So you've gone and put a warp on the loom that's longer than your attention span. What to do now? You could just cut it off but it hasn't come to that yet (maybe you're too cheap, or maybe you refuse to let it get the better of you). What you need is motivation to finish the damn thing.
So... where and how do YOU find motivation to finish those lingering warps?
Here are a couple of ideas. Some are my own, others came from comments on my blog:
1. Change something about it.
New tie up, new treadling, new weft colour, new weft fiber, new set. Heck, I've even been known to cut part off and rethread the rest in a new colour order or even a whole new structure. For me a lot of the enjoyment of weaving comes from the eager anticipation of discovering what a new project's going to look like, so if I can get that excitement back mid-way through a warp, so much the better.
2. Count progress in very small increments
Don't think in yards, they're too long and daunting. Think in place mats, or inches, or pattern repeats, or something short enough that it feels like you're making progress quickly. Making progress is a great motivator!
3. Reward yourself at (mini?) milestones.
A treat for good behaviour? A cookie for a job well done? It works for dogs, so why not hares? Think of some treat you'll enjoy and have it at the ready for those milestones you've identified. If you're going for really mini milestones (and why not? the more we enjoy ourselves at the loom, the more likely we are to stay!) it's best to avoid rewards that involve getting up from the loom, so go for something like a plate of cookies or tasty canapes that you can reach without moving around. If this means you've got to eat a dozen brownies or drink a whole bottle of wine to get a set of place mats done, where's the harm in that?
4. Get the yucky bits out of the way before you take a break so they're not waiting for you later.
My long lingering warps tend to be place mats. 27 yards of place mats = UGH. On the plus side, it doesn't take long to weave each one. On the down side, there's all that hemstitching to do. I make sure to always leave the loom after doing a row of hemstitching so that way it's not the first thing I'm faced with when I eventually go back to the loom. 'Cause trust me, a row of hemstitching is enough to keep me far, far away and never want to go back.
And heck, once that last row of hemstitching is done, then another 10 minutes is all it'd take to bang out another place mat so I might as well do that too. And then I have to do another set of hemstitching... and before I know it, I've done another placemat without realizing and I can eat another brownie/cookie/canape. It's all good!
5. Involve other people
I'm a social person. I like to do just about anything as long as its in company. Sadly, weaving is a one player game - usually. If I can get others involved, it really motivates me to keep going. Partly, it's the peer pressure to keep going (how embarrassing would it be to not get anything done with people watching?) but mostly it's just way more fun to do something with friends.
Is your loom portable? Got a friend with a RH loom? Invite him or her over to weave with you. No friends with portable looms nearby and yours isn't either? Get a webcam and weave with others online. Don't feel like being that visible? Create a twitter account or blog and tell people about what you're working on. You'd be surprised how many folks will keep tabs on what you're doing and offer support and encouragement.
Phew! Enough for now. Can you tell that I've got something on my loom I ought to be weaving so am creating Weavolution groups & forum posts instead? :P
So, what do YOU do in this situation?
