Delving Into My WIP's Goodie Bag

Like many yarn-users out there (knitters, crocheters, etc), I have a work-in-progress (WIP) pile that has many a knitting/crochet project that I found myself starting but before even getting half-way through starting another one. And as of right now almost all of my unfinished projects are stuffed in my portable knitting bag – which has gotten so over-run that I can’t fit my current WIP in it. I don’t like lugging it around with all those projects reminding me that they need to be finished!

What does my WIP pile have in it? The bottom half of a knitted sock monkey, one blue sock I started 3 years ago, a crochet shrug that I’ve only got a portion of the collar done, half of the back panel of a men’s basketweave jacket, a front panel of a boy’s pullover sweater, and one completed slipper of a pair of felted slippers. I know it’s terrible that they are sitting around waiting to be finished. Of course I had every intention of completing them when I started, but I have this little problem, and maybe some of you can relate. I get bored easily and when I come across a pattern that is more interesting I immediately want to try it out leaving the unfinished project to be added to the growing pile of WIP’s. In my defense though the main reason why I haven’t delved back into any of these projects is that they weren’t being made for anyone in particular they were patterns that I found interesting and I wanted to try out, well except the Men’s Basketcase Jacket by Tara Jon Manning published in Men in Knits – that was my November NaKniSweMo (knit a sweater in a month) project - which obviously I didn’t finish.

NaKniSweMo Project: Men's Basketcase Jacket

I haven’t a clue as to how best to deal with these unfinished projects, without getting bored with them all over again and end up starting something else. I have requests from 2010 that I haven’t even started yet, a reusable market bag, 2 hat and scarf sets, a pair of striped socks, and 3 pair of felted slippers, not to mention the projects I’ve committed myself to just in the last two weeks: 2 baby layette sets, another hat and scarf set, a crochet cloche, and a diagonal scarf like the one I’m already working on.

Wakefield Diagonal Scarf by Melissa LaBarre
materials used: Cascade Yarns Cherub Collection DK
in brown, size 3 needles

Should I finish the old WIP’s or start the 2010 requests? As you can see I need help staying on track, can anyone give me some advice or have any solutions to this dilemma? I’d like to hear from some of you on how you stay on task without getting distracted with more interesting patterns and designs.