Detash it, detash it good!

Like many other knitters out there, I'm in the beginning stages of knitter's remorse. The rate of the new yarn into my stash far exceeds the rate of the FOs out of my stash. I've become yarn overweight. I'm a yarn glutton and some serious penance is called for.

Not too long ago in a conversation with Aidan, I made some joking references to my knitting "addiction." Like how it was interfering with my work and how I could stop anytime that I wanted to and how I was allowed a little bit of fun, wasn't I? We laughed. The parallels were so humorous. And then I checked, for fun, how much I had spent in the last year on knitting. YTD was close to $900. Seriously. Not funny. On a student's budget, this is a ridiculous amount.

Intervention Time: I'm going on a spending diet. Really, this will be the first check against my "addiction." No more yarn. Until when? I dunno. It looks like I'm going to be making lots of hats to attack my 1-2 skein problem. That should get rid of at least 14(!) of my dead-weight skeins.

So, I've turned my yarn gluttony into pattern gluttony. Behold!

Felicity

Star Crossed Slouchy Beret

Gretel

Cabled Goodness Beret

Jacques Cousteau Hat

Guess what you're getting for Xmas! Coal. Everyone else is getting a hat.

Countdown to Rhinebeck!

In about one week, I'll be heading out to the NY Sheep and Wool Festival. This year we're using the excuse of the fall weather to do a little camping. I haven't been camping in years, and I don't think that I've ever been camping without parents of some sort. One of the biggest deterrent to camping has been the lack of equipment. Luckily, NB and RO have a good supply of camping gear and all I've needed to get is a sleeping bag. Now I will dust off my girl scout merit badges and be ready.

Well, almost ready, that is. I still need to prep for Rhinebeck. Last year, when NB and I went, it was a bit overwhelming and while I did purchase some good yarn, I wasn't quite prepared to be on the look out for yarn that I need. I have lots of yarn and this is going to be my last yarn buying hurrah for a while. What I don't need is random skeins of worsted weight yarn or lace weight.



I think I want to shop for yarn for the Tree Jacket. I will need at least 1000 yds of worsted weight wool. Or maybe I should buy knitpicks' Andean Silk for it. It would only cost $50 if I purchased it that way.



Or I could purchase yarn for the Gallery Jacket (ravelry link). The pattern calls for 840 yds of worsted/aran weight yarn. If I bought the yarn at WEBS it would cost about $42.



Or I can look for yarn for the Estes Vest which calls for about 750 yds of bulky yarn.



Or how about yarn for Riding to Avalon? Just needs 1200 yds of DK yarn of a merino/silk blend.



Or 1600 yds of fingering weight yarn for the Apres Surf Hoodie?

Or 730 yds of two bulky yarns (365 yds each) for the Concentric Vest (ravelry link).

So I'll make my lists, but I just know that I'll come home with some random skeins to make hats out of.