The Rules

There has been much talk 'round the internets about yarn diets and knitting from one's stash and so forth -- some of said talk has even occurred on this very blog.

Yesterday I took a few moments during my lunch hour to contemplate my so-called yarn diet and what it should really mean to me. Some very astute readers made good points in commenting on my last post that the term "yarn diet" isn't perhaps the best one to use -- as Kenny so aptly said, the diet always starts tomorrow!

Still, tax day is coming, the wedding is coming, and we are saving for a house, so for the time being I am trying to make an effort to curtail my yarn purchases. I have plenty of yarn to knit with for quite a while, so I really don't need more (want, yes; need, no). I know there are KALs going on, but their rules seem a bit stringent to me. So, without any further ado, I give you my rules:

1. I will knit only from the yarn I already own and therefore only patterns for which I've already purchased yarn.
2. An acceptable purchase of yarn would be for a spare skein should I find myself in a yarn shortage situation.
3. Yarn may be purchased for projects for others if they specifically request them (so the Cascade 220 I ordered on Monday is okay, as J asked for the sweater).
4. Yarn purchased with gift cards or gift certificates is okay.
5. Yarn may be purchased for my Sockret Pal, if needed.
6. Purchases of needles and notions are acceptable, but they should ideally be for projects to be knit with stash yarn or for a Sockret Pal package.

My plan is to follow these rules for the next month and then reassess. If it's going well, I'll continue another month. If need be, I will amend the rules. Care to join me in this stash-busting, wallet-enhancing (I hope!) experiment? What are your rules?

So, now that that's taken care of, a quick knitting update.

J's scarf is done (knitting was done last night, but not until right before I went to bed, so I had to do the finishing tonight) and is blocking on the floor in front of me. It bloomed nicely in its bath and should be nice and cushy for him to wrap around his neck against the Chi-town wind.

The body of the sweater for my coworker is done and the hem has been sewn. I've a few more body ends to weave in, and then I'll begin on the sleeves.

Meanwhile, it's been nearly two weeks since I had a sock on the needles and I've desperately been feeling the absence. I'll be taking my Sockret Pal's socks to Chicago this weekend (lots of airport/plane knitting time), but for now I'm off to cast on a new pair of Jaywalkers for me.

ETA: Okay, since Jenn and Donna have reminded me of it, I must add another exception to the list: it is permissible to purchase yarn at once-a-year knitting events -- like, for instance, the 3rd Annual Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival.