We’ve all lived most of our lives being able to find most anything we need or want so all of the recent shortages have changed the way I think about everything. I don’t consider myself a hoarder but I suppose few hoarders admit to being hoarders. My idea of a hoarder is someone who has more than they will ever use, has it all piled up and can’t even find what they need if they do need it.
My yarn and fabric I suppose borders on hoarding but, again, in my head, it’s different.
The Fabric:
The fabric is stacked by color on shelves and some day, hopefully soon, when I start quilting, I’ll be able to make quilts – lots of quilts – without buying fabric. Besides loving fabric, here are the reasons I have the fabric stash that I have.
Back in the late 90’s or somewhere before about 2005, when fabric companies began sending the fabric manufacturing business overseas, I asked one of the companies why and was told that the cost of having it done in the U. S. prohibited them from remaining competitive and they could have it all done overseas and keep the cost down. That never sounded right to me and I figured some day, that plan might cause issues. At that time, good, quilt shop fabric might have been $5.99 per yard. How did that idea of moving the fabric production overseas work out as far as keeping the cost down? Almost all the fabric I have in my stash was somewhere in the $4 to $6 range because I bought it on sale and stocked up. Figure this – if a quilt needs 10 yards of fabric and maybe 6 yards for the backing, that’s 16 yards of fabric. Today, at maybe $13/yard, that’s $208 just for the fabric. If that same fabric was $5/yard, the cost for the fabric would be $80. I’ve never considered getting rid of my fabric because I always felt like some day I might quilt again and it was worth it to me to hold onto it.
The Yarn:
Not having a yarn shop anywhere near me, I love having the yarn to be able to pick out the materials needed for almost any project. Just like with fabric, so sometimes the perfect blue online isn’t the perfect blue when it arrives so having a variety of yarn on hand means I can make just about anything I want to make without having to get online, find it, order it and wait for it to arrive.
That’s one of the “problems” with the stash being in Texas and the knitter being in Missouri – several times I’ve seen patterns I liked and wondered what yarn I would use if I wanted to make it. If I were with my stash, I’d go stashdiving and find the yarn I wanted to use and set it aside. It isn’t a big deal but it is something I miss.
Canning Jars:
I’ve always kept a supply of canning jars on hand. With the garden, you never know whether you’re going to need 12 jars or 60 jars. Several years ago I planted green beans and put up about 60 pints of beans. The next year I planted the exact same beans and never even got enough to cook a meal. Having to go buy jars in the middle of a canning job is a huge waste of time. With the recent jar “shortage”, I’ve been very thankful for my jar supply.
There is a shortage of jars because so many more people have planted gardens or are buying directly from farmers and are processing their own foods. That’s a great thing in my opinion. The more we know where our food comes from and the more hands on we are with preserving it and cooking it, the better off we are – again, my opinion.
Probably in January or early February we ordered maybe 15 cases of quart jars because that’s mostly what I use for storing freeze dried foods. I vacuum seal those jars and keep them in a dark closet.
But, I was very low on pint jars because sometimes I put snacks (strawberries, jackfruit, etc.) in pint jars for snacking in the car. I hadn’t seen pint jars in forever in the stores so when I saw them in Walmart over the weekend, I grabbed two cases of pints and one case of 3/4 pints. Yesterday in Walmart, I saw jelly jars and grabbed two cases of those. The smaller jelly jars, I brought from home.
I like to keep plenty of jelly jars because making fruit jam and jelly is so easy and in MO, there’s an abundance of fruit. Apples will be everywhere soon! Most of my jars I re-use over and over but jelly jars are the ones most often given away and not returned.
Dr. Dazzle:
Last but not least – my favorite drink. I squawked when Vince came home from Aldi with Dr. Dazzle. I could have sworn that I had tried them before and didn’t like them because I really love my real Dr. Pepper. He said “Just try it – you may like it” and I did! Now I’d rather have this than the other.
We keep a good supply in Texas and I was fixing to put a few 12 packs in the car and Vince said “Don’t bring something we can buy there!” About halfway between TX and MO, I heard about the Dr. Pepper shortage so I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get any but Aldi had them and after several trips, I’ve accumulated enough to feel comfortable about not running out for a while.
But, what started this blog post idea is that there is an auction in Nevada, MO this evening. I actually know the lady who is auctioning off a lot of yarn, looms, knitting supplies. I thought about driving over and getting a few things and then decided there’s nothing I need so .. I’m not going. That’s a smart decision, right?? 🙂
Teri says
You could go see her and maybe find something you don’t have!
Judy Laquidara says
I think she has already moved so I doubt she’s there. It’s an hour away from here and we already have a commitment for this evening so I can’t make it to the auction. I did call and put in a bid on a couple of things – not yarn though.
Paula Nordt says
Plus sometimes even the “good”, $14 a yard fabric isn’t the greatest quality!
Kathleen R Robin says
You might find something that you can’t live with out.
RUTH C says
So, I’ve never heard of 3/4 pint jars. Are they 1 1/2 pints (3/4 quart?) I like that size a lot. I also like those wide mouth 1/2 pint jars.
I am sure you are not a hoarder based on the show… That’s what I tell myself!
Judy Laquidara says
No. They’re 3/4 of a pint. Most jelly jars I buy are 1/2 pint so these are just a bit more – better for jam that has bigger pieces of fruit.
Sandi B says
I’m going to look for those. I’m on the hunt for lids. No where to be found. We even checked several stores in the Tulsa area yesterday evening.
Judy Laquidara says
At least if you buy new jars, you get lids! It’s crazy.
Sara Fridley says
Stocking up on those canning jars seems pretty practical to me. You use them a lot so it makes sense. Our mothers and grandmothers bought canning jars in anticipation of gardens producing an abundance. And any quilter or knitter worth her salt has a stash for future projects – or just to pet.
Tina in NJ says
Another problem with glass in the (hopefully) not too distant future: they’ll need lots of tiny glass vials when a vaccine(s) is/are approved. Millions of them. I doubt canning jar production will take precedence over vaccine vials.
Joan B says
I bet you will go to the auction. You still have plenty of time to change your mind. Plus Vince will go because he never can pass up a good bargain, for him or you! Could be a fun night out! Can’t wait to see what you get!
Judy Laquidara says
It’s an hour from here, started at 5 and we had a commitment til about 4:30 so we didn’t go.
Karen Hartley says
I’m really appreciating my fabric stash right now. So many are saying they are having a hard time finding fabric or it’s just too expensive. I just go to my stash and pull what I need. I had considered purging it but I’m glad I didn’t
Judy Laquidara says
It’s nice when you have something and realize it’s like gold!
Nelle Coursey says
But you might find something there that your friends could use and would buy from you!! LOL That would be a good excuse to go! You know me! I love a bargain!! Can you ever have enough yarn, needles, or gadgets!! I know I am a hoarder of these things!! I love these kinds of sales!
Susan Nixon says
Yes, what you described as hoarding is what I think of as hoarding. No way to use it, even if you wanted it, because there’s so much you can’t even find it! No organization of any kind. Now, when I look at my fabric, I know someone else might think it isn’t organized, but even the “pile it system”, as Paul called it, I know what’s in it and I know where to go for certain colors when I need them. It isn’t 100%, but it also isn’t hoarding. Lack of space, maybe. LOL Thank goodness I don’t have a yarn stash, too! Though I was able to come up with a wick for Paul’s bug candle the other day. =)
Judy Laquidara says
I also think it’s pretty hard to keep fabric organized because what I want to pull out to audition for a project is almost always at the bottom of the stack. I think I can careful remove it but the stack usually topples and then I don’t get it back in there very neatly because I’m ready to start the project.
JustGail says
I haven’t noticed much shortage on jars or lid/band combinations (yet?), but just the lids are nowhere to be found. I guess maybe it’s a good thing the garden got blasted by derecho last week? Even if it were salvageable, no time or energy left to can with all the tree cleanup, so the few tomatoes hanging on are going into freezer bags. And fabrics – no matter when made, I’ve found some in the stash so thin they are nearly see-through even when double or triple layered.
If you can find what you are looking for and it’s not infested with non-pet creatures or mixed in with trash, it’s stocking up not hoarding, IMHO. And with the this years shutdowns, shortages and storms with days-long power outages, stashing and stocking up is a good thing.
Bon says
Judy, I’m proud of you!