My LYS is closing and as of yesterday everything was 50% off. I know I don't even have to say another word to all you yarn lovers out there, you will completely understand. I went by the store yesterday and bought the yarn above. I felt so happy to be walking around that store looking at all the beautiful choices. I thought out my purchases without jumping into anything radical, and left feeling so happy, until..........
Today at work. See this is when I got thinking, or more likely obsessing about that sale. I swear I could not get it out of my head. Lucky for me we were doing Easter activities so it's not like I was neglecting my duties. Yarn has a way of doing that to me, I can become absolutely obsessed with it. I wondered if I had enough of the fun pink and wonderful blue silk yarn above to make a decent sweater or woven wrap. Now in my defense I was driving right by Dunedin, where the yarn store is located, on my way home from work today, so I did drop in again. I bought the above Malabrigo Silky Merino and a little more of that gorgeous denim blue yarn above.
Yarn is my thing, it is just that simple. I don't quilt or cross stitch. I can barely cook so I don't collect cookbooks or cooking supplies. I don't redecorate my house every year or even every fifteen years. I don't wear fancy clothes, or shoes, or have a cool pocketbook. I play with yarn. I knit, crochet and weave. It brings me such joy to play with beautiful yarn. So for once I am going to just really enjoy the fact that I have new yarn at a really great price I simply could not pass up. I am not going to feel guilty, not for one second. Yarn is my thing, I am a collector of beautiful yarn, not a bad hobby!
I rearranged my yarn storage and got all the new yarn put away. This is my entire stash with the exception of the three different projects I have on the go right now.
Hmmmm...... Looks like I have all sorts of room up in the right hand corner of my shelving, I just might have to go back! So that is my entire stash folks. I love looking at it and thinking of all the possibilities these skeins represent.
Stash is considered a supply of hidden drugs. My supply of yarn is right out in the open, although I still think I might have a wee bit of a yarn habit that is not so easy to kick.
I might be a bit crazy to be thinking of yarn at a time when the world is reeling from senseless acts of violence, and ridiculous people are running for president, spewing their fearful and hateful thoughts.
Playing with yarn keeps me calm, it helps center me at crazy times and after busy weeks at work. It gives me peace and I think we could all use a lot pf peace right now.
I might have a bit of a needle problem too, but that is for another post.
A special note to my friend Ginette who left me the loveliest comment. She is a fellow Floridian and yarn lover. Thank you so much for stopping in and reading about Little Buddy. You are a no-reply blogger so I was not able to respond to you by email. I just wanted you to know I appreciate you being here, just like I appreciate all of you being here.
Have a great weekend.
A special note to my friend Ginette who left me the loveliest comment. She is a fellow Floridian and yarn lover. Thank you so much for stopping in and reading about Little Buddy. You are a no-reply blogger so I was not able to respond to you by email. I just wanted you to know I appreciate you being here, just like I appreciate all of you being here.
Have a great weekend.
When something gives you so much pleasure, you should embrace it. The yarn is beautiful and your stash is not excessive. Have a lovely weekend. X
ReplyDeleteI think it is absolutely essential to have a good selection of beautiful yarn. It makes you happy in so many ways, just looking at it, feeling it, making something with it, wearing it, giving it to someone special .... I am collecting beautiful fabrics just now but no doubt, my yarn habit will surface again soon. Have a very happy Easter weekend. xx
ReplyDeleteI never feel guilty buying yarn.. One could have worse habits, like drinking or smoking., any way, that's what my mom always said. I love to just look at my stash sometimes. We are currently staying on Anna Maria Island and before we leave on the 2nd, I will be visiting at least one yarn store, if not more. Depends on the weather. This is our first extended stay in Florida, three weeks, and. We are loving it!, we got 10 inches of snow yesterday back home in Wisconsin. I love your blog. We had boys too. And I was a hospice social worker. I always feel like you are a kindred spirit. Happy Easter.
ReplyDeleteYarn lovers unite! No guilt for yarn lovers! I love your tie dye silky skeins! We are artists and our medium is yarn.. we rock! Go buy more! LOL! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteThe yarn is gorgeous! I say more! We all have to have something we love as a hobby.
ReplyDeletehugs,
Linda
You could have much worse habits than collecting and playing with beautiful yarn. We all need something that inspires peacefulness within and your talent with yarn does that for you. Not to mention all the beautiful pieces that you gift to others. It's hard to be creative when you don't have lots of materials at your fingertips! Indulge yourself!
ReplyDeleteThat Malabrigo looks SO lovely. I think it MUST be purchased, if only to enjoy it to look at.
ReplyDeleteI am SO sorry Raspberries is closing. I really liked that shop. I bought some REALLY nice things there.
If that's all the yarn you have, I think you are doing really good! I used to sell my crochet, so I had a lot of yarn I bought. Then everyone who knew me bought me yarn when they found it on sale. I had A LOT of yarn everywhere. Eventually it got out of control and I ended up giving a lot of it away to the thrift store.
ReplyDeleteI still have a lot of yarn now, but at least I am good about using it up fairly quickly because I donate to a baby charity called Newborns in Need every month. I still buy yarn, but I kind of have a rule now that it must be for a specific project and I try to use up a skein before buying another to keep the stash under control.
Looks like you got some really pretty yarn, and I'd have a hard time resisting a half off sale too!
Oh such pretty yarn! Your second basket you showed looks pretty, especially variegated blue to the left and a nice variegated to the right of the blues. I don't know what it is about variegated yarn that is my favorite other than seeing a cool pattern appear as I knit. It's a good stash to have. You aren't going to smoke it or drink it, right? HA! At prices like that you can't go wrong, as long as you use it. You do have a nice wall though with all those pretty colors! Happy night!
ReplyDeleteHey Meredith, I think you're talking to the wrong bunch of people if you want us to stop you from going back and buying more yarn. You can NEVER have too much yarn. Of course that's my humble opinion and your stash doesn't look unmanageable at all. At 50% off I think you should buy more! And you're right. Craziness abounds out in the world, near and far. Yarn keeps me sane and calms me. It's worth every penny. Love your needles too. :-)
ReplyDeleteBlessings always sweet Meredith.
Betsy
My local yarn shop closed too, my closest is now miles & miles & miles away. Never apologise for buying beautiful yarn it would be an absolute sin for you not to purchase beautiful yarn at half price. There also needs to be some beauty & happiness in this world of ours right now. Wishing you a lovely Eater xx
ReplyDeleteIt is not excessive Meredith, I say if you have room and can afford it go buy more, you deserve it. Have a lovely Easter.
ReplyDeleteYour name is Meredith and you are a Yarnaholic! Not a bad habit to have at all. I await with pleasure to see what those skeins of beautiful gloriousness turn into! Superb haul, Mer. Happy Easter Weekend to you.xxx
ReplyDeleteI totally understand!! Not having any yarn around would be a disaster!!! And now you can make plans on what to do with it, also fun! Big hugs, Mirjam.
ReplyDeleteIt absolutely makes sense to pick it up when its 50% off, that is far too good to miss. And you don't have to justify yourself at all, I am much the same. I like to have "making" things rather than clothes and other stuff. I walked past a little yarn of mine earlier and paused for a moment and thought how lovely it was and how nice it was that it was there waiting to be turned into something. It's good for the soul! I have a theory about the bad people we've been hearing about lately, most of them are looking for attention, the oxygen of publicity. Although I get cross when I see the latest appalling thing said, I don't retweet it or comment or even acknowledge it exists. Without the media these people would have almost nothing. I'm wishing you a lovely Easter Meredith. I hope there's a little knitting time in there amongst the bunny/chocolate craziness. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate Meredith and you have to grab these bargains when you can. It's so sad that the shop is closing, I'm sad my local garden centre has stopped stocking yarn too but I have to admit I had to relieve them of some of their sale stock I resisted right until the end it's seemed so silly not to when it's usually so pricey. I love the yarn you've bought I want to feel it and squish it and gaze upon it lovingly. Do you think we're just a little crazy? Have the best Easter Weekend. :) xxxx
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing at all to feel guilty about--and gorgeous yarns at 50% off wow you did good not coming out with more-perhaps you can go back? especially for more silks--we have always worked hubby is still working at 70 and we finally came to the conclusion we must do what makes us happy-I so agree we should have done this earlier---your stash is in control mine is not-lol but I still buy if it is too good of a deal and it makes me happy
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter hugs
I hear you, Mer! Yarn is the best kind of addiction. And I spotted some pretty stuff on your (well organized) shelves, especially the multi-colored yarn in the middle. Hope you have a new LYS lined up!
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
Who wouldn't stop at the yarn store for 50% off??? My stash is a bit bigger than yours - not bragging, kind of shamed - but I know what you mean. I'm not a big spender anywhere else (OK, maybe purses, but only once have I bought something over $100 and that was at my husband's urging!) And it's so funny. We store our straight needles the same way! Plain glass vase. My crochet hooks, etc. are in an old Blue Willow mug. Knitting is calming, but it also keeps me social because I get together with a couple friends once a week after work and knit. But I work in a high school office, with all the busyness that entails, and it's nice for this introvert to retreat after that.
ReplyDeleteOne other thought. Unlike other collections (excepting our needles of course) yarn collecting is usually a revolving, dynamic collection because we knit things from it and either give them away or use them! So that's good!
ReplyDeleteYarn is my thing too! Buying and knitting with new yarn is a joy unlike others in my life. It is a simple good joy that we have Mere! I get zen like knitting and for me that's wonderful! My ancestors knit and I think it brings me close to them especially those I never knew.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter to Lil Buddy. and to you. I know your father is smiling down upon you from the best place of all.
Go Meredith! People have sheds full of cars they don't even drive and golf clubs for a game they rarely play so you are loving yarn and making fabulous things - that is soooooo right in this crazy world. Go and get some more, I dare you, I would if I lived close by!! A yarn store closed by us five years ago and my mum is using the last 4 balls of patons cotton to make an Elise scarf from then. It has kept us in peace and fun for all that time. Jo x
ReplyDeleteYour stash isn't that huge! Go back, it's an irresistible sale! And have a great Easter while you're at it.
ReplyDeleteThe beautiful, practical, creative investment you are making in yarn is admirable to me, Meredith :) How much is enough? That question applied to any area of life is challenging, isn't it. In my exposure to the Eastern Orthodox church over the last several years I have been impressed with a prayer that is often repeated, "Lord, have mercy." I am trying to apply that prayer to myself and the world around me with greater frequency and fervency while at the same time investing my efforts in creative pursuits that can promote, love, and beauty and peace in and around me. One of my favorite accounts in Scripture records the different artisans God raised up to spin and weave, and sculpt, and create for His glory. So I am cheering on your creative efforts from across the miles and sending you lots of smiles :) :) :) and hugs xxx
ReplyDeleteI love what you bought so far, though I see a lot of space yet to fill up on those shelves! Looks like you need to go back for more :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter!
I always think knitting is one of the cheaper hobbies so we shouldn't feel guilty about it.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful yarns Meredith. I'm not an avid knitter. I still only knit dishcloths, lol. but I do like to do it. When I do it it seems relaxing. But when I do other projects it doesn't seem so relaxing. Not yet anyway. Perhaps years from now ;-) Even so I find lovely yarns such a joy to look at and yours are very nice. So great you got them for such a bargain. Hugs. xx
ReplyDeleteTotally understand. Your stash is lovely. I have 2 baskets full color coordinated and living in the living room. Cannot think of a better decoration, can you?
ReplyDelete~ ~ Ahrisha~ ~
Hahaha! I love this post and now, after reading your own confession, I feel less guilty myself about my own stash (which is so ridiculous that it IS literally stashed as in 'hidden' because it might be quite embarrassing!) You have also given me a new interpretation of the phrase "Needle Exchange Program".
ReplyDeleteI am sure needles and hooks breed when we are not looking!
We are similar in that I don't have a large collection of things for any other hobby except my yarncraft. It is such a simple and soothing hobby, isn't it? Is there such a thing as a 'healthy addiction'?
I'm sorry to hear that you are losing your LYS. Do you have many others nearby? How will this closure affect your hobby? I suppose we have many more online options these days. The yarn you have purchased is truly lovely. When I saw some expensive silk mohair on special, I raced out and grabbed it...still working through it now, a couple of years later, but it was worth it for the discounts and it WILL get used. I look forward to your new creations with the yarn you shared today.
Take it easy, happy crafting, Meredith xxx
What a bunch of yarn stash enablers we are! hehehe
ReplyDeleteThe comments are right though - your stash is not excessive at all and it is great to have so many options at your fingertips.
Indulgence indeed! :-)
That's a shame your local yarn store is closing...but what gorgeous yarns you got! I'm sure you will make something wonderful with them.
ReplyDeleteMarianne x
Your yarn stash is so beautiful and really nice to have it out in the open. Mine is a mess and all over the place, tucked away here and there where I can never find a thing. You are definitely not crazy for thinking about yarn ... we all need that one thing that calms and settles us. And the best part is that in the end, once we've played around with it, we have something beautiful to keep or to give away. While the world goes off the deep end, we have satisfaction knowing that we are producing peace and love with every stitch. Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteYarn is therapie! :-) Have fun and a lovely weekend! Regula
ReplyDeleteAnd you get to SEE beautiful yarn every day! I think it's a perfect stash--inspiring, but not overwhelming. Had it been ME, the amount of yarn you came home with would have only been the tip of the iceberg. Lovely, lovely new yarns!
ReplyDeleteI completely understand your feelings for yarn - and if something makes us a bit happier, I say we should go out and get some more! =D xx
ReplyDeleteOhhh my!!
ReplyDelete50% off?? Nothing else to say ---
Love all your shades of pink and wine and reds!!!
Now to make a dent in your stash!! Have fun!!
Yarn is my haven :) its as simple as that.
ReplyDeleteIt destresses me, reduces my anxiety and makes me recentre myself as soon as I pick up needles or hooks. I too used to feel guilty about my hobby until one day I realised how much it does for me :)
Now I admit I am a collector or yarn and craft hobbyist! And i have my psychs approval too!