Last night Vince and I were watching football and I was thinking about my plans for 2020. I said “Soon it’s going to be 2020.” Vince looked at me with a blank look and said “What are you talking about?” I said “2020!” He thought I was talking about the score of the game. One team already had way over 20 points so he wasn’t sure what was going on in my head.
It seems absurd to me that we’re closing in on the middle of November and before know it, 2019 will be history and it will be 2020. Time flies!
As with every year in the recent past, I started off 2019 with big plans to use the yarn I have and not buy more.
That plan worked beautifully until about March when I started trying to come up with yarn for the Eat, Sleep, Knit 2nd quarter project – a fade cardigan. It was hard choosing yarn when I couldn’t see it in person and I ended up with at least enough yarn to make three sweaters if I could pull it all together.
In the end, the above yarns were the ones I used and this is probably my favorite cardigan I made all year.
That photo was before it was blocked but I love it.
Having broken the “not buying yarn” rule, it was easy to keep buying but I did better than I had done in the past, though the Madelinetosh sale makes my 2019 purchases look like I threw caution to the wind and bought way too much but at 70% off, and not knowing at the time if there would be a Madelinetosh option in the future, I’m not sorry for any of my purchases.
After spending time re-organizing the yarn, and becoming reacquainted with some older yarn purchases, I really do want to use the yarn I already have.
The other morning I got up and was trying to get my gears going. Vince had been up reading. I sat down next to him.
Vince: A woman aged 65 has a life expectancy of about 20.4 more years.
Me: How many sweaters can I knit in 20.4 years?
Seriously, there are so many projects, for which I already have yarn, that I really want to make.
My plan for 2020 as far as yarn buying, and that’s the plan that’s going to take the most commitment:
- I’m going to start a blog post and keep it as a draft and every piece of yarn I buy or use is going onto that post. Hopefully at the end of 2020, I’ll be very proud of it and can share it and everyone will say “I never thought she could do that!”
- In previous years, I’ve said “I’m not buying yarn unless there’s a project I really want to make or it’s a yarn I have to buy now or never get again, or if it’s on sale and a price I feel justified in buying.” No more! I’ll find something in the stash to work or I won’t make it.
- I will buy yarn if it’s needed to finish a project. Say I’m making Vince’s sweater, thought I had enough and need one more skein of blue to finish it. That’s acceptable. But, if I’m planning a sweater, haven’t started it yet and realize I need one more skein of blue. Not acceptable. Either choose another stash yarn or another project!
I’m not being morbid but there’s no way I can knit the amount of yarn I’ve accumulated so why would I buy more, just to be given away when my knitting days are done. I never want my yarn to be a liability. Now, it brings me joy but it isn’t going to take much more yarn before I start wishing there wasn’t quite so much. Saturation point. That’s where I am.
Starting today . . I’m done. Black Friday yarn sales . . not doing it. There’s the gray yarn arriving this week for Addie’s teacher’s gift. I’m not going to venture a guess when the Madelinetosh yarn ordered in late September/early October will finish arriving. It’s trickling in but I’ll be surprised if it all gets here before the end of the year.
For those of you thinking I can’t do this – I did it with fabric. Probably four years or more before I stopped quilting, I completely quit buying fabric. I had the most fun getting fabrics from my stash to work together for my quilts. I can do this with yarn too!
Elle says
Yea you! I know you can do it 🙂 I do understand the challenge. I recently retired. In my wanderings through my studio, I opened 2 boxes that I knew contained yarn. They are the remaining 2 of 9. 3 weeks ago I decided no more avoidance. It was enough that went together, I could knit 2 large afghans. 1 is done and 2nd is 30%. Also a quilter, I realized about 10 years ago I really have a LOT of fabric. I started tracking my in/out aiming to be neutral if not reducing it. I make 30+ per year so buying to get tops finished is necessary sometimes. I’m just 58 so I’m not yet concerned about whittling it all away, but I do like the accountability to myself with my tracking tools.
2020-let it be a wonderful year of creativity 🙂
Tracy says
I just got my MadTosh order. It’s so lush and saturated with color. I can’t put it away yet, as there is no room in my yarn closet. My stash is not enough for twenty years, maybe 10 at the rate I finish things ??
Arrowhead Gramma says
To me it is a challenge to use what I already have. I am not a big knitter but love making quilts. Having worked in a quilt shop for 6 years my stash is huge (to me). Now the challenge is to make quilts using the stash. Have made many quilts (lap size) for foster kids/residents at our local assisted living from the stash and it is so rewarding. It’s a good feeling to make these without breaking the bank so to speak.
Kathy says
Just for the record, I still miss your quilting posts. Life goes on, but they were wonderful and I loved them.
Laura says
Me too.
Emma says
I’m finally getting back into blogging my quilting again and I’m going to use more than I buy in 2020. I know you aren’t doing stash reports anymore but I’ll be just posting them whenever I buy fabric or finish a quilt. I didn’t keep track of all my purchases this year so it’s basically a wash, but next year I’ll be right there with you with my fabric buying!
Which really means that I need to finish up the tops I have lying around or else counting fabric used will get interesting…
Janice Poffenroth says
I had quite an eyeopener today. I was participating in a craft show where I sell lots of knitted items. Lots of ladies would stop and chat and many that were 65 + would say that they used to knit all the time but they can’t do it any more because of hand, joint, shoulder etc. problems. They had had to get rid of all their yarn etc. and most of it went to churches or goodwill type places. So, it’s not just family having to get rid of it after we’re gone it could be ourselves having to get rid of it!! I’m in the 65+ group and I’m okay at the moment, although some mornings I feel like my hands have seized up. I’ve taught daughters and grand daughters how to knit when they were little but now that they are older they’re not interested. It seems that the younger ones are too much into instant gratification and can just go and buy whatever they want to wear etc.- or grandma can make it. I’d have to live until I’m 150+ to use all my craft stuff up!!!
Jean says
You go girl! I know you can do it!!
-Jean
Cyn Tut says
Quilters sometimes use the acronym ’SABLE’: Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy. That’s me with fabric.
Frieda says
I find it easier to find fabric in my stash to use than yarn. I have lots of yarn, but never what I want to knit with. Guess I need to find patterns to go with my yarn instead trying to find yarn to match yarn
Susan Nixon says
I know you can do it. You have plenty of stuff and that includes everything you need. It’s a habit you need to get into, but once you do, it won’t even be hard! Unsubscribe to those companies that send you yarn ads! You don’t need them. =) Ditto for patterns for sweaters. You have tons of those, too!
Rebecca in SoCal says
But what about when you’re trying to match up yarns, like that fade cardigan, or Addie’s teacher’s cowl? Will you just tell yourself to “make it work” and choose the best of what is available?
Nelle Coursey says
You can do it. But if that special project comes along, then you need to go for it!!
carolyn says
I remember when you were trying to buy less fabric and I wondered if it were possible…do you still have a lot or have you managed to use quite a bit? You can definitely do it with yarn, especially now that you have me hooked on ESK!!!
Karen says
I’m having the same conversation with myself. I’ve got enough yarn to last me two lifetimes. I try not to read the ESK and Loopy posts so I won’t be tempted.
Amy (Waunaknit) says
Good luck with your plan! I’m sure Nicole would be happy to receive your stash should anything happen to you.