Someone's Got to Do It
I've been mulling over the Harlot's Knitting Olympics challenge. I signed up with this vague idea that I would design and knit a shawl in the time alloted. Then I got down and dirty with my dissertation and realized that I don't have the mental capacity to design and knit anything of moderate complexity. What's a girl to do?
I need to do something challenging to me...that's the rule, eh? I need to start it and finish it within the time of the Olympics. And now, I find, it needs to be challenging in some way other than the technical.
So I'm going to be knitting with acrylic yarn. Lion Homespun, Pound o' Love, WoolEase. For the entire Olympic challenge. I have a bunch of it earmarked for various things (models for my JoAnn teaching, charity knitting, baby blankets), so why not? I can knit stockinette to ease my tortured mind; the challenge will come from resisting the siren call of all those lucious wools calling to me from the knitting bag (case in point--I'm currently knitting Trekking and Lorna's Laces socks and a sweater in Jo Sharp DK--bliss!) and sticking to my servicable-but-not-as-luscious acrylics. A challenge of will.
I even made a button:
In Other Knitting News
Thanks for the great stash management tips. I hope to apply them this weekend. The loose stash (the stash not located in the craft closet or cedar trunk) is currently residing in my bedroom. Steve helped me reorient the furniture in my office/guest room/craft room Sunday, and it was all we could do to just get the furniture appropriately situated. This weekend I'll be sorting, sifting, and generally deciding who gets to stay, who must leave, and how they will be departing.
And, of course, I'll be drawing names for a FABULOUS PRIZE. So get those ideas in if you've got em! All comments posted by Friday, Feb. 3 at 11:59 p.m. with some stash management suggestions will be entered.
Comments
Oh my, Pound of Love? I can't even bring myself to touch that. I do love me some Wool Ease though.
Let me go into futher detail on what I said the other day about not having extra money laying around for yarn. Who knows? It could work for you!
Step 1: Buy a house. Not a dumpy house, let's not go crazy here, just a house previously owned by people with questionable aesthetic taste.
Step 2: Buy paint for the whole place, new carpeting. Buy a new refrigerator to replace the one that began live in the 70's. Decide to remodel your kitchen. Buy new stove and dishwasher. Don't forget all those stupid things that come up when you own a house.
Step 3: For desperate measures, try to arrange some pricey car repairs.
Step 4: Tada! Knit from stash, for your yarn money is now hanging out in various forms around your house.
We're having new cabinets and countertops put in in a few months and I estimate I may be able to buy nice yarn around 2010. ;)
Posted by: Jenn | February 1, 2006 01:00 PM
I second the buying of the house.
Posted by: Jenny | February 3, 2006 11:58 AM
Well, from experience I can tell you that once that house is finally finished (which in my case it took 6 years to renovate a foreclosure) you end up making up for lost time and buying every skeing of anything that even looks remotely interesting. My husband starts to sweat if we even drive in the general vicinity of the LYS.
As for stash busting, my suggestion would be to use some yarn to make squares using stitches or techniques you've never tried before. Then you can stitch them up into a cool afghan/throw to keep or donate. Everyone wins!
Posted by: Stephanie | February 3, 2006 01:22 PM
I'm too late, but here's my two cents: put what you have where you can see it. Every day. every time you pass by that part of the house. Some place really obvious and where it's a constant reminder of its presence --sort of like a husband on the couch on sundays. When you start to ignore it, move it to somewhere else where you have to see it - unlike said husband who can be ignored at will. That way, you'll know what you have and you will be less likely to purchase more until the huge hulking mound is out of your way. (depending on one's frame of mind, the husband analogy could work there, too.)
Posted by: Stephanie | February 6, 2006 10:19 PM