Tuesday 8 January 2008

Baby did a bad, bad thing

When Amy and Bells published their No Guilt Stash Manifesto a while back, I was in there with bells (haha! no pun intended) on. I've been known to spend a little on yarn in recent history, especially since my initiation into the world of indie dyers, sock yarn and (mmmm) luxury fibres.

Ok, even the not-so-recent past. If you buy Beloved a beer, he'll gladly tell you about the 2kgs of yarn we hauled to Germany and back, so I wouldn't be bored during the 4 months of snow-bound winter I spent there in 2004-05. (I knit less than half a jumper, and we hauled it all the way back. Did you know you can still go outside when it snows? Whoda thunk it?)

So I embraced the Manifesto, confident it would be a little shield against the comments Beloved had started to make. Like "more yarn? When are you planning to knit that?".

Little did I know that I would be clinging to the Manifesto like a drowning man to a lifeline, reciting it like a desperate rosary in the wee small hours when the oblivious snoring of Beloved beside me amplified the guilt of a little.....slip. A minor brain snap.

No amount of manifesto-ing was gonna ease this magnitude of guilt. Marx and Mao would have to go into business together to manifesto my way out of this one. This was nuclear-strength guilt.

I blame QuiltingMick. If she hadn't gloated about her haul at our LYS, Cassidy's, $2 yarn sale, I would have blithely sailed on, ignorant to the temptation, my integrity intact. Check it out she said; I was there on the weekend, and they didn't have so much, she said. Just some Totem, some Cleckheaton Country. A couple of boxes worth, she said. It's probably all gone. She said.

But really, I'm hardly to blame. It's a knitter's nature.

I mean, wouldn't you? Just cruise along in your lunch hour to see what they had? At $2 a ball? Around 60% off? Of course you would. Of course I did.

They still had a couple of boxes worth. And a table full. The store manager had just been to their other store, on the other side of town, and picked up all the stuff that wasn't selling there to bring it over here.

I don't suppose you've got a box I could use, I asked. I may want a couple of projects worth.

She handed me a plastic shopping basket, and then showed me the other stuff that was on sale that she hadn't had the chance the mark down yet. Over here. And here. All this in these racks.

I think I may have blacked out for a while. Thirty minutes and four trips to the car later.....

There was still some Totem.



There was still some Country 8-ply, there was Caressa, and there was some Cleckheaton Machine washable 5ply.


There was some Jet.



There was some Bluebell 5ply.

And then there wasn't much of those left anymore.

Just in case you lost count on the way through, that's Two. Hundred. And. Ninety. One. balls of yarn.

Oh dear.

It took me three days to work up the courage to open the car boot again. Yup, it was still there.

Oh dear.

Did someone say they had a pattern for a house-cosy?

27 comments:

Bron said...

ooooh, Georgie, that is some serious shopping!!!! (I'm so jealous!! hehe)

Bells said...

I had to call Sean over to show him the photos. This has to be seen to be believed.

George, for those of us who already know the story, you would not believe how often we discuss you in hushed and reverent tones. We're not worthy.

Rose Red said...

I LOVE YOU!! GEORGE YOU ARE MY STASH SAVIOUR!! I WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO SHOW THIS POST TO MY HUSBAND AND SAY "HA! I'VE NEVER BOUGHT 291 BALLS OF YARN (all at once...)

(heh, sorry for the caps. But clearly, it's a caps worthy post. You are the saviour of knitters world wide. We are truly not worthy!).

PS - have you knit any of it yet??!! (heh!!)

Alwen said...

Oh, dear.

Can I come knit from your stash?

What you really need is a floor loom. They gallop through skein yarn like nobody's business. :)

Anonymous said...

I like your style Georgie, you seriously rock and then some!
Good for you :-)

2paw said...

That is fantastic and I am a little jealous though there is not much green so I'm a bit happy about that. It has gone to a good home!!!

Five Ferns Fibreholic said...

Georgie, you are my hero. And congradulations on your first out of body yarn experience.

amy said...

FOUR trips to the car?!?! Wow. I'm in awe. And I'm with Rose Red. Next time my husband talks about my yarn (the other day he was complaining that there was yarn in the freezer) I'm showing him this post.

I crossed state lines to go to Webs and still didn't buy that much yarn!!

(We love you!)

Janet McKinney said...

OK - I refuse to enable your addiction. That is a serious problem my dear - especially if it took you two days to look at it afterwards. I am with your hubby on this one...

OK now that I have that lie off my chest - may I secretly admit a little pang of jealousy...

I suspect a house cosy is your only solution. Or perhaps some warm woollen curtains - just thing how much that would keep out the cold wind off the Brindabellas in winter.

Janet McKinney

MadMad said...

I am pretty sure THIS - if nothing else - is NOT my fault. I told you to just sit down. Clearly you did not listen. Wow. That's all. Just wow.

TinkingBell said...

I love you Georgie (hey if your husby complains - blame it on Pregnancy!) - and, putting it in context - that's only about oooooh 22 jumpers worth - more for kids jumpers, but they take less knitting!

See, it all about context -'I bought 20 jumpers' SOUND less scary than I bought 291 balls of wool! (Seriously - really really wish I had some of that! Really do - so jealous!)

DrK said...

firstly i would like to congratulate you on having the courage to talk about this in public, including with photos. secondly, i am still in complete awe, and it is quite obvious that you blacked out, or else have a very good grip on that no-guilt thing. at least while shopping! i look forward to seeing what you make with it now, because you know youre going to have to right?! :)

happyspider said...

speachless. truly. wow.
congratulations. you beat me to it ;)

AMCSviatko said...

Sounds like you need to talk to Bronwen Sandland (http://www.artlink.com.au/articles.cfm?id=2438) ;-)

With a Q said...

Georgie - you rock! I only bought 22 balls (that's one jumper for me) cos there was ONLY Totem when I went. I think I may be responsible for QuiltingMicks comments about not much there - sorry - but there wasn't when I went!

You could always bring some to SnB and flog it - you know how successful that was for sock yarn.

Donyale said...

HOLY. CRAP.

Donna Lee said...

Wow. I suppose if you offered to knit some sweaters for the husband, it would go over better? Or tell him it's for the baby. He couldn't get upset at soft, knitted items for the baby.

Kate said...

OK, with PJ and with another kiddo on the way and living in Canberra with occasional forays to colder climes, you know that you're going to use all this. Don't apologise for it - it'll get used. For starters, what about a stranded adult jumper in 4ply?

Congralations on another pirate. Perhaps Pirate Jemima this time? I know exactly what you mean about knitting lethargy. It's amazing how motivation-sapping an unwell pregnancy can be. Don't worry, it comes back as the nausea/unwellness recedes. As far as fatigue - whew! - you've a toddler to compound the problem. I think you're incredibly brave for going again before PJ is in school.

Toofs came through without a whimper; didn't know they were there until they arrived. Now they're troublesome as the pain is inhibiting her from sucking her bottle so we need to use Bonjela on a regular basis.

Caffeine Faerie said...

Georgie. I stand in awe and reverence of your stash. If you ever need to sell any - let me know. But right now... I am just not worthy to be in your most august presence.

Michelle said...

I AM SOOOOOOOO SORRY!!!!!!!!!

Yet I am also very proud of you. Just to be clear, though, there were NOT 291 balls of wool when I shopped there the previous weekend!

Olivia said...

So when are you opening your ebay store? ;)

Great shopping George. What you need to add up and tell us is the total dollars SAVED.. that's the true value of the experience isn't it?

Bron said...

oooh I can't keep looking at all that bluebell! eeeek must buy yarn...

Denise said...

I had heard the rumours, but the reality is so much more astonishing! I'm in awe - and DAMN I missed the sale :)

Em said...

That, uh, well, yeah. Quantifiers fail me, so I'll just say, "gracious, what a lot of yarn." You could always tell Beloved that you're planning to start an illegal knitting sweatshop in your backyard so as to put some money towards college for the pirates and your retirement. Or, you could just try to convince him it's a hallucination. But seriously, thank you for your bravery in sharing. It's generous of you to give us lesser stashers an example to show our mates when they accuse us of excess.

Shazmina Bendi said...

YOU ARE THE NEW, MOST EXCELLENT, GODDESS OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND KNITTERLY! Love your work Georgie, love your work!

Neet said...

Holy Sh!t! Nice work :) It looks like it's all (more or less) fit into some drawers... so that's surely ok? right?

Carol said...

Oh my gosh I hadn't heard of this story, Bells has just mentioned it on her blog. How absolutely fabulous. I'm with RoseRed, my husband can never complain again, I'm bookmarking this page and will show him when he even somewhat grimaces in my direction!!!!