I have been contemplating my knitting life and have come to the conclusion that I am surrounded by my knitting. When I pulled down the bin of finished socks, I wondered if I should knit any more for perhaps I already have too many pair. And that's not counting the six or maybe seven pair that are still on the needles. I will need a bigger bin when they get finished.*
Which leads me to my next question. How many WIP are too many? Last year, my knitting guild sponsored a friendly competition in which we attempted to complete many of our dusty UFO's . I finished 10 projects, which was fewer than half of my uncompleted projects. I have added to that number since then. Have I exceeded the maximum number of projects to still be considered sane and normal?**In a previous post, I admitted to having a few too many shawls, stoles and scarves. I haven't stopped knitting them, but instead have found several more that I wish to knit. I have restrained myself from casting on more only because I don't want to add to the pile of projects in the basket.
How many is too many?
And can you really belong to too many sock, shawl and yarn clubs? I've been told that perhaps, just perhaps, I signed up for a few too many. Since that last intervention, I have dropped some club memberships. Which leads me to this.
I was asked a few weeks ago how many skeins of Wollmeise did I have. I took a wild guess and was wrong. I needed to double my answer. My yarn stash is growing at a faster rate than I thought. Do I have too much? I don't think so especially since I know several people who have far more yarn than I do. (I won't name my fellow collectors. We all know who they are)
I have seriously thought about destashing but then I begin to fear that If I don't have the will power to stop buying yarn, I also might not have the will power to stop selling it. The mere thought that I could sell all my yarn and come home to empty shelves gives me slight panic attack.
So fellow knitters, the questions have been asked.
*Since most of my yarn stash is sock yarn, It is quite likely that I will be knitting more socks. A bigger sock bin is definitely in my future.
**It's a vicious circle. If I finish all my UFOs, I will then realize that my needle collection has outgrown the cases that they used to fit in. Extra question for bonus points. How many Needles are too many?
4 comments:
I don't think you have too much or too many of any of those things. I just wish I could knit like you and had that many completed pair of socks! My feet would love to have a gorgeous collection like yours!
I once thought I had too much and then the economy took a downturn and I was thrilled I had hoarded all of my favorite things because then I was able to knit with the items I loved even if I didn't have the cash flow to purchase them.
My husband has motorcycles and I have fiber arts. I think in the end it all evens out!
Keep in knitting!
You have too much _______ (yarn, WIP, FO, time, whatever) when you start feeling weighed down by it. Doesn't matter what anyone else says or thinks. If you start to feel bogged down, then you reduce. WIP's can be frogged or in extreme cases, lit on fire. FO's can be gifted. I don't think you'll ever feel like you have too much spare time though!
PS: Bought my first beads for a knitting project the other day. Actually, for two projects. Also found a new (to me) way to insert them using floss!
I'm with Kourtney. It's only too much if it feels like too much for you... not based on any perception of what you 'should' have, or what you 'should' finish.
Plus, I love my stash. It's inspirational.
She who dies with the most yarn wins!
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