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cjreber
Warming Up
USA
54 Posts |
 Posted - 01/11/2002 : 8:57:30 PM
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Ok, here is a topic that I'm not sure anyone will respond to, but I REALLY would appreciate some thoughts here if you find a minute. Tell me if you think this is a problem - I mean honestly. I think I have a yarn obsession! I have MORE than enough yarn in my closet to make probably anything I want to make, but I feel this...compulsion(?) to go to my LYS or even AC Moore (craft store) to "just look", and invariably, I'll come out with some yarn that I have in mind "for a project" -never mind that I already have 6 in various stages of development! (I actually DO mange to finish most of them, it's just a matter of when). It's not even that it's a matter of money, but I have never been this way about anything else, so I guess I need either some reassurance or a kick in the ol' pants! I know we all love yarn, but, do any of you do this? Am I being silly?
Thanks Sockies,
Cyndy
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cnyttanpatterns
Warming Up
United Kingdom
71 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2002 : 04:22:59 AM
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It's not silly at all, we all hoard yarn. I have enough to make every member of my family knitted outfits for the next 10 years but I still go out and buy more. When the new shade cards come out I'm there looking and touching and inevitably buying. The internet is a boon and a curse for me, I love finding new yarns and buying them but end up buying more because I just click the button. In the store I have to carry all the yarn to the checkout and that means I'm more aware of what I'm buying.
Enjoy your stash.
Sharon Bateman
http://www.cnyttanpatterns.co.uk |
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BessH
Permanent Resident
3095 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2002 : 06:03:38 AM
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Yes and no.
I'm a wretched hoarder too. the question I ask myself is "am I living honestly." If I am buying yarn I know i will eventually knit up - if I want both the garment and the experience and the yarn then I am sure I am not being either insecure nor hypocritical.
If it is a sale bin luxury item and I know there is enough yarn there to make a hat or some other very small project - something I know through experience that I can finish in a week - then again, I know I'm still on the pathway of truth.
Where I begin to doubt myself is when i buy ANOTHER bag of 10 balls at full price because it is sooooo fabulous and it would make THAT sweater over there and wouldn't I look good in it and I just got paid.
I had a sobering experience last fall when I unpacked my winter clothes and found I had 4 rust colored sweaters and enough yarn to knit another one!!! Does anybody need 4 rust colored sweaters? Even if rust is a fad color that goes out of style quickly (though it is one of the best colors for my complexion).
There are good reasons for buying yarn you don't plan to use right away. It is like insurance - a savings account for a rainy day. It gives scope and freedom to a creative mind. It is good to be inspired by what is new and these days we are in a renaissance era for yarns and knitting - we are sooo fortunate. so the question to ask the self is "why am I buying this? is it something that will be available later? does that matter? will I feel like I did the right thing when i get this stuff home and try to cram it into the closet? Will I have to sneak it past my husband? " If I'm comfortable with my answers then what the heck. open up the old wallet.
thus sayith the hypocrite who is off to the yarn store this morning to check out the sale bin of Brown Sheep handpaint.
Good knitting (and good conscience) to you. May you knit in truth.
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Smock7
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
491 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2002 : 07:15:15 AM
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I too have questioned my sanity in this area! I once had a lady tell me that she ONLY purchased enough for the project she was going to do and NEVER purchased more until that one project was completed....is she lying or just not very creative? I once walked into a store that sold needlework and some knitting in the back. The owner said the magical words, "I'm closing my knitting section so everything is 1/2 off!" Well, did I need more encouragement? I checked my purse for the old plastic card (thank goodness it was with me!) and began filling my arms. Now at this time I was still new to knitting, but experienced enough to know that I loved wearing cotton more than anything and when I saw Tahki cotton I promptly purchased every last skein in the store. "Was there more in the back? Was she sure? There must be more stashed somewhere!" Now of course I haven't made much of a dent in this purchase but I'm like a little kid in a candy store. I sit down with my cup of tea (or coffee) and browse through my knitting books (yes, I also have stashes of them) and choose several patterns and then I sit in the floor of my sewing room with all of this yarn poured out before me and I dream! I feel RICH! To be able to sit for as long as I want and play around with my creative ideas is a wonderful treat! I used to feel guilty until my husband put it in perspective for me when he said his hobby was hunting and he did not want to feel guilty for buying hunting gear and gadgets and he did not want me to feel guilty for buying my "hobby stuff".
I was just sitting here, as I read entries from newbie's this morning with my first cup of coffee and I thought, "I wonder if Clara realizes how much I enjoy this forum?" I do not have any friends who knit, and therefore do not appreciate 'knit talk', so I feel all of you, spread across the United States, are truly my friends. When you talk about West Texas, I try to imagine the country side around you. When you talk about the cold, knitting winters of Connecticut I try to imagine the white snow outside your window as you knit. I feel like Clara has given me a personal gift with this forum! I have learned so much from the experienced knitters and I have actually been able to share some of my knowedge! I love buying the knitting magazines and reading them from cover to cover, but they don't begin to compare to Clara's reviews on yarn which has prompted me to buy different types of yarn other than my favorite cotton. Well, I'm rambling and could go on and on, but life interupts and I must go get new brakes on my vehicle....now where did I lay my sock knitting bag?
*Maybe I should have had my second cup of coffee before I typed this because I've found three errors!!
Edited by - Smock7 on 01/12/2002 07:20:06
Edited by - Smock7 on 01/12/2002 07:22:36
Edited by - Smock7 on 01/12/2002 13:45:03 |
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cjreber
Warming Up
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2002 : 1:02:29 PM
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Dear Sharon, Bess and Smock7,
I can't tell you how much it meant that you all took the time to write something about this topic. I also am in a situation where very few people I know knit (I taught a few at work, and now there are 2 girls who meet with me at lunchtime once a week). The one is very...disciplined...shall I say, and only buys yarn for the project she is working on at the moment. (Give her time, right?)The other is very slow at it for the time being, and has been on the same project for the past 6 months and isn't interested in starting anything new, although she enjoys working on what she has. So I NEVER feel comfortable telling them that I have started something ELSE new, or found this great deal on my favorite yarn. You ladies are lifesavers! My Sweetheart is very supportive (he even knows the difference between knitting and crocheting now!) but is limited in his ability to 1)get excited about colors and textures of yarn, 2)visit the yarn shop with me (although believe it or not, HE has suggested going once or twice because he thought it would be fun for me and he could "look around.", and 3) talk about the experience! I too envision where you all live and what it's like when you tell all of us what you are up to. I live in the heart of Amish country, so quilting is very big here. Maybe I could combine the two someday -ahhh! Another project! Thanks again for your nice responses - I feel better after talking about this with you - I look forward to "talking " again!
Cyndy
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lakotagal5
Warming Up
USA
79 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2002 : 1:04:37 PM
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HI,WHAT DO YOU MEAN HOARD YARN??? DO YOU MEAN THERE ARE KNITTERS WHO DON'T? OH MY THEY MUST BE IN AWFUL PAIN.THE ONE THING I NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IF THE BED SHOULD BREAK IT WON'T FALL THE YARN IS HOLDING IT UP LOL.MY DH ASKED HOW LONG I INTENDED TO LIVE WITH ALL THAT YARN I TOLD HIM,I GUESS LONG ENOUGH TO USE IT ALL UP. WOW.HAPPY STASHING EVERYONE, JERI.
jeri |
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Lissa
Permanent Resident
USA
4942 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2002 : 10:59:23 AM
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Oh gracious, dear, you're not a real knitter in my book unless you have at LEAST more yarn than you can envision knitting up! I think of it this way: Lots of people are addicted to drugs, gambling, food (well, I'm one of those, too ) and other activities/substances which cause themselves and others great harm. I'm addicted to yarn, which means I have lovely stuff to look at, fondle and work with. And when I'm done with a project (like that'll ever happen!), either I or someone I care about has a lovely garment made with love.
So, tell me again why yarn addiction should be a problem????
Enjoy your addiction. Life has to be worth living to live it.
Lissa
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Kristin
Seriously Hooked
USA
606 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2002 : 11:02:54 AM
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Hello, my name is Kristin and I'm a yarn addict. LOL I posted this in another topic but I thought I'd copy it here, too.
I had to visit one of our affiliate offices yesterday on the Gold Coast (an upscale part of Chicago) and across the street is a high-end yarn shop. Of course, I felt it MANDATORY to go in the shop on my lunch break. They were having a New Year's sale and I kept saying "I'm not going to buy anything, I'm not going to buy anything"...but you know what happened...I bought something.
My hubby keeps saying "MORE YARN??? Don't you have enough, our closets are full of it." But I just can't pass up a good deal on yarn. Anyone else a yarn/fiber addict?
At least I got a really good deal. I found a skein of Noro Eichero for $5. I also found 2 balls of Lang Coeure which is the SOFTEST mohair/silk/wool blend and the colors are absolutely gorgeous. Lots of blues, turquoise, purples & a hint of yellow. Will make a stunning scarf on size 10 needles. I couldn't quit touching this yarn and it felt so soft against my cheek. I also got a 10-ball bag of Biscotto which is a chunky boucle-type yarn that's blue with a rainbow of colors stranded through it. I also found some Addi Turbos on sale & a pair of Clover bamboo circulars.
You should have seen me at work for the rest of the day. I kept trying to figure out how I was going to sneak all this yarn into the house without DH finding out. In the end, I decided I'd just bring the whole thing in and let the "oh no, not more yarn" argument start. However, he was actually good about it when I told him I got it all for 50% off. So, I got a bargain & was able to fufill my "yarn addiction" to boot
I know I shouldn't have bought more considering I splurged on some Jaeger Chamonix right before Christmas but I just couldn't pass up getting some high-end yarn on sale. Anyone else want to join Yarn Addicts Anonymous with me? LOL
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Patience
Permanent Resident
USA
1076 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2002 : 1:13:49 PM
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This topic is so timely for me....I have a friend who posted a few knitting technique questions to another "unamed" group and was gently told that she needed to take her knitting questions to her local yarn shop or to another group because that was not their purpose! She was so upset because she was tryig to do a pattern that was designed by the moderator of this group. I told her she needs to join THIS lovely group of people, and assured her that I have no shame when it comes to asking questions. That's one of the main reasons I love it here, and all the people on it, and I thank Clara for giving us such a great place to go and, ask any and all knitting related questions.
Anyhow, I too am seriously addicted but I LOVE it! I try to focus on other things, but in the back of my mind, I'm plotting my next purchase of yarn.....more yarn!! .
As I said in another post, and I quote Diana Ross' song, "If there's a cure for this, I don't want it, don't need it".
"Patience is a virtue", and I sure need it! |
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fmarrs
Guardian angel
USA
9776 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2002 : 1:39:49 PM
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I think this is the place to quote what my mother told me many years ago when I asked her why she had so much fabric in the house. She replied that the degree of your creativity was in proportion to how many supplies you had. LOL....I must be a very creative person. I have an eight foot long closet...one half yarn, one half fabric. I have found the perfect way to keep my supplies in check, however, it is a combination of living on Social Security and periodic emergencies in my children's lives. Then I knit away my stash without new purchases. Never have run out.........yet. My children are well trained and supply me with several shopping bags of yarn each year.
To make you feel better, let me tell you about a friend of mine. I think you might classify her as a quilter.......but she has never made a quilt. She has rooms full of fabric, loaded bookcases, notebooks full of notes and not one stitch taken....not one. All of her purchases do only one thing--keep her occupied--and happy.
Fran
Edited by - fmarrs on 01/13/2002 14:19:14 |
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fufu_gina
New Pal
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 01/20/2002 : 11:24:00 PM
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i don't hoard yarn; i'm a slave to it. i get more in as fast as i get it out. the other thing is my collection of patterns. i think it's perfectly natural to hoard yarn and patterns. these projects take a good deal of time and concentration, and so i only work on things that i have an inspiration for. i have made a couple of things without the company of the muse, and i hated it. i hated the work, how the thing looked and felt, and the fact that i was spending time on the nefarious creature instead of on something that would be wonderful. i've found i complete projects that i'm inspired for much faster and higher quality than stuff i'm dragging myself thru. so as long as you can pay bills, hoard on!!! everyone needs a vice and this is a harmless one, and hopefully i'll be in your will for your stash!!!;D as for my stash, i'm going to leave instructions in my will that if none of the relatives i do like want it, give it to one of the charities i do knitting work for so someone else can continue it without putting the charity or themself at expense.
hugs n stuff, gina |
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vivienn
New Pal
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2002 : 1:59:25 PM
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I am so happy to read that I am not the only one...I have been feeling guilty for years. I have made many things for people in my family and friends but I too can't control myself in yarn stores...it IS an addiction! I have loved buying more and more yarn since the yarn company - Phildar made "natural fiber" yarns. Oh my - the amount of mohair, silk, cotton, boucle yarns I have; designers like Adrienne Vittadini, Rowan, Colinette; novelty yarns like curly mohair, "Fluff", etc. that I have...it's crazy! I even have the nerve to go to the yarn convention in Pennsylvania almost every year and stock up on bargains like you wouldn't believe. When I go out of town, especially to New Orleans, I love to buying the most unusual yarns I can find and/or afford! That is almost the first thing I look for - it that crazy or what! I have come home on airplanes with at least a shopping bag (some in the suitcase) full of yarns. I really thought I was the only one but I guess a true knitter is always on the prowl for something new to try.
Vivienne Plunkett |
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marypnj
New Pal
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2002 : 5:45:14 PM
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I'm in HEAVEN! I'm going to make my husband read this topic! He is so sure that I am the only one that has enough yarn to cover the planet:)! I once told him that I was cutting the heating bill since all that yarn was great insulation..... he still isn't buying that one!:)In truth, he is VERY accepting of my addiction:) We compromise, he has never had a closet of his very own (no room for the yarns AND his clothes) and I let him have the basement:) ( Too damp for my yarns anyway:):)
Feeling the yarns, drinking the colors in (I'm a varigated stasher)and envisioning what it will knit into is such a delicious time for me... someone else said that they sit with yarn and patterns drinking tea, yes that is my version of heaven.
The internet has also openned up a whole new world of yarns for me. It is a double edged sword however since I can't feel the yarns before purchase but in all the time I've been shopping online there has only been 2 times that I absolutely hated the feel of the yarn. Not to waste it of course, the knitting machine will do the work with minimal touching on my part and it will become a rug someday:)
Thank you all so much for sharing. Fellow addicts unite:)
Mary Parmiter |
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yarnpeddler
Warming Up
USA
57 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2002 : 7:37:49 PM
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To quote my own web site!
REMEMBER
YOU KNIT BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO KNIT !
WHO YOU ARE KNITTING FOR IS IRRELEVANT !
YOU CAN NEVER OWN ENOUGH YARN !
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stupaj
New Pal
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2002 : 05:41:57 AM
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I have found my yarn stash has allowed me the freedom to create when the whim hits...as well as encourage those who want to learn! There is nothing like letting a "newbe" go through a selected portion of my stash and pick out yarn for their first project...gets my knitting juices going as well! One must learn to knit on a yarn that they love, that way the frustration of learning to use their hands in a new way is compensated with a look and feel of yarn they love...I have never had a new student not enjoy using their first project!!
I see yarn hording in a new light since moving from the Bay Area of Northern CA to a rural town in Northern AZ..there is one yarn shop and it takes me some time to get there...by my going and partaking in my yarn orgies I am supporting a small local business and finally meeting fellow knitters! My knitting support group was left behind in CA and this is helping me to meet my neighbors, and of couse, filling my yarn stash! The best of both worlds.
By the By, happy to have a formum for knitting, have missed the chat with fellow "Fiber Addicts"..thank you for providing it.
Syd Tupaj |
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Ewenme
New Pal
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2002 : 07:26:54 AM
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I am sooooo glad to see this topic. Yes, I can finally admit my addiction to yarn. I have been hoarding it for years, and it has gotten worse since my dad has started shopping at garage sales. He even brings me more. Since our children are grown, we purchased a small house just large enough for me and my hubbie, but it has a huge garage for his woodworking tools and a room just for my yarn. I agree with Smock7, this room makes me feel RICH!! Sometimes I just like to sit and look at all the colors and textures. I have so many ideas for sweaters, I can't knit fast enough. Sometimes I buy a yarn just because I fall in love with it at first sight and I can figure out a project for it later. My room with the "Wall of Yarn" as my children have so aptly named it, is my special place in the world. 
Pat DeShetler |
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sisterknits
New Pal
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2002 : 07:55:57 AM
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"hoarding" is such a negative term to me. What I do is provide the tools for my creativity. I have lots of yarn now mostly in storage boxes and yet I too visit my LYS to "see what's new" or to touch the fibers and, importantly, to talk with other knitters and find out what's new, who's knitting what, and how a yarn looks when it's put together. I too love looking through knitting magazines (I subscribe to 3) and catalogs. Almost every night, after my hand starts hurting from knitting, I read a catalog or book or magazine and start dreaming about my next project. Some of it with yarn that is within my stash and some of it with yarn that I must go out and buy. I agree with the writer who said her stash fuels her creativity -- I love to think and dream about the perfect vest for my husband, sweaters for my daughters or for me. It keeps me out of trouble, I can't snack when I knit, and it's a productive hobby. So, I truly believe "so much yarn, so little time."
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donredwolf
New Pal
1 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2002 : 10:10:02 AM
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Hoarding is natural for most of us, but it becomes really justifiable when you have a granddaughter! I knit steadily from age 13 to 40, then stopped until 15 years later when my first grandchild was born. In the interim, that stash went to the local hospital for their therapy classes (so I felt good about that). But a granddaughter opens up a world of possibilities, especially when she lives in Canada. No acrylics without warmth for that child! Plus, there is a huge world of adorable buttons out there. You can buy the buttons first and then match them to yarns. And since children grow, you can always buy ahead for the next few sizes.
It has also opened up a world of volunteerism—knitting premie hats for the hospitals, blankets for Project Linus, and hats for any age chemotherapy patient. So your extra yarns can become a gift to someone in need.
Hoarding definitely has its justifications!
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chris
Permanent Resident
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2002 : 12:53:03 PM
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I *want* to hoard yarn, but I'm afraid to. I just started knitting a while ago and I have no idea how much of the yarn I should buy! If I buy 10 skeins and it isn't enough, then what? Surely they'd not have any more of the dye lot later! If I bought too much, that would be ok because I could use the extra for a smaller project, right? I guess what I'm saying is: please help me become a hoarder! Please tell me how to determine how much yarn I should buy when I find one I "have to have"!
chris
Keep on knittin', mama, knittin' those blues away! |
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BooksAngel
Chatty Knitter
USA
165 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2002 : 1:41:45 PM
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Just wait until you add spinning to your skills. I have knit on and off for over 50 years. The stash keeps growing even as I work from it. But now the fiber just pours in. The web has given me access to such an assortment of colors, textures and fiber blends that I am never without something to tempt me.
In the months before Christmas everything just came together and I was able to combine wool and wool blends from all across the country into handspun yarn for 5 striped triangular shawls for family members and only one shawl used a yarn also used in another shawl.
So as guilt tries to rob you of the pleasures of a well fed stash, remember that sometime in the middle of the night a never before thought of project will call to you and your stash will be ready.
Angel
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zunimax
New Pal
3 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2002 : 3:19:59 PM
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I, too am a fiber addict! I have yarn dangling from the bedposts,
lampshades, what used to be exercise equipment, the dresser in the
guest room, in various rubbermaid tubs throughout the house, 12
niddy noddies decorating the living room, in boxes in ALL the closets
of the house. And still I buy and spin more! I just keep thinking
as I come to a close on various projects that I will run out -
eventually! That's when panic sets in, you just can't run out of
yarn! I also have beautiful baskets with balls and skeins full of
yarn, my personal decorative touch! Then there's the emails I get
speaking of the sales of yarn that must be had! So, what's one to
do but just give in?
Alicia |
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