Knowing the labour of love that goes into handmade items, it can be hard to let go of unfinished projects that have been left behind by loved ones.
An American non-profit, Loose Ends, aims to relieve some of the weight of deciding what to do with those projects, specifically knitted ones, by finishing projects left behind.
Multiple mediums
According to Good News Network projects being completed by their volunteer ‘finishers’ aren’t limited to knitting and crochet projects, but include sewing, cross-stitch, quilting, basket weaving, embroidery, rug weaving, needlework and felting.
Environmental benefit
Where crafters may otherwise have taken on new projects, from cross stitch patterns to knitting kits, Loose Ends allows them to put their skills to use finishing off an already started, but sadly unfinished, project. This offers environmental benefits in addition to the main goal of supporting loved ones in bereavement, reducing waste created by the supplies that often go unused in new projects. Knitting kits are another good example of crafters aiming to avoid waste, with knitting kits such as those seen at woolcouturecompany.com/collections/knitting-kits providing precise measures of supplies to avoid unused supplies being wasted.
Emotional support
Finishing projects begun by departed loved ones can be a difficult task. Emotionally, there’s a finality in acknowledging that your family member won’t be back to pick up their knitting needles again, and many simply lack the skills required to complete items.
To be able to wear the jumper begun by Granny, or snuggle up under the blanket once laboured over by a great aunt brings immense comfort to those who benefit from the scheme. There’s something cathartic also about the act of helping, allowing volunteers to pass on love that they themselves may wish they had been able to access in times of loss.
There are an estimated 1,000 finishers globally, although the project continues to grow as word spreads of the goodwill the project supports. Connections are made quickly, and demand grows alongside the availability of volunteers, showing that while perhaps considered niche by some, the work of Loose Ends is very much welcomed by those who have used it. The trust involved in letting go of work started by a loved one is enormous, and by doing so, those left behind show us just how much it means to them to see the project to completion.