This is a blog post wherein I am accepting full responsibility for my actions. I am not blaming Denise, though that apparently doesn’t stop her from blaming me in this blog post. She even brought up in the comments about her bed being short sheeted, for which I also got the blame and that must’ve been 5 or 6 years ago. That girl is like my husband in that she never forgets anything I do that’s bad! 🙂
This blog post is mainly to prepare you for Friday’s Yarn Report. Without a little warning and conditioning, the yarn report could be shocking but if you’ll read this entire explanation, and it could be long, you’ll understand and not think badly of me. 😉
Here’s how it all started .. Eat, Sleep, Knit, for several years has had a Black Friday Surprise Sale. You never know how much you’re going to get til you check out and then there’s no turning back. Once you hit “pay”, a little popup tells you what percentage you saved . . could be anywhere from 10% to 100%. They also put little scratch off cards in each package you receive from them and you win prizes. Could be a skein of yarn, or a kit or $5 off . . there are other things but that’s all I can remember. I had never sent any of mine in so I sent them in a few months ago and I had $60 in free money to spend there.
Also, The Loopy Ewe had announced that they were having Wollmeise DK up yesterday and it’s always a challenge to get that. Wollmeise goes so quickly . . it used to crash their website when they put it up. How amazing is that?
Shopping was more of an “experience” for me yesterday . . the thrill of finding out my discount at ESK and the challenge of getting Wollmeise before it was all snatched away by other frantic shoppers at TLE.
Early in the morning, I opened the TLE web page and kept a watchful eye there while shopping at ESK, planning what I needed and getting ready for the magic when the sale began. I’m in that group that gets to start shopping one hour early at ESK because I’m in the 10K Club . . imagine that!
It started off as a controlled grab. I bought 5 skeins of Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label Aran Weight yarn to make hats and mittens for Addie. But . . hey . . it’s Black Friday so I bought a few skeins to make a sweater for me. My surprise discount was 25%. Great .. I usually get 10% and am happy with that! I was feeling good . . surprisingly good about my self-control. But that order put me into the next reward category and I got a $20 gift certificate. For a few minutes, I was strong and planned to wait til I needed something but that quickly faded.
There were a couple of projects I’d like to make . . sometime . . so I figured buying yarn while there was a discount was really being frugal so I bought more yarn for two more projects. Another 25% discount! Fantastic!
That’s when I should have turned off the computer and gone to the garden to pull weeds! Or gone and cleaned out the chicken coop! Or washed the car . . anything besides sit at the computer.
Don’t ask me what I was looking for but I found this sweater pattern. It’s Angry Sheep Cardigan.
Angry Sheep Cardi
This picture inside is even cuter.
Angry Sheep Cardi
But if you REALLY want to see cute, click on the link above and look at projects and see the one with the black sheep! I ordered the yarn to make that version, or close to that verseion.
Then I thought it would be so cute to make Addi a sheep sweater and I found this one – Sheep Pullover.
Sweater for Addie
And before I could close that darned Ravelry page, I found the Owl Pullover.
Owl Pullover
And then I had to buy yarn for those! I was having a hard time finding the solids I wanted at ESK so I went to KnitPicks for those yarns. I was truly all shopped out. There’s a limit to the amount of shopping I can do . . even if it’s online.
And then .. the Wollmeise popped up at TLE and I grabbed only enough of that for one sweater. I had Loopy Dollars in my account so it was kinda like free yarn. That’s my story . .
Oh, I forgot to mention, that last order at ESK put me into the next reward category and I got another $20 gift certificate. I was so shopped out by then that I didn’t even use it. I’ll save it for when I need something . . which may be NEVER! 🙂
Viki Kirby says
I only got 15% off but that, of course is better than nothing. I’m in the middle of my 2nd knitting project, another sweater, and I’m afraid I’ve been bitten by the yarn bug. I bought enough yarn for 2 more sweaters. I already have yarn for two sweater, and 2 scarves. I just love color and it’s so hard to resist.
Judy S says
Never did catch the Wollmeise, sigh. I guess you have to stay online all the time. But that’s OK as I have a couple lifetime’s worth of yarn already. LOL
Barbara says
You are just like Vince, except you shopped online, and he prefers the store,lol. If you changed the name of the store to Tractor Supply and changed a few products, this would be a Vince story.
The projects are really cute, and I’m looking forward to seeing your finished product.
Sue K says
I’m like that with fabric and quilt patterns. I have about 4 different things going, and am trying to tell myself NOT to do your mystery starting in Jan, but I already have most of the fabric I need, so I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back!
Toni in TN says
Oh, my, Miss Judy!! You are so bad! lol
diana says
This is too funny Judy! ‘NEVER’ I don’t think that word is in your vocabulary or mine! 🙂
Jackie says
I got 10% as ESK and it should be here Monday. I did make the Loopy Ewe’s Wollmeise update in time but then I froze! I just wasn’t sure how much to order. Went back several times but just couldn’t make a decision on quantity.
maggie says
you may not be blaming Denise but i am. i’m a beginning knitter. she posted a photo of 3 irish girls yarn that i fell in love with. asked her where it came from and she sent me Loopy Ewe. i’ve gone a little crazy and it’s all her fault!. maggie
Sharon in Michigan says
Judy, Would you please adopt me? You can’t possible use all that yarn in your lifetime! But it sure is fun trying….right! Enjoy every inch.
Linda in TX says
Oh! I’m enjoying your shopping trips so much – no matter whether it’s your fault or Denise’s! (I suspect I’d probably like Denise a lot – particularly if I could blame everything on her) The sweaters for Addie are adorable – you will have so much fun knitting those.
LINDA says
I was working on a order with ESK and grandkids got here. Forgot all about it till they left and it was 1&1/2 hours to LATE. Do they have another sell like that around Christmas?
Janet A says
A big thanks even though I have spent a small fortune on yarn this year because of you and Denise. I never knew about TLE, ESK, or Woolmeise before following your blogs. I snagged three skeins of WM and lots of goodies from ESK are coming to my house!
Amy (Waunaknit) says
Congrats on the 25% off! Luckily I missed the WM update. Hubby knows I ordered from ESK but doesn’t know how much. Of course all the boxes are going to show up at once. Sigh. I’m done for the year. REALLY, I am.
Diana in RR, TX says
I was good! don’t have time to knit any who! I did stop at a few of the local small businesses today, thought I should help keep them in business!
Sherrill says
Sounds like you MIGHTA been better off going shopping with Vince at Tractor Supply!!! LOL
Kristin says
Oh!! I’ve made that owl sweater!! I was going back and forth in the yarn, between super wash or acrylic. It needed so many colors, that it really added up with Merino. I ended up buying acrylic and I am so happy– the little boy I made it for refuses to even try it on! I’m CircusPeanuts on Ravelry.