A Year of No Yarn?

Shhh, calm down. It's okay, stop shaking. I know that title is scary. A year of no yarn?? But how? How would one breathe? If you are addicted to yarn and crafts like I am, how could I possibly function for a year with no yarn!?

Don't worry, it's not a year of no TOUCHING yarn, it's a year of not BUYING any new yarn!

On my last yarn purchase, I realized it was incredibly difficult to find any place to put any more yarn. It's in a storage bench, boxes, and shelves. I am out of space. I'm considered putting it in an unused suitcase, but we do go out of town every year....it'd be a pain to unpack the yarn just to pack for the trip.

I also thought, "I wonder how long my current stash would last me? A year? Two? More??" I don't knit or crochet every day but just about. Sometimes life gets in the way and I can't pick up a WIP for a week or more. But I always have at least 4-5 current WIP's (works in progress). I have PLENTY of yarn to get me through personal projects and gifts. One of my current WIP's is a blanket made from Knit Picks Chroma worsted yarn that I bought on Black Friday 2012. Or it may have been 2011? Seriously, I hoarded it for over a year before deciding to make it all into a blanket. I'm STILL sewing the squares together. It's November 2014 for crying out loud.

Oh, I know, you long time yarn hoaders, you probably have yarn older than me. You probably have vintage yarn! But I must stop this madness!! Why did I buy it if not to turn it into a pretty and useful creation!??

So, in an effort to calm my addiction, and hopefully make room for NEW yearn when my sabbatical on yarn buying is over, I shall purchase no new yarn for me for one year! What's the fine print, you ask? Of COURSE there is fine print!

1. I may not purchase any new yarn. By new, I mean new from manufacturer OR destashed from another yarn addict.
2. I may be given yarn if someone so chooses to do so. I mean, come on, it's just rude to turn down a gift of yarn!
3. I may purchase yarn for a specific project if someone has requested I make them something AND they paid for the yarn! I must first assure I do not have the yarn they need in my stash.
4. I may not purchase any more yarn unless stipulated by rule 3. I repeat, stop.buying.yarn.

So, can I do it? Could you do it? Will I make a bunch of awesome new stuff or will I cave?

I will start December 1, 2014. You'll note that is after Black Friday where Knit Picks usually has a really good sale. I may have an addiction I need to curb, but I'm not stupid.

I shall report back!! I expect to have the shakes, pangs of jealousy, and nauseated longing to visit the yarn store.
Someone hold my hand.....

~~Amy
#yearofnoyarn