24 November 2008

To my fellow yarnaholics...

How do you ever figure out which project to do next? I have about a gajillion I'd like to do, and, more importantly, have done. Christmas projects are next, obviously, but I'd love to make Annalivia a hat/ scarf/ mitten set for church, and I'd love to make myself a winter hat with a big floppy brim and I'd love to make booties and clothes and a blanket for the baby and I'd love to make a yarn bag -- I actually need that -- and I'd love to try slippers and figure out something really useful for Dennis... the list goes on and on...
And somehow, I'm going to have to figure out how to fund this yarn obsession. Maybe gift certificates to Hobby Lobby and yarn stores should be the only thing on my Christmas list...
What do the rest of you yarn-addicts do?

4 comments:

Sarah S-D said...

pace myself... try to make myself use yarn i've got before buying more... trying to stick to one project at a time... sometimes more successfully than others.. I have a bin of yarn, april. and i just bought more last week. but i have specific plans for all the yarn i bought... it is an expensive addiction, because i'm hooked on the REALLY nice stuff.

Anonymous said...

i'm a bad girl in the yarn department... i just love the many varities and textures, how they all feel... i'm addicted, i fear!

i've started to use my knitting projects as gifts in order to justify my obsession. it comes in handy because i'm a pw, and our church is in the middle of a baby boom. one knitted baby blanket is a meaningful, elegant gift... and saves me a lot of money while giving me immense artistic satisfaction!

j said...

Oh, I'm kind of a gigolo with yarn and projects! I commit to nothing, and buy yarn simply because i love it, though I really do not have an enormous stash. I have 3 or 4 projects going at a time (at a minimum!) and I knit on whatever strikes my fancy at that moment--baby blanket? Scarf? poncho? Do I feel like big chunky needles? Or like bamboo and silk yarn? What colors am I into? Do I have a deadline? Eventually, I get to a critical mass point on one project and generally commit to that one until I'm through, and then I have a bit of a letdown. I also don't do very well with deadlines. I made 6 gorgeous hats one Christmas, as well as a scarf, and I was so determined and so rushed that the last one was not joyful at all to make. So, what's the point?!

Make good friends with the owners of your LYS (Local Yarn Shop), and find out when their sales are--go by to get help on something challenging from time to time. And watch what other people are knitting. You can learn a lot. Only buy yarn that you can use, and not hate. I've bought some simple, inexpensive yarn, to save costs, and wound up hating the feel. You have to want to have it in your hands. Michaels and Joanns are good places to get sturdy, solid, nice wools--good for felting and other things. But you want to get the nice stuff at a nice little local place where the baskets just beg to have your hands burrowing around in them for the perfect cashmere or merino! Havew fun!!!!!

Cara said...

Hi April, I finally figured out that you're expecting! Congratulations! Been off the internet for 6ish months and 'catching up' :) I'm a yarnaholic now too :)

Cara