Saturday, June 30, 2007

Screw a Yarn Diet

Here's the deal. I have been beating myself up about how much yarn I buy for as long as I've been knitting. I didn't realize it until I went back through my blog gathering photos of old projects for Ravelry (which rocks, btw, if you are still on the wait list be patient, they are adding new people constantly). Way back when my posts sounded exactly the same as they do now - constantly justifying my yarn purchases. Screw that. Why do I do that? I enjoy buying yarn! It's currently my only money sucking vice. I rarely buy clothes or shoe anymore & I have no clue why I feel the need to justify it to myself - obviously to myself since not THAT many people read my blog - and to people that I knit with. Or other knitters who by & large buy as much as much yarn as I do. It's not that much & for goodness sake, no matter how many podcasters / bloggers compare yarn to crack, at least it literally isn't CRACK. I mean, it could be worse.

There has also been some discussion of yarn snobbery in my local group lately. It seems that someone made a comment that they went to a meet up where many people were using Red Heart & other forms of acrylic & that it was nice that it was about the craft & not about the yarn. Hum. That made me do some thinking.

I use acrylic & acrylic blends as much as any other fiber when appropriate. Acrylic at the LYS isn't any more expensive than acrylic at Walmart. Should I be snubbed when I'm paying the same yard per yard for similar yarn because I went to the LYS? Gee, I sure hope not. I'd rather support a local woman owned business before a billion dollar conglomerate any day of the week. Right now I'm making a Lucy in the Sky cardigan. The yarn that I'm using is an acrylic / wool blend that I got at a LYS for less than $50. Am I more or less noble because of this? Would it be snobbier if I had used Karabella Aurora (the yarn I'm looking at for another sweater on my wish list)? I guess I don't get it. For me it's about the process & making something for myself that I enjoy making & will enjoy wearing. This time around it's a cheap acrylic blend. Watch out, next time it might be expensive cashmere. I don't expect the women I knit with to comment either way - quite frankly it's none of their business. But they wouldn't do that or I wouldn't knit with them, you know?

I guess I equate yarn buying to the way I buy clothes. I buy some of my clothes at Walmart or the thrift stores. They are perfectly good clothes & I wear them a lot. They are totally useful & I wash them a trillion times with no problems & I don't worry much about them because they are sturdy & durable. But sometimes I just want to go to Nordstrom & plop down a pile of money on a nice sweater. I have to hand wash it & care for it differently. I'm ok with that because I deserve it & it has a place in my closet just like my less expensive clothes. Same with my stash. I have all types of yarn in there & it all has it's place. Knitting for me is about the craft. But golly - it's also about the yarn. One of the features that I love the most about Ravelry is that you can search for a pattern & see what kind of yarn everyone used for that project. I love to see the range of yarns that were used for the same thing, it doesn't make the project any more or less beautiful. Work with what you can get, you know?

I think meet ups are a great place to view / touch / exchange yarn experiences - that's one of the the things that love about meet ups! I love that some of my friends buy yarn that I may or may not be able to buy or may or may not WANT to buy. I like to be "in the know" about my yarn choices & that is one way that I learn more. I like to be able to touch & feel yarns that I've heard about or have seen on the internet. Sometimes it makes me want the yarn more, sometimes not. Not every knitter has the same color & touchy feely preferences - I might not want the yarn someone else buys but I enjoying seeing it. I enjoy seeing the joy it brings it's owner. I think that's part of the knitting camaraderie & experience.

I know in my life that I won't always have the most expensive house, clothes, car, shoes, handbag or yarn. I love the women in my life that have more & less than me & I don't judge them either way. I'm surely not going to stop enjoying the company of women who chose to spend $500 on their handbag because I'm a $20 handbag kind of girl. To each her own I say - I'd rather spend my money on yarn. And I am. And I'm not apologizing for it anymore so say goodbye to the yarn diet ticker & purchasing guilt forever! Good riddance I say!

9 comments:

Manda said...

Amen, Sister!! :)

Unknown said...

Good for you! Stuff doesn't matter in how we see one another. I think everyone has something we can justify spending for. I just don't want mine to lead to debt. Buy the yarn you love and enjoy it!!

Jennifer said...

WOO HOO!!! I second Manda's amen.

Tasha said...

eduinick, agreed. I think if you are going in debt over anything you have a little problem. If it's for yarn, well, you need to get your priorities straight. This is my "fun money" & yeah, I want to buy yarn with it. :D

Anonymous said...

I was just thinkg what Manda said - "Amen, Sister!" I too love yarn - any kind, it is about the color and the texture to me. The color grabs me first - I rarely check out the fiber content until I have decided I must have it - lol.

Woman who knits said...

I forth manda's Amen. You do what you want!!! Who needs a stash diet when there's so much yummy yarn goodness out there!!

Anonymous said...

Well said Tasha! I'd pretty much come to the same conclusion when I thought about a yarn diet. It's my fun money and I'll do with it what I want. :^)

Acrylic, wool, cotton, cashmere, doesn't matter, I love them all!

Knitting Rose said...

Way to say girl! I am proud of you. I understand the need for some people to 'contain' their yarn, but I buy when I can - and when I can't - I don't. and that is that. I love my yarn and it is for me - not the other knitters out there. I like to show my friends (knitterly) because they ASK to see it. I don't think anyone should feel guilty about having things they love. Even if they are fiber. I second and third - every 'Amen Sister' here!

Salaam & Shanti Bariatric Yoga said...

You said "But they wouldn't do that or I wouldn't knit with them, you know?"

You know this is not true! Comments are made and worst of all behind peoples backs. I have heard it and seen it,HECK,,,I have done it!