Happy WIP Wednesday, friend! Welcome back to another behind the scenes look at what is happening in my craft room. 🧶
This week I want to talk about something every single crocheter has faced — and most of us have faced more than once.
That project sitting in the bag in the corner. You know the one.
The question is: do you finish it or do you frog it?
If you are new here — welcome! WIP Wednesday is my weekly behind the scenes series where I share whatever is on my hook and what is happening in my craft room. If you missed the last couple of posts you can catch up on WIP Wednesday: The Finish Line Is in Sight and WIP Wednesday: Updates on Two Baby Blankets in Progress — then come right back here because this week we are talking about something a little different!
My Personal Frogging Rules
After twenty-two years of crocheting I have developed what I like to call my personal frogging philosophy. It did not come from a book or a tutorial — it came from a whole lot of yarn, a whole lot of projects, and a few decisions I probably should have made sooner.
Here is how I think about it:
If I haven’t picked it back up in three to four months — it gets frogged.
Life is too short and yarn is too precious to let a project sit indefinitely with no real intention of finishing it. If I haven’t been drawn back to it in that window, chances are I never will be.
If I don’t like how it’s turning out — it gets frogged immediately.
No point in pushing through something that isn’t bringing me joy. The yarn deserves a second chance at becoming something I actually love.
If I set it aside for something more urgent but I’m still happy with it — I go back.
This is the important distinction. Setting a project aside because life got busy is completely different from abandoning it because something isn’t working. If I loved it when I put it down, I will love picking it back up — even if it has been longer than four months.
If I lost my notes and cannot find them within a reasonable amount of time — it gets frogged.
This one has taught me a valuable lesson about keeping notes in a proper place rather than on loose paper. Let’s just say I learned that one the hard way. 😄
The Projects I Wish I Had Frogged Sooner
Here is something I don’t think makers talk about enough — sometimes you finish a project and look back later and think what in the world was I thinking? That should have never been completed.
We have all been there. The colorway that seemed like a great idea in the store but looked completely different once it was worked up. The pattern that wasn’t quite right but you pushed through anyway. The finished object that sits in a drawer because you can’t quite bring yourself to gift it or use it but you also can’t bring yourself to frog it now that it’s done.
I have had a few of those over the years. No regrets about frogging — but a few regrets about not frogging sooner.
The Honest Truth About My Current WIPs
Right now I have projects in progress that genuinely excite me. I can picture the finished product and it is beautiful. But I also have things pulling at my attention — other projects that feel more urgent, more pressing, more ready to come to life.
That tension between the project you are working on and the project you WANT to be working on is real. And sometimes it is not a sign to frog — it is just a sign that you are a creative person with more ideas than hours in the day.
I have learned to sit with that feeling rather than react to it. Sometimes the answer is to push through. Sometimes the answer is to set it aside intentionally and come back. And sometimes — yes — the answer is to let the yarn become something else entirely.
There is no shame in any of those choices. Give yourself some grace and enjoy the process. That is what this craft is supposed to be — joyful, not stressful. The finish line will come when it is supposed to. 💛
A Few Questions to Ask Yourself
If you have a UFO (unfinished object) sitting somewhere right now, here are the questions I ask myself before making a decision:
- When did I last pick this up — and why did I put it down?
- Do I still love this project or has something changed?
- Do I have the notes I need to finish it?
- Is the yarn better used here or in something else?
- Will I actually finish this in the next month if I keep it?
If you answer honestly, the right decision usually becomes pretty clear.
Your Turn
I know I am not the only one with a bag of unfinished projects somewhere in my house. 😄
Do you have a personal rule about when you finish versus when you frog? Have you ever regretted either decision? I would love to hear your thoughts — drop them in the comments below!
And if you are looking for your next project to start (or restart), the shop has plenty of patterns waiting for you at
Until next Wednesday — Happy Crocheting, friends.
Mistie