Resolving to be resolute

I have a lot of things. Don’t get me wrong; I like having things. Recently, I’ve been feeling like my things own me, rather than the other way around. The battle for dominance has been fought with purging, but the fact is, I have not yet truly begun to fight.

The first step is a yarn and wool embargo. I have more of both than I need and storage space is at a premium in the new house until we get around to installing the cabinets. If I spend time knitting out of my stash and can make a significant dent in it, in the future, when I see really breathtaking and special yarn or roving, I can buy it without that “I can’t start this until I finish 25 other things” feeling. I’m not a FIFO knitter or spinner by any means, but having a room full of these things takes some of the joy out of spinning, knitting, and buying yarn.

I’ve been on yarn diets before, but like actual diets, my goal is to develop better habits. People with good habits live happier, less complicated lives. This is good. I’m aiming for a less materialistic way of life; I don’t need another pair of black shoes, or another wool coat. I’m striving to buy what I need rather than what I want.

I think this is all stemming partly from watching “Six Feet Under” and partly from “Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style”. I was thinking, “If I only had a year to live, what would I want Andrew to sift through?” Not a metric ton of yarn or roving. Not a thousand pairs of shoes that I never wear. Not a hundred handbags that initially got heavy use and then forgotten. If I can give up on impulse buying ten pairs of shoes on sale, I can buy one super-nice pair of shoes. Still on sale, but super-nice shoes nonetheless. I have a compulsion to buy things on sale; it’s a blessing and a curse.

So, there’s my New Year’s resolution.

Oh, and also to eat less sugar. Sugar turns me into a monster.

Stash and Burn Meetup

So, on Sunday I made the trek up to Nine Rubies in San Mateo for the Stash and Burn meet-up. Remember how I posted last year about my stash having reached CYM (Critical Yarn Mass)? I also may have mentioned something about taking a hiatus on yarn purchases.

I am full of crap. I love yarn. I love buying yarn. I love the newness of the yarn, the thrill of the purchase. I'm sure it is a feeling akin to that of a new relationship. I went home with a heart full of shame, and a bag full of this:

It's not * that * much yarn. Not really. Especially since half of the orange is for Colleen. So it's really this much:

Seriously, I can't buy any more yarn until Rhinebeck. I have only been finishing socks, and at a fraction of the speed that I can buy it at. What is up with that? Clearly I need to knit faster and sleep less.

Part of the More Knitting Solution (notice how I'm not calling it the "Less Yarn Solution") is carpooling with Andrew- giving me about 40 minutes of knitting time that I normally wouldn't have. He also is driving on all of our longer trips- on Easter I finished two socks during the drive. But I digress.

I went to the meet-up, and met Jenny and Nicole, of Stash and Burn fame. They were both friendly and super-cool. I chatted with Nicole about FileMaker (I know, I am such a nerd) at length with Janice about general stuff. I met Lisa, who kindly let me hold Darwin (her baby) for the better part of an hour.

I never posted about this, but until about two weeks ago, I had baby phobia.

[NOTE: If you have a weak stomach, skip down to the next bolded section.]

On Easter my in-laws relayed a story about one of their nephews eating two magnets (from the recalled Magnetix toy- which is super-fun to play with, by the way) on two separate days and the tale of how they met in the middle. The result was magnets tearing through two parts of his intestine trying to meet.

Nephew-in-law (what else do you call your in-laws' nephews?) had to have surgery, and a gastro-something nose tube while the intestine healed. I was convinced that there is no way I could both have a child and keep it alive, despite the fact that I have managed to keep my dogs from eating what can only be classified as "weird shit".

[Weak stomachs can resume reading here.]

Mom assured me that Sam and I never ate our toys, although Sam chewed up my markers (rainbow diapers, but nothing worse than that) and stuck a dried pea in his ear, nothing worse than that was done.

When I told people in public that I was terrified of having children because "They eat magnets!", people felt compelled to tell me TERRIBLE stories about the mishaps, accidents and odd ingestions that they dealt with when their children were little. They would always end the story with something like, "See? My kids survived, you'll be fine." This didn't help.

I told Andrew that the dogs were enough, because I'm obviously too neurotic and crazy to be able to cope with magnet-eating/ bodily harm / anything bad. With the dogs, I'm already constantly checking to make sure they're still breathing and healthy. I check poop (not too thoroughly, don't be gross), and when there is dog barf, I take a glance at what may have caused it. The vet has assured me that I am a conscientious (not neurotic) owner.

(Note: The Minions keep telling me that children are great and I'm convinced that Julie keeps bringing her terrific kids in order to inspire us to get on with it and have some of our own.)

In any case, holding baby Darwin got the "babies are awesome" feelings flowing again.

So, to summarize:

I backslid on the goal of buying less yarn, but we're back on the "babies are cool" track.

Maybe It’s the Yarn

I was talking to my co-workers about some of the roving I've bought lately, and how I'm on a spinning binge, and one of the gals, very observantly said, "You don't like knitting. You like yarn!"

I laughed, because it's true. Not the not-liking-knitting part, but the liking yarn.

The thing I like about yarn is it's potential. In the skein it is beautiful and full of opportunities. Each new skein has it's own path, and although most of their paths lead to socks, some become garments that are worn above the waist.

Fiber/roving has that same potential, but moreso. I can take 8 ounces and spin a mile of yarn, or I can spin it heavier. Spinning appeals to my megalomania cal side. When I'm spinning, the world is mine!!!**


**Like Dr. Evil is Austin Powers II.

Elephantine

When it comes to yarn, I have a memory like an elephant. Everything else, it's more like a sieve.

While Andrew and I were Space-Bagging The Stash (which is a proper noun only because of it's sheer size and magnificence), I got the opportunity to reacquaint myself with yarn that I remembered, but hadn't fondled in some time. Ball by ball, I went through my stash.

A couple of days after we had bagged the last of The Stash, I turned to Andrew and asked about some Garnstudio Silk & Wool that I had bought a gross of when it was closed out. I hadn't seen it, but I knew I had bought it. I called Mom to make sure there was no more of The Stash hiding at her house. Nope.

I did that obsessive searching thing I do when I lose something- where it consumes me whole. I hunt day and night though everything, crazed. The dogs hide from their crazy mother, knowing this crazy storm will blow over, and she will give them doggie ice cream to apologize for her "episode". Andrew assured me that we had bagged it.

At some point, during a fix of complete frustration and exhaustion, I decided to believe him, that I would see it again when I went hunting for a new project. I let it go. (I know, I'm not a very committed person, even with my obsessions.)

So, today I sent Andrew to dig out my winter clothes out of the garage. Andrew emerged with a duffel bag and a suitcase. I open the duffel bag- and there was the elusive Silk & Wool! I did a little dance, freaked out the dogs a little, and ran around the house proclaiming "Boo-ya! I KNEW we hadn't Space-Bagged it!"

My father has often accused me of paying more attention when it's something I like or care about, and to that I say, "Duh," but seriously, I don't mess around when it comes to yarn.

Obsession

There is a new yarn I am obsessed with. It's Lana Grossa Meilenweit Colortweed and I LOVE IT.

It's like Trekking, but there are more colors, and the only problem I'm having with Trekking is that I own every color. (I think)

If you have a cool LYS, buy it there, if not, you have the link.

My Wooly Valentine

Andrew and I found a solution for the conflict between Stitches and the Yarn Diet. Andrew, being a smart (and wonderful) man, understands that you cannot go to a knitting event of epic proportions- Stitches West- and not buy stuff.

Unless you're Sabrina. Or like Sabrina. In that case, good for you. I, however, did not have a giant wedding (and therefore didn't have giant bills to pay afterwards), so I really feel that she is an anomaly amongst knitters. I can't do that.

So here is the compromise: I can buy ONE Space Bag full of yarn. There is no limit on stuff that isn't yarn. This works for me, as I believe(d) that I may even bring a PARTIALLY filled Space Bag home, in a sincere effort to not overbuy.

Then I read Lisa Souza's blog. She is a beautiful, wonderful, funny, amazingly talented woman. Having said that…

Lisa Souza is the devil.

She has loads of beautiful colors up on her blog (and her website, where she sells the aforementioned beautiful colors), thus trying to tempt me to break my yarn diet. She also briefly mentions on her blog that she was having a quality issue with the yarn she was getting from her mill.

I think Lisa is awesome for catching the quality issue BEFORE the yarn went out to her customers. I will be filling most of my Space Bag with Lisa Souza, which means that I will have to make some sort of respectable progress on the sweater I started for Andrew a year and a half ago, or he may shame me in front of her again.

I am comparing Lisa's high quality to other yarn companies who routinely sell LOADS of yarn rife with knots in the skeins.

After looking at her colors, I have (possibly) elected to not re-subscribe to the current Sock-of-The-Every-Other-Month club that I am a part of, and instead, call Lisa once a month (because she is charming and really should be called once a month at least) and order one of her new colors in sock yarn.

Some Personal Goals

I was just thinking about how hard I thought the yarn diet was going to be. As the days keep increasing, I find myself wanting less and being pleased with the amount of yarn that has gone from being "Just Yarn Taking Up Space" to "Look at what I finished!".

This is very Zen. Less is more. It's not about having what you want, it's about wanting what you have, and all that. Seriously.

I am not feeling overwhelmed and guilty anymore; I am triumphant. Every project that is finished gets logged on the sidebar (and photographed, once I have a really good hair and makeup day), and shows my continued commitment to achieving my self-imposed goals.

Granted the JYTUS has a purpose, duh, it's my stash. I will never be one of those knitters who buys one project at a time and doesn't buy more yarn until it is finished. That's unrealistic to expect out of me. I love my yarn, I just think I would enjoy it more if I had higher project turnaround than yarn intake.

Bear in mind the fact that we're planning to remodel in January/February and put the house on the market (hopefully) by March. Moving again is part of my inspiration to get things done/ destash a little. I hate the actual moving part of moving, but I love living somewhere new and different and bigger (hopefully). I just hate the packing and the moving and the unpacking.

Goal-setting works for me, because there is something to work towards (versus the amorphous, I'll-do-it-whenever attitude). I'm hoping to finish up enough FOs that the balance can fit in my home office/knitting den. (Right now there are a couple of bins full of FO's in varying stages of completion.)

Oh, and I finished the Harlot red ribbon top. That's right, I finished it in about 2 weeks, so that I can wear it to the Yarn Harlot book signing on Saturday. Woo!

That's makes 45 FO's this calendar year to date! (In case you were curious.) With last year's September – December FO count, I should hit 55 by the end of the year. We'll see!

Getting It Together

I am not devoted to taking pictures. I should have taken "before" and "after" pictures of the "Romper Room" (now my office). I'll get the "after" pictures up soon.

[Don't roll your eyes. I post photos. Sometimes.]

With the assistance of Space Bags and modular storage, the room that looked like a bomb had exploded (a yarn bomb, nonetheless) is now a functional office/ guest room.

I'll have to post the "after" pictures and explain the system. I'm amazed at how well my idea turned out. (I often have seemingly brilliant ideas about organization that have turned out… less successful.)

The thing I am most excited about is the fan I set up. Everything else is cool, but this is brilliant. My office has an air flow issue. Now, when you turn on the light to enter, the fan switches on. Magic!

This probably explains my astronomically low Finished Object count. I feel like I have accomplished something good, but counter-productive to the Yarn Diet objectives.

[Note to readers: Everything except knitting is counter-productive to the Yarn Diet objectives. Except for playing with the dogs.]

Temptation #2- Regia Silk

We went to Knitting Arts on Saturday, and I saw the Regia Silk. It feels HEAVENLY. Unfortunately, I'm not willing to cough up the cash for it. It was $11/ 50g ball there, where everywhere else I've found it for about $15/100g ball.

This wasn't a real temptation, but the fact that I didn't order it online when I got home shows TREMENDOUS restraint.

Temptation #1

Temptation, thy name is Burnt Olive hemp.

On sale at Elann.com, you try to convince me to break my vow of yarn celibacy. But I will not be defeated so easily.

You think that with your beautiful color and promise to soften more and more with wear, that you will wear ME down.

You further try to tempt me with your low, low price.

"You can make a shell out of me for less than $20," you say to me, "And you look really good in Olive, Burnt or otherwise."

You won't win, Burnt Olive. I will emerge victorious without a single skein of you.

I am officially on a diet

So, we were cleaning up the "Romper Room" (formerly Grace's room, then renamed the "Romper Room", and now, my home office), and I decided that I am going on a yarn crash diet. No more buying yarn until I have made a significant enough dent in my stash where I stop being the bad example to everyone's spouses.

It wears on me, hearing people say, "My stash isn't as bad as Jasmin's. You should see hers." And rightly you should, in it's fiber-licious, colorful glory.

Rarely have I heard myself being used as a positive example (i.e. "Look at how many projects Jasmin finishes!"), and I would like to be able to accomplish projects without the stigma of the "Yeah, you finished one, but you've got yarn for 7 million other projects, so it counts less."

I also have loads of yarn that I love. I open the containers and marvel at my good taste, and plan projects for all this yarn. This yarn represents what could be, rather than what is. In the cleaning, I did not see ONE skein of yarn where I stopped and thought, "This is ghastly. What on EARTH was I thinking when I bought this?"

There's really no end date, just when I've lessened my stash enough to feel like I've really accomplished something.

THE RULES

1- Yarn can be purchased without violating the diet if it is to complete a project.

2- Gadgets, tools, books, and magazines are not included in this diet.

3- For every Space Bag emptied, a new project may be purchased.