Monday, December 10, 2007

Don't worry, not another Destash post...but there is a contest!

I will now share with you my thoughts about my most recent destashing experience. I was motivated to lighten the psychic and spatial load after digging through my stash and realizing that I could knit in a 24 hour-a-day (with time off to pee) kind of way and die before having knitted it all. Yes, it was a life expectancy sort of issue. That, and I really wanted some cash money, because for the first time in our marriage the DRMC has asked for a specific, big ticket item for Christmas. So, I listed my wares on Ravelry and the Destash sight and was able to unload sell most of it. This was a good thing. After spending the weekend feeling like a Wall Street Yarn Day Trader, I mailed all of the packages off today.

Unappealing aspects of the whole destash experience include receiving super enthusiastic emails from people that absolutely-have-to-have-this-yarn but can't pay until they get home from work, you hold the yarn for them, and they disappear into the ethers. You email them, but get no response. And you feel like an idiot. And then there is the shipping to Canada issue. YOU KNOW I love my north of the border peeps, but dumb ass over here just paid $17.50 to ship 10 skeins of ho-hum yarn to someone in Ottawa. Hi, read the postal regulations much? It was 100% my fault...and I made like $6.00 in the end. Poor me. I am not cut out to be on anything but the receiving end of internet retail transactions, it would seem.

Merci mille fois Solange!
Speaking of receiving, just look what one of my Frenchies sent me, a box of Kinder bottes de Noël and a ton o' Phildar mags! So exciting to receive a Christmas parcel in the mail. I have a strong love of the parcel, so much so that I just seem to keep getting a steady stream of them in the mail. Why look at the most recent additions, Sophie's Toes Christmas Lights and sKnitches Be-bop sock yarn in Baltic. I am sure the ridiculousness of a destasher receiving more yarn in the mail is not lost on you, but just keep it to yourself. Thanks!


Sophie's Toes: Christmas LightssKnitches Bebop: Baltic

Better yet, help me find a justification for it. Post a comment that allows me to justify this non-stop merry-go-round of yarn purchasing/destashing, and Peeeper-lou will reach her little hand into a hat and choose two winners to receive my last two balls of Opal, pictured below. I'll shut the fun down on Friday, so knock yourselves out!
opal mosaik sock yarnopal elemente sock yarn

55 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, gosh, that is a sad, little tale. I also thought of destashing on account of the life expectancy issue, but I don't have the time, patience or audience to bother. I expect someone will clean out my house when I go muttering, "Crazy old b*tch. Who needs this much yarn?!" Anyway, LOVE the Baltic. Oh, and don't count me into any contests; no more storage... ;)

Jadielady said...

Because that's the prettiest shade of tealy-blue I've ever seen?

I mean, they're totally different colors than the stuff you had before.
That's generally my excuse.

Theresa said...

You're basically bartering, just using money as a medium. That's what currency was invented for, after all.

Janet said...

Because- life is too short to knit with yarn that you don't LOVE. And sometimes, we fall in and out of love with a yarn over time. There's nothing wrong with that - it just means that we grow as knitters and as people.

So, when we fall out of love, we sell and destash to make room for the new loves of our lives! A perfectly normal and healthy phenomenon, if you ask me :-)

Anonymous said...

I don't think anyone should ever need to justify yarn purchases! ;)

[Don't worry about including me either - I live on the othe side of the planet!]

Nora

Sarah said...

It's all structural. You are getting rid of some big chunks of yarn, and without some small new skeins to fill in the void the stash will just collapse on itself. (That and I'll bet opening some pretty parcels of yarn helped ease the pain of that postage bill.)

TopHat said...

Justification isn't needed: You can't destash without a stash to start with! Can't be a destasher without a stash, hence you ought to buy more yarn.

Fancy Pants said...

Sock yarn needs no justification, considering the stash rules regarding sock yarn. But, if you really have to justify it, you received the magazines/booklets as a gift and you probably ordered the yarn a while ago before you started the whole destashing thing so it doesn't make any sense to beat yourself up about getting sock yarn (that doesn't count as stash anyway) that you ordered before you started destashing. At least, that's what I think and that is EXACTLY how I would justify it to myself if I were you.

The Bolter said...

I've done the Canada oops shipping thing when destashing too! I don't think I've made any money destashing, either. I don't even want to think about how much I made in comparison to how much I spent!

YawnOver said...

It's not fair to punish the yarn companies who have come to base their fiscal planning around your aggressive purchasing strategies. Think of the impact on the US economy. Not to mention global markets! If the US gov't is considering bailing out the subprime mortgage industry to avoid a major economic meltdown, then we should certainly look favorably on citizens like you who would purchase yarn proactively rather than risk another crisis in the fiber markets. I'm just saying.

Anonymous said...

What goes around comes around. You just enabled some of your readers -- including me! -- to acquire some lovely yarn for very little $$, so it is only logical that your should acquire some of the same. Only different from what you recently passed on. Clearly karma at work.

Lil Knitter said...

Just consider this your own personal version of "Pay If Forward". You clean up your stash by making another knitter with less stash VERY, VERY HAPPY and then you are rewarded with a little gift of your own. It's a win, win situation. We're all happy!
Hugs!

Anonymous said...

OK - I have the best justification. I do this with EVERYTHING! I amortize it over however long I need to to make it just pennies a day.

For example: sock yarn $25 ok I'll certainly have the socks for a year, so that's just 50 cents a week. Now how can I deprive myself of something so wonderful for a measly 50 cents per week?

Something more expensive, then amortize it over a longer period. It works every time.

wenat said...

It's not about the yarn, it's about the collecting process. I've had friends destash and then re-buy the same things when they realized they'd made a mistake in selling it. (Not yarn, other collectibles.) Just think of this as your own beautiful revolving art gallery.

Jen C said...

The yarns you're destashing are like a creative ball and chain. You may no longer want to knit that project you first intended and now it's just languishing and taunting you. Getting rid of it and bringing in the new beautiful yarn is like getting rid of the bad energy and bringing in the good!

ikkinlala said...

Some people change their decor with the seasons, so why not change your yarn?

Awesome Mom said...

I am one that things that there is no need for justifying a new yarn purchase. However sometimes I silence the little voice in my head that tells me that I have too much yarn already by telling it that I am knitting gifts for others. I must share my awesome knitting skilz with the world and the only way to do that is to buy more yarn.

Bianca said...

I guess we're all have the same problem. We can see in yarn a project for someone we love, and don't have enough time to knit it all. It is for the fact that my home is not that big, otherwise I'd certainly would change it into a yarn shop. Guess we knitters find the presence of yarn comfortable.

monica said...

I justify new yarn the way I justify new clothes - It just makes sense to have some yarns you use over and over again and to keep them in the stash, and it makes sense to buy some, give it a try, never use it again, but keep it there "just in case." I have a pair of jeans with holes in them and a jacket I've worn maybe twice right beside each other in the closet, and neither stops me from buying new clothes!

Lisa said...

Don't feel bad or guilty, just buy what you want when you want. It is that simple!

Miss T said...

Easy answer. The yarn in your stash is stale, like old clothes in your closet. You don't get rid of them because you need them to take up space, otherwise it will look like you have no clothes. So in order to have something to wear, you buy new stuff. Same with yarn. Fresh yarn is needed! Good luck destashing, and Merry Christmas!

Unknown said...

Your stash is like a temporary foster home for yarn. Who can bear leaving some yummy little yarns in those shops? Oh no, it simply must come home with you. And you lovingly take care of it (by hiding it, or snuggling it safely in a plastic bag, or drawer, or...) until you find a better home for it.

You are fostering abandoned yarn, and you take in new ones when the older ones are adopted.

Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside? :-)

Anonymous said...

She who dies with the most stash, wins!
Now, THERE's a rule to live by.
(that's my justification)

Robin said...

I did some destashing about a year ago both on ebay and on the destash site, and you hit it on the head. The super enthusiastic over the top emails always made me laugh - these people were practically ORGASMIC over the yarn, but then half of them disappeared. I didn't get it. Maybe the thrill is in the chase?

Totally understand the thing about not making money too, because I usually have Jim do the mailing for it - and he ALWAYS sends EVERYTHING US Priority Mail because the boxes and envelopes are a flat fee and are easy to deal with. Easiest is not always most cost effective though!

So I've given up on destashing now.

Unknown said...

I don't really have much of a stash issue, budget issues fix that. I do have a multiple project issue however, in a big way. My justification is perfect and applies to either situation though: if it makes you happy, and doesn't hurt anyone then it's fine!

Turtle said...

A friend of mine took a psych class. On the day they were handed their final exam (an essay) they were given the usual 90 minutes to complete , it was a single sheet of paper. The question ..... "Why?" The top score received by anyone who turned in their exam was to someone who had answered... "Why not."
This is my philosophy, if you can do it...why not! And besides, who could resist those colors!

Kim said...

Destashing while buying more yarn makes total sense to me. Count me in on your contest: a juutification/rationalization for your completely logical behavior: Out with the old & in with the new!

Em said...

There is a simple reason: it makes you happy. So long as the yarn gives you a few moments of happiness here and there, so long as your day brightens when a package is waiting for you after a long day, then all is well. You are even helping to bring happiness to others when your less-beloved stash goes on to other knitters.

Unless it stops giving you moments of happiness, I can see no reason at all to stop!

Pheelya said...

Because yarn is like men, we can't live with then and we can't live without ;) we would just love to trade them ones in a while! *LOL*

Sorry, I cracked myself up with that one... Can I blame it booze?? ;)

Happy Holidays!@!

teabird said...

hey, you don't need no stinkin' excuses!

The reason: because yarn is part of the tao, the great mandala...

(teabird on Ravelry)

Elaine said...

I'm with the others - forget about justification and go with gratification!

Valerie said...

The presence of the yarn, it's existence as a thing of beauty, is all the reason you need. All the artists in the world would go out of business if art needed to be justified as useful. I'm not saying that ALL art is beautiful, nor is all yarn to be considered art, but I had a point in there somewhere... What were we talking about?

MamaMay said...

My excuse of getting yarn while destashing goes something like: I don't have yarn like this or had yarn like this and the colors are so much yummier, and the fiber content so much better and well, I destashed this yarn because the fiber content, weight, or lack of inspiration on what to make of it....

Yea, I ramble in my head or even talking out loud until I feel no guilt

Anonymous said...

I just decide that the lusted-after yarn is all that is standing between me and a perfect life, and how can you give that up for some measly amount of money, I ask you!

Veronique said...

It's called the circle of life. You can't let yarn stagnate in your stash, it needs to move on, discover the world! But the void created in your stash must (logically) be filled. CQFD. (Heh, I even fit in some french for you!).

Olga said...

Come on now. Do skinny women who speak french and look good in card board really need an excuse to do anything they want? I think not.....

Panda said...

The yarn is like an exchange student, studying a knitter in a foreign environment for a while. Its actually good for the yarn to do some traveling before settling down to become knit up as socks and whatnot. Think about the yarn's resume; now it will have a much better chance of getting into the school of its choice, and it will put it ahead of all the other yarns in someone else's stash, because it was a DEAL!!!

purple-power said...

everyone needs a little yarny joy in their lives. OK, maybe a lot of yarny joy.

Angelika said...

I love any of the Kinder chocolate. Of course, I'm from Germany and I miss them so much. Enjoy them and eat a piece for me.

a friend to knit with said...

nope....it must not stop. never. it is only right to destash and buy....destash and buy. that's what makes the world go 'round!

Jenny Girl said...

Justification:
Who else is going to give all of these balls of yarn some love and TLC before they are knit into something treasured.
When yarn sits somewhere unpurchased, its sad and lonely. In the stash it has friends to hang out with and hope.
Yarn needs love too :)

Shea said...

Sock yarn does not count as stash! Therefore, you are not adding to the stash if you order and receive sock yarn. You're totally in the clear on this one.

Jennie said...

Sorry to hear about the hectic destashing and crazy postage rates. I hope things have settle down a bit for you. And I'm lovin' the new stash enhancements. :)

Angela said...

I may need to embark on a little de-stash adventure of my own. I, too, have more than I could possibly use. (And then there are the "what was I thinking when I bought this four years ago" skeins.) Isn't that Sophie's Toes dangerous? My stash of that alone is criminal.

Steph F. said...

It's not a stash, it's a collection! A beautiful, colorful art collection. :)

cthulhulovesme said...

1. Receiving yarn gives you a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of your stomach, not unlike the feel of squishy merino socks.

2. You are on a quest for the One True Sock Yarn, and if you have to go through every other skein in the world to find it, you will, because it is just that special. ;)

3. When you send out yarn, you are giving someone else that warm, squishy merino sock feeling.

nova said...

As one who has also come to the realization that I kind of have a lot of yarn, I will just say that the stash comes in very handy for insulation. I swear my basement is warmer because of all the extra wool along the perimeter...

J. Denae said...

6 words:
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Raven Series

kathy b said...

I was at a yarn shop/turned quilt shop yesterday. So sad. Just a few lonely skeins at 40% off and no more yarn to come into the store. Our yarn boom may not be forever, buy now! It is good for the yarn economy.

kelli ann & lorie said...

movement. flow. keep it going, keep yourself inspired. (i'll help out with postage to Canada, even...)

OhAmyKP said...

This isn't even an excuse or a justification, its the TRUTH. Right? ;) Now, correct me if I'm wrong (dont you dare) but the reasons why we destash is not because we have too much yarn, its because we have too much yarn we're not sure what to do with (as in, yarn really pretty so I just had to buy it but years go by and I still haven't done anything with it)

Well the truth of the matter is that you know exactly what you're going to make with said yarn (quick pick any pattern then change when you really know what you want to make). There it is. You simply can't deny the truth...you just can't.

Dove Knits said...

Because yarn is like clothes. Some stuff you buy and stick with. Some goes out of style and needs to be refreshed. Some stuff looks great in the store, but you take it home, and nah. Some stuff looks great and works great, but you've got nowhere to wear it to! Same with yarn.

Plus, if you didn't buy all the yarn, you wouldn't blog as much, and you know we love you :)

Senora Fuerte said...

The merry-go-round is like an inspiration wheel... the yarn comes in, the yarn goes out, but as it moves through your life it colors your ideas and plans in ways that maybe even you can't understand yet... are you buying this?

I hope Peeper-Lou picks me because the red and yellow yarn could finally be the source of some USC socks for me! Fight on, Trojan sock yarn!!!!

Jessica said...

The post office is such a humbug. I'm actually trying to donate some stuff and I will end up driving an hour because I would rather my donation go to the cause I select rather than the post office!

Alison said...

What do you mean, there aren't enough hours in a day? or days in a week? or weeks in a month? or months in a year? or years in our lives???!!!
Who says the stash has to get knit up in our lifetime? Isn't at least a tiny bit of the pleasure we get from the yarn simply from looking at it, touching it, and seeing it in our basket(s)?

Well... your financial reasoning carries more weight than your philosophical reasoning in my book. You need cash, you have a million dollars worth of yarn that many people will give you cash for... and later, after the expensive gift is financed, you can feel new joys as you restock the stash for next year. Does that make our yarn hoarding kind of like investing? Or at least like a savings account?