My Family Won't Let Me Buy Anymore Yarn, Patterns or Hooks

[Natasha]

Good grief!!

If my family did this, I don't know what I'd do.

 

I hear ya!

 

And I should add that my family *knows* better than to dis' my crochet and anything associated with it. The resulting fallout could be of tragic proportions.

[auntbubbels]

Hey Paulette - you can store your stash at my house!!!

[PBLKNP]

The trick is to sneak out on your lunch hour and pay IN CASH, so there's no paper trail...(not that's I'd know this from experience ).

[craftybutterfly]

I sappose I'm lucky, either that or my stash isn't as big as yours but my people don't complain, not one bit.

[krzykajun]

They have no understanding. Did they say what 5 things? I mean, 5 pot holders??

[CaliAdria]

The trick is to sneak out on your lunch hour and pay IN CASH, so there's no paper trail...(not that's I'd know this from experience ).

 

That's what I have to do too! Dh and I have serious arguments over who spends more money on "worthless enterprises"... he buys car detailing supplies, I buy yarn! I mean, *he* only has one car! How much detail does it need?

 

*sigh*

 

I'm sorry to hear about your kids' ultimatums... But just think, if you finish those 5 projects, how fresh and clean your workspace will be... right?

 

By the way, a great place to hide yarn is under the bathroom sink, towards the back of the cabinet (behind all the normal bathroom cabinet stuff).

[butterfly_girl]

I love your post! I have this problem, sorta. I have yarn in every room in the house, closets, and even in the car! lol. ***, last week I opened the back passenger door, and yarn fell out! my best friend saw it too.........yep. And that was not the first time that has happened.

 

I've got a few projects on the go. A cardiwrap from a crochet magazine, (not sure which one. it's not the hairpin lace one....hairpin lace is a bit too fiddly for me at the moment....I have aproblem making the loops even.) let's see.....a blanket for hubby in the works for the last two years...(a sampler afghan. only 48 squares i think. a smallish size blanket. i will probably have to add a row on the top and the sides.) I'm also working on the ghost mobile, and have started crocheting two spider webs, and the bolero from the Stitch n bitch book. I can't remember what it's called.

 

But DH needed a pair of pants and shoes for his new job (at Staples) so he said I could get yarn....yay! I got the yarn for the cardi wrap there. It was supposed to be TLC Amore, but they had none, so I just got a nice greyish blue, red heart i believe. those giant yarn skeins.

 

It's kind of a joke, with me and my little family and yarn. My son said once that he'll just get me yarn for me for i think birthday or christmas or something......yep.

[Fallen angel]

My hubby TRIED to do that to me until I reminded him of the 4 RC gas powered trucks that HE has in the closet (collecting dust no less:think ) and that they cost him $500 EACH and thats without fuel and all the little things that he had to replace on them.

Funny ever since then he dosent even ask me how much I paid for my stuff. LMAO.

Hugs

Kim

[Fidgement]

Paulette,

 

You really are too much! Rant away and tell you kids you'll put them up for auction, or worse yet, hire! That way you can stay home and crochet all day!

 

Big hugs to you:hug !

Cheers

[BarbaraJean]

What a delightful thread! I smiled all the way through it! And it Janet is close enough for you to store her excess at her house, I offer mine.

[Michelle1210]

nothing has been said here ,......yet

I enjoyed all the post:devil

how about 5 snowflakes...would that count:devil

all my stash fits in a laundry basket and all my suger and creanm and specialty yarn fits in a small ba:hook mboo basket

[knikki]

My DH told me this awhile back, but only because I had about 15 WIP and had never finished a single thing. I finished a few and then bought yarn for a gift for my cousin, project started and finished. Now somehow I have put myself on yarn restriction because it seemed so nice to have things done. I've been coming up with projects to use up my stash. Soon though I will have no stash left (except crochet thread, I inherited my great grandma's and she had every color know to man and some that I think man kind has never seen).

 

I love the idea of the "ventghan" (That is the term I prefer for the vent afghan).

[blackpurl]

as long as my hubby keeps buying new beads... I will keep buying new yarn!

[jessc031778]

Sweetie...PLEASE tell me there is SOME remote chance that the fam will actually come to their senses and back off from the 5 FO rule!! Don't they know that when Momma ain't happy, no one's happy??? I can't imagine what I'd do if my DH told me this...I'd probably just out of stubborness refuse to finish those items...actually, knowing me and my temper, I'd be more likely to frog all the WIP's or giving up and throwing out the UFO's, cause then I could say I didn't have any more WIP's but I still wouldn't have finished the 5 items LOL!!!

 

Personally...the first thought I had (and I've read the thread between you & Ah Leah about your cooking and the ...what was it....cream of meat in the crock pot??) was that you should insist on cooking dinner every night until they give in! Force them to do the sit-down home-cooked by Mom family dinner, then tell the kids that as long as they're punishing you, you're punishing them by not letting them go out after dinner...that way, not only does it put a crimp in their social lives (hitting the teens where it hurts the most!) but it ensures that they can't get food anywhere else!!! But maybe I'm just evil.....

 

Good luck with the projects and I can't wait to see the vent-ghan...you'll have to put "vent-ghan" in the subject line so that we can all be sure to check it out!!!

 

Jessie

[Sylviaf]

This is all very funny...I love everyone's suggestions! But do kids really get to make ultimatums? (I know husbands think they can, but sometimes they just have to be humored!) It never occurred to my kids to do this, but of course then I would have had suggestions about their trading cards, computer games, art supplies, etc.

[Hounddog]

Don't they realize you have to keep your mind and hands busy. It helps with your mental outlook. You are creating and this is an artistic hobby and useful at that. It's not like you are doing a bad habit. I am sure painters hear the sme from their families too much paint and palettes and drawing paper etc. We do understand and all hear it sometime.

Darlene

[andip470]

Aw Paulette,

 

I feel for you. My DH makes some comments about the amount of yarn in the house, car & camper. The number of crochet bags, with duplicate supplies in each. The number of magazines in the previously mentioned locations. My explanations of spending so much time in all 3 places & wanting to be prepared for anything anywhere have fallen on deaf ears. Of course, he also refers to my "knitting" obsession, I'm still working on that one.

 

I have learned to fight back with comments about the garage full of mechanics tools (way more expensive than my yarn & crochet tools), the ATV in the yard, the 3 I'll fix them up & sell them cars in the driveway. (each has been here more than a year) That covers both the cost & space factors. His "stuff" is bigger & more expensive.

 

The DD's 12 & 13 like to go to AC Moore or Michael's with me, they usually manage to wheedle some crafty thing out of me - they are both into scrapbooks at the moment.

 

Hmmm, how to punish, I mean teach the children about the many benefits of accumulating yarn? Breaking dishes in their rooms, while they are sleeping, since you'll be making more mosaics as gifts for the holidays. Embarrasing notes in their lunch bags.... I loved the idea of boycotting your chauffering duty, not enough time availble, too many objects to finish. No time for laundry either. Grocery shopping? Sorry - too busy. Want a check for the yearbook? Sorry my wrist is too sore from the marathon crocheting.

 

Be gentle with the Jimbo hook while working on the venting afghan. You don't want to infuse it with negative mojo.

 

I'll keep thinking about how to educate your DH....

[CaliAdria]

Haha... I bought all the yarn I need for my Monet Afghan CAL and since it's Red Heart, I threw it in the washer with some fabric softener first. Now, I DID have the presence of mind to put the skeins in pillowcases so they wouldn't unravel, but I guess the rule is that there should only be ONE skein per pillowcase...

 

What do you get when you have 8 unraveled skeins of RH yarn, two feisty cats, and 2 hours till DH gets home? A WINDING FRENZY, that's what you get! I MUST get this stuff put back together and then PUT AWAY before he gets here! EEK!!!

 

I pulled this stuff out of my pillowcases and just had to sit on the floor by the washing machine and laugh... just my luck!

[yarnyviolet]

My dh knows it his fault that my yarn stash is so big. He was a non-smoker when we met and a week before we got married he secretly started smoking (we weren't living together so I didn't know). He was only smoking here and there but then I busted him. He started smoking regularily when the secret was out and I said if he was allowed to spend that money on smokes I could buy the same $ amount of yarn. After 4 months I had to quit because I ran out of space to keep it! SEE! His fault! He is quitting now so I need a new excuse....

 

Tell them if you are limited to 5 projects they have to wear them until you get more yarn. Do you have that yarn still... the really ugly yarn stuff?

 

Rachel

[tlisley]

My dh knows it his fault that my yarn stash is so big. He was a non-smoker when we met and a week before we got married he secretly started smoking (we weren't living together so I didn't know). He was only smoking here and there but then I busted him. He started smoking regularily when the secret was out and I said if he was allowed to spend that money on smokes I could buy the same $ amount of yarn. After 4 months I had to quit because I ran out of space to keep it! SEE! His fault! He is quitting now so I need a new excuse....

 

Tell them if you are limited to 5 projects they have to wear them until you get more yarn. Do you have that yarn still... the really ugly yarn stuff?

 

Rachel

 

Paulette, between INSISTING on cooking dinner and our very favorite "recycled silk" we could be on to something!!! Offer to make them all sweaters from it (or underwear) and say "In an effort to use up my yarn I made you all these lovely____(fill in the blank)____! Now plese put them on before we all sit down to eat... I want to see how they look." ROFLMBO!!!

[funkyreporter]

Paulette, between INSISTING on cooking dinner and our very favorite "recycled silk" we could be on to something!!! Offer to make them all sweaters from it (or underwear) and say "In an effort to use up my yarn I made you all these lovely____(fill in the blank)____! Now plese put them on before we all sit down to eat... I want to see how they look." ROFLMBO!!!

 

 

That is AWESOME! I think "recycled silk" undies are definitely on the list! And I saw THE YARN lurking under the couch. I just need to find my chain maile gloves and titanium hook and they will be a pleasure to make. Everyone can sit in their new undies made by mom:hook while we eat Cream of Meat! OOh, it'll be FUN!

 

I took a few pictures of various yarn stashes around the house and I'm gonna try and post them... Photobucket is not my friend, but I'll see what I can do... Now, all of you true crochet/yarn fanatics out there aren't gonna change teams and side with my family when you see this are you?? Remember, we Villagers must stick together!!!

 

The Ventghan (like that name) is coming along...

Got a lead on reading the pattern for the cape from Drop Down Designs -that thing was making me nutty

The Butterfly Shawl is, well, just sitting there patiently

The other afghan looks so quaint partially finished in the wicker basket with the balls of yarn and wooden hook, how could I possibly disturb it???

... and I stashed the gray shrug WIP real deep in the attic...

[funkyreporter]

Moment of truth:

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/Paulette112264/yarn008.jpg

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/Paulette112264/yarn004.jpg

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/Paulette112264/yarn003.jpg

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j80/Paulette112264/yarn001.jpg

 

 

And this is just the tip of the iceburg! About ten more pictures exist but I think the mod would shut me down for using up that much space!

 

I am SO BAD:devil

[ankey]

Wow Paulette, what a stash!

If you need help getting your stash smaller, I wouldn't mind helping... just send some of that nice homespun my way...

[Krystal16]

My trick, Paulette - is to have all my yarn stashed in one closet. There is NOTHING else in that closet, so no one has ANY reason to go into it other than me. That way, no one can see if it grows or not. As long as the door can close, my secret is kept safe!

[Tracey4610]

I like the phrase: "If mama ain't happy, no one's happy>..." My dh has discovered that as long as I can have time to crochet each day, I'm not mean or ...If I don't, well, watch out!! It's a theraputic stress-reliever for me. Since we'll be homeschooling, all the kids will learn to crochet--they have no choice, it's part of their homework. Dh doesn't mind, as long as I have dinner made, food in the pantry and refrigerator, and the house is clean, as well as laundry, etc. (I'm a SAHM) Besides, I save money on clothing, since I make much of my winter stuff, so dh has more for his work clothes (I don't mind, since I don't work anymore outside the home).

 

What I suggest for you, Funkyreporter, is that once your WIPs are finished, and you don't have anything else to work on, start getting a bit grouchy. Do much of the things other posters have said, and just plain drive your family crazy!! Dh will wonder why Christmas gifts cost so much more (since you aren't making them any longer), your ds will be cold from not having something warm to wrap up in, and dh and dd will have cold feet from not having any toasty slippers to warm their tootsies in. Dd will wonder why you're so grouchy, and the proper response would be that you didn't get enough fiber in your diet that day. (Crocheting keeps you regular!! )