Sunday, August 10, 2008

Yarn and Fabric diet

I was attending Weight Watchers for a long time, before that South Beach etc. some kind of food program as far back as I can remember. This summer I have just eaten and so far no weight gain OR loss. What I have gained is so much extra fabric that I am stunned!!!

I've been spending tons of time shifting, cleaning out, reorganizing and now that MOST not all of my fabric and yarns are in two locations I totally realize that I need to go on a yarn and fabric diet. I do make lots of quilts and knit almost nonstop BUT I can't use up this stuff in years and years.

I've tried to get so careful about recycling and not wasting and here I have so many beautiful yarns and fabrics just hoarded away. I frogged a few projects, reclaimed needles -- I had my favorite needles stuck in a lace project that was two years old. I had no business doing lace then, it was full of mistakes and just plain ugly and too messed up to save, so why was it holding those needles hostage?

I'm going to give away most of my counted cross stitch stuff, I never really liked it much and have not done it in years. I'm sorting out piles of yarns that can go into school, yarns to save to swap and yarns to donate. I'm starting working on that with the fabric also.


I went yesterday to my not so local but a nice drive away quilt shop to use my birthday discount. We stopped at a place I've never noticed before because my friend wanted a bottle of water. It turns out that this place was a great German specialty shop. They had a butcher/deli area, a small restaurant space and then an imported foods section. So we stayed for lunch, got a few treats then went fabric shopping. I almost did not enjoy the shopping because I felt guilty about continuing to accumulate more stuff.

I am going to go on a yarn and fabric diet for a while until I reduce my amount of stuff stored away. I will allow myself to get some fabric or yarn when I am in California just to remember the trip and some small fun buying at Stitches and Rhinbeck BUT I am swearing off Internet impulse shopping for a long time. I'm not going to be crazy about this. I will still need to buy backing or batting or thread for the quilts but I really want to see what I have and work with that before I buy more. AND this time sock yarn counts.

3 comments:

Katya said...

Wow...isn't it amazing that you pay money to eat a certain way, then find out that left to your own devices, you do all right anyway? Agh!!!

I had a large bag of fabric that was just sitting around in my closet. It began to drive me crazy, so one fine day, I shipped off nearly 20# to a friend who sells stuff through Etsy. She was happy to have the goodies, and you wouldn't believe how lightened *I* felt! I haven't sewn in ages...With two teens and a husband home all the time, I just feel like my hands are tied. Just to alleviate some of that suffocating feeling, I returned to my love of photography. I can take photos just about anywhere, and am not getting into the family's way. They think I am nuts most often, but...well, that is their problem! hehehe Actually, lately, they have been cmmenting that they like some of my photos!

Wishing you the best on the new diet. I have one particular Alice Starmore sweater I want to knit. Decided on that this weekend. I hope I can get the money together to buy some yarn, then begin knitting this winter when things slow down. (well, a little, anyway!)

Frances said...

What sweater do you want to make? I didn't knit or quilt as much when my kids were young BUT I always had to keep at least a little going!

Katya said...

Frances, the sweater is called "Norway" and it is made in dark navy with cream and some red! It is so pretty and is different from most of the Scottish designs she typically does. It is from the book called Fishermen's Sweaters. Yeah, I LOVE color!!!!

I was going to ask....which college did you attend in Buffalo?