I Think I Have A Problem!
Looking back on the year, it appears I spend money on very few things, the necessities…..like rent, and food, and car maintenance, clothes (mostly from thrift stores), and wool. Funny how wool has become one of my necessities….
My mad money this year has been spent on some serious stash enlargement. I have been buying spinning fiber from Paradise Fibers, a fantastic online store! They have a wonderful selection, and a good quality product. Their shipping is reliable, even all the way to me in Canada. It is always exciting to go to the post office, giddy at getting a box full of goodies like merino rovings, sari silk loom waste, and yak down. It turns out that not too many people know what yak down is….and even fewer care to hear me go on and on about it!
yak down
KnitPicks has also been a great online source of wool and inspiration for me this year. They have me on a mailing list, and truthfully, when the reminder emails arrive, telling all about their great prices and good selection, I often get sucked into exploring their website and often buy more than I was originally intending.
More mad money was spent after a particularly crazy day this fall, when several friends and I went on a “wool run” to Wool-Tyme. You know you’ve got a problem when important meetings are brought to a hasty conclusion in order to allow enough time to get to the wool store before closing time. I love it at Wool-Tyme, there is something for everyone! Baby wool, sock wool, thick mitten wool, lots of acrylic (for those who don’t like wool), there’s alpaca, and silk, and cashmere, and camel…..Just thinking about it makes me want to go visit again tomorrow….At Wool-Tyme people are encouraged to touch the merchandise, or bring in knitting projects to get help, or ask staff for advice about new projects. And, at Wool-Tyme, I’m sure they would love to hear me rave about yak down!
Over the past years, the store has expanded from the sales of wool, yarn and buttons, to now include spinning and felting and rug hooking materials, and they’ve also gathered a community of crafts people who come together for lessons or other social knitting events.
So, although I may have an addiction to knitting, and I may spend a considerable amount of time at local yarn stores, patting yarn, and plotting out new project ideas, I feel completely justified in doing so. The money spent on wool is really buying hours of creativity, productivity, and relaxation. The finished product is more than just a hat or a pair of mittens, it is a collection of moments, of love, and warmth. In the grand scheme of things, I think it is a rather good addiction to have…..but then again, I’m biased!
Wool-Run anyone??
Tags: best of 2009, knitting, spinning
