The Year of No Yarn Buying

And there you have it. The last time I bought yarn was exactly one year ago today. I actually thought the anniversary was tomorrow, but I checked the receipt for that last purchase, and it was March 15th, 2014. It was this gorgeous Peace Fleece lace, which I still haven't finished. I got as far as swatching and knit a few rows, and it has been a UFO since. I am not one bit sorry I bought this yarn, since they sold out of it quickly and it hasn't reappeared since.
 
 
That will get back on the WIP list at some point, if I ever finish the Evenstar thing that I showed in my last post.
 
Now, about not buying yarn. This has been very instructive. The first few months were really tough. It has gotten easier as the months have gone by, though I found myself doing a lot of internet window shopping the past few weeks, thinking “Yay! I made it a year! Now I can buy yarn!”. But I haven't really found anything I need, and when I find something I WANT WANT WANT, I go look at the stash. Still at 336,405 meters of yarn. That doesn't count most of the handspun that I've made. It's pretty clear that I mostly buy yarn just to have it, not really to use it for anything.
 
So I'm in for a little while longer. Who knows if I'll make it to 2 years and the pretty pink badge, or 3 years and a platinum badge. But for today, I don't need to buy more yarn. I'm off to do a few rows of Evenstar.

 

Author: Lorette

My name is Lorette. I learned to knit in 1999, and took up spinning in 2009. I'm a physician specializing in internal medicine, and live in the Pacific Northwest. Enjoy my blog!

10 thoughts on “The Year of No Yarn Buying”

  1. Congratulations!! I bought some specific yarn I wanted in January after a long hiatus but it would be good to be able to prove to myself I can go for a full year without buying yarn. I should find the date of my last purchase and document it for the record.

  2. Such restraint! I’ve been refraining from buying quilting fabric, and will only buy yarn online if I sell something via PayPal. You were an unwitting enabler when you bought the black chunky stuff. 🙂
    I recently decided it’s time to commit to using good yarn and returned a bunch of acrylic. I then succumbed to Peace Fleece and ordered some kits. I love their philosophy and their yarn. As a native Mainer it will feel like I’m holding a piece of home on my needles.

  3. How did you calculate the number of meters of yarn you have in your stash? Congrats on one year of no yarn purchases. Ever since I got 99% of my yarn stash onto Ravelry, it’s been easier for me to resist buying yarn. It really helps that my stash is organized and that I’ve numbered the bins.

  4. Wow, I’m totally impressed with your accomplishment!! I need to follow your example starting right now. How did you resist when temptation struck?

  5. I went on a yarn fast in early January 2013. I have bought some yarn since then, but only for specific projects and not much then. There is starting to be some room in my stash boxes 🙂

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