Tuesday 13 September 2011

Three jumpers in potentia

Last week I was browsing ebay, as I sometimes do when bored out of my skull. Clicking 'watch' on shoes and clothes and yarn I like but will probably never come back and buy. If I wanted it that much I'd bid on it right there and then, wouldn't I? I clicked through to my watch list and spotted something I'd put on there months ago from a yarn store, now on sale. So I got over 2000 metres of cherry red Aran weight Araucania Nature Wool for about thirty quid. Then Mara and I went into our local yarn store and, oh look they're having a sale here too, and so I got 12 balls of black Rowan Classic Cashsoft Aran and 9 of maroon Rowan Classic Extra Fine Merino DK too. Oops. The cash card breathed in sharply, but it coped.


I have an ancient black hooded cardigan I was planning on knitting a replacement for, but there isn't really enough of the black for that so my new hoodie will be BRIGHT CHERRY RED and I think I will knit myself a sexy jumper by Ysolda Teague which has been queued for ages from the black. As for the maroon... inspiration will strike no doubt but it's beautifully soft and squishy and a very 'me' colour (and machine washable!).

It's funny, this yarn purchase has pulled me out of a knitting slump. I have things to knit, things I want to knit, things I want to own and therefore need to knit, but there was nothing exciting me. But buying yet more yarn I don't really need has given me a spark. Why does that happen? Is it some symptom of the materialistic culture I've internalised?

3 comments:

erin said...

I too lurk on eBay and I have scored about five sweaters' worth of great yarn buys this year. (One of which was Cashsoft!) The baskets of new yarn excite and inspire me, and keep my needles clicking on current projects so that I am eager to begin anew. For me it isn't so much succumbing to materialism as it is being passionate about this craft and wanting oh so badly to wear these hues that no store offers in a ready to wear garment.

Julie said...

I think it's something to do with the season. I had lost my knitting mojo somewhat and suddenly this week - it's all back. Sparks flying off the needles.

Maytheweed said...

I wonder if it's just that the new yarn gets the magination rolling and then inspiration strikes more easily. Looking at old yarn you've already had a bunch of ideas which at the very least aren't shiny and new but a bit old and worn out.