Happy New Year!

Ok, so I started off the New Year a little late with a new post... 

A new year is a time for "resolutions".  Things we promise to do for the new year, which may or may not come to fruition.  Everyone attempts them, and some actually finish what they try!  Me:  Not so much.  Every year I say "I'm going to lose weight, get in shape, wear make up and do my hair every day", yet not much of that ever happens.  Yes, I lose weight for a little while, then gain it back.  Wear make up and do my hair every day for a month, then decide its too much work.  Etcetera, etcetera.  My resolutions?  To use the stash that I have to make things rather than buying more (gonna be tough), and to buy more products locally/semi-locally rather than via giant corporations (not so tough in the yarn/craft market), and of course the ever "Save money, don't spend money" resolution (ha!).  I'm not going to worry about my weight just yet.  My pants still fit (mostly).

Well this year on Rav, someone posted a "Get Real for 2012" thread asking people to go thru their stash, add up how many yards of yarn they have, and try to figure out how much knitting/crochet it would take to get thru the stash in 1 year.  Well it really is a wake up call as to how much  yarn one has, and realistically how much does one really need?  And yarn is like food for some people... You never can have enough!  I know when a new colorway comes out in my favorite yarns I do the "Ooooh Pretty! I can make *insert project that may not come to be here* for *insert family member* with that!"  I have foot tracings of just about everyone in my immediate family with the intention of making socks for EVERYONE!  A lofty little goal, but someday it might happen!


So I downloaded a link to my stash, added in the yarns that I had ordered prior to Christmas that have not arrived yet, and I got a little scared.  Yes, some of the yarn is Lace weight (800+ yards per 4 oz of yarn), but most is sock weight, that will one day become socks, hats, bags, scarves, etc.  The total for the yardage is over 35,000 yards. For me, it would take using up 740ish yards/week in order to get my stash to 0.  Socks only take 200-300 yards/pair to make depending on length.  Hats, roughly about 150 yards.  There were some people there with over 100,000 yards, and some that were too scared to add it up.  I think I'll be on a yarn diet until I halve this number.


New year is also a time for organization.  My brother decided to drag his stash out of his storage and organize it too... Apparently it was too much to deal with on Christmas day, so he hung out at our house most of the day.  I'd hate to add up the  yardage for him!  My stash consists of 2.5 bins.  Some hanging file folder bin things from Wally World.  Cheap but they work.  I organized it to 1 bin is all sock yarn, 1 bin is all palette yarn (100% wool, non machine washable), and the half bin of lace yarn.  Not bad all in all.  The problem being I have just discovered independent yarn dyers.  They are pricey, but for the size of the hank of yarn, they are completely worth it.  My top 2 right now are Indigodragonfly.com  and Hazelknits.com.  Indigodragonfly is from Canada, and for shipping, its not bad!  US airmail for $7+  (give or take for weight) and it gets to you in roughly 7-10 business days.  Hazel knits is from the Seattle area (semi local) and uses priority shipping which costs $5-10 depending on size of box no doubt.  They also offer free shipping for orders over $120.... No, I have not ordered that much from them to justify free shipping.... yet.  There is the future, of which I'm attempting to save money.  They both have scrumptious colors, and the sock yarn with cashmere in it has the same content base, same price... Gah!  I am in so much trouble, for soon I shall own a bit of each!  So much for the resolution to spend less money, and save more... Maybe I can be saving for  yarn?...


But I'm attempting something new (to me).  Repair rather than replace.  Especially things like work pants and shirts.  I just wore a hole in the thighs of my work pants, and discovered a pair of D's discarded khakis in just about the same shade I'm going to use to repair today.  Make my own patch... yay!  Doing that with the kids clothes as well.  Granted after Christmas and Birthdays, they need no clothes... Sheesh.


Anyhow, thats it for the update right now... Gotta go knit and repair, and watch girlie movies now that the kids are back to school!  Yay!