And so it begins....

My name is Melissa and I'm a yarnaholic. It's been 7 days since my last yarn purchase. I was supposed to be completely DONE buying yarn on April 1st, but I hit my first challenge when purchasing one specific skein of yarn (for someone else) and this lovely little bit of sparkle caught my eye and I fell for it's promise of becoming something great. It went into my basket, into my car and into my stash. However, I will count is as a nothing in my quest, as the day I was supposed to be swearing off yarn purchases, I was in the hospital with my baby boy and I didn't get a chance to make a last purchase. So yeah, we're even :)

I have a largish, but not horribly huge, stash of yarn. I love it all. I started this year with way more than I have now as a result of putting all yarns I did not feel any love for into a donate box. When it was hauled away I wanted to squeeeeeee with delight, kind of like when a person that doesn't really fit in at the party leaves and you can really get down to business once they leave the building. The music goes on, the good drinks come out and everyone left is happy to just relax and be.

This blog is about yarn. Why I love it, why I hoard it and what it becomes. The challenge I have issued to myself is to buy no new yarn until EVERY. LAST. inch of yarn I currently own is gone. You read that right. I am not even going for two skeins out, one in. This is my 5K. This is my sugar addicted, caffeine loving self saying "No sugar...no coffee" although this actually might be a little more painful. But I can do it.

The challenge outline:

Goal: Purchase no new yarn from April 2011 until all yarn currently in possession is gone. ALL four lovely bins worked into something beautiful or given away if I deem it not worthy of the time that would go into knitting it.

Exceptions to rules: I may buy yarn to finish a project that was started with yarns already in my stash. This includes yarn to compliment the yarn already in stash. I already have a purchase I need to make (a carry along yarn that goes with a top I am making a friends' daughter). If I am asked to make a gift, I must make every attempt to find something in the stash to make it with. If that is not possible, someone else must purchase the yarn and give it to me. When buying yarns I need, I have a tendency to allow some "good deals" to sneak into the box being sent to me, so to avoid temptation in that area, I will not be having any yarn sent to me. I can buy needles, patterns, and other extras to help complete projects ;)

Trades: I will still participate in my favorite yarn swap on Ravelry, Karma Yarn Swap. I can trade yarns already in my possession for other yarns as long as what comes in is lesser in yardage than what goes out. Whew!!!

Why? Because I have beautiful yarns that need to be worked into something. Because I have a tendency to go way overboard when I like something and just for once I would like to have NO stash and pick out a gorgeous project and HAVE to buy yarn.

The plan is to knit bigger projects, and then put all leftover yarns back into the bins. Once larger projects are complete, I will assess what can be made with leftovers. Any small bits will be made into Magic Yarn Balls with a Russian join and knit into something super fun.

This is my challenge to myself. I welcome you (any of you out there) to come along for the ride. It will definitely be hard! But a wee bit fun too!

Welcome to my blog!