To Buy or Not to Buy
By Veronica Smith – 27 CommentsI am so very proud of myself. I am going to make a toy Lion for my nephew’s upcoming 2nd birthday and I am using yarn I already have! Sounds logical doesn’t it? I have so much yarn, however nothing that quite qualified for a lion. I then realized that he is going to be 2 years old and really won’t know if the color is a bit off. So, out of the stash it comes. I do love buying yarn though and I am wondering how much the joy of purchasing some more yarn was overshadowing my logic on color choices.
Having over come the lion hurdle and resisting the urge to purchase more yarn I then fell off the wagon a couple of days later. There has been this yarn at the local Lincraft store (in Australia). It is the oddest stuff, it is Made in Turkey, 31% lurex and 69% what I can only assume to be polyester, English isn’t exactly predominant on the label. It is a mix match of colors that I don’t suppose really go together. It is shiny and I usually don’t like shiny yarn. To top it all off it really isn’t that soft. I couldn’t make anything that touched the skin so scarves or a sweatshirt/jumper/cardigan is out of the question. So all in all it is the opposite of anything that I have ever liked before on 3 different levels. Unfortunately, it has had me mesmerized for a couple of years now and I pick one up every time I am there trying to justify purchasing one. This yarn has been $4.99 a ball for a couple of years now and given that I don’t know what to do with it I have never bought any.
I was at the store last week and it was down to $1.99 a ball. You guessed, I purchased some, well 2 of them. Then yesterday I went back and got 6 more. I have no idea why, I am possessed by this stuff. Daughter number 2 has suggested a vest because I won’t come in contact with any skin. A bag is a possibility but it doesn’t seem to be very sturdy. I hopefully will think of something and it won’t be really scary.
I am so very weak willed. At least my lion will be a little triumph in my war against my crazy yarn purchases.
Have you ever done something like this? Do you buy yarn without a project in mind, just because it draws you in?
I have bought yarn without a project! I found the most amazing yarn at wal-mart one day…every time I went to the yarn department I had to *feel* it and dream about what I could make. This yarn was amazing. It felt like a thick cushy spa robe. Finally one day I caved. I bought 2 balls and made two small “carseat blankets”.
Most of my yarn purchases or upon impulse.
I have a suggestion, why don’t you make snowflakes? The sparkle would make it very nice actually. And who said snowflakes have to be all white?
I have also purchased yarn with no project in mind, just because I loved the color, or something was special about the yarn. Usually, I manage to find a project.
At this point in my life, my living quarters are very small, so I can’t indulge my urges if I want to have room to sit at my computer, or lie in my bed. I do, however, have a small stash still waiting for just the right project. Sometimes, I enjoy just looking at the yarn and dreaming of finding that special pattern for that special yarn.
I recently bought three big balls of yarn from Coles (including bobble yarn, which I have no idea what to do with). The whole time I was thinking “Now I’m buying yarn from a supermarket! This can’t be good.”, but I couldn’t stop myself.
I’ve seen that stuff! The feel of it puts me off, though it does look pretty.
Why dont you use it for your lion’s mane?
I like the snowflake idea, or how about a Christmas stocking,Christmas tree skirt, or doggie sweater.
I’m glad to know I’m not the only person who suffers from impulse buying.
Oh I am so with you on the yarn buying! My husband recently asked me “How much yarn have you got?” to which I replied “You don’t really want to know, do you?” He backed away very quickly! xx
I love buying yarn too much! Most of the time there is a project in mind but by the time it gets used it ends up being used for a completely different project. I have a rather large stash these days and still stare at the nice yarns whenever I go to the store. I just love touching yarn and dreaming about what I could make out of it.
I not only buy on impulse just because yarn is pretty or feels nice myself, but have now introduced my 2 year old grandson to enjoying touching the yarns as well. I had some pretty purple yarns – different textures, shades etc, in a wooden bowl on our coffee table (instead of flowers, as you do), and he loves picking them up and feeling them on his cheek and playing with them. So now whenever he visits, he picks up whatever yarn I have for latest project, and does the feel test with them.
I’ve been told that the thing I do best is shop, so I have a shed, garge, my bedroom and now my kids bedrooms full of yarn and anything crafts
I’m wondering if you are able to read the care of the yarn on the label?
Yes, I, too, suffer from this addiction! I live in Saudi Arabia, and four years ago there was this magnificent yarn at the stationary store. It was in bags and bundles, not skeins, made in china and the most beautiful colors and SO soft! Reminded me of a desert sunset! I just KNEW it was angora or something like it (still think so 😀 ) and I knew it would be lovely on a future red-headed grandchild (which I now HAVE, LOL! But her parents don’t really like crocheted “clothing” sigh) well, everytime I went there I checked to see if they had more of it. Whenever they did, I bought it up! I now have a tub full of the balls that I had to use a swift and winder to make (and that yarn could TANGLE too!). Well, I just finished a year and a half online masters course, so am now a “free” person. I think you just inspired me to pull that lovely stuff out and maybe make MYSELF an afghan, hat, and lovely scarf with it! 🙂 As for the twelve OTHER tubs of stashed yarn from my impulse buying…….time will tell. 😀
Impulse + yarn = 5 bins of stash! But I am trying very hard to use what I have. Just completed 2 projects that felt “free” since I had the yarn. I used a similar yarn to what you bought and also couldn’t think of what to make but finally I crocheted a table runner with it and it was spectacular. Loved it until a friend ‘stole’ it…now she loves it!
Sadly, ALL the time.
I buy yarn all the time without a project in mind. It’s either on sale or so pretty and soft I can’t resist. I think the yarn that’s pictured would be pretty as a dream catcher or sun catcher.
This yarn may be beautiful stranded with another yarn. The softness of a mohair might make it soft enough to wear. I see a shawl in it. slightly lacy in texture. Yeah. I would buy some.
Yes, I always have bought yarn, when I see some I like and the price is right! The projects will come and the yarn will be there!
I can’t go into a store without “looking” at the yarn. I buy based on color. I’m too afraid to use the more delicate and “different” yarns. I have hugh hands and I feel I would just tangle it up!!!. So I have most stuck to worst weight yarn. I also use an excuse when I have a coupon for “Joann’s”, “Hobby Lobby” or “Michaels” to purchase more yarn. I am definitely a yarnaholoic!
I too have stashes of yarn and have had good intentions of using it all up on a project. Initially I inherited it all from my mother-in-law when she passed away. She was a hoarder so I received bins and bins, but as time went by, I found that I kept buying…all that soft, wonderful, colorful, enticing yarn! To try to get rid of it, I have started teaching crochet/knitting and have even named my company “Hooked On Yarn” because the name implies ME! I have stashes in my son’s closet (poor guy), our game room (one 1/2 wall floor to ceiling) and now it’s starting to accumulate in my bedroom. I may have inherited my mother-in-law’s hoarding habit and now I understand why! I am definitely Hooked On Yarn!!
Yarn! Oh I just love feeling and touching it.I buy most of my stocks without a project as it is not available in India .find it during my travels to Thailand,Singapore and Dubai.hence it is often that I buy too too much and stocking is ever so difficult.check my stocks and start my projects acc and it is also challenging to mix and match from what I have.often the result is unusual too.would like to share them with all later sometime.
You could make a mobile or a stellated dodecahedron with yarn like that. It would look so cool!
http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/tuned_in/archive/2009/11/26/knit-this-dodecahedron-star-christmas-tree-topper-or-toy.aspx
I love buying yarn! Just got a gorgeous hand dyed skein today from Tuesday Morning (yay 50% off yarn!). Sadly it was the last one, so I only have 100 yds to play with. I live by the saying, “she who dies with the most yarn wins!” My problem is that I usually only get one or two skeins of something I love because money is short, so then there isn’t much I can do with it. I think your yarn would make a great bag, especially doubled as was mentioned above. Or maybe a decorative bowl or lacy vase cover. Or a slip-cover for a couch pillow. Something that displays all the sparkle and color!! I usually stick to bags or shrugs with my one-skein wonders. That seems to work out great!
I will just buy yarn cuz its pretty or on sale. I’m going make my daughter a mermaid skirt with the corcodile stitch, and was about to go out and buy yarn for this project when I saw this posting, so instead I looked through all my yarn bins and found to green yarns that will make a nice skirt. I guess I have to stop buy and start using up what I do already have
Sure! I am an addict!
Couldn’t help reading this post – and all the replies…. I too buy yarns without a project all the time! And thought I was the only one too…
I cannot afford to buy a lot of yarn, but found the perfect solution: dolls clothes!!! I bought this wonderful book a while ago: ‘knitted babes’ (and some time after, I discovered ‘babes in the wool’ which is another lovely book, and – ofcourse – bought that too; I do not only collect yarn, but books as well (!!!!), especially but not exclusively craft books on paper, fabric, yarn and polymer clay – any soft or piable material really). The book has patterns for knitted dolls – really lovely retro-looking knitted ‘Barbie dolls’, and clothes and accessories – sewn and knitted.
Any yarn that is unpractical but oh so lovely is ideal for making dolls clothes, or purses or other accessories – the dolls won’t be bothered if the yarn doesn’t breathe, or itches or whatever. And I never need more than 50 grams for a project! I love wool but am allergic to it, so I can not use it for anything I wear directly on my skin. When I really fall in love with an especially beautiful ball of wool, I can treat myself and buy one for my doll.
I also hate finishing things, so I knitted three dolls, but could not bring myself to stitch them together: they are in a small bag on the couch, waiting to be assembled. Just now I decided that this is going to be my one and only New Year’s resolution: finishing the dolls, so I can make clothes for them.
Loved the idea to make a sun catcher or dream catcher out of the crazy yarn…
Hi Yvonne, it interested me that you made dolls and clothes for the dolls. I am basically a crocheter though. Do you have certain doll patterns that you go buy. I have so much yarn that I would be interested in making dolls up to use the yarn. That is a great idea.
That’s a great idea – what do you do with all the dolls and clothes? Do you have very lucky family and friends or do you have a shop that you can sell them through?