuff. Should I send you my Leyfi so you can finish the half sleeve I've had to do for two months? I don't seem to be contracting anything as fabulous as you over here.... Kudos to you! :D (oh, and, can't wait for that manuscript to be finished!!!) Woooot!

Must be something going around, I've been on a finishitis jag since christmas, but it's starting to peter out, I'm ready to launch myself into the stash and start at least ONE new thing... hats.. I've had hats on my mind and some lovely hanspun to make them out of...

I think it's wonderful. It is just an amazing feeling to finish the things that are already on the needles (that's how I felt when I had two projects on the needles, one being a shawl for my mom that was so hard for me but I knew I had to have it done for Christmas so she had something under the tree to unwrap). Good luck!

It's generally only a 24 or 48 hour bug - go with it while it lasts.

I've had that condition three times: two weeks before delivering child #2, two weeks before delivering child #3, and four weeks before delivering child #1. hmmmmm. . .

So, um. . . . What about the Gansey?

/runs and hides

It's in the air I think. On turning an unspecified age that is older than I expected, I developed a case of "I've gotta organize it all so I can find it all to play with before I die." Fortunately, I was able to rein it in so I do only a little at a time to avoid paralyzing overwhelm. Enjoy finishing while it lasts!

Car journeys used to be dreadful especially with having to listen to country music hours on end. (I like country music, I just don't want to listen to it endlessly) After getting the hang of knitting in the car, the journeys are much more enjoyable. So I knit in the car, almost always. Drives my hubby nuts. :-)

Wow... I want some, too! Actually, there was a little bit before Christmas, because the Ravelry group had a KAL for finishing Christmas gifts, and it didn't matter when they had been started. I started many projects, and finished them, but I also found three old ones and finished them, too. I won the random drawing prize because I had the most entries in the drawing basket--17. I'm kind of proud of that. Of course, now I have another gorgeous prize skein of sock yarn in the queue...

February is for finishing afterall.... Ask Aleta.

Finishupitis sounds a lot better than knitcationitis which has befallen me. Trying to decide what to pack for a vacation on the beach, humm...lots of time to sit in the shade by the beach, drinking adult beverages with umbrellas and knitting what and how much? I have packed and unpacked the Koigu Oriental Jacket due to an entirely rational fear of losing one of the 20-30 balls of yarn for the sweater and it might not be safe to knit this while drinking, plus it did actually take up a lot of carry on space. So instead of searching for and packing necessities like a bathing suit I am rooting through my stash of yarn and patterns trying to decide what knitting to take...after all a woman must have her priorities straight.

I love that feeling of wanting to finish everything. Yes go for the mittens! That poses the best chance of making it! :)

Who needs laundry?

I think it's some sort of survival instinct triggered by the harsh winter. Not only am I finishing projects, but I'm using yarn from my stash AND eating my way through my freezer and pantry! I'm hoping it keeps up for a while ~ the instinct, not the winter!

There is a theory that every unfinished task or bit of clutter absorbs some of your energy. Finishing the knitting or cleaning off that surface liberates that energy and you feel wonderful as it flows back into your reservoir. At least that's what I hear. Decluttering is just not as much fun as finishing the knitted object. I have 'a few' on the go and look to you for inspiration - hoping finishupitis is contageous!

Congratulations! I had that for a little while this year...then the feeling broke. May it last longer for you than it did for me. :)

I had the same disease, but it has progressed to an advanced stage: stashuseupitis. It's a new year thing, I think.

Dude, take the motivation where you find it and enjoy!

I think that's where the left brain/right brain thing comes into play. The left side starts the projects and the right brain insists on their completion. Whatever it is, just run with it!

Hormones.

My theory is that it's the first sign of Spring. I tidied out the front bedroom (aka the wool room) and gave away four bags of yarn this week. Maybe it's the knitter equivalent of spring cleaning.

Oh, ooofff... now I thought for a moment you were seriously ill. Nope, that's not a bad case of finishitupitis, that would be extremely weird after all. I fear it's just a perfectly ordinary spree of sidestepitis ;-) Anything is better than the work that *should* be done.

I have this too! I'm cranking through a cowl, then renting a million movies so I don't have to leave the house until the shawl is done this weekend, then picking up the baby blanket again! Hooray! I'm glad to know it's a contagious disease and not a sign of spring cleaning or anything weird like that.

I just looked up finishitupitis in my dictionary. It said, "See Avoidance, Housework."

Can I come to visit so that I can catch finishitupitis? It's bloomin' cold here (for Britain), and I could do with those alpaca mittens that need cuffs and thumbs. It's very unfortunate that I'm trying to finish a scarf, and have just swatched because I have a great idea for a cardigan (also necessary, so that I can have the house heating on less) - and particularly unfortunate bcause last night I fell in love (I mean like crazy, drop everything else, knitting lust) with the hat that Ysolda did on Knitting TV (it is too cute for words, you must go see: http://www.knittingdaily.com/media/p/55761.aspx).

Now that completely explains my product-driven knitting. It's just procrastination! It works well, doesn't it?

While I don't have too much on the needles at the moment (Thanks to Christmas) I've been having my own little bout of "planitis". I keep taking skeins of yarn and matching them with patterns and getting them bagged with the proper needles and all ready to go - and then I change my mind. Switch the pattern. Alter the yarn choice. Bag and re-bag.The other night I had yarn sorted all over the floor by color. Then resorted by type. the resorted by project ideas. Then I scooped it all up and put it back in it's plastic boxes.
Startitis or finishitupitis would be so much better. Either one would do.

This is exactly how weird it felt when the nesting instinct hit me during pregnancy...I hate cleaning in any form and the foreign feeling of wanting to clean - well it was, um, foreign. Good luck, hope the condition lasts long enough for that vision of an empty basket to become a reality.

As a wannabe knitter/lurker with a big case of can't-startitis, I finally started knitting (I'm using Barbara Walker's Learn-to-Knit Afghan book) and today, while I was knitting and listening to Jeopardy!, the returning contestant on the show mentioned your blog while chatting to Alex Trebek. She participated in the Knitting Olympics and gave you and the site props as the creator (or shall I say the Pierre de Coubertin) of the K.O.

I desperately need a case of this or swift kick in the butt to finish my first sweater. I've been working on it for about 1 1/2 years and have to re-do shoulder decreases again. My husband feels so bad that it is taking so long as the pattern was the first gift he got me.
Yes I'm keeping him, no he does not have any brothers. The knit group loves him even though most have not met him yet. I'm resisting startitis of many of the patterns he got me this year.

I recently had finishitupitis, for some unexplained reason, and it was great! I'm seaming up my Must Have Cardigan from Patons and finished up several other projects I'd stopped years ago.

Can't wait to see all your finished stuff.

As for me, I cast on a new pair of SPILLYJANE! mittens last night. : P

Kelly @ Creating a Family Home

Laundry/housework never killed anyone,BUT why take the chance. IRON is an accronym for
I Really Only Nit. :)

What's the name of the disease when you get the urge to knit up all the yarn in the stash?

It passes relatively quickly tho.

Apparently you made it out of JFK and home!

I had Finishupitis right before my first child was born, and it was good... since then, I've only been able to keep up with one or two projects at a time. It was fortuitous. I wish you all the success in getting it all done; it certainly makes good blog fodder!

Although I may be in danger of disrupting the finishitupitis, I say declare "The gansey for Joe" finished, ditch it or give away the yarn and start a new one. Something with yummy yarn for such a super fella and surprise him :>)

BOHUS APPLES IS NOT DONE YET?! You have no idea how let down I am that you, a FAST KNITTER, have somehow managed not to complete this expensive, unique sweater. Your blog inspired me to read all about the history of Bohus and eventually to track down Meg Swanson and Joyce Williams's Estonian Knitting, which reminds me so much of Bohus style. I am about to attempt "trapping." Get with the program, Steph, and finish Apples. I want to see a photo. Think of all the great cold weather left this season in which you can enjoy flashing this item. Forget the new book. I have pre-ordered your latest book, and it won't even be available until May according to Amazon, so they are hardly ready for your next book and may not be ready for some time. Furthermore, hire someone to do your laundry--many people are out of work and would do this task at a very low charge--you would be helping out someone's economy, while saving yourself VALUABLE time. Good luck with finishing all your nearly completed projects!

This happened to me once. It didn't last.

Oh, I would so love to catch a good case of Finishupitis! Any chance you could sneeze or cough or toss yarn in my general direction?

hahaha! I have it, too! Since Christmas, I have finished up FIVE pairs of socks that I had at least one sock done (most cases I had started well into the second sock). VERY satisfying. Only 3 more pairs of socks to go and I will have no unfinished sock projects. The shawl situation is a bit more dire, however...

That same disease hit me a couple weeks ago. I got really busy finishing projects. But when I found myself with nothing new on the needles I found I had come down with another malady....buymoreyarnitus. My credit card is suffering this month but Webs, Knitpicks and my LYS are loving it.

I had a good LOL at this post--I'm one of those "one project at a time" people. It mentally chafes and itches for me to have an unfinished project while I start another one ^^;; I've always kind of envied people who can have multiple things going on at once, so it's rather nice to see that the grass just seems greener on the other side regardless of the side of the fence you're on :)

What I'd like to catch is that stash-yarn-only-emia o_0 As a slow knitter, I acquire yarn at a frightening rate compared to the rate of use...

I feel better about my day suddenly. Your idea sounds like a good one.

Split personality is in order after all, you ARE a Gemini (as am I).

All of your UFOs fit into a workbasket? Would that were my situation! I'd need a workbasket as tall as I am.........oh, well. But I did have a glimmer of Finishitupitis last night....before the baby outgrows the BSJ!

Me too, me too! Just cough into an envelope, or send me some fondled yarn, I don't care, I just need to catch this bug! I am in an apalling state of SABLE as it is, but my chronic startitus means huge boxes of wips that just add to the chaos. I need to clear the decks so that I can tunnel into the stash again, with purpose and discrimination. Some hope!

I caught something else, which affect only beginner knitters who have a weak immune system: mistakitis. It follows a strong case of Startitis, which I also caught at the beginning of the month. Now, I have 5 projects, all with mistakes in them, and I am waiting for my friend and mentor to come back from Cuba to cure me (i.e. show me how to fix all of them.)

Beautiful. I do have the rare bout and like you, it seems to coincide with particularly busy, stressful times. The UFO pile may be the only thing I have any control over, progress anywhere would be nice, and I prefer knitting to working anyway, so why not? Finding the time to work on them for very long is the catch...

I had absolutely no urge to knit while I was pregnant and then when I hit the nesting stage BAM! I had to finish all my knitting projects. Clean? No. Knit? Oh hell yes. The compulsion also pops up now as part of my PMS, which is way better than other things.

Weren't you supposed to have that Gansey done for your wedding? I think you really need to get on that. Or at least pull it out of the pile and show us what it looks like again...

According to Susanna Hansson, WIPs and UFOs may simply not be meant for you to finish, for whatever resaon, and she recommends either giving them away as-is or ripping them out--the relief can be palpable, as if a weight lifts off the shoulders! They really are energy-suckers, so you'll have more left to cope with all the rest of your to-do list when you get a bunch of the knitting projects finished. Good luck! Best, randknitter

When I get really really behind on the laundry I go to the laundromat. I can knit and do lots of laundry at the same time.

Whew. It's a relief to know that the Gansey-poking continues even while I'm traveling.

Good job, guys. I'm proud of you. *snif*

I so hear you. I have Beef Wellington to make and a house to clean for a dinner for 6 tomorrow night; and 3 pair of socks in progress.

Guess which one I desperately want to spend time on! ;o)

P.S. When are you going to tell us about the yarn on your January socks???

Seek help immediately! A long convalescence in a yarn shop should help. I've had a chronic case of Finishitupitis for three years now and I think it's incurable. Once I had projects in baskets all over my house. I was never more than armslength from a sock or scarf or a baby sweater whose recipient had outgrown it last Christmas before it was anywhere near finished.

And then one day I had the urge to finish something, to feel that 'I made that' buzz. So I did. But one wasn't enough. I had to cast off more. And the sight of the empty needles made me euphoric with the possibilities of new projects which I could start just as soon as I emptied some more baskets for them...

Now my projects are gone. I have a meagre two socks on the needles - I knit two at once now as I get twitchy with nerves as the thought of an incomplete pair. Sweaters must be knit all in one; loose sleeves make me weep.

There is no hope for me. But you - there is still time. Save yourself...

Someone told me at knit night this week that she'd talked to a lady who counted her UFOs and had 75 of them. That's what I call someone who needs a bout of finishupitis. Made me feel much better about my 8 or 10 projects.

There's something about winning something that gives you hope that you can win at other things. Go, girl.

It's not just you, I've been overtaken by this crazy urge as well. I really don't know what to make of it.

I get this bug. Usually after I have about 3 or 4 projects going I feel the need to finish up some things. I actually just finished my first sweater which I'm pretty proud of!!

do you like non-sequitors? I do. I watch Jeopardy just about every day, and today the returning champion is talking about your blog and knitting olympics in the "interesting facts about the contestants" section. It's pretty cool.

I am terrible, I was going to suggest half an hour each of the jobs you must do (Laundry, vacuum, letter writing, Sock Summit, other paperwork - do the physical stuff first, and then the sitting-down stuff, or intersperse the two so you aren't too physically tired), before starting on the knitting. I guess I am overwhelmed by my own procrastination and not enough of a knitter (e.g. I am not the Yarn Harlot).

The chair (or stool) in the laundry sounds good but I don't know that you would want to spend quality time down there.

Hey...hey...down here. yeah, me in Australia....it wasn't me who mentioned Joe's gansey this time !

OMG, I so need that disease. Please figure out a way to contaminate your blog with it and send it to me through the internet!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one who not only knits in the car (while not driving, of course), but who tries socks-still-on-needles while doing so! I was afraid I was the only crazy person shoving semi-clad feet up on the dashboard for inspection. ;)

I like doing laundry because I have illusions of accomplishing something -- even if the machines are doing the work. I put the laundry away right away so I don't have to face it later.

I have only a scarf on needles but didn't get quite to the main stitch pattern yet -- hope I will like it. I finished all projects before hand surgery this week. Now I can't knit for a couple weeks, which means I'm doing a lot of reading!

Thanks for the picture. Suddenly I am not missing life up North nearly so much.

Lisa C.
- Warm & happy in FL

I totally get this. 100%. I get this feeling at the end of my most crazy semesters, when the chances of actually achieving the mountain of work on my to-do list (usually organized at that point into three categories: Soon, Sooner, and Soonest/NOW) are slim to none, but socks? I know I can do socks. Thank goodness for knitting.

Nice diagnosis! And yet, all I am really thinking is,
"When did she start the Wild Apple and how did I miss that???"
Best of luck with the Finishing!

Letters? Do you really write letters? I haven't seen a letter in donkey's years! I used to love getting and sending letters!

And listen, if this finishitupitis thing is catching, would you please breathe in my direction?

Can we meet somewhere so I can contract Finishitupitis too?

Lucky! I'll trade your Finishitupitis for my flu :P

Been housebound all week, contagious and coughing, and the stash is staring at me again. "Start something! Start something!"

Shut up, yarn.

(Yes, the feverish delirium is absolutely setting in.)

Umm, I know this one. But it is more like Bipolar than Split Personality. Please DO watch out for that No-Man's Land in between where there is complete disinterest (OMG!) in knitting.

I'm supposed to be making a mountain of fingerless mittens for Winterfest. But I got burned out on knitting them over Christmas and there is a new boyfriend now (and I have a lot, a lot, a lot better things to be doing with my hands for the moment.)
Why am I saying no to making money?
This is a new deliriousness. A good one. I think.

I have 3 pr of socks on the needles (two at a time toe up) almost done and a shawl, but for some strange reason I started to weave. I've never used a 4 harness loom before, but it was just hanging around and i feel the need to weave.

Way to go! I'm big on doing one laundry while cleaning. No sitting down when the laundry is being done because then I'll just leave it to later... So it turns out I clean the house top to bottom in the time it takes to do 3 loads (thats all my bf and I manage to make in a week). Or I choose to do the laundry while I'm doing homework. It reminds me to step away from medical homework and stop stressing.

BTW What is that sock yarn? Many of us have asked and gotten no reply.

Oh And whats the new manuscript?

You just got mentioned in a contestant interview on tonight's episode of Jeopardy. Something about the Knitting Olympics.

You were just mentioned on "Jeopardy!" tonight! Just as I was reading this post, I heard a contestant (Lisa) mention "Knitting Olympics" and "Yarn Harlot" and more! Yay! Exclamation points!

You made it onto Jeopardy! The current champion is a knitter who participated in the Knitting Olympics that you organized. That's so cool

Wow!! Jeopardy contestant participated in the Knitting Olympics and mentioned YOU!!! I hope you get to see it! Your fame is ever-spreading! Very cool...

wow....the yarn harlot was just mentioned on jeopardy by one of the contestants....is that a first? btw, she participated in the knitting olympics.

Finishupitus. A disease we ALL need more of. I started a tank top this past summer. Love the yarn, pattern and color. Worked like a crazy person while I watched endless movies. I am MAYBE four inches into side one. Not only do I need Finishupitus, I need Hurryupitus! I STILL envy the speed at which you knit. That is the class I need. Frenzy Knitting 101.

The "finishupitis" is one thing, but what the heck is with the bare foot in the snow? It looks serious all right!

I enjoyed your post, but What I LOVED was the photo. I'm so happy to know that I'm not the only one who slips on a sock-in-progress with the needles still in place. Did on a plane once and got a few strange looks.

Must share with you a device one of my friends uses for her Finishupitis. It is like a thermometer for crafters.
She puts the name of each of her UFOs on a postit: color-coded to the amount of time it will take to finish the item, and pins all the postits in neat color rows on a cork bulletin board.
Oh, the joy, when she gets to write the name over on a different color. The thrill of watching the overall color of the board change from vivid reds and oranges, to a cool and calming green and blue.
Well worth a try.

I have just two words for you: grey gansey

Heehee! (Please don't banish me. :)

Oh, baby, please come breathe on me so I can catch it too. (Altho I'm more likely to frog unfinished things than to finish them.)

I JUST SAW YOU MENTIONED ON JEOPARDY BY ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS!!!!!!!! They were mentioning you and your website and the knitting olympics :D Now you're officially famous hahaahha.

I'd love to catch finishitupitis! (BTW, did you notice that could be read in two ways? )

Looking forward to seeing the result of your "illness".

Off-topic, but "Du-u-ude!" Today's defending Jeopardy champion just mentioned that she took part in your Knitting Olympics two Olympics ago! Yarn Harlot mentioned in yet another context!

In case there was any question, you have arrived! You, Yarn Harlot, were mentioned on Jeopardy this evening. A contestant mentioned she was in the olympics. When Alex Trebek pressed for more information the contestant explained she was in a knitter's olympics "started by a blogger, the Yarn Harlot, a few olympics ago" and went on to explain the rules. Alex made a couple of knit/purl comments and the show resumed.

Where I come from we call that "Dynamic Procrastination". It's the only way my bathroom ever gets cleaned, really. You have something loathesome that you need to do, so, to procrastinate it, you do other, slightly less loathesome things. Things that will give you a clear sign that you've accomplished something. Don't want to grade lab reports? Why not cook dinner? Clean the kitchen, or the bathroom. Stuff that needs to get done happens, its just maybe not the thing that you're absolutely supposed to be doing.

Happy finishing.

I think your little foot on the dash is hilarious! Great socks!

What are the chances Tina will do some sock yarn in a Phoebe colourway?

Looking forward to pictures of FO`s

Was just watching Jeapordy, one of the contestants talked about her knitting and reading a blog by "The Yarn Harlot"!! Your blog has now been mentioned on national tv. Woo woo!

You go girl!!!! (And I really hope it's contagious.)

I have the opposite problem.... the "can't make up my mind" type of problem.... which wouldn't be so bad except that NONE of my yarn is telling me what it wants to be... so I bought more... and still nothing...

Meanwhile my 10 year old has knit 3 book marks and a garter stitch scarf (about a yard and a half long by 10 stitches wide, worsted weight, size nine needles, he's weaving in the ends now) since Giftmas when I gave him some needles and yarn of his own.

mmmmmmmmmmm! pictures of FOs! I can't wait!

Wow, you were mentioned on Jeopardy tonight. One of the contestants participated in Knitting Olympics and said that a blogger named the Yarn Harlot started it.

Dang, girl! If I come over, will you breathe on me? Maybe I'll get lucky and come down with finishupitis, too (whine). I have so many things on the go, I can't even FIND my workbaskets. It wouldn't be so bad, but I haven't any empty needles, either - and we've all been too sick to leave the house for *days*.

P.S. Hey, even Alex Trebek knows who you are now - LOL - first "Jeopardy", next stop - "Oprah"?

Clearly our minds think in similar circles, or I have been infected with the same disease. I'm just hoping that I don't heal myself before I run out of projects, I have no worries of the reverse happening.
P.S. I was also watching Jeopardy and heard her talk about being an Olympic Knitter and how you started the Knitting Olympics on your blog. Awesome!

I totally hear you! I have decided that next month will be "finish it February". I can't expect to finish all my UFO's because there are too many but I am hoping to finish a few of them. Actually, if I declared 2011 "my finishing year" and stuck to it, I might be able to clear up all my UFO's.

But, that's not likely to happen so I'm going to see if I can at least make a little dent in the pile. Good luck!

Alex Trebek is a Canadian.

Work "basket"?? Singular? Then consider yourself lucky you had only a mild case of Startitis, self-limiting in nature. Advanced cases don't have the luxury of waiting it out. Buying more baskets only prolongs the condition and exacerbates the symptoms...and I know this because???

You only have one knitting basket? How big is this one basket?

I suddenly have the urge to do something with all the unfinshed crap that I have lurking around me. Not nessesarly finishing it, but just piling it up in one big basket would be enough for me.

Sorry you have so much to do, and here you are, taking so much time out of your busy day to entertain us, I applaud you.

And I'm assuming that you have been heard about how one of the returning champions on Jeporday today mentioned you and the Knitting Olympics. (I hope I spelled olympics right, I spent an unreasonable amount of time trying to figure out how to spell it)

I as SOOOOOOO impressed!! The Yarn Harlot mentioned on Jeopardy!! I can't wait 'till you are a catagory.....

Cough on me, will ya?!! I want to catch that!!!

Sometimes I wish there were multiples of me that could work on different tasks at the same time, be in several places at once... you get the picture. It does feel good to get things checked off the list, though, doesn't it? We do what we can.

You know what? I have contracted Finishitupitis for the first time in my 5.5 year knitting career. Maybe it's viral?? All I know is that I have finished 3 things in the last week and I'm working on #4, and it feels amazing. I just hope it lasts- for both of us. :)

Well, the other items (the long list) will wait fine, might as well do something invigorating that will help you power up to the long list. can't wait to see the bohus...sounds spring-beautiful.

I can't believe you ever put down the Wild Apples! It was so gorgeous (and will be when it is complete).

I suffer from this illness as well! Glad I'm not the only one out there! As for the laundry....if the fam wants clean clothes it's time for a crash course in "this is how the washer/dryer work." ;)

I am a Product Knitter. We have Finishitupitis ALL the time. I just knitted an aran-weight, adult size small, drop sleeved sweater in 9 days BECAUSE I COULD.

That's not to say I don't enjoy the process too - I vary my projects up, but I'm generally faithful to one project at a time. The sweater came on the heels of a truly enormous 2ply laceweight Shetland shawl that took months. I needed something quick and easy with lots of stockinette. But it would never occur to me to start several projects at once, and even when I do I tend to abandon all but one, and focus on that until it's done.

I was thinking I usually get that way when faced with too much to do elsewhere in life. And for me at least, it typically passes long before I am able to actually finish very much of anything.

I think it was Robert Benchley who observed that "Anyone can accomplish any amount of work, provided it is not the work he is supposed to be doing." Sounds like a lot of us! Good luck with the Finishitupitis bug.

I personally like frogit-itus from time to time. You look at all of your projects in progress and think what posessed you to start knitting some of them. Thinking there is better use for the yarn, I take the entire project apart, rewind the yarn, and put it away. Frogit-itus......

I suffer from both afflictions regularly and I think both come from a feeling of overwhelmingness (for me, at least). I get startitis when I am feeling daunted by my WIPs or am feeling fickle (and have to CO projects until I find one that sticks). I get finishupitis when the site of my knitting basket(s) makes me want to throw up a little. Mine, like yours, contains projects in various stages of completion and sometimes it seems awfully silly to have had some of those things sitting in a basket for so long when it would take no more than an hour or two to finish them up. I get into frequent moods of wanting to declutter the house too and of course, that includes knitting projects.

And then there's a third affliction when I want to crank out projects so quickly and devour stash at a speedy rate that I whip through several quickie projects in rapid succession.

At the yarn store I work at here in CT we are actually having a contest for for how many UFO's can you finish. It's sort of broken down into segments, like who has the most (someone has 27 - we are all in awe), who's the first one to finish one, who finishes the most, etc. We are also giving classes to help with those projects left unfinished due to a seemingly unsolvable mystery with the pattern. People are stepping up to the plate. Finishupitis must be in the air!

Perhaps this has something to do with starting your new year all ordered and tidy. Chinese New Year is just around the corner, maybe it's the time to get the knitting basket all ordered and squared away.

It is very contagious disease. I did not buy any yarn at Vogue Knitting Live as I want to knit the yarn/projects I have......

Did you know you were mentioned on Jeopardy by one of the contestants last night?

I was watching too. I figured 'uh,oh, there goes her server' :)

Go team you! I think I have finishititis too- I think I might be motivated by the lack of open needles though!

I get Finishitupitis when I become completely overwhelmed by the number of projects I have on the go. I love this quote from Gretchen Rubin of THE HAPPINESS PROJECT "Outer order contributes to inner calm." One of her postings about this can be found here http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2010/12/10-tips-to-beat-clutterin-less-than-5-minutes.html
It's about clutter but sadly after a bout of Startitis sometimes the work I love so much becomes just too much clutter to cope with.

You talk so much a out what is in your knotting basket at home. Could we see a picture of wat you use?

Congratulations! Welcome to my world.

My brain plays some tricks with me too. Sometimes I think I need to over-organize everything. Then other days I just want to knit. I thought it was because I am new to knitting. Just retired after 43 years of 10 hour days and LOTS of work responsibility and started last month to knit. Like crazy!! I had lots of projects here at home and loved VKL. I'm still so excited about finding knitting.

Just a note of congratulations on making national tv in the usa. A contestant, on the quiz show Jeopardy, mentioned your blog. Now, back to my knitting.

Congrats on finally having Finishitupitis.. I wish I could finally have that mystical (but somehow real "disease". But I always have startitis....
*ahem*

Good luck and I can't wait to see the pictures of the finished pieces!

I had that illness. It lasted through a pair of glittens, then I picked up a pair of socks and Startitis took over.

I was watching Jeopardy last night as well!! I told my husband - I go to that blog everyday! He wasn't as excited as I was!

Well, February *is* for Finishing. Perhaps it's a seasonal disorder? At any rate, I go through spells where I contract Finishitupitis and - get this - I finish everything I have on needles. It's a weird feeling and I think I might be an alien or a cylon or something. In fact, I'm thinking about casting on a couple things just to avoid suspicion.

...seems I have that great and much wanted contageoun. But as soon as I get all the stuff done, then, the other sickness begins! My fingers itch from not holding knitting needles. I begin to pick thru stash, squeezing various skiens of yarn...or poking the roving bags to see just which varieties of the sickness I have contracted...spinnitus with related startitus, or knitiutus with related startitus....hnnn.

Officially, you're the first person I've ever known to suspect that developing multiple personalities might turn out to be a good thing ;)

Wow! I have a growing pile of unfinished sweaters. To be accurate, one is done, two need seems sewn, another needs sleeves and I just started another for myself. In fact, that's what I did at 1: 30 am last night--don't ask. All I can say about this post is--wow! That and I hope it doesn't happen to me. : )

Yesterday I boarded a plane from New York to Florida and the gal next to me was knitting, And not just her but the two gals in front of us too!! Awesome day for knitters! I thought of you right away, had to share!

I get Startitis all the time! I'm kind of lucky though because my pseudo-OCD tendencies don't allow me to have more than three projects running at once. I can't believe you were unaffected by all the patterns! I neevr get away that easy - it goes on the list of To Knit that's longer than my wingspan.

Question - how old were you when you started knitting? I'm 18 and I've been at it for about 2 1/2 years. I keep telling myself not to feel all inferior b/c you can churn out beautiful socks in a weekend and I can't, but...well, see the aforementioned OCD-tendencies. So if you don't mind helping me out on my self-assurance trip - how long have you been knitting?

Must be the weather, only explanation! I sorted all, and I mean ALL! of the yarn baskets this week. Put UFOs in bags with their respective needles/hooks and patterns. Then just this morning, I went to get some kind of Tupperware thingy out of the Tupperward cupboard, and viola`! I sat down on the floor and did that, too! Weird.... Heard your name on Jeopardy this week and thought- "Sista, where ya been?" I know there are knitters everywhere, but I can never connect to them in our little rural Illinois town. Ah, well, back to the UFO's, I'm gonna finish something thie afternoon, just for giggles!

Steph- maybe this is it. Maybe once you finish them all it will all be done. Maybe you will start blogging about, I don't know, wood carving or fishing and before we know it your room will be full of fishing apparatus and the knitting stuff will slowly be moved out in boxes to the basement. Your next book tour will take you to bait shops....

Just kidding, of course. Although by now if you decide to focus on fishing I guess most of us would just follow you along.

My startitis always gets much worse whenever I clean out my stash, like I just did recently. Also, your self-imposed sock club is brilliant. Every time you mention it I keep thinking I need to start my own up, and now that you have been able to sustain it all year, it has proven itself as an idea that gets socks knit!

It was such a pleasure to meet you in NY and take your Mawata class (pretty awesome stuff). I have a question: Do you ever not want to knit?

I caught that right before Christmas, and still have it. If nothing else, it's cheaper than Startitis.

Wow, so many people want to catch Finishitupitis!
As for your laundry back-up, I've had good luck catching up with laundry by tying it in with knitting... as in start a load, sort the rest to be done that day, knit until load is in dryer, work on something else I'm behind on until dryer goes off, then start washer and knit again. (living with a septic system necessitates spreading out water usage.) It not only gets me to do laundry but keeps me from sitting and knitting for too long a time, especially when I'm behind on so much other stuff!

This happened to me last year and dramatically shrunk my WIP enormous pile, some by frogging. It is still ongoing, although I do not expect the drawer to empty. It felt good.
Carry on, Sargent Major.

your blog got a mention on Jeopardy so I thought that i would come and check out the blog.

I got this just last week, myself. I was shocked, but I took advantage of it and finished up a shawl that had been in the time-out box since April 2009. Sadly, it's faded. I hope yours lasts longer!

Your girls are (mostly) grown. Joe's an adult. Why are you still doing their laundry?
If you figure out a way to bottle finishitupitis, you'd be rich in no time, because we'd all want to buy it!

One year I decided to finish all the quilting projects I had in various stages of construction. I piled them up and just picked up the top project and finished it, then the next, and so on. I got a lot finished that year. Best of luck to you!

You have officially made it !!! Your blog and name were on Jeopardy last night !! Might have been a rerun but one of the contestants said in her response to Alex Trebeck (a Canadian) who asked her about being an Olympian, that she was in the knitting Olympics because of the Yarn Harlot and then explained what it was!! I almost fell over -and so did Alex when he heard how many knitters had participated. You are the bang now lady-mentioned on Jeopardy!!

My question is, did you ever finish Joe's gansey?

Stephanie, you were mentioned on Jeopardy last night. The returning champion mentioned she had participated in the Olympics, the Knitting Olympics that you started 2 winter Olympics ago. She mentioned your blog also. She is on Ravelry as lisagd

You are everywhere!

Heh-heh. You said assess. Heh.

ouch. pins and needles... ;)

Oh No! I thought it was limited to my little knittng corner. I stopped looking at my stash and patterns and cleaned out my WIP basket too! I frogged a few projects, have finished several but have not STARTED any new ones for the last 2 weeks. I hope this doesn't turn into a pandemic!

Oh this sounds SO familiar -- the urge to do anything at all that isn't the thing you're meant to be doing, which is so impossible and huge that you simply can't bear to start it and have to find some pseudo-virtuous project instead. Like writing a comment on the Yarn Harlot blog instead of writing the script for a 2 hour lecture on a an obscure facet of Jewish mysticism that I am due to give TOMORROW NIGHT. I am also casting lascivious looks at the unfinished fingerless gloves ..... NO NO back to the mound of books & the lecture script THIS INSTANT! Get thee behind me, fingerless gloves!!!

I've had that before. Enjoy it while it lasts. It's short-lived and recovery comes when you least expect it--creeps up and drags you kicking and screaming back to the dark side. Heh heh.

Oh it must be contagious!! After reading your post I'm impelled to finish the last 3 PON- 2 sweaters and 1 pair of socks.

219 comments! Holy cow! This one will go into the great void as well... I had a dream where they found one of my unfinished knitting projects on the "Titanic"! When I woke up, I scolded my subconscience: Gee! It hasn't been THAT long since I started it!!!

You're not alone . . . I've seen this theme of getting things wrapped up and buttoned down spreading through the blogosphere in various forms. Here's to seeing what you accomplish!

That's what my entire life has been like for years - no matter how many hours a day I put in, I will never get caught up and nobody will appreciate anything I do anyway - it's just expected. It's overwhelming and awful and I can't even knit lately.

Is this disease contagious? I could seriously use a case of finishitupitis. I'll send whatever I need to in order to contract it, wine, chocolate, wool. You name it

Haha your photo made me laugh! You always know how to make me laugh about your knitting and mine!

I must be a knitter; my 11 year old son looked at the picture of your foot on the dashboard, and said "Ooh, cool sock!"

I think I have this too. The symptoms sound frightening familiar. I just finished plying 4 yarns I had sitting on bobbins and one drop spindle project and am trying to finish a pair of socks that have been hanging around pouting at me. Good luck - can't wait to see the finished objects! LOVE your blog!

Inspired to pick up Former Beau sweater again - and I'm loving it! Might have to make one for myself once it's done (oops - that would be back to the Startitus mode - oh well).

"spreaded"

and she pretends to have an education!

lmao

I apologize for using your blog for that last comment but jeez she is so dumb I couldn't help it...

That sock is go gorgeous that I would finish the other one for you.

http://anxietyknits.blogspot.com/

Pretty sock! (want those, but then what else is new, I seem to always want 90% of what you knit).
Dude, doing the laundry (as in putting it in the washer and later fishing the wet pile of 'done' laundry out of the washer again) is no big deal. It's the FINISHING the laundry (hanging, taking back down, sorting, folding, hunting for the missing socks and putting the lot back in various drawers and wardrobes) that really gets me. That requires a whole new strain of finishitis. Could someone please knit the dna for that.....

First off, finish up the toes on that sock! It makes me shiver just to look at those poor toes hanging out there unprotected with all that white stuff in the background.

And second, congratulations! You have reached Knitters Puberty. Some of us weren't sure you were gonna make it ("late bloomer" was heard) but I had faith. Let sanity and a sense of moderation reign!

I had a case of finishitupitis about 2 weeks before Christmas. I felt heavenly for three days as UFO's flew off my needles and into the completed pile, 2 pairs of socks that only required kitchener stitching the toes, 3 baby outfits to be sewn and 5 scarves that needed only the ends woven in. The result was some unexpected gifts for friends and family and lots of smiles. I love when I get this "disease" as I always, always have lots of UFO's lying around waiting. Hope the feeling lasts as long as you need it to.

I can't knit for any length of time in the car, but glad you were spirited enough to get a backseat photo of your sock in progress!

I have that feeling all the time, the need to finish my many projects. Then I'll go through and finish all my WIPs then I'm happy, but the cycle starts again because Startitis kicks in full gear and before I know it I have another group of WIPs just waiting in line to be worked. It is rather gratifying though when you get Finishitupis, having all those completed FOs just makes you smile!

In Dec 2009, I reluctantly pulled out all my UFOs and started counting. To my horror, there were over twenty, set aside for reasons ranging from mere boredom to complete denial about the lack of resemblance between my pattern and my product. for example, there was the adorable Aran baby sweater that looked like it could easily keep a 2-month old baby from suffering as it crawled around at -20F... or the sweater that was running suspiciously low on a brick red yarn that I bought at the yarn sale 3 years ago. SO, it was time to face the music. My rule was finish 2 projects for every 1 you start. Now I'm down to a more respectable 5 UFOs a year later. I started picking this habit up at work too and feel a little less overwhelmed each day. Not to say that I don't blatantly break this rule from time to time for a very good reason... Like cashmere... It's more of a guideline, really.

Apart from a few eternal scarves (one being knitted on 1,25mm needles, destined for long trips with limited amount of crap to carry), I've decided that I knit up everything NOW, with preference to winter hats I promised to friends (well, two of them, no insane amount) and something I might want to actually wear this winter (sorry, linen sweater).

So far, it works okay. Oddly enough, since that decision which coincidentally happened around the time of New Year resolutions, I've managed to knit a lot on the UFOs... and knit a whole sweater in the meantime.

As I wait to hear whether I have a job next month, my UFOs give me great comfort. I've started my own Sock of the Month...but got only one sock finished for January.

I know exactly where you are coming from - when I have a truly horrible day at work where everything spins out of control, I come home and rearrange the linen cabinet, my closet, the pantry, or in a truly desperate situation, my stash. And I am not a particularly uber-clean nor tidy person - there are dishes all over the kitchen at the moment.
The idea of getting something in order when other things are so very, very bad may be displacement or denial or something else not-good, but it's not heroin. Or qiviut shopping.

I'm working through a mild case of "finishitup"... my version of YOUR ailment. However, I've got a bad case of "startitis" in that I just bought yarn for the Einstein Coat (which I promised myself I'd start - and finish - after I finished my MBA, and I graduated Dec. 2010), and ... a pair of skeins of some LOVELY merino that I want to make up into a scarf for the new winter "dress" coat I ordered. All necessities, I told my Hubby, who said, "Where are you PUTTING this new yarn???" (He hasn't learned that it's best not to ask that.)

That being said, I have gotten a bunch of things done: baby layette, 2 watch caps, a pair of mitts, a hat for me, a sweater...all in 2010, which might not sound like much, but having my left thumb put back together with surgery in 2009 kind of put a kink in my knitting flow.

Congrats on the "infant manuscript, and I appreciate your need to get cracking on the UFOs. If you're in IL sometime soon, please spread the disease my way. My office needs a good cleaning!

Pretty soon we'll all be having finishupitis parties so we can pretty please contract this disease!

Or, if I may suggest... (speaking from personal experience) procrastinatisis.

My dresser drawers are never so tidy as when I have a term's worth of report cards due.

Hmmm, sneeze on a piece of paper and mail it to me please, I need to catch me some of that.

"...busting a serious move in its direction..."

Are you *sure* you don't have a fever?

What you have must be catching (have you been in Portland, OR lately?) because I Looked at my bobbin basket (large Lantern Moon)and decided that I must empty all started spun on bobbins before I could pick up needles or new fiber. Took me all of Jan to complete the project but now have a dozen new skeins of yarn to knit. I am happily knitting a pair of socks now guilt free.

AWESOME MITTENS.

Thank you for the tip about silk being so warm. I battle Raynaud's Syndrome, which means I need to wear layers of wool socks and mittens to try to keep warm.

I'm thinking that a pair of silk as a first layer might be an excellent idea. Much appreciated, Stephanie.

Whoops! Posted the above comment in the wrong thread. I'm off to repost.

Sorry about that.

You need SNOW DAYS! As a teacher and a local pastor who enjoys knitting, the to do list always wins. Then the Blizzard 2011 hit here in Missouri and the snow days led to finishupitis. It was heavenly, and now I get to start something new--I just do not know which one today because the snow days are over--I think. The forecast may bring one tomorrow.

Thank goodness for you and your blog, because I used to think (and my husband still does) that I was completely crazy when it came to knitting. I have one sweater done except for the last 1/3 of one sleeve, because the yarn is hand dyed and doesn't quite blend; a vest finished except for the ribbing around the arms and neck, another sweater done except for one sleeve, two pairs of sox in the works, an afgan half done (I really hate it now) and just launched a new sweater. I need to get finishitupitis - is it possibly contagious?