I'm still at the stage where it takes me complete concentration and about 4 months to knit a super bulky weight cardigan! Knitting quickly and without looking seems like magic, doesn't it! 😆
I love this knitting chat! I am a person who works from stash as much as possible - because I too learned over the first few years of my knitting that yarn is faster to buy than to use AND the choice factor is unnecessarily time-consuming when you start from scratch / purchase for every new cast on. I think of my (rather minimal in the scheme of things) stash as my own yarn boutique and it's super fun to shop from it. There's just as much of a dopamine hit when I figure out how to make something gorgeous and unique out of yarn I already own, esp when I have to go off road. My latest FO is a striped raglan sweater made with 1 stripe of sock yarn and one stripe "rustic" BFL/masham. The end result is so cool (IMO :-)). If I'd just bought a sweater's quantity of new yarn, I'd never have had that amazing knitting experience or terrific finished object.
I don’t have a big stash of yarn. I only buy yarn for a specific pattern. I usually have about 3 WIPs I like to switch off between crocheting and knitting. I knit and crochet to help my anxiety. I’m almost 68 now so I’m retired and really enjoy knitting, crocheting, reading, taking care of my houseplants and watching CZcams videos on true crime, plants, knitting and crocheting. I’m on a very low income so I can’t afford to shop for a lot of yarn or clothes etc. I enjoy watching your videos. Thanks for taking the time to record them. 🧶
I’m knitting from stash and it’s frustrating how slowly it is going. In my head I can accomplish a lot more than what is actually happening. I have been knitting for 35 years, but I didn’t really have a stash until 5 years ago. It ballooned out of my comfort level when both my mom and grandma died a month a part in 2020. There was too much “bereavement yarn” purchased. The yarn just smelled good and was comforting. Now I am working down from 10,000 grams at the beginning of 2023. My goal is to be down to 3-5,000 by the end of the year. I did buy 294 g in February and I am planning to buy 200 g today-LYS day. I do have sock yarn coming in December instead of an advent. Mostly it’s going okay because I really want my stash to be more manageable. I want to be able buy the yarn and make the thing without the “guilt yarn” mocking me from the shelves! I’m currently at 8,271 g w/o today’s yarn purchase or my April finishes. It is easier knowing other like-minded people exist in the world-Thanks!
Such great insights! I am someone with a history of spending problems, and I've really struggled with the consumerism that seems to penetrate all kinds of hobby spaces on the internet! With yarn, things haven't really got out of hand for me yet and I'd prefer to keep it that way.
Před rokem+7
Good luck on your no-buy year! I'm also going through a wallet-imposed one right now and it's ok. I would like to see makers doing a pattern no-buy for a while. It would be refreshing if the free patterns out there got some love, we'll see nice stuff other than the same as always and also it would create some feedback material to the people who can't afford paid patterns and have to knit the free ones. Also it would give appreciation to designers who are starting up or maybe stopped producing out of lack of visibility. I would love to see people making Marie Amelie designs or Veronica Más' dresses, for example. It would also give appreciation to the designers who are hired by yarn companies to create patterns. Sari Nordlund, for once, has a lot of greate patterns she made for Novita and doesn't seem to be knitted as often as her self-published ones. People make a lot of videos about knitting on a budget, but it would be nice to see someone to actually take us through a journey of knitting on budget for a while, from pattern picking to getting yarn and etc.
Thank you for the knitting company! It's very interesting to hear how not buying yarn has affected your knitting experience. I only started knitting last year and I'm on a student budget, so I don't really have a yarn stash. Knitting for me usually follows a cycle: I have one or two WIPs and yarn for the next one or two projects I plan to knit. So when I finish what I'm knitting, I'll start something else using my "stash", then plan the next project and get yarn for it. I definitely relate to "buying to feel something". I'm happy I got out of that mindset! The vest is looking really cute!
I have been knitting for three decades. I have been a KNITTER for two decades. I knit every single day. I have always had a stash, and I always will. I am all for people that are able to purchase yarn for a project and not buy more until that yarn is gone. I don't understand those people, but I will cheer them on regardless. I love having a stash. My stash has saved me when money was incredibly tight, and I still needed to knit. One year I made all of my Christmas presents from stash because money was so tight. I am fortunate enough to have room to store my stash, but even when my storage was very limited, I found ways to keep a small stash (storage ottoman in lieu of a coffee table.) Right now, my goal is to work through old stash, both patterns and yarn. I have great stuff and want to actually use it! Bottom line, what works for me doesn't work for everyone. I applaud you for stashing down. I can't wait to see everything you make!
I definitely aspire to knit through my stash but am not on a ban. What I’ve learned is to be wary of buying multiple projects worth of yarn because like you said, interest in a project can wane during the time I’m working on the first thing. At this rate, I have plenty of patterns and yarn to last me at least 3 years. When I go to my LYS, I try to offer to help out with any tasks available instead of feeling like the only way to support the business is with my wallet.
I agree with you on feeling the need or pressure to get things. Initially things can make us feel better but it doesn’t last or it just becomes too much. I have a huge stash and probably won’t live long enough to use it all. I don’t buy yarn anymore and intend to sell some of it on eBay. I really enjoy your videos and think you’re a great knitter. ☺️
I have been working on fabric collage and limiting myself, not just to stash, but almost entirely to small scraps and selvedge bits. I am shocked by the creativity it’s calling forth, ideas I had no clue we’re even in there! I think the challenge of limitation is extremely rewarding.
Oh it is a hell of a podcast! I've always been knitting from stash, the extra yarn I had were overbuys for a specific project or gifts. And I knit lots of accessories with these scrapps, and am slowly slooowly making a squares blanket with scrap yarn. Each square is completely different from the other. It's a good small project to get that bind-off high and also a way to experiment with crazy stitches and colourwork that I'd probably wouldn't use on garments. What happens is that I'm a very slow and monogamous knitter, very process-oriented, don't like to buy online, live far from a yarn shop and am a little cheap too. When I go to buy yarn is always for one or two projects (to save the trip) that I'm going to begin immediately. I have a big line of projects in my head, but as I go through my knits their priority levels change a lot as well as yarn and colour I had envisioned. So it's good to buy only when you're 100% sure, otherwise I'd have a lot of yarn lying around. I do spend a lot of times browsing yarn online and looking at projects on ravelry, but just browsing. And then, when I go to the yarn shop, I have already made a decision (or have some candidates to narrow down to one single decision), and enjoy the purchase even more because of the anticipation built. So instead of a big yarn stash I have big line in ravelry and a big pinterest page, which are free and eco-friendly. It also helps to knit only gifts or things that you actually are going to wear (and have created some outfits in your mind with the clothes you already own).
I totally admire how well you are sticking to your no buy year. Last year I was able to slightly rein in my yarn buying and managed to start out this year with 10 skeins less than what I started with in Jan 2022. This year the goal is to only purchase 1 skein for every 2 skeins used. My biggest challenge is that I have many sweater quantities of yarn, but not the right yarn for the sweaters that I want to knit😢. It is so hard to change our habits, but we don't know what we can actually accomplish until we try. Thank you for taking the time to talk about how you are feeling about the changes you are actively making, it gave me a lot to think about.
I am mesmerized watching you knit without looking occasionally for such a long span of time! And you don't misspeak or lose your train of thought. Impressive feat especially as you haven't been knitting for decades.
I can relate to a lot of what you were describing. I have recently been trying to be more conscious of how much I am buying, because I ran out of storage space, and I like collecting memories and souvenirs of the places and shops I go in. I also get a buzz from buying yarn online or in a shop and it used to be so hard for me to walk out of a shop without a purchase. I have significantly reduced the amount of yarn I buy now, and I'm trying to go back and match my already bought yarns to projects that I want to knit or had already started and just need finishing. I don't give myself a rule of not buying yarn as I know it makes the urge to buy worse for me. So I am allowing myself to occasionally get yarn for projects that I know I will finish, and I try not to take on too many projects at once. I work on about 3 projects at a time and I hope to get my storage space back gradually, so that I can reorganise my crafting space to suit me. I will be reassessing the situation from time to time, and might have to donate some supplies that I don't really use in the future. I try to distract myself from urges to buy yarn or patterns as best as I can and really try to give myself plenty of other activities to do in the week. It took a bit of time for my mindset to change but it has been worth it and I am saving money for other things as a result. Keep going with your challenge, it sounds like it will be helpful for you in a lot of ways!
You have described where I am at this moment. 3-year knitter here too. Pandemic self-taught by you tube. Been gradually weaning myself from buying more yarn by buying smaller amounts with specific projects in mind. This lets thoughtfulness and intention come in. I used to choose a yarn for its attributes and color without a real plan for it, just a general idea. Those general ideas fill my drawers and bins, lol! This has been your best video yet, imo. Thanks for your honesty. You help us all!
I enjoyed you talking about your thoughts on your no buy year. Since last year, I have made an effort to try to contain my stash. Last year in january I made an excel file where I write up everything that I buy and everything that is done, noting down the weight. My goal is that at the end of the year, I just have used more than I bought. I also feel a lot of stress regarding my stash. Looking at it makes me feel stressed sometimes. I figured it might be good to stash down a bit until it seems managable enough, again. I have so many more thoughts on this (consumerism, buying as a failed coping strategy, what stash means to us, how it shapes my creativity etc.). But alas ... the comment section is too small for that. Thanks for you talking about this, though.
I am trying to reduce my stash and I think of it as a no buy with caveats. My stash doubled when I inherited my sister's yarn stash when she passed away. Her taste in yarn was very different from my own. I love those tiny bins you use, it seems like a manageable amount. My plastic totes are the 55L ones and my goal is to reduce what I have so it fits in a plastic drawer unit. I have plans for stash blankets which will use up a good amount and be useful. My exceptions for new purchases: I can replace damaged or lost tools, and if I see a garment that I really like but it is something I can make, then I can buy the yarn for it as long as I cast on immediately. The idea here is if the garment fills a gap in my wardrobe and I like it enough to make it, then I am slowing down spending on ready made, but also providing entertainment for myself. For example, I really like those silk knit wrap tops by Ozma and have been creeping on their website for a couple of years. However, I can only buy the yarn if I have used up more stash yarn than I am bringing in. A bit convoluted but it is working for me.
I completely understand what you said about having no concept initially when I bought yarn, how long it would actually take me to knit it up. I also didn't know when i was in the thick of things (buying) how much yarn I needed to make a sweater for myself. I have since learned that I can actually make a fingering weight sweater with just 200g on larger needles - I didn;t need to buy 400 or 500 grams lol. I have a ridiculous amount of yarn but I don't stop myself from purchasing if the opportunity presents itself. Like the time I was out of town on LYS day and found a british yarn I wanted for a sweater project or the time I went to a festival and bought some speacial yarn.
I knit from stash 99% of the time, but my stash is gargantuan. I dont buy yarn in store, but I give myself a pass if its good yarn at a thrift store (since I can't get that again), and I take yarn that is given to me (never look a gift yarn in the mouth). I have the space to store it, and I keep it all organized and weighed on ravelry, so I always shop my own stash for everything I make. Its nice because I live in a small town with not a lot of options for buying anything but acrylic yarn, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming at times because I just have so much. But I will never run out of things to knit lol.
I’m not ready for a no buy year. But this definitely gives me something to think about. I am trying to be more intentional about the things that I buy. Especially yarn. I learned a lot on CZcams with knitting and crochet and knitsagaram. But I definitely am a I see it and I want it, exactly, person. So I would see something I like and buy everything that was used to make the same. Whether I actually made it once it arrived is a different thing. I’ve also just gotten into hand dyed yarn and found some local yarn stores in my area. Since it is so much more expensive than the big box yarns I’ve always used. I definitely have to step back and think through what I really love and will use. This year I am only buying if I know the exact quantity I need and the project it’s for. I’m hoping that with concrete plans I will buy less and knit more. But I also don’t want to restrict myself from enjoying this thing I love. Sometimes getting that yarn creates a memory.
At the beginning of the year I thought about doing a no buy year but then a lot of sad things happend and I didn't stick to it. Buying yarn was cheering me up while things were bad. Now I'm doing better and also realising, that using your stash can feel kind of similarly satisfying. So I wanna give it a try up until the end of the year. :) The only thing that seemed a little unmotivating to me was that I also don't really have summer yarn - or at least only some singles that don't fit together. Your point that it can be very satisfying to do many smaller projects in a short time convinced me. I'm pulling it off now :)
Great podcast. Thank you. I too am in a no-buy yarn period. I’ll be turning 71 this summer and am beginning to wonder ‘what will happen to all of my beautiful skeins of yarn’ in this latter chapter of my life? So I too am focusing on knitting down my stash, but still so tempted by these talented dyers and their yarn beauties. I have a good friend that can drop $1000 in 2 hours of shopping which really stops me in my tracks and makes me realize how endorphins play a big part in retail consumption. We share many of the same thoughts and experiences on the topic of your podcast today.
I have a large stash but mostly single skeins or less than sweater quantity. It all came from a colleague’s destash. I could knit for a year without buying more but it would have to be accessories, small garments or scrappy projects. So I buy more. But I won’t buy expensive yarn. I love your example and am definitely aspiring to use up what I have. You are doing great. I totally get choice paralysis too, in all sorts of ways. Like, I might have three nice things I could do in a day and I can’t decide which to do so I hold them all in my head until suddenly it’s 3:37pm and too late to do any of them. I have had that with yarn and pattern choices too. My latest garment, though, was an exception because I picked the yarn I wanted to knit up, I chose a couple of needle sizes that looked like they would suit, I knit up gauge swatches and chose the swatch I liked best, then I filtered Ravelry patterns to suit that stitch count. That meant I was only looking at patterns that suited a fabric and stitch count I already had ready and the yarn was kind of choosing the pattern, not the other way round. I am hoping this approach works for the rest of my stash…
One of the things that I really like to do is buy yarn off of facebook marketplace. So many people, especially newer knitters over buy yarn and then don't end up needing it for a project so I buy it off of them. It makes projects fun because it also challenges me to use smaller bits or scraps in projects (maybe with intarsia or stranded rows) would highly recommend!
This knit and chat actually got me to knit for the first time this week, so I gotta thank you for that. The freehand vest is looking cute so far! Replacing the satisfaction from buying something to the one from finishing a project sounds like such a good habit. Especially when it gets you to make several smaller projects instead of getting stuck on a bigger one. My stash isn't that big yet, but I'll be moving to a more expensive place, so I might have to do a no buy year involuntary. Or just learn rely on the sale table 😅
I need to do a no-buy or at least chill the heck out on my yarn purchases. I definitely use making purchases as a coping mechanism and I don't love that for myself. Another problem I have is looking at social media and then being heavily influenced by what everyone is buying or knitting. I want to stop looking at Instagram but I don't, ya know? 😂 I don't have any RL knitting friends and I have a strong urge to connect with other knitters. So that's where I'm at haha. I love your videos and your sense of humor. Can't wait to see more videos!
I un-followed every yarn dyer and seller and only followed knitters when I was having trouble purchasing impulsively. Not seeing pretty new yarn definitely helped!
related to so much of this video! i try to buy things as I want to knit them because i've found that yarn just sitting around does stress me out a little and ofc it is easier to make choices when you are naturally limiting yourself. i also found that early on i was really really focused on garments and thinking of making a garments, but enjoyed working on smaller projects this winter!
yeah! I feel the same, got into knitting by knitting garments but once I had some skills I got to enjoy the process of knitting too, not just product 🥲
I am currently trying to use up the majority of my crochet yarn so that I can start making completely different items in the second half of the year :) I also have macrame yarn and while some of it is suitable for crocheting, most of it isn't. I am currently not doing too much macrame so this one I won't be using up. I am pretty happy about it though! It all fits neatly into a plastic container and I am just working through the crochet yarn to make more space for new yarn and new projects :)
I going to knit more from my stash because it didnt go so well to begin with do health bit I did a bit. I am happy that I got just 2 1/2 skeins of acrylic left and I was able to make 4 socks, 1 vest (too short) and a 2 crochet blankets and 2 crochet cardigans for a friend and her daughter. I have manage to build a stash that I think is a good size now I am hoping to work with it this year. I just did my last yarn buy and now I will see how it goes with getting to make wearable for myself this year.
Just came across this video, and WOW it resonates with me so much. I'm also trying to limit my consumption, and while I'm not on a yarn buying ban, my knit-to-acquisition ratio needs some adjustment. I got the idea from @highfiberknits to count each ball of yarn in my stash and define it as a "unit", and now I have a little spreadsheet tracking the movement of my units month-to-month. Whether I have an acquisition, giveaway, or finish a project, I always have a sense of what I have, and it feels like enough and makes me hesitate to purchase more yarn.
I'm not doing a 100% no buy this year, but I am trying to knit at least 90% from stash and I am keeping track of balls & skeins used each month and if I bring in anything new. So far I have only used a gift card on my birthday for two balls of fluff to pair with other yarns in my stash and one ball of sock yarn to hold double with a stash yarn for a gift for my mom, so I'm feeling pretty good about that. My stash is beyond ridiculous, but I've been "collecting" for over 20 years
I am planning on doing at least a year of no buy as well, I reduced to almost non buying any clothes or plants ( I love plants too 😄👀) and I have a lot of yarn that I bought and recently I've been thinking the same as you, I spent all that money buying this pretty yarn now I need to use it all up before I allow myself adding more :) I really wanna use up ALL my stash. I know how to knit at a very beginner level but I mostly enjoy crocheting garments, I need to look my "courage" straight in the eyes and maybe start knitting a little too ahaha
Love this podcast - having been knitting for over 60 years, I have accumulated a large stash, so I am now working my way steadily through it. I still buy yarn for gifts, but I now do a lot of charity knitting for a wonderful UK children's charity, and so I can use up a lot of the acrylic yarn that I acquired in my younger years! For myself I knit patchwork or colour block sweaters, which again uses up more of my stash.
I am on a yarn buy freeze. My stash is bigger than it should be but I was building it over years for the time when money was tight. Thats now and my future due to age. I have bought at times for presents, holidays, etc. and to feel better. I love my stash and craft tools. They bring me a challenge and comfort. You are very smart and self aware so you are getting very wise. You are an awesome knitter and I enjoy your videos.
Jan 1 I started my no buy year. I have a huge stash…all yarns I love, the money to buy it and a place to store it. But let’s be reasonable and decided I don’t need any more yarn in 2023. Ya righttttt. I lasted 4 days. 😄
i barely started knitting at the beginning of this year but it’s become an OBSESSION. I already have a stash i feel is too much and unfortunately have some commercial yarn from joann’s that i had intentions for, but now i’m hearing negative reviews from people in the knitting community :( i also bought heaps of cascade 220 superwash for baby knits for family so i really need to hunker down and knit those up to free up my stash (and my brain space!). i’ve been trying to be much more intentional with my purchases, and have been researching a ton to compare fiber content, reviews, yardage, etc before i purchase (and before i drag friends to a yarn store for 6 hours trying to make decisions on the spot)
I think the acrylic yarn is totally fine as long as you love the colors and feel- they definitely have a place! No hate for some good ol' soft acrylic yarn ❤️
@@futurefiber no hate on acrylic, it def has its place ! it’s actually the truboo and coboo which are cotton blends. i’ve heard it’s heavy, pills, splits, etc. i knit a tank top in the truboo and it’s heavy and just isn’t what i wanted
I'm currently knitting from stach but I'm super flexible about it because I don't have "that much". The goal is more to make things that I really like than it is to not buy more yarn. so if I have a really good project in mind but am missing some yarn to get to it, I will buy it. I bought some yarn last month to make a second version of a free-handed top I made last year to keep the original as a guide line but as soon as v2 is complete, I'm frogging it to make something else out of it !
I am all about knitting what I have, specifically the kits I have purchased. However, since this seems to be a hobby that I’m not going to stop doing anytime soon, I also am totally OK with grabbing yarn when I can get a screaming deal on it because it will all get knit or crocheted eventually! I appreciate your thought process though, and there’s definitely value in buying and using intentionally.
I completely relate and I'm someone who never buys more food until every last crumb is eaten, who does everything step by step and still I've got myself in exactly the same yarn mess! I have a new rule if I've decided on a project to use up some stash and it requires a second yarn not to buy it until I know I'm nearly on top of starting it!
Love your videos/podcasts. Love your salty attitude and editing! Good work on your no buy… tbh past me made shitty yarn choices 🤣 I didn’t understand yarn weight, materials, colours, it was all dictated by price. So while I’m still using them for smaller crafts/accessories/non wearables, I’m not going to want to wear the weird puke yellow acrylic that I bought 5 years ago! I hope past you made wiser purchases!
I am now (really!) committing to “no buy” for the rest of this year for yarn. I’ve got a bit of decision paralysis going as it relates to summer appropriate fibers and what pattern I’m going to knit so the item will be useful in my wardrobe (another new goal, the “capsule wardrobe”). First try with Truboo by Lion Brand yarn is getting frogged because I didn’t pick the appropriate pattern for it. And Truth be told I don’t like knitting with it (terribly splitty, and I can just tell it would get snagged like crazy). On to better decisions. Thank you for the frank discussion.
I share so many of the insights you shared today. Thanks. I'm trying to be very intentional with what I buy, and I also want to knit through my stash before I buy any more yarn. I like the idea of a no buy in all areas. Your video podcasts are great.
Wow, this is timely! I have been building my stash up over the past year and I'm cutting myself off from purchasing more in a month. Then my plan is to work through the stash, make many of the projects I bought a lot of the yarn for and plan how to use all the rest that I bought just because I loved it. I'm excited about it. I'm going to re-organize the stash this summer to help keep me on track and make it (my plan) happen. I wish you well and luck with your de-stashing!!!
I recently just frogged a top that I had knitted put of gauge 😅. So I am crocheting one of those hexagon granny square sweaters out of it currently. I think ill need maybe 2 more skeins of it to finish bc I wanted something really oversized. Tends to happen when I knit from stash unfortunately but its still getting used! So I try to start with what I have and if I need more its easier to buy only what I know ill need. People tend to just give me a lot of their old craft yarn which is why my current stash is a bit out of control. Thinking about planning a little knitting group at work though to try and rehome some of it lol
I get back to crocheting last summer , and I start knitting three months ago, and I have a little bit of a stash that is definitely concerning. I am thinking about if I was knitting for a while, how my stash would be look 😂
You are a TRUE eye-operner! ❤ Thank you for your videos! My stash is alot of small amounts of yarn I love. Most often I start with one of them, bying more yarn to making it into that desired garnment/thing. 😂 So I’m cheating!!! Latest project was an old yarn, let’s call it A. To match with that, I thrifted yarn B. Then A and B didn’t match that well, so I had to purchase yarn C nevertheless 😂. Shit happens….. but yarn B was really cheap and sooo beautiful. I suppose I’m the queen of excuses😂❤❤
Yeah I think it's tough to balance using what you have and knitting what you love- as long as the final result is good and you're using the yarns it's all good in my book!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtfulness around consumption - it is so refreshing! I am in a similar situation trying very hard not to buy new yarn and I often feel left out of the current trends. Also...are you knitting with two different needles? Can you talk through that decision making process in a future episode?
I'm also working from stash this year. I rearranged my storage last year and realized both that I'd accumulated a lot of yarn and also that it had been a long time since I'd finished anything. I'm feeling good about my progress but thinking about projects is way faster than completing them! Lol
I started no buy late. March 1 was my start date. It's been interesting I do have a subscription I signed up in January I'm still a part of. I feel like there is a lot of pressure to shop if your American. I am 2 months in and I feel like my knitting is getting better bc I've had to learn more about yarn substitution
I love that I am usually pretty frugal with my yarn purchases, but today, I'm watching this as I wait to buy yarn from a preorder lol. I usually buy yarn a couple times a year, but it is a couple skeins max of sock yarn, so I'm not mad. I'm glad this 'no buy year' is helping you so much! I want to do that with getting food delivery actually, since it is so cheap and convenient to get it here in Korea, but it is not healthy and probably more expensive than I realize... should I make a delivery food budget.... hmmm... anyways, thanks for another enjoyable video!
I definitely feel you on how long it will take for me to work through my stash! I calculated that it takes me about a week to knit a sock, so at approximately 200 yds/week, I have ~5 years worth of yarn 🙈 I definitely could donate a lot of it, but I feel a responsibility to use it up for my financial responsibility
not doing no buy but use more than I buy year. so far its not going too great I have bought 700 grams more than I've knitted/crocheted up so far but luckily there are still many months ahead. I do have a rather large stash and it has grown too big however I do enjoy having a "larger" stash since knitting/crocheting is good for my mental health and the thought of not being able to knit fills me with such dreed and anxiety and since there aren't always room for yarn in the budget, it's kinda a safety knowing that even if I don't have any money I am still able to knit. Granted it is a balancing act since the stash ahs now become too big and that isn't helping my mental health either so hence the knit more than I buy year. Sorry for the long winded rant.
So hello my name is Elisabetta and I’m a yarn hoarder. I mean collector. I am also a knitter but those two hobbies seem not to be necessarily related. Getting yarn gives me joy and as long as I have place for storing it and still money left for buying groceries and pay bills, I guess I’ll be fine. I feel like I have a bit of a compulsive buying problem but as I see it it’s not harming anyone is it
This year I am focused on using a lot more than I buy, plus I want to work with the best yarns in my stash rather than forever saving them for later. My secret weapon is to make and donate a lot of items for charity. The downfall is that my charity group keeps adding to my stash 😂
Think you have learned valuable lessons by thinking about your stash…ahead of my 74 years. Time was an issue and for many years available knit stores was limited. I wish I had done more , have a project , in mind before I bought…. I will still buy more yarns but clearly I have enough. I do record what I am working on and have a stack of projects ready to start. Also charity knitting gets rid of yarns that I have changed my mind. About. As you have learned alternating big and small projects helps.. keep up good work and this is a podcast don’t worry about eauipment
In my case, I've knitted seriously since last November so I can't keep up with multiple projects and choosing a yarn for project is quite difficult for me. That makes me buy yarns one project at a time so my stash isn't that big. However I bought quite amount of yarns from daiso when I started knitting, so I just don't know what to make with them. At that time, daiso-quality yarn was good enough for me, but now I just don't feel like making something out of them. Maybe I should sell or donate?
the way you just knitted for 20 mins NOT LOOKING AT YOUR KNITTING WHILE STILL MAKING COHERENT SENTENCES. so awesome
I'm still at the stage where it takes me complete concentration and about 4 months to knit a super bulky weight cardigan! Knitting quickly and without looking seems like magic, doesn't it! 😆
THIS!!! How!? How!? HOW??? hahahaha
I love this knitting chat! I am a person who works from stash as much as possible - because I too learned over the first few years of my knitting that yarn is faster to buy than to use AND the choice factor is unnecessarily time-consuming when you start from scratch / purchase for every new cast on. I think of my (rather minimal in the scheme of things) stash as my own yarn boutique and it's super fun to shop from it. There's just as much of a dopamine hit when I figure out how to make something gorgeous and unique out of yarn I already own, esp when I have to go off road. My latest FO is a striped raglan sweater made with 1 stripe of sock yarn and one stripe "rustic" BFL/masham. The end result is so cool (IMO :-)). If I'd just bought a sweater's quantity of new yarn, I'd never have had that amazing knitting experience or terrific finished object.
that sounds like an amazing sweater!
I don’t have a big stash of yarn. I only buy yarn for a specific pattern. I usually have about 3 WIPs I like to switch off between crocheting and knitting. I knit and crochet to help my anxiety. I’m almost 68 now so I’m retired and really enjoy knitting, crocheting, reading, taking care of my houseplants and watching CZcams videos on true crime, plants, knitting and crocheting. I’m on a very low income so I can’t afford to shop for a lot of yarn or clothes etc. I enjoy watching your videos. Thanks for taking the time to record them. 🧶
I’m knitting from stash and it’s frustrating how slowly it is going. In my head I can accomplish a lot more than what is actually happening. I have been knitting for 35 years, but I didn’t really have a stash until 5 years ago. It ballooned out of my comfort level when both my mom and grandma died a month a part in 2020. There was too much “bereavement yarn” purchased. The yarn just smelled good and was comforting. Now I am working down from 10,000 grams at the beginning of 2023. My goal is to be down to 3-5,000 by the end of the year. I did buy 294 g in February and I am planning to buy 200 g today-LYS day. I do have sock yarn coming in December instead of an advent. Mostly it’s going okay because I really want my stash to be more manageable. I want to be able buy the yarn and make the thing without the “guilt yarn” mocking me from the shelves! I’m currently at 8,271 g w/o today’s yarn purchase or my April finishes. It is easier knowing other like-minded people exist in the world-Thanks!
I’m sorry to hear about your loss- I can see how that can be stressful acquiring that much unintended yarn at once too 💔
Your doing Amazing 😮 keep going 😃😃
@@QueenViolet8 Thank you!
"buying this to feel something" is an absolute mood. Glad this challenge has been going well for you! :)
It’s definitely more of a “low buy” than “no buy” at this point but still a good challenge to rewire my brain 🧠
Such great insights! I am someone with a history of spending problems, and I've really struggled with the consumerism that seems to penetrate all kinds of hobby spaces on the internet! With yarn, things haven't really got out of hand for me yet and I'd prefer to keep it that way.
Good luck on your no-buy year! I'm also going through a wallet-imposed one right now and it's ok.
I would like to see makers doing a pattern no-buy for a while. It would be refreshing if the free patterns out there got some love, we'll see nice stuff other than the same as always and also it would create some feedback material to the people who can't afford paid patterns and have to knit the free ones. Also it would give appreciation to designers who are starting up or maybe stopped producing out of lack of visibility. I would love to see people making Marie Amelie designs or Veronica Más' dresses, for example. It would also give appreciation to the designers who are hired by yarn companies to create patterns. Sari Nordlund, for once, has a lot of greate patterns she made for Novita and doesn't seem to be knitted as often as her self-published ones. People make a lot of videos about knitting on a budget, but it would be nice to see someone to actually take us through a journey of knitting on budget for a while, from pattern picking to getting yarn and etc.
Great suggestions!
I love your comments. I would definitely follow someone who did a no-buy, knit from stash and free pattern program.
Your lilac sweater is lovely. It's such a good color on you.
Thank you for the knitting company! It's very interesting to hear how not buying yarn has affected your knitting experience. I only started knitting last year and I'm on a student budget, so I don't really have a yarn stash. Knitting for me usually follows a cycle: I have one or two WIPs and yarn for the next one or two projects I plan to knit. So when I finish what I'm knitting, I'll start something else using my "stash", then plan the next project and get yarn for it.
I definitely relate to "buying to feel something". I'm happy I got out of that mindset!
The vest is looking really cute!
Sounds like a very manageable way to keep your yarn and projects in order!
I have been knitting for three decades. I have been a KNITTER for two decades. I knit every single day. I have always had a stash, and I always will. I am all for people that are able to purchase yarn for a project and not buy more until that yarn is gone. I don't understand those people, but I will cheer them on regardless. I love having a stash. My stash has saved me when money was incredibly tight, and I still needed to knit. One year I made all of my Christmas presents from stash because money was so tight. I am fortunate enough to have room to store my stash, but even when my storage was very limited, I found ways to keep a small stash (storage ottoman in lieu of a coffee table.) Right now, my goal is to work through old stash, both patterns and yarn. I have great stuff and want to actually use it! Bottom line, what works for me doesn't work for everyone. I applaud you for stashing down. I can't wait to see everything you make!
I definitely aspire to knit through my stash but am not on a ban. What I’ve learned is to be wary of buying multiple projects worth of yarn because like you said, interest in a project can wane during the time I’m working on the first thing. At this rate, I have plenty of patterns and yarn to last me at least 3 years. When I go to my LYS, I try to offer to help out with any tasks available instead of feeling like the only way to support the business is with my wallet.
I agree with you on feeling the need or pressure to get things. Initially things can make us feel better but it doesn’t last or it just becomes too much. I have a huge stash and probably won’t live long enough to use it all. I don’t buy yarn anymore and intend to sell some of it on eBay.
I really enjoy your videos and think you’re a great knitter. ☺️
I have been working on fabric collage and limiting myself, not just to stash, but almost entirely to small scraps and selvedge bits. I am shocked by the creativity it’s calling forth, ideas I had no clue we’re even in there! I think the challenge of limitation is extremely rewarding.
Oh it is a hell of a podcast! I've always been knitting from stash, the extra yarn I had were overbuys for a specific project or gifts. And I knit lots of accessories with these scrapps, and am slowly slooowly making a squares blanket with scrap yarn. Each square is completely different from the other. It's a good small project to get that bind-off high and also a way to experiment with crazy stitches and colourwork that I'd probably wouldn't use on garments. What happens is that I'm a very slow and monogamous knitter, very process-oriented, don't like to buy online, live far from a yarn shop and am a little cheap too. When I go to buy yarn is always for one or two projects (to save the trip) that I'm going to begin immediately. I have a big line of projects in my head, but as I go through my knits their priority levels change a lot as well as yarn and colour I had envisioned. So it's good to buy only when you're 100% sure, otherwise I'd have a lot of yarn lying around. I do spend a lot of times browsing yarn online and looking at projects on ravelry, but just browsing. And then, when I go to the yarn shop, I have already made a decision (or have some candidates to narrow down to one single decision), and enjoy the purchase even more because of the anticipation built. So instead of a big yarn stash I have big line in ravelry and a big pinterest page, which are free and eco-friendly. It also helps to knit only gifts or things that you actually are going to wear (and have created some outfits in your mind with the clothes you already own).
I totally admire how well you are sticking to your no buy year. Last year I was able to slightly rein in my yarn buying and managed to start out this year with 10 skeins less than what I started with in Jan 2022. This year the goal is to only purchase 1 skein for every 2 skeins used. My biggest challenge is that I have many sweater quantities of yarn, but not the right yarn for the sweaters that I want to knit😢. It is so hard to change our habits, but we don't know what we can actually accomplish until we try. Thank you for taking the time to talk about how you are feeling about the changes you are actively making, it gave me a lot to think about.
I am mesmerized watching you knit without looking occasionally for such a long span of time! And you don't misspeak or lose your train of thought. Impressive feat especially as you haven't been knitting for decades.
I can relate to a lot of what you were describing. I have recently been trying to be more conscious of how much I am buying, because I ran out of storage space, and I like collecting memories and souvenirs of the places and shops I go in. I also get a buzz from buying yarn online or in a shop and it used to be so hard for me to walk out of a shop without a purchase. I have significantly reduced the amount of yarn I buy now, and I'm trying to go back and match my already bought yarns to projects that I want to knit or had already started and just need finishing. I don't give myself a rule of not buying yarn as I know it makes the urge to buy worse for me. So I am allowing myself to occasionally get yarn for projects that I know I will finish, and I try not to take on too many projects at once. I work on about 3 projects at a time and I hope to get my storage space back gradually, so that I can reorganise my crafting space to suit me. I will be reassessing the situation from time to time, and might have to donate some supplies that I don't really use in the future. I try to distract myself from urges to buy yarn or patterns as best as I can and really try to give myself plenty of other activities to do in the week. It took a bit of time for my mindset to change but it has been worth it and I am saving money for other things as a result. Keep going with your challenge, it sounds like it will be helpful for you in a lot of ways!
You have described where I am at this moment. 3-year knitter here too. Pandemic self-taught by you tube. Been gradually weaning myself from buying more yarn by buying smaller amounts with specific projects in mind. This lets thoughtfulness and intention come in. I used to choose a yarn for its attributes and color without a real plan for it, just a general idea. Those general ideas fill my drawers and bins, lol!
This has been your best video yet, imo. Thanks for your honesty. You help us all!
I enjoyed you talking about your thoughts on your no buy year. Since last year, I have made an effort to try to contain my stash. Last year in january I made an excel file where I write up everything that I buy and everything that is done, noting down the weight. My goal is that at the end of the year, I just have used more than I bought.
I also feel a lot of stress regarding my stash. Looking at it makes me feel stressed sometimes. I figured it might be good to stash down a bit until it seems managable enough, again. I have so many more thoughts on this (consumerism, buying as a failed coping strategy, what stash means to us, how it shapes my creativity etc.). But alas ... the comment section is too small for that. Thanks for you talking about this, though.
I am trying to reduce my stash and I think of it as a no buy with caveats. My stash doubled when I inherited my sister's yarn stash when she passed away. Her taste in yarn was very different from my own. I love those tiny bins you use, it seems like a manageable amount. My plastic totes are the 55L ones and my goal is to reduce what I have so it fits in a plastic drawer unit. I have plans for stash blankets which will use up a good amount and be useful. My exceptions for new purchases: I can replace damaged or lost tools, and if I see a garment that I really like but it is something I can make, then I can buy the yarn for it as long as I cast on immediately. The idea here is if the garment fills a gap in my wardrobe and I like it enough to make it, then I am slowing down spending on ready made, but also providing entertainment for myself. For example, I really like those silk knit wrap tops by Ozma and have been creeping on their website for a couple of years. However, I can only buy the yarn if I have used up more stash yarn than I am bringing in. A bit convoluted but it is working for me.
I completely understand what you said about having no concept initially when I bought yarn, how long it would actually take me to knit it up. I also didn't know when i was in the thick of things (buying) how much yarn I needed to make a sweater for myself. I have since learned that I can actually make a fingering weight sweater with just 200g on larger needles - I didn;t need to buy 400 or 500 grams lol.
I have a ridiculous amount of yarn but I don't stop myself from purchasing if the opportunity presents itself. Like the time I was out of town on LYS day and found a british yarn I wanted for a sweater project or the time I went to a festival and bought some speacial yarn.
I knit from stash 99% of the time, but my stash is gargantuan. I dont buy yarn in store, but I give myself a pass if its good yarn at a thrift store (since I can't get that again), and I take yarn that is given to me (never look a gift yarn in the mouth). I have the space to store it, and I keep it all organized and weighed on ravelry, so I always shop my own stash for everything I make. Its nice because I live in a small town with not a lot of options for buying anything but acrylic yarn, but it can also feel a bit overwhelming at times because I just have so much. But I will never run out of things to knit lol.
I’m not ready for a no buy year. But this definitely gives me something to think about. I am trying to be more intentional about the things that I buy. Especially yarn. I learned a lot on CZcams with knitting and crochet and knitsagaram. But I definitely am a I see it and I want it, exactly, person. So I would see something I like and buy everything that was used to make the same. Whether I actually made it once it arrived is a different thing. I’ve also just gotten into hand dyed yarn and found some local yarn stores in my area. Since it is so much more expensive than the big box yarns I’ve always used. I definitely have to step back and think through what I really love and will use. This year I am only buying if I know the exact quantity I need and the project it’s for. I’m hoping that with concrete plans I will buy less and knit more. But I also don’t want to restrict myself from enjoying this thing I love. Sometimes getting that yarn creates a memory.
At the beginning of the year I thought about doing a no buy year but then a lot of sad things happend and I didn't stick to it. Buying yarn was cheering me up while things were bad. Now I'm doing better and also realising, that using your stash can feel kind of similarly satisfying. So I wanna give it a try up until the end of the year. :)
The only thing that seemed a little unmotivating to me was that I also don't really have summer yarn - or at least only some singles that don't fit together. Your point that it can be very satisfying to do many smaller projects in a short time convinced me. I'm pulling it off now :)
Good luck! 💪
Great podcast. Thank you. I too am in a no-buy yarn period. I’ll be turning 71 this summer and am beginning to wonder ‘what will happen to all of my beautiful skeins of yarn’ in this latter chapter of my life? So I too am focusing on knitting down my stash, but still so tempted by these talented dyers and their yarn beauties. I have a good friend that can drop $1000 in 2 hours of shopping which really stops me in my tracks and makes me realize how endorphins play a big part in retail consumption. We share many of the same thoughts and experiences on the topic of your podcast today.
resisting hand-dyed yarn is definitely a challenge! The yarn is so beautiful but I often have a tough time thinking of what to make with them :(
I have a large stash but mostly single skeins or less than sweater quantity. It all came from a colleague’s destash. I could knit for a year without buying more but it would have to be accessories, small garments or scrappy projects. So I buy more. But I won’t buy expensive yarn. I love your example and am definitely aspiring to use up what I have. You are doing great. I totally get choice paralysis too, in all sorts of ways. Like, I might have three nice things I could do in a day and I can’t decide which to do so I hold them all in my head until suddenly it’s 3:37pm and too late to do any of them. I have had that with yarn and pattern choices too. My latest garment, though, was an exception because I picked the yarn I wanted to knit up, I chose a couple of needle sizes that looked like they would suit, I knit up gauge swatches and chose the swatch I liked best, then I filtered Ravelry patterns to suit that stitch count. That meant I was only looking at patterns that suited a fabric and stitch count I already had ready and the yarn was kind of choosing the pattern, not the other way round. I am hoping this approach works for the rest of my stash…
One of the things that I really like to do is buy yarn off of facebook marketplace. So many people, especially newer knitters over buy yarn and then don't end up needing it for a project so I buy it off of them. It makes projects fun because it also challenges me to use smaller bits or scraps in projects (maybe with intarsia or stranded rows) would highly recommend!
This knit and chat actually got me to knit for the first time this week, so I gotta thank you for that. The freehand vest is looking cute so far! Replacing the satisfaction from buying something to the one from finishing a project sounds like such a good habit. Especially when it gets you to make several smaller projects instead of getting stuck on a bigger one.
My stash isn't that big yet, but I'll be moving to a more expensive place, so I might have to do a no buy year involuntary. Or just learn rely on the sale table 😅
My no buy is also partially financially motivated 💸 so I feel you there!
I need to do a no-buy or at least chill the heck out on my yarn purchases. I definitely use making purchases as a coping mechanism and I don't love that for myself. Another problem I have is looking at social media and then being heavily influenced by what everyone is buying or knitting. I want to stop looking at Instagram but I don't, ya know? 😂 I don't have any RL knitting friends and I have a strong urge to connect with other knitters. So that's where I'm at haha. I love your videos and your sense of humor. Can't wait to see more videos!
I un-followed every yarn dyer and seller and only followed knitters when I was having trouble purchasing impulsively. Not seeing pretty new yarn definitely helped!
@@carb101 I have definitely thought about doing this! I might have to.
I loved hearing about your no buy experience and thoughts! You did so well to knit through all that yarn. I applaud your self control
related to so much of this video! i try to buy things as I want to knit them because i've found that yarn just sitting around does stress me out a little and ofc it is easier to make choices when you are naturally limiting yourself. i also found that early on i was really really focused on garments and thinking of making a garments, but enjoyed working on smaller projects this winter!
yeah! I feel the same, got into knitting by knitting garments but once I had some skills I got to enjoy the process of knitting too, not just product 🥲
I am currently trying to use up the majority of my crochet yarn so that I can start making completely different items in the second half of the year :) I also have macrame yarn and while some of it is suitable for crocheting, most of it isn't. I am currently not doing too much macrame so this one I won't be using up. I am pretty happy about it though! It all fits neatly into a plastic container and I am just working through the crochet yarn to make more space for new yarn and new projects :)
I going to knit more from my stash because it didnt go so well to begin with do health bit I did a bit. I am happy that I got just 2 1/2 skeins of acrylic left and I was able to make 4 socks, 1 vest (too short) and a 2 crochet blankets and 2 crochet cardigans for a friend and her daughter. I have manage to build a stash that I think is a good size now I am hoping to work with it this year. I just did my last yarn buy and now I will see how it goes with getting to make wearable for myself this year.
Ummmm this is amazing thank you for being honest! I feel this way too….pressured by consumerism. Love your channel ❤
Just came across this video, and WOW it resonates with me so much. I'm also trying to limit my consumption, and while I'm not on a yarn buying ban, my knit-to-acquisition ratio needs some adjustment. I got the idea from @highfiberknits to count each ball of yarn in my stash and define it as a "unit", and now I have a little spreadsheet tracking the movement of my units month-to-month. Whether I have an acquisition, giveaway, or finish a project, I always have a sense of what I have, and it feels like enough and makes me hesitate to purchase more yarn.
I'm not doing a 100% no buy this year, but I am trying to knit at least 90% from stash and I am keeping track of balls & skeins used each month and if I bring in anything new. So far I have only used a gift card on my birthday for two balls of fluff to pair with other yarns in my stash and one ball of sock yarn to hold double with a stash yarn for a gift for my mom, so I'm feeling pretty good about that. My stash is beyond ridiculous, but I've been "collecting" for over 20 years
I am planning on doing at least a year of no buy as well, I reduced to almost non buying any clothes or plants ( I love plants too 😄👀) and I have a lot of yarn that I bought and recently I've been thinking the same as you, I spent all that money buying this pretty yarn now I need to use it all up before I allow myself adding more :) I really wanna use up ALL my stash.
I know how to knit at a very beginner level but I mostly enjoy crocheting garments, I need to look my "courage" straight in the eyes and maybe start knitting a little too ahaha
Love this podcast - having been knitting for over 60 years, I have accumulated a large stash, so I am now working my way steadily through it. I still buy yarn for gifts, but I now do a lot of charity knitting for a wonderful UK children's charity, and so I can use up a lot of the acrylic yarn that I acquired in my younger years! For myself I knit patchwork or colour block sweaters, which again uses up more of my stash.
I am on a yarn buy freeze. My stash is bigger than it should be but I was building it over years for the time when money was tight. Thats now and my future due to age. I have bought at times for presents, holidays, etc. and to feel better. I love my stash and craft tools. They bring me a challenge and comfort. You are very smart and self aware so you are getting very wise. You are an awesome knitter and I enjoy your videos.
I would love an update on your no buy for 2023 at the end of the year or early 2024!
Jan 1 I started my no buy year. I have a huge stash…all yarns I love, the money to buy it and a place to store it. But let’s be reasonable and decided I don’t need any more yarn in 2023. Ya righttttt. I lasted 4 days. 😄
i barely started knitting at the beginning of this year but it’s become an OBSESSION. I already have a stash i feel is too much and unfortunately have some commercial yarn from joann’s that i had intentions for, but now i’m hearing negative reviews from people in the knitting community :( i also bought heaps of cascade 220 superwash for baby knits for family so i really need to hunker down and knit those up to free up my stash (and my brain space!). i’ve been trying to be much more intentional with my purchases, and have been researching a ton to compare fiber content, reviews, yardage, etc before i purchase (and before i drag friends to a yarn store for 6 hours trying to make decisions on the spot)
I think the acrylic yarn is totally fine as long as you love the colors and feel- they definitely have a place! No hate for some good ol' soft acrylic yarn ❤️
@@futurefiber no hate on acrylic, it def has its place ! it’s actually the truboo and coboo which are cotton blends. i’ve heard it’s heavy, pills, splits, etc. i knit a tank top in the truboo and it’s heavy and just isn’t what i wanted
I'm currently knitting from stach but I'm super flexible about it because I don't have "that much". The goal is more to make things that I really like than it is to not buy more yarn. so if I have a really good project in mind but am missing some yarn to get to it, I will buy it. I bought some yarn last month to make a second version of a free-handed top I made last year to keep the original as a guide line but as soon as v2 is complete, I'm frogging it to make something else out of it !
I am all about knitting what I have, specifically the kits I have purchased. However, since this seems to be a hobby that I’m not going to stop doing anytime soon, I also am totally OK with grabbing yarn when I can get a screaming deal on it because it will all get knit or crocheted eventually! I appreciate your thought process though, and there’s definitely value in buying and using intentionally.
I completely relate and I'm someone who never buys more food until every last crumb is eaten, who does everything step by step and still I've got myself in exactly the same yarn mess! I have a new rule if I've decided on a project to use up some stash and it requires a second yarn not to buy it until I know I'm nearly on top of starting it!
Slow and steady You’re doing Great 😊 keep up the good work 😘
Love your videos/podcasts. Love your salty attitude and editing!
Good work on your no buy… tbh past me made shitty yarn choices 🤣 I didn’t understand yarn weight, materials, colours, it was all dictated by price. So while I’m still using them for smaller crafts/accessories/non wearables, I’m not going to want to wear the weird puke yellow acrylic that I bought 5 years ago! I hope past you made wiser purchases!
same! i also discovered a zipper so im using all of those weird acrylic remnants to make a pencil case
Oh no I’ve definitely made some ✨Cursed ✨ yarn choices that are currently being turned into scrap projects…
I am now (really!) committing to “no buy” for the rest of this year for yarn. I’ve got a bit of decision paralysis going as it relates to summer appropriate fibers and what pattern I’m going to knit so the item will be useful in my wardrobe (another new goal, the “capsule wardrobe”). First try with Truboo by Lion Brand yarn is getting frogged because I didn’t pick the appropriate pattern for it. And Truth be told I don’t like knitting with it (terribly splitty, and I can just tell it would get snagged like crazy). On to better decisions. Thank you for the frank discussion.
I share so many of the insights you shared today. Thanks.
I'm trying to be very intentional with what I buy, and I also want to knit through my stash before I buy any more yarn. I like the idea of a no buy in all areas.
Your video podcasts are great.
Wow, this is timely! I have been building my stash up over the past year and I'm cutting myself off from purchasing more in a month. Then my plan is to work through the stash, make many of the projects I bought a lot of the yarn for and plan how to use all the rest that I bought just because I loved it.
I'm excited about it. I'm going to re-organize the stash this summer to help keep me on track and make it (my plan) happen.
I wish you well and luck with your de-stashing!!!
I recently just frogged a top that I had knitted put of gauge 😅. So I am crocheting one of those hexagon granny square sweaters out of it currently. I think ill need maybe 2 more skeins of it to finish bc I wanted something really oversized.
Tends to happen when I knit from stash unfortunately but its still getting used! So I try to start with what I have and if I need more its easier to buy only what I know ill need.
People tend to just give me a lot of their old craft yarn which is why my current stash is a bit out of control. Thinking about planning a little knitting group at work though to try and rehome some of it lol
I get back to crocheting last summer , and I start knitting three months ago, and I have a little bit of a stash that is definitely concerning. I am thinking about if I was knitting for a while, how my stash would be look 😂
You are a TRUE eye-operner! ❤ Thank you for your videos!
My stash is alot of small amounts of yarn I love. Most often I start with one of them, bying more yarn to making it into that desired garnment/thing. 😂 So I’m cheating!!! Latest project was an old yarn, let’s call it A. To match with that, I thrifted yarn B. Then A and B didn’t match that well, so I had to purchase yarn C nevertheless 😂. Shit happens….. but yarn B was really cheap and sooo beautiful. I suppose I’m the queen of excuses😂❤❤
Yeah I think it's tough to balance using what you have and knitting what you love- as long as the final result is good and you're using the yarns it's all good in my book!
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtfulness around consumption - it is so refreshing! I am in a similar situation trying very hard not to buy new yarn and I often feel left out of the current trends.
Also...are you knitting with two different needles? Can you talk through that decision making process in a future episode?
I'm also working from stash this year. I rearranged my storage last year and realized both that I'd accumulated a lot of yarn and also that it had been a long time since I'd finished anything. I'm feeling good about my progress but thinking about projects is way faster than completing them! Lol
we still got 7 more months to go u already know i failed also wait this is making that sheep homestead idea look real attractive
Farm time
I started no buy late. March 1 was my start date. It's been interesting I do have a subscription I signed up in January I'm still a part of. I feel like there is a lot of pressure to shop if your American. I am 2 months in and I feel like my knitting is getting better bc I've had to learn more about yarn substitution
I love that I am usually pretty frugal with my yarn purchases, but today, I'm watching this as I wait to buy yarn from a preorder lol. I usually buy yarn a couple times a year, but it is a couple skeins max of sock yarn, so I'm not mad. I'm glad this 'no buy year' is helping you so much! I want to do that with getting food delivery actually, since it is so cheap and convenient to get it here in Korea, but it is not healthy and probably more expensive than I realize... should I make a delivery food budget.... hmmm... anyways, thanks for another enjoyable video!
I definitely feel you on how long it will take for me to work through my stash! I calculated that it takes me about a week to knit a sock, so at approximately 200 yds/week, I have ~5 years worth of yarn 🙈 I definitely could donate a lot of it, but I feel a responsibility to use it up for my financial responsibility
We do a "buy nothing new" November. Medications and toiletries and used items only.
not doing no buy but use more than I buy year. so far its not going too great I have bought 700 grams more than I've knitted/crocheted up so far but luckily there are still many months ahead. I do have a rather large stash and it has grown too big however I do enjoy having a "larger" stash since knitting/crocheting is good for my mental health and the thought of not being able to knit fills me with such dreed and anxiety and since there aren't always room for yarn in the budget, it's kinda a safety knowing that even if I don't have any money I am still able to knit. Granted it is a balancing act since the stash ahs now become too big and that isn't helping my mental health either so hence the knit more than I buy year. Sorry for the long winded rant.
tough to maintain that balance for sure, thanks for sharing ☺️
So hello my name is Elisabetta and I’m a yarn hoarder. I mean collector. I am also a knitter but those two hobbies seem not to be necessarily related. Getting yarn gives me joy and as long as I have place for storing it and still money left for buying groceries and pay bills, I guess I’ll be fine. I feel like I have a bit of a compulsive buying problem but as I see it it’s not harming anyone is it
For sure! I think there’s nothing wrong with keeping a stash and purchasing yarn if it makes you happy 😊
This year I am focused on using a lot more than I buy, plus I want to work with the best yarns in my stash rather than forever saving them for later. My secret weapon is to make and donate a lot of items for charity. The downfall is that my charity group keeps adding to my stash 😂
Think you have learned valuable lessons by thinking about your stash…ahead of my 74 years. Time was an issue and for many years available knit stores was limited. I wish I had done more , have a project , in mind before I bought…. I will still buy more yarns but clearly I have enough. I do record what I am working on and have a stack of projects ready to start. Also charity knitting gets rid of yarns that I have changed my mind. About. As you have learned alternating big and small projects helps.. keep up good work and this is a podcast don’t worry about eauipment
Thanks for sharing your experience and great point about charity knitting!
One can buy 4 SQ of yarn in 30 minutes, but it takes most of us at least half a year to knit 4 sweaters.
I JUST walked out of Joann, okay. Don't remind me of character flaws like this (gonna watch later).
Gorl it’s ok you gotta do what you gotta do 🫡
I cant believe how big my stash is..ive only been knitting again since christmas and i bet ive got enough yarn for the whole year 🤦🏻♀️
i'm a teenager with no job so I just ask my mom to pay for yarn whenever I have a projecg i really want to knit
In my case, I've knitted seriously since last November so I can't keep up with multiple projects and choosing a yarn for project is quite difficult for me. That makes me buy yarns one project at a time so my stash isn't that big.
However I bought quite amount of yarns from daiso when I started knitting, so I just don't know what to make with them. At that time, daiso-quality yarn was good enough for me, but now I just don't feel like making something out of them. Maybe I should sell or donate?
I think acrylic yarns make really good pouches and bags since you can throw it in the wash- perhaps a scrappy tote?
I’m not doing a no buy but I don’t have a job rn so I’m buying waaaay less than I used to