Unpopular knitting opinions: When knitting becomes hoarding!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- Are crafters hoarders? Discussing the joy of knitting VS the stress of knitting, the feeling of failure & guilt that comes with knitting and the benefits of doing a stash free year. PLUS how to organise your yarn stash/craft room and become less of a hoarder
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00:00 Intro: Reacting to Tik Toks and Instagram Reels
03:01 Knitters are hoarders
06:13 How crafting can lead you onto other crafts (and more hoarding!)
07:21 Why having a yarn stash is classed as hoarding08:09 Why do we have too much yarn?1
0:17 How to become less of a hoarder
12:24 How to do Stash Free 2024
15:58 Don't want to do a yarn stash free year?
16:40 Round up
Glad to see you back on YT Naomi. I’ve realised I’m a knitting bag lady, which annoys me. The bags get shoved in all sorts of places around the house. I don’t really have a stash, just lots of leftovers which I have plans for which will never materialise, I just can’t let go. I like the storage box idea. Loved the TikTok impersonations! Right.. I’m having a craft spring clean and clear out. Get rid of the burden and be more Marie Kondo. 💪
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I don't say the following as a better than thou place, I promise. Just sharing my experience.
I started crocheting last fall. I have a background in minimalism. I'm not a hardcore minimalist anymore, but some of the philosophies stay with me. Such as being mindful of your purchases and items - do they truly belong in your life. Do they bring you joy or are they just a dopamine purchase. I bought a small craft bag and from the very first day, I said I would not buy more yarn than I could fit in that bag. Seven months later, I'm staying strong. In the beginning, I bought what I now consider to be crappy yarn. I don't like it and I know there's better yarn out there. BUT, I don't want to waste the yarn I bought. I paid money for it and I don't want it to just be thrown in a landfill. I donated a couple balls to a friend and she made me a really cute hat with it. The rest, I'm determined to use. It's so hard. I haven't bought new yarn in months. I WANT new yarn. I can afford new yarn. But I made a promise with myself and my partner that I wouldn't end up in a hoarding situation with it.
My craft area is my computer desk and that craft bag I mentioned. I FORCE myself to clean up my entire crafting mess right after I'm done with a project. No excuses for me, I HAVE to clean it.
I say that as I'm watching your video and crocheting the millionth butterfly, but I can see the end of the skein and the butterflies are going to go to great use.
I wish everyone peace on their crafting journey. It's supposed to bring joy!
As a side note to my previous comment. I've kept track of how many grams of yarn I used in the last 2 years. That has helped me be more realistic about what I can achieve & use. Writing down how many projects, what type of projects, and the yarn weight & style, has given me insights into what I really like and should keep, as well as those craft items that get little or no attention. I can safely say that if I haven't gotten around to it in 5-10 years, I probably won't, so those were the first to go in the next round of purging.
I'm totally a craft hoarder and I wish that I wasn't. I'm getting better at getting rid of items. I don't even worry about what other people have gotten rid of without me knowing. I just have the problem throwing stuff away that is still "too good to go in the trash". I can give away all but a very small amount and I don't think about what they are doing with it. Ugh! At last count I had 84 very large totes of yarn, that doesn't count the other craft stuff. Last year I noticed that the yarn that I really want to work with is yarn I've dyed myself. So I'm really trying not to buy any yarn that isn't a bare or dyeable yarn. Goals for this year are 1) remove unwanted yarns & craft items. 2) Only dyeable yarns or yarns needed to complete a project may come into stash this year. 3) I must shop stash to complete projects before buying new yarn. 4) I must have a project or way for the craft items that come into stash to leave stash in no more than 3-5 years. In other words, I can't just buy because it's on sale, etc. I must ask myself if I love the yarn/fabric, etc or do I just love the color combination. If I just love the colorway, then I need to go dye my own yarn or fabric, as about 2/3 of the totes are undyed yarns. So at least there's that, they have unlimited possibilities. Thank you for the video. Hoarding is not fun. It's stressful and limiting in many ways. That being said, it's hard to change mindset away from feeling like you need to save everything, and conserve every resource. From personal experience I can say that if the root cause isn't addressed, then it will likely show up again as another variety of hoard. Mine was art supplies, then that stopped, then fabric, then fiber, then yarn, current acquisition overage is craft & art tools, like hooks, needles, machines. What I discovered is that I needed time to ACTUALLY DO the activity. That's what I was craving. The more time I spend doing, the less time I spend dreaming about creating & shopping for goods used in making.
Thank you again and think your videos are great & look forward to them. Take care.
Thank you so much for saying all this. Just found you and I'm looking forward to following you and your crafting! ❤
I get yarn for Christmas every year. That’s the majority of my yarn purchases. I do occasionally buy yarn to complete a project, but I try to buy colors that I have used and will most likely use again
Great video! That's such a great tip about unsubscribing from email lists. I did this about 6 months ago and unsubscribed from every single sales list I was on. It's made things SO much easier! Simple but effective.
What I'm doing at the moment is set myself a goal of knitting 6 projects before I buy any more yarn. I already completed two projects, so I've decided I'll probably make this 10 projects. And I've got a fun goal tracking app which is daft but when I get to tick off a project I feel mint.
Another tip is that if you're about to buy something in a sale think "would I pay full price for this if their was abundant stock levels?" If the answer is no, then don't buy it in the sale! Sales are a bit of a con.
Here's to our stash reduction years ahead 🎉
Oh I like that idea of doing 6 projects before buying more yarn. Feels very achievable
That is such a great way of thinking too!
Really enjoying my stash free year. Long may it continue! 🎉
Hi Naomi. I've been knitting for over 30 years, prob longer and I know I have yarns from back then.
Being disabled and knackered ( honest I am 😂) I just don't have the energy to organise my crafting things. I so, so want to. But I decided last week I was going to try to go th one or two bags a week. Carrier bags size bags or boxes. It's just a pain that you have to make more mess o get sorted.
Have to mention your look today is gorgeous. Your hair really suits you.
xxJane 🐑🌼
This video resonated so much with me. I've been tracking yarn in/out for years now without assigning meaning or making judgments about the results, but knowing I've accumulated more yarn than I've used year after year and actually having the concrete numbers has finally helped me confront my yarn-buying habits. This year (and possibly next year as well) I'm not going to buy any yarn, and after that I will be much more selective. I recently went through and donated all the yarn I don't actually want to use, and I'm still left with eight to ten years' worth of knitting. Having that much yarn in my collection just does not align with my anti-consumerist, anti-capitalist, environmentalist values and I keep needing to remind myself of that when I see pretty yarn! Hearing from others who share this view is so helpful, so thank you very much!
So glad this resonated with you! I agree with you 100%, such a good feeling being properly organised
I have been knitting for a long while, and for many years would just purchase the yarn for one project and finish that before buying more. Somewhere along the way I started buying yarn when I saw something that I liked, and ended up with a collection that left me feeling overwhelmed. I am slowly getting through it by donating, selling or just using it, and like you I wanted to just get rid of everything at one point. I am going to attempt a stash free 2024, my goal being to have no more than three projects worth of yarn. I have also just donated all of my quilting and cross stitch supplies. I know some people love having a stash and I think that is wonderful, but it just doesn’t work for me.
I bought a hundred plus skeins of yarn for $11.00 last summer. It was a big lot and just putting it away was difficult. It became a huge burden and I was making things that I had yarn for not things I wanted to make. I have used a lot up and given some away. This month I crochet 2 Fireside Baskets and will be putting all the yarn I want to keep in them. It was a huge learning process that lots of yarn does not always make for joyous crafting. Great pod cast!
Hi Naomi, I totally agree with you, before lockdown I gave all my yarn and patterns to a local charity shop got rid of years of of yarn Then Lockdown happened yes you got ! i started buying yarn, patterns more knitting needles crochet hooks and needle felting kits ..... a new craft ..... and i'm back to square one , yarn stash has grown again, yes , i have a messy corner that gets on my nerves 😊 i'm liking the all in one box good thinking batman 👍 heyho i admit it im a hoarder 🫣🫢🤫🤔🤭 , take care, good to see you back !
Refreshing viewpoint. So happy to see you again!!!
I’ve recently sorted my craft room out, because I was craving more space, so I got rid of loads of stuff in order to achieve this goal. I used to collect lots of cute or nice little tins to put things in, but could never find what I wanted. I got rid of all those (except the ones I really loved) and put things into bigger boxes like you did. What an amazing difference. I love your hair.
Amazing the difference you feel in your self once you get rid of things AND the little boxes, that’s definitely my favourite organisation hack!
Thank you 😊
I love my yarn stash. This year though, all the yarn I have been buying hasn't even hit my stash, it has been going straight into projects 😊
Hey, just randomly came across this video and it resonates so much with me. I’m an absolute beginner at crochet and have knitted in the past. I only really picked up the hobby last year, and I’m slow, so I’m not using extravagant amounts of yarn. Despite this, I still feel an almost daily urge to buy yarn.
Food for thought, those of us who are craft-inclined, are we just lovers of comfort and wholesomeness or do we use craft as some form of therapy? The quiet comfort of crafting is no doubt attractive for those of us with anxiety, or other mental health struggles, so does this manifest in other ways such as hoarding, or ‘collecting supplies in case of emergency’?
I completely agree with everything you covered here. Maybe I’d (unfairly) judge someone for hoarding handbags, but would I think the same of a crafter for ‘collecting supplies’? Probably not.
I’m definitely gonna use your advice and stop bad habits NOW rather than let it spiral out of control xx
You're so right about all of this!
Thank you! Was a bit nervous about publishing this video but I’m glad you and others agree 😊
Love your honesty and everything you said in your video! And that scene with the cold tea was hilarious.😂
I have found decluttering in general helped me soooo much! But I also find that I struggle the most with keeping my crafting supplies to a manageable amount. I rarely buy yarn because it's on sale or just for the sake of buying it, I generally have a plan in mind when I buy yarn. But I plan faster than I can knit and so the yarn that I originally had a plan for starts to accumulate...
With regards to decluttering strategies and hang-ups, I can really recommend Dana K. White and Cass (clutterbug), they both have a channel on TH-cam and are so real and practical, super helpful!
Love the new video s...
I always enjoy your videos, you are very right!
nice to see and hear you again, Naomi. nowt wrong with being a hoarder, happens to all who have a hobby. no matter be it metal work, woodwork, fabric, knitting or crochet, even cooking you don't spend money on tools to make on project then give them away I can honestly I don't hoard yarn, never had a stash, just remnants when project finished. always been a monagamous crafter keep taking care xxxxx
Wonderful to see you again on the screen. You look amazing. I'm the other way around - nooo stash. Must be a very rare breed😂🤭😂 Come back soon Naomi.🤍
Thank you! Oh, that will be me soon 😁 hehe. I am loving not buying any yarn and being more thoughtful about what I use
Oh, yes! I’ll use that (some day). I can make (pick ANY project) this for me / a gift / gift etc. And so on. How many spring tape measures do I need??? Do I put the essentials (scissors, tape measure, darning needle) in one bag/pouch? Or have one for each project bag? (Yes to this if take knitting w me to places. How many places do I actually take my knitting… gahhh?!?!)
I like your idea: all the little notions/tools into a larger box! Currently have some in: backpack, next to my knitting throne, this pouch, that box… when I go looking for xyz… “now where is that doo-dad”???
I organized yarn a year (+/-) ago. Was VERY surprised how much I forgot about! Gave away a LOT! Time to go through again!
You, me, other crafters are alike w our Collections! Thanks for being real and giving me a chuckle or two!!
My stash has become a burden. Current yarn purchases I’m using right away, in and out, it’s just the older yarns when I thought I needed to collect and before I knew what I liked to knit. I’m very easily influenced. Last year I was no stash most of the year because I was saving for a knitting trip and knew I’d be purchasing there and that worked.
I feel you, mine is such a burden too. That’s a good idea! Hope it was a lovely trip 🧶😊
Hi Naoimi, I love your thinking and your (almost) non-apologetic way of talking about the dark side of yarn stashes and hoarding. I do think there is a need for some more balanced views on this topic. I'm 62 and returned to knitting enthusiastically about 2 years ago. I'm shocked by how much yarn I've managed to acquire in a relatively short period of time. Yes, a local yarn store closing will do it, plus living alone and having some retirement funds to splash on my hobby. I have spent a lot of time wondering what it is that I lack that drives this constant desire to fill the void with yarn. I also love to spin. The downside is that the end product of spinning is lots more yarn. Yikes. Thanks again for helping me think through some strategies going forward.
It's the little bits of yarn I struggle to get rid of ,just incase I need it for stripes ,I've got yarn that's at least 40 years old ,nightmare xxx
Oh wow!
With you all the way. I am doing the great yarn diet of 2024 (GYD24 to my friends). Itsnow half way through March and I have not added to my enormous stash and I feel good about and feel strong. I can look at emails from yarn vendors and admire the yarn, but don't feel the need to buy it. I have also found that having multiple WIPs helps me rather than makes me feel bad. I just knit on what I fancy at the time, or have headspace for. Am I a hoarder? Yes! Am I trying to do something about it? Also yes - just chipping away at it.