Ravelings: Sickness or Passion? 

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1. 

   Kicki Wehlou April 2, 2023

   I feel just as guilty over my yarn stash as everyone else.
   The guilt is not really over the purchase of more yarn, but the fact that I already have so many projects that I haven’t finished…..
   With yarns that I love(d) just as much as I love the new yarn….
   I will never have time to make all the fabulous knits I want to make, so I feel guilty hoarding gorgeous yarns.
   I think I actually feel guilty and apologetic towards the yarns; they deserve better than my closet.

2. 

   Pamela Caton March 15, 2023

   I love fiber, hand dyed / hand spun the most – if you are a knitter you know how much that cost today. I never feel guilty spending my money on yarn and yes I have a lot of it with two seven feet high by 4 feet wide bookcases full of it. Sometimes I wonder how much $s went into all, but more often than not at 2 or 3 AM when creativity hits me I have never regretted being able to walk over and shop locally. Personally I think a lot of the negative feelings we have toward our craft is brought on by public opinion – we will spend 100s of dollars and hours creating something that others ooh and ahh over but think we should sell to them for $50. The public lack of appreciation of how long it takes to spin something up from a ball of thread with a simple hook is so often appalling how can it not have impact on how we feel about how much we spend on our hobby? Of course, when one hour of therapy costs approx $500 an hour, how can one not justify the cost of that beautiful object you just created.

3. 

   Jessica Gilronan November 8, 2022

   Thank you ! Feel this in my soul ❤️

4. 

   s0nicfreak November 8, 2022

   I don’t remember where I heard/read this, but here’s something that really made me think: No one ever tells a painter they have too much paint.

5. 

   Susan Richmond Way November 7, 2022

   I always say I knit for therapy. My husband actually bought me a tote bag that says, “I knit so I don’t kill people.”

   I try to get around the negative self-talk by trying to think of it as stocking my pantry. I won’t always cook with my purchases that week, but they’ll there if I need them later. If I buy a yarn that doesn’t work for the project I have in mind, I can put it in my bin(s). One day I’ll look in there, see that yarn, and think, “oh, that’s perfect for this new project I have in mind!” It’s not hoarding, it’s pre-buying. And it’s a smart thing to do if I can get it on sale or for a good price.

   I’m also prone to “my husband will kill me”, but he’s been nothing but supportive and he has several custom sweaters and scarves to show for it. But yeah, it’s hard to break that conditioning. We need to talk better to ourselves.

   1. 

      Mary Dale April 3, 2023

      I had to justify my yarn buying habit to my husband until he started getting my handknit socks, lol! My biggest yarn glut came when I made a decision to avoid acrylics and move almost 100% to natural fibers. I’ve been able to trade with other knitters/crocheters who still use them, and also donate them. If you have something you truly will never use, think about donating!

6. 

   Mary Miraglia November 7, 2022

   I have NEVER felt guilty about buying yarn. Nor do I feel guilty even when I’m trying to figure out where to stash it! I do sometimes take practical considerations into account when deciding whether to buy more. Maybe finish one or two of those WIPS and start a few new ones with the ample amounts I already have.

7. 

   Sheila Hatler November 7, 2022

   I have felt this way many times but have learned to love the beauty of the yarn I buy and try not to think about my huge stash or what I will do with the gorgeous yarn I just found. Another thing I think about is what to do with my stash when I can no longer knit.. where will all my little skeins of happiness end up?

8. 

   Denise Redmond November 7, 2022

   The negative self-talk and even the “sick” feeling are both things I’ve experienced when shopping for yarn. My husband has commented on the size of my stash and number of tools, but I point out his large hobby (trains) and I’ve organized my fibres with sizeable shelves. Neither one of us can tolerate a lot of clutter or disarray.
   It’s good to read that knitters and other fibre users need to prioritize the good outcomes over the downtalk. Being able to put my stash into shelves, on display, really helped me appreciate what I’d already purchased. Stowing purchases away encouraged forgetting them, but now I go “shop” in my fibre room before I head out on yarn excursions. However, those special finds in stores are still exciting.

9. 

   Laura Benjamin November 7, 2022

   As a person with depression, I carry a negative self-worth often expressed in dollars, so it’s easy to castigate myself for spending on my own enjoyment. I’m not currently in an episode but I just returned from a workshop weekend guilty as hell.
   But I got yarn and fiber, enriching experiences and met a bunch of lovely like-minded people. What will come is more positives as I work the yarn and fiber, use the new skills, and thus fight off episodes while making good things. Think of it as therapy, cheaper than the mental health clinic and much more fun!

10. 

    Paula Meisters November 7, 2022

    Hello Candace. I’m so glad someone has finally talked about this. I spend too much on yarn, but my boyfriend loves what I design and make so he actually encourages me to buy what I want. I’m lucky that the yarn store I frequent allows us to set back what we want to pay for it later so it doesn’t disappear before I have the money for it. She knows I’ll get it eventually. Knitting is my passion since my mother passed away. I’m making her proud to follow in her footsteps. She was an amazing knitter and I’m striving to be just as good. My stash is huge, but it encourages my creativity. Thanks for bringing this topic to light.

11. 

    Cynthia Smith November 7, 2022

    It’s not the yarn purchase that gives me anxiety. It’s the fact that I have more yarn than I can possibly knit in a reasonable lifetime. I can knit much faster in my imagination than in reality. So it’s more a question of will I knit with this yarn and pattern before I lose interest in it and am on to the next more exciting new yarn and project.

    1. 

       s0nicfreak November 8, 2022

       Then destash some of it! If you sell it, you can use the money to buy new yarn guilt-free. Or if you donate it, you can get some room to fill with new yarn guilt-free.

       I actually keep track of how much yarn comes in and out each year. If I stopped buying yarn right now, according to my averages, I could knit and crochet for 15 years. A long time, but not a lifetime. If my tastes change, I go through the stash and get rid of anything I probably won’t use. If I’m not excited about a yarn anymore, I can pass it on to someone that is. So, I’m excited to get to every yarn in my stash, even if it happens 15 years from now.

       1. 

          Mary Dale April 3, 2023

          Amen to that!