Crafty Confessions: How Much $$ Do You Spend on Fiber?
Fiber lovers and yarn buyers, do you set a budget when you go yarn shopping? Are you a knitter or crocheter who has ever found yourself hiding yarn purchases? Or perhaps you’ve convinced yourself that you don’t need another skein of that beautiful hand-dyed yarn since though your stash is overflowing, but you buy it anyway? If so, you’re not alone! In fact, many of us in the crafting community have been known to stretch the truth a bit when it comes to just how much money we spend on yarn, fiber, and other accessories that support our beloved hobby.
But why do we do it? Is it the thrill of the hunt for the perfect color and texture, or the satisfaction of completing a project with just the right materials? Or perhaps it’s simply the joy of being surrounded by beautiful yarns that inspires us to keep adding to our collections.
Related: Buying Yarn: Sickness or Passion
In this session of Crafty Confessions, we asked Interweave Yarn Fest attendees, “how much do you spend on yarn?” With the follow up question, “do you ever lie about how much you spend?” We think you’ll identify with their answers . . . we sure did.
Related: Crafty Confessions: Do You Make a Gauge Swatch?
From bags of unopened purchases to vacuum sealing skeins, we could relate to these fellow yarn lovers.
Now it’s your turn! How much do you spend on yarn? And do you ever lie about it? Share your answers in the comments below!
Serial yarn sniffer Kerry Bogert loves to spend her time knitting when she’s not collaborating with the team at Interweave or editing Interweave Knits magazine. Her passion for making things with her hands is only matched by her love for her children and a well-attenuated stout. Kerry endeavors to never stop learning, buying yarn, or collecting beads. Read her latest articles at Interweave.com.
Join the Interweave+ Community
i do not have a specific dollar amount for a budget, i maintain a stash of various colors of #10 cotton and finer threads as i make many small items , i also have a small amount of stuff i often use, and i have a bunch of stuff i got at the thrift store for a song. when i have a little extra money i will buy sock yarn with coupons for example, as i make a few pair of socks each year. i do my best not to be a hoarder.
When I was younger, money was no object, and I bought to yarn to knit when I was retired. Elann.com was responsible for 90% of my yarn purchases during conference calls. Now I am retired, and I still buy! But I have decided I have too much, and have cut down considerably.
I used to lie about my yarn spending but my current SO is so supportive that even though we are trying to save for a very large move, he encourages me to buy what I want. He even suggested I buy a spinning wheel and learn to spin because if we move my spinning friends won’t be there to do it for me. I don’t keep track exactly on my spending but for yarn fest I pay for my classes early and buy less yarn that month then plan for at least $500 to spend during Yarnfest. That’s not always enough so I charge some to be paid off the next month. I’m on SS so I have to be careful as the bills have to come out of that too. But I seem to manage pretty well. The yarn shop I frequent knows me well and allows me to put yarn back for future purchase when I can afford it.
When I was a young mother raising 3 kids on minimum wage I very carefully budgeted for yarn and did without other things so I could feed the need. Thirty years later and I’m on husband #2 he says why aren’t you buying that yarn you like so much? I was still scrimping and saving to buy my yarn out of my food budget without upgrading either to suit the change in my income. I love my husband, tee hee hee, he created a yarn monster and then he gave me a credit card!
I do set a monthly budget of $100, and some months I don’t spend any, and some months I go over…if I buy yarn for a specific gift, I don’t count it in my budget. If it is blank yarn for dyeing, I don’t count it in the budget. If it is on sale, I don’t count it in the budget… you get the idea.