I'm in the opposite place. I currently live in a place with two thrift stores with very good yarn collections, but I'm retiring at the end of the school year and moving to a more rural state-- So I'm buying good thrft yarn and roving now when I have access to it so I've got a stash for retirement in a smaller town. But it's good for All of us to consume more carefully and not confuse consumerism with creativity. I'm trying to be mindful about buying nice yarn, only thrifted. We all have different rules and needs.
That is great that you take the oppertunity to buy. I am also in the opposite place. I do not have a big stash, and I live far from the wellsorted yarnstores. so my thing is having a budget and every month I order online. This month its yarn next month pearls or fimoclay for making jewelry. I need stashes at home so I can make things when I feel for making something. But when I buy yarn I always have a project in mind.
These are all such good tips. I decided to do a low buy yarn year. I have cataloged my stash on a Google Sheets spreadsheet, and even started a "yarn calendar" that I enter every time I finish a skein. I have only been crocheting for about 2.5 years and have a ridiculous amount of yarn. But many were skeins I bought before I know what I really like, so I have a couple of bags to donate; that'll get rid of some of the guilt I have of having and not using. I didn't want to say ban, though, because if there's a really good sale, aside from the near daily "HUGE SALE BUY NOW" emails I get.
Great tips! I have so much yarn in such a small space and yet I still want to buy MORE!!!! I think I have FOMO (fear of missing out). When there is a really good sale, I just feel like ‘if I don’t get it now, I’ll never be able to get it’. I keep reminding myself that there will always be a ‘next new yarn’ that will be on sale later. Sometimes that helps me not buy, sometimes I buy the yarn anyway! I definitely need to figure out how NOT to buy any more for at least a few months!
I watch unboxing n live through them til I can’t take it anymore. I don’t go to the hobby lobby clearance sales so it’s helping slowly. I also log my yarn I have enough to open a small store.
Thanks for the chat. I'm trying to look at my yarn stash and reimagine what I could make with the yarn I already have. I hope you'll bring this up again. It really is helpful.
These are really helpful tips. I immediately started my IN/OUT 2025 list on my phone and I think that will really help achieve my goal to reduce my stash by 1/3-/1/2 in 2025. Hope you'll check in with us about this over the year and keep us thinking about it. Thank you!!
My yarn ban actually isn't money related, but I'll be honest seeing more money in my account than I'm used to is a nice bonus. My yarn ban is because of how much yarn I have. I'm actually enjoying the yarn ban so far though. I'm seeing how much yarn I can use in January and I'll try to surpass that in February. Also, I have so much worsted weight acrylic which is perfect for charity knitting so I'm getting a lot of that done which I love. I can't really donate money in my situation so having another way to donate to charity means a lot to me. I'm definitely having some moments of "oh know what if Joanns closes, I need to go buy yarn!" but have not done it. I'll talk to my mom and she'll set me straight
Great tips. I truly MUST work through the yarn I have with a couple of exceptions: a subscription from a dyer I love and a mystery CAL I joined where the yarn color is released every month along with a clue. I especially like your tip of telling others. I’m doing that. Thank you, Shannon.
I have stopped doing the no-buy challenge for myself since my hyperfixated brain takes it as a challenge in the opposite direction. But whenever I do want to buy yarn I stop and ask myself many times if I actually need this yarn and for what. If online I add to cart and then close down the page for 2-3 days. When I revisit the cart I usually do not want to get what I added and don't even remember for what I wanted the yarn. I truly enjoy your videos of this kind because you leave such good little nuggets for my brain to ponder on. Never be anyone else than the beautiful person you ar. Stay safe and awesome. Hugs and love.
I’m on a no buy yarn ban for 2025 and maybe even 2026! I have soooooo much yarn 🧶 stashed in my home that I could probably open a yarn cart and sell product! I am a slow knitter due to a health condition so I don’t complete projects dry quickly. I even have to take breaks for extended periods of time due to my health condition. So until I finish making my 10+ wips amd whittle down the amount of yarn I have, I’m on a no buy yarn ban. I simply do not have the storage capacity for more yarn 🧶. I’m usually triggered into buying yarn when I see clearance yarn 🧶or yarn I love ❤ on sale. Receiving emails from Lion Brand, Michaels, or Joann’s for their yarn sales don’t help! I’ve even stopped in-shopping to avoid impulse yarn shopping.
Son #2 always has some sort of crochet for me to make for teacher gifts & I use cotton or acrylic 95% of the time. If a baby blanket, I go buy 1 1/4 yds of cotton flannel x2 & hem on all 4 sides. I just don't crochet baby blankets for people I don't know, when I was working full-time I'd think about the person & if close to them, id crochet a throw or baby blanket. If not buy fleece or cotton flannel. I'm not investing HOURS for someone who won't appreciate it.
I am trying to be low buy in all areas of my life. Overall both my husband and I are cutting back - until I decide to make a hat for my granddaughter in her favourite hockey team colours! Yep, I had to go buy yarn lol
I enjoyed your live the other day and will be watching for more. :) I am trying not to buy more yarn because now I am having a storage issue. One thing I think is helping is NOT to watch those, "Hey, wanna look at some new yarn?" videos. I used to enjoy those so much and then found myself puasing the video, going to the yarn company's websites and filling my cart.
Oh yes, those "look at what I bought" videos are so dangerous and so tempting. For someone who mostly buys their yarn online, yarn reviews can be very helpful -- but only if you actually need to buy yarn!
Hi Shannon! Great video! I’m not on a yarn ban, but I’m definitely more careful than I used to be with the yarn that I do buy. I haven’t been able to watch your and Cyd’s lives for a while 🙁… I’m hoping I can catch you one of these Saturday mornings.
Ive come to an understanding with myself that I’m only buying yarn using gift cards given to me this year. I don’t have enough space to keep buying just because. Thank you for the tips. Being more mindful of what I’m getting is exactly what I’m doing with those precious cards
I’m trying to reduce my yarn stash by making things for my sister, mom & daughter’s 😊but if there is a new yarn that I really like I will purchase it with a project in mind 😬
My mother used to make hats, slippers and mittens for an agency in the area that supplies things to the low income or homeless communities. Every year, close to Christmas, she had a stack for me to take to the agency. She also made beanies for cancer patients. I am thinking of making beanies for the local cancer treatment center myself. Or maybe small lap blankets for nursing homes. Reach out to various agencies to see what may be needed.
Not on purpose. 😅 I am trying to use up my acrylic yarn so I can make room for more yarn I want more. I can't bring myself to just donate it to goodwill.
Why are you calling me out?😅 No, but this was the pep talk I needed to help strengthen my resolve. You bring up lots of good points, especially on how to approach this somewhat sensitive topic(to me) so I appreciate this video. 😊
It would be great if you ended up doing live with other folks at some point. Just a thought. I enjoy your videos and perspective. You are very thoughtful, and calm. Different people have different vibes. All the best in the New Year. :)
I did start a low buy with a specific quarterly budget. Which helps because I have been drawn into making sweaters & cardigans but I don't always have quantity. AND it helps me from starting a bunch of sweaters all at once and not finishing any of them (my WIP roundup video was soooo eye opening). I feel like one sweater per quarter is reasonable... Saturday was fun - sorry I'm usually a lurker on regular videos while I stitch away. ~ Holly
Nope...I'm not doing that because I just don't have the money to buy yarn. 😮💨 I honestly don't have a stash. When I do get yarn it's for a project for gifts.
I'm in the opposite place. I currently live in a place with two thrift stores with very good yarn collections, but I'm retiring at the end of the school year and moving to a more rural state-- So I'm buying good thrft yarn and roving now when I have access to it so I've got a stash for retirement in a smaller town. But it's good for All of us to consume more carefully and not confuse consumerism with creativity. I'm trying to be mindful about buying nice yarn, only thrifted. We all have different rules and needs.
That is great that you take the oppertunity to buy. I am also in the opposite place. I do not have a big stash, and I live far from the wellsorted yarnstores. so my thing is having a budget and every month I order online. This month its yarn next month pearls or fimoclay for making jewelry. I need stashes at home so I can make things when I feel for making something. But when I buy yarn I always have a project in mind.
These are all such good tips. I decided to do a low buy yarn year. I have cataloged my stash on a Google Sheets spreadsheet, and even started a "yarn calendar" that I enter every time I finish a skein. I have only been crocheting for about 2.5 years and have a ridiculous amount of yarn. But many were skeins I bought before I know what I really like, so I have a couple of bags to donate; that'll get rid of some of the guilt I have of having and not using. I didn't want to say ban, though, because if there's a really good sale, aside from the near daily "HUGE SALE BUY NOW" emails I get.
Great tips! I have so much yarn in such a small space and yet I still want to buy MORE!!!! I think I have FOMO (fear of missing out). When there is a really good sale, I just feel like ‘if I don’t get it now, I’ll never be able to get it’. I keep reminding myself that there will always be a ‘next new yarn’ that will be on sale later. Sometimes that helps me not buy, sometimes I buy the yarn anyway! I definitely need to figure out how NOT to buy any more for at least a few months!
I watch unboxing n live through them til I can’t take it anymore. I don’t go to the hobby lobby clearance sales so it’s helping slowly. I also log my yarn I have enough to open a small store.
I'm planning (operative word) to knit down all the yarn I've bought on my worldwide travels.
Thanks for the chat. I'm trying to look at my yarn stash and reimagine what I could make with the yarn I already have. I hope you'll bring this up again. It really is helpful.
These are really helpful tips. I immediately started my IN/OUT 2025 list on my phone and I think that will really help achieve my goal to reduce my stash by 1/3-/1/2 in 2025. Hope you'll check in with us about this over the year and keep us thinking about it. Thank you!!
My yarn ban actually isn't money related, but I'll be honest seeing more money in my account than I'm used to is a nice bonus. My yarn ban is because of how much yarn I have. I'm actually enjoying the yarn ban so far though. I'm seeing how much yarn I can use in January and I'll try to surpass that in February. Also, I have so much worsted weight acrylic which is perfect for charity knitting so I'm getting a lot of that done which I love. I can't really donate money in my situation so having another way to donate to charity means a lot to me. I'm definitely having some moments of "oh know what if Joanns closes, I need to go buy yarn!" but have not done it. I'll talk to my mom and she'll set me straight
Asking a friend to talk you out of buing new yarn is like a little child asking for sweets when its not saturday
Great tips. I truly MUST work through the yarn I have with a couple of exceptions: a subscription from a dyer I love and a mystery CAL I joined where the yarn color is released every month along with a clue. I especially like your tip of telling others. I’m doing that. Thank you, Shannon.
That sounds like a cool project! I would want to keep working on that too 😃
I have stopped doing the no-buy challenge for myself since my hyperfixated brain takes it as a challenge in the opposite direction. But whenever I do want to buy yarn I stop and ask myself many times if I actually need this yarn and for what. If online I add to cart and then close down the page for 2-3 days. When I revisit the cart I usually do not want to get what I added and don't even remember for what I wanted the yarn. I truly enjoy your videos of this kind because you leave such good little nuggets for my brain to ponder on. Never be anyone else than the beautiful person you ar. Stay safe and awesome. Hugs and love.
Thank you so much for your kindness, encouragement and support! ❤️
I’m on a no buy yarn ban for 2025 and maybe even 2026! I have soooooo much yarn 🧶 stashed in my home that I could probably open a yarn cart and sell product! I am a slow knitter due to a health condition so I don’t complete projects dry quickly. I even have to take breaks for extended periods of time due to my health condition. So until I finish making my 10+ wips amd whittle down the amount of yarn I have, I’m on a no buy yarn ban. I simply do not have the storage capacity for more yarn 🧶. I’m usually triggered into buying yarn when I see clearance yarn 🧶or yarn I love ❤ on sale. Receiving emails from Lion Brand, Michaels, or Joann’s for their yarn sales don’t help! I’ve even stopped in-shopping to avoid impulse yarn shopping.
Son #2 always has some sort of crochet for me to make for teacher gifts & I use cotton or acrylic 95% of the time. If a baby blanket, I go buy 1 1/4 yds of cotton flannel x2 & hem on all 4 sides. I just don't crochet baby blankets for people I don't know, when I was working full-time I'd think about the person & if close to them, id crochet a throw or baby blanket. If not buy fleece or cotton flannel. I'm not investing HOURS for someone who won't appreciate it.
So glad I could catch you live this past week - even if it was just for a little bit!
I’m so glad you were there too!!!
I need a yarn and pattern ban
I am trying to be low buy in all areas of my life. Overall both my husband and I are cutting back - until I decide to make a hat for my granddaughter in her favourite hockey team colours! Yep, I had to go buy yarn lol
I enjoyed your live the other day and will be watching for more. :) I am trying not to buy more yarn because now I am having a storage issue. One thing I think is helping is NOT to watch those, "Hey, wanna look at some new yarn?" videos. I used to enjoy those so much and then found myself puasing the video, going to the yarn company's websites and filling my cart.
Oh yes, those "look at what I bought" videos are so dangerous and so tempting. For someone who mostly buys their yarn online, yarn reviews can be very helpful -- but only if you actually need to buy yarn!
Hi Shannon! Great video! I’m not on a yarn ban, but I’m definitely more careful than I used to be with the yarn that I do buy. I haven’t been able to watch your and Cyd’s lives for a while 🙁… I’m hoping I can catch you one of these Saturday mornings.
I'm trying to get caught up on everyone's videos too!
Ive come to an understanding with myself that I’m only buying yarn using gift cards given to me this year. I don’t have enough space to keep buying just because. Thank you for the tips. Being more mindful of what I’m getting is exactly what I’m doing with those precious cards
Enjoyed the live chat! Lots of fun 🤩. Thx for the budget tips as I’m trying to go until March without buying yarn .
I’m trying to reduce my yarn stash by making things for my sister, mom & daughter’s 😊but if there is a new yarn that I really like I will purchase it with a project in mind 😬
I need ideas on how to use up my 100% acrylic 4 weight yarn. Help!
Make blankets for Boggy Creek camp for kids in FL? 40x40 inches
Blankets are great. There r lots of places to donate. Cat beds r good too. Find someone or others to work those up together.
My mother used to make hats, slippers and mittens for an agency in the area that supplies things to the low income or homeless communities. Every year, close to Christmas, she had a stack for me to take to the agency. She also made beanies for cancer patients. I am thinking of making beanies for the local cancer treatment center myself. Or maybe small lap blankets for nursing homes. Reach out to various agencies to see what may be needed.
Not on purpose. 😅 I am trying to use up my acrylic yarn so I can make room for more yarn I want more.
I can't bring myself to just donate it to goodwill.
Why are you calling me out?😅 No, but this was the pep talk I needed to help strengthen my resolve. You bring up lots of good points, especially on how to approach this somewhat sensitive topic(to me) so I appreciate this video. 😊
It would be great if you ended up doing live with other folks at some point. Just a thought. I enjoy your videos and perspective. You are very thoughtful, and calm. Different people have different vibes. All the best in the New Year. :)
Such great tips!
Glad it was helpful!
I did start a low buy with a specific quarterly budget. Which helps because I have been drawn into making sweaters & cardigans but I don't always have quantity. AND it helps me from starting a bunch of sweaters all at once and not finishing any of them (my WIP roundup video was soooo eye opening). I feel like one sweater per quarter is reasonable...
Saturday was fun - sorry I'm usually a lurker on regular videos while I stitch away. ~ Holly
Did you make the sweater?
No, it’s store bought! It is actually super long, more of a duster and it keeps me super warm on these freezing days!
Nope...I'm not doing that because I just don't have the money to buy yarn. 😮💨 I honestly don't have a stash. When I do get yarn it's for a project for gifts.
😊❤
Hi Shannon 🤗 hmm 🤔🥰🧶🤩