And then came Ravelry.
And I discovered there was so much out there that I had never even imagined. The more I looked the more I began to envision ten, twenty, fifty new projects (to go along with the one hundred or so I already have in my imaginary queue.
Which raises an interesting question: How much is too much?
I know you are all yelling "There IS no such thing!" at the top of your lungs. I can hear you all the way over here in the heartland of America. And considering how few of you there are at this point, you must be screaming pretty loud out there. And there are times when I would join you. But not today.
Because today I am ashamed of how much yarn I have already, and how hard my acquisitive little id wants more, more, more! Regardless of the fact that my stash is multiplying so fast that even as I pack it up to make the closets and cabinets look bigger, somehow the stash keeps gaining (or at least maintaining) ground.
Wanna see? You do realize that I am baring my soul here, as well as my
And I don't use the word addiction lightly. Compulsive behavior has a long history in my family tree, unfortunately.
So why, when I have all I need: friends, family, a loving home, a fulfilling career, a
Is it simply the creative urge? For if we are created in God's image, you can bet there is a strong dose of creativity involved. It ain't for nothing folks, that we call God, "Creator!"
Is it the lure of the new and different? Probably that plays into it, although I often find myself drawn to a yarn or pattern I have used before.
Is it competitive? She who dies with the most stash wins? Is it simply a case of "the other man's yarn is always greener?"
Could it be fear: of being left out, or worse, left behind?
Or is there something else subtly at work here? If our current projects always take a backseat to new endeavors, aren't we somehow missing the point of why we began knitting in the first place?
Do we forget where we are, in favor of dreams of where we are going?
I don't know the answers. I only pose the questions.
As for me, I have promised my family, my God, and, most importantly, myself to refrain from buying yarn until my UFO pile and stash have diminished. I figure that will be sometime in 2012.
Ravelry: the devil's playground.
At least until 2012...
10 comments:
Much of my stash is on Ravelry and it has helped me to keep buying in check. I just look at my stash before hitting the 'buy' button and usually find something there much like what I already have! I'm loving it! So, what's your Ravelry name?
I am having some trouble with the whole concept of ravelry. Are people's (hobbies) passions that far out of whack? I have a small controlled amount of yarn and although I like to fondle yarn as much as the next person (I am very tactile) I am learning to practice restraint in all aspects of my life. Knitting is my way of bringing some mindfulness into my downtime. I do not watch tv, choosing to listen to a book as I knit and the peace is wonderful. My "need" for newness will be filled by the sock yarn club where they will send me beautiful yarn each month and I will learn to be satisfied.
Oh my. Ravelry is a love/hate situation sometimes, isn't it?
I think all I can say is...WOW...that's a whole lotta yarn.
I was having a similar conversation with my five-year-old, on how always looking towards the future can steal from the present. We weren't talking about knitting, necessarily, but it's definitely related.
And that's all I can do for tonight, I'm in desperate need of some ice cream. Yay for working freezers.
Wow, that's a SERIOUS amount of yarn! Just as well Lulu isn't in the vicinity, cos she just loves to mess that sort of thing up...
Don't know what BB would think about Lulu dating monkeys (although she's probably game, she's a wild and wanton lamb)!
Wow and um, WOW! Now that is a lot of yarn girl. I think that's as much yarn as one of my LYS has. (I am now picking my jaw off the keyboard hehe, oh and wiping my chin.)
I'm not sure how much is too much. I think it's a personal definition. Are you spending beyond your means? Is your home now becoming a fire hazard? These are the questions that need to be asked. ;-)
As for new projects, I love what I have on the needles whatever that may be. While I do enjoy dreaming of what's next, I tend to just focus on what I've got in front of me more often then not. Live in the present and all that.
I'm trying to be all empathetic and sensitive to your plight, but all I've been able to come up with is ENVY.
Serious-find-out-where-you-live-and-loot-your-stash-while-you-are-out kind of envy.
Apologies in advance.
~A
PS. I'm hoping to take some bat-wing pics today. Just for you.
PPS. In other stalking news: I've decided to add you to my blog roll. Aren't you lucky?
You're right, you need to take stock sometimes and slow down. Something about our culture makes us want more, do more, have more, more, more! Time to slow it down :)
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