Today in the paper I saw a sale ad for Lion Brand Hometown USA. This is a bulky acrylic yarn that I have been trying to find for several months, since Lion Brand first wrote about it. Last summer, I bought some size 50 needles and knit a little rug with some STASH yarn inherited from my monther-in-law, and then had to buy some more beautiful super-duper bulky yarn mostly black with multi-colors in it for another one. I could not find the Hometown in any local store, and I didn't want to pay for the shipping to get it. Oddly,even a callto Lion Brand could not tell me where I could buy that kind of yarn, only what stores carried Lion Brand.
So just last week I found out about Joann's now carrying it and this week it is ON SALE. I would need about 4 - 6 skeins to make another rug with the mulit-color that I bought. This is something that I could finish in a day or at least a couple of nights. Also it would be using some STASH yarn. Question: does it still count as buying yarn if I need it to use up some STASH yarn?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
New Knitpicks
Usually when I get my Knit Picks catalog, I tend to savor it and consider what patterns and yarn or kits I might buy. No so with this issue. While I really appreciate the originality of the fruit and vegetables and the weird animals, none of it really struck me. I do like their trend of putting out more kits. For me, as a knitter, it is not about the artistry of creating new designs, it is the actual process of knitting. So if someone else has put together some great colors and a nice design, I am happy to just make it.
On the down side, a new yarn store opened near me. It is called Yarn Knit By Sue and they had a brick and mortar store a couple of years ago. That store was at least 25 minutes away. This one is 15 minutes away. Oh, the tempation!
On the down side, a new yarn store opened near me. It is called Yarn Knit By Sue and they had a brick and mortar store a couple of years ago. That store was at least 25 minutes away. This one is 15 minutes away. Oh, the tempation!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Knitman's Kitchen
My latest obsession is waiting for some more Hidden Tiger from the talented hand's of Colin and Knitman's Kitchen. I have even written to him asking for more of it, So far, I have not seen anymore, but he sure has some nice yarn coming out of that kitchen. I am taking this as a sign.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Six Kingdoms In January
I remembered another yarn purchase for January. I am a part of the Six Kingdoms yarn club. I did get a shipment in January. It was for a cowl pattern with really pretty, color-graduated, lace-weight yarn. Does it count as a yarn purchase for 2010 if I had signed up to purchase it in 2009? I am thinking so.....
Anyway, in a moment of clarity, I realized that I would probably never knit it. I read the group discussion on Ravelry for this club and saw that a couple of other members had sold their kits to others, so I put a note out that my kit, and an earlier kit, was for sale. A lovely woman agreed to give my cowl kit a new home. The good news is that at least this yarn is not adding to my stash in 2010. I will have to decide what to do about the March kit, which should be the last one.
Anyway, in a moment of clarity, I realized that I would probably never knit it. I read the group discussion on Ravelry for this club and saw that a couple of other members had sold their kits to others, so I put a note out that my kit, and an earlier kit, was for sale. A lovely woman agreed to give my cowl kit a new home. The good news is that at least this yarn is not adding to my stash in 2010. I will have to decide what to do about the March kit, which should be the last one.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
January - Stumbling in Philadelphia
So I am a little late in getting this blog going, and I am going to have to write about January from a historical perspective. For work, I went to Philadelphia for four days. Being the obsessed knitter that I am, I decided to check out a few of the yarn stores there, if time permitted.
The first day, I checked out Loop, a nice yarn store. I was looking for patterns to make some cute vest/short sleeved fly-away cardis that I see in the stores, and firmly went past the sock yarns (even though, from what I hear, sock yarn does not count as stash). I also went past the Noro Silk Garden in color 252 which I have been looking for to make a modular shawl. It was the wrong dye lot, and it was about 40% more than the going rate. I was really good getting patterns and almost made it out of the store, but a thrummed slipper pattern caught my eye. And they had all of the materials right there. So, month 1, second week, and I have already slipped.
The next night, I went to Rosie's Yarn Cellar. This is another nice shop in Philly, but is truly is in a cellar. Don't attempt this after a few glasses of wine - very steep stairs. I managed to hold myself to just buying some patterns in this store.
The rest of the month, I did really well. I think I was in Soft N'Sassy, one of my fav yarn stores in Broadview Heights, Ohio for their big 20% off sale. I held myself to a book.
OTN: A modular shawl in Brown Sheep LanaLoft. This is taking me a while to do, but fortunately I bought the materials on 12/26/09, so it doesn't count as a 2010 purchase. However, at 240 stitches per row, it will be while before I can start something else.
The first day, I checked out Loop, a nice yarn store. I was looking for patterns to make some cute vest/short sleeved fly-away cardis that I see in the stores, and firmly went past the sock yarns (even though, from what I hear, sock yarn does not count as stash). I also went past the Noro Silk Garden in color 252 which I have been looking for to make a modular shawl. It was the wrong dye lot, and it was about 40% more than the going rate. I was really good getting patterns and almost made it out of the store, but a thrummed slipper pattern caught my eye. And they had all of the materials right there. So, month 1, second week, and I have already slipped.
The next night, I went to Rosie's Yarn Cellar. This is another nice shop in Philly, but is truly is in a cellar. Don't attempt this after a few glasses of wine - very steep stairs. I managed to hold myself to just buying some patterns in this store.
The rest of the month, I did really well. I think I was in Soft N'Sassy, one of my fav yarn stores in Broadview Heights, Ohio for their big 20% off sale. I held myself to a book.
OTN: A modular shawl in Brown Sheep LanaLoft. This is taking me a while to do, but fortunately I bought the materials on 12/26/09, so it doesn't count as a 2010 purchase. However, at 240 stitches per row, it will be while before I can start something else.
In The Beginning
This blog is going to document my attempt to go on a yarn diet. Yes, I have an addiction to purchasing yarn. My goal for this year, 2010, is to break this habit and actually knit some of the yarn that I have. There will be some stumbles, in fact there already have been, but more about that later. But even when I stumble, and succumb to my disease, I will get right back on that wagon.
I have been knitting for about 5 years now. Being a serial crafter, I have a habit of immersing myself in one craft, buying everything I can find for that craft, and then after several years, moving on to a new craft. If anyone needs some Delica beads from my seedbead weaving days, I have them. My moment of truth for yarn is when I realized that I had five large plastic boxes STUFFED with yarn. The only reason there are not more boxes is because I don't have a place to put more. So there is also yarn in several other places.
All this would be well and good and I know there are many knitters who have more yarn than I do, but when I started knitting, I committed to starting and FINISHING one project before I started the next. So far, I have done pretty well holding on to that standard. The only problem is that I am a slow knitter, having a full-time job, kids, husband, house, etc., so while I don't have 10 unfinished knitting projects around ( as I may with some old beading projects), I still tend to buy yarn like I can complete a project in no time.
So, the time has come to try to impose some discipline and get this under control. Starting in January of this year, I am, for this day only, not going to buy any more yarn.
I have been knitting for about 5 years now. Being a serial crafter, I have a habit of immersing myself in one craft, buying everything I can find for that craft, and then after several years, moving on to a new craft. If anyone needs some Delica beads from my seedbead weaving days, I have them. My moment of truth for yarn is when I realized that I had five large plastic boxes STUFFED with yarn. The only reason there are not more boxes is because I don't have a place to put more. So there is also yarn in several other places.
All this would be well and good and I know there are many knitters who have more yarn than I do, but when I started knitting, I committed to starting and FINISHING one project before I started the next. So far, I have done pretty well holding on to that standard. The only problem is that I am a slow knitter, having a full-time job, kids, husband, house, etc., so while I don't have 10 unfinished knitting projects around ( as I may with some old beading projects), I still tend to buy yarn like I can complete a project in no time.
So, the time has come to try to impose some discipline and get this under control. Starting in January of this year, I am, for this day only, not going to buy any more yarn.
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