My friend said she doesn’t hate me but she keeps sending me patterns and I keep buying them. I got to thinking . . if I buy 5 or 6 patterns per week, that’s not a whole lot of money but it adds up and 5 or 6 patterns per week is 20 – 24 (or more) patterns per month and if I finish one or two, maybe three things per month . . this is not adding up at all.
But . . what am I supposed to do when a friend sends me a pattern link and says “I thought you’d love this pattern!” Yes, I do love it and yes, I did buy it. Most of these patterns I can justify buying. There’s the age old excuse that some day . . sooner rather than later, Vince is going to retire and my disposable money is going to drop to a dreadfully scary low number. Second, and specifically with Pastel Gemstone Shawl, it’s DK weight. I don’t have a lot of DK weight but I have several sweater quantities worth and I always buy a little extra so I can make those sweaters and use the leftovers for this project. That’s a good thing! A shawl from leftovers is basically free so that’s a very good and frugal thing to do. I’m sure Vince would agree that buying the pattern was a very good investment.
It is a beautiful shawl and I think it will be fun and interesting to make, and pretty quick since it’s DK weight but I have to make those sweaters before I can have any “leftovers” to use!
Diane in CA says
Lets see, 350+ projects in the bins, knitting 3 a month.. thats 10 years of projects.. and at 20 patterns a month.. thats 240 a year.. and in 10 years you will have 2400 patterns.. which of course will require yarn.. I don’t think
Vince can EVER retire..
Nelle Coursey says
Very pretty!
Karen Sutton says
If it makes you feel any better I’m buying them too. This particular shawl just grabbed me – I love the colors and the different patterns. I think it will be a fun knit and I will no doubt have to buy some DK yarn. It doesn’t help that I’m at Knittorious for my Penguono class every other week and they have yarn to rival TLE & ESK. Besides, what are friends for if not to share:)
Ruth says
Seems to me it’s like quilt patterns. Eventually you realize that you can make your own patterns and you don’t have to follow someone else’s – or buy them, even. You can just look at a picture for a few minutes and know how it is made. At that point I draw the pattern on a piece of paper and stash it away. (I don’t worry about measurements.) When I run across that drawing later, I throw it away if I realize that I don’t like it any more. And I haven’t spent any money!! It would be a bit harder to do with knitting patterns, though.
Judy Laquidara says
I can do a quilt pattern in a heartbeat but knitting patterns are way different and would require way more thought and math than I care to exert. It’s so worth $5 – $10 just to buy the pattern and, at least for now, I’m telling myself I will make them all . . some day!
Sandy says
I agree with Ruth about quilting patterns. I don’t buy them because I can look at a picture and figure it out. Also there are a jillion free quilt patterns available on the internet. Are there free knitting patterns? I’m not a knitter, but if I were I couldn’t imagine buying 20 to 24 patterns a month! I wouldn’t be able to buy groceries!
Judy Laquidara says
There are free knitting patterns but there are plenty of patterns that require purchase. Knowing the work that goes into producing a pattern, and knowing that the designer is out the money she spent on yarn or fabric to test the pattern before providing them to the consumer, I never mind paying money for a pattern that looks like it’s something I’ll love.
danielle nabozny says
very very pretty – and tempting. I dont like doing bobbles – they are frustrating to me – too much of a perfectionist and I want them all to match perfectly and I cant do that……but love the rest. And the price is ok…..fell in love with a very intriguing shawl but I just cannot and will not consider spending $14 for a single pattern….I do prefer free of course! but $5 – $6 is reasonable to me
Judy Laquidara says
I have a price point too and anything over about $7 has to be pretty special for me to buy it. As far as bobbles, I think part of what makes them jump out at me is the fact that they’re all a bit different.