Possible stupid question

[Lefthook]

Yes, yes, I know there are no stupid questions, but this may come close.

 

When you find yarn you simply must add to your stash (just for the sake of adding) how do you know how much to get if you have no immediate plans for it? What if you don't think you'll be able to get more if/when you need it? How do you know what color or shade to get? Is it just when it's a sale or when you see something you can't live without?

 

(Of course, the answers to this may permit me to spend more! [i'm really curious, though])

[01buckler15]

Hmmm... I once bought some yarn that was on sale for 50 cents each. I got six skeins of the blue and six of the pink. It was a self striping type of yarn for babies. I still haven't found anything to make with it. But I had to get it! They were small skeins so I just guessed how much it would take for a baby blanket, or two!

 

Other wise I'll just get two or three skeins of something I like.

 

I'm taking a break from that though. I have no more room to put any of it!

[Tampa Doll]

Well, this depends on the price. If it is on sale under $2.00 I will buy about 10 skeins. If it is 2 to 3 dollars a skein I will get no more than 3 or 4.

Now as to color, it would depend on how I am feeling that day, or what strikes me as a WOW:eek got to have that color.

[Crocus58]

I always try to get enough for at least a simple afghan - as to color, whatever "speaks to me" If there is not enough of one color, I'll do a few skeins of each color available . . . cuz you never know. I have to be careful when I do this tho - because sometimes the yarn in my basket will begin calling to the yarn still on the shelf - - - - that's not so bad, but when the yarn on the shelf answers I get in trouble . . . . I hate to split up friends

[ErinLindsey]

A local yarn store here in Omaha called Mangelsen's had a clearance sale on CuddleSoft baby yarn once. (sometime in the very early 90s) About a quarter a skein. I grabbed a cart and bought almost the entire shelf, got some of all the colors they had. I cant remember exactly how much it cost but I think it was close to $75 or $100 (for a quarter apiece, that's a LOT of skeins!! I barely got them in my car!)

 

I made a lot of baby afghans for several years. That was probably my biggest and best yarn purchase ever. I think I made a bunch of scarves out of it too, baby yarn makes great scarves.

 

 

I think I still have about 6 or 7 skeins of that yarn...maybe I'll get some teensy knitting needles and see how baby yarn feels when it's knitted.

 

You should have seen the cashier's face when I walked up to the register with three shopping carts of yarn. Wish I'd had a camera...even the manager came over to see me buy all that yarn. When I was asked what I was going to make, I told them I didnt know yet, I was just adding to The Stash. I went back a month later wearing a scarf I'd made with some of the yarn (the color name was Hey Diddle Diddle...) the cashier remembered me and asked if I'd gone thru all the skeins yet. I told her no, but I'd made a good dent in it with two baby afghans for some friends.

[renwiss]

I tend to estimate how many skeins I would need to make a sweater from it. Unless it is just too good a buy. A month ago I was at our local yarn store and they had luster sheen for $1/skein!! I bought about 75. Then they had Red Heart Symphony for $1/skein!! I had to buy about 15 skeins in each color (5 colors). Just last week they had some funky sport weight that will make a wonderful sweater for my DD so I had to buy about 10 skeins of that! I am almost finished with a summer sweater in luster sheen. 71 skeins to go!!

[Me&P]

I try to decide what I could make. My staples are bags, shawls, and afghans, or scarves if it's getting close to autumn. So, depending on what I think it might want to be, I decide how much to get. Also depends on the size of the skein, but usually 3-5 for a bag, 5-10 for a shawl, and 8-20 for an afghan.

[sonnets_and_stitches]

I always try to get enough for at least a simple afghan - as to color, whatever "speaks to me" If there is not enough of one color, I'll do a few skeins of each color available . . . cuz you never know. I have to be careful when I do this tho - because sometimes the yarn in my basket will begin calling to the yarn still on the shelf - - - - that's not so bad, but when the yarn on the shelf answers I get in trouble . . . . I hate to split up friends

 

I LOVE this description!

[Mermaiden]

Right now I'm at the point of my stash that I told myself I can NOT buy yarn like crazy when it's on sale unless I DO already have a pattern in mind. Thankfully I have a ton of patterns. But that way I have an idea on how much to buy.

 

this happened recently when my local Hobby Lobby moved several balls of Glitterspun and Paton's Brilliant to clearance. It was not cheap but definitely cheaper, and I wanted it for some things I've had in mind for many months, so I went for it.

[Empress Busy Bee]

I rarely buy yarn just because it's on sale.

When I do, I think what I could/would make out of it. I won't buy something thinking I'll make a sweater out of it if I know I won't. I try to get enough for that project or half of it if it is a no dye lot.

 

As for colors I tend to stick to the same ones; cool colors mostly with some neutrals now and then. So it'll depend on what I think I'll make with the yarn and what color I feel like using at the time.

I never buy orange or yellow on the spur of the moment. Never. I only buy those colors when I need them.

[shayken]

I always try to get enough for at least one big afghan or two small afghans. It also depends on the price, the cheaper the better. If I'm not planning on using it right away and my Hubby sees it, I have to tell him I've had it for awhile or he gets a bit frazzled. I have a huge stash and he just doesn't understand why I keep buying yarn.

[yarnyviolet]

I rarely buy yarn just because it's on sale.

When I do, I think what I could/would make out of it. I won't buy something thinking I'll make a sweater out of it if I know I won't. I try to get enough for that project or half of it if it is a no dye lot.

 

As for colors I tend to stick to the same ones; cool colors mostly with some neutrals now and then. So it'll depend on what I think I'll make with the yarn and what color I feel like using at the time.

I never buy orange or yellow on the spur of the moment. Never. I only buy those colors when I need them.

 

How do you restrain yourself? I have to stop buying. In fact I took my credit cards and put them in a big ziploc bag facing inwards (so I couldn't read the numbers) and filled it with water and threw it in the freezer. It really helped. There isn't a yarn store within 4 hours of me so I order online. I am in my summer slowdown mode right now anyways so I don't need any yarn and have enough for my 6 WIPs I have right now.

 

Rachel

[Wyndfire]

It depends on the yarn. If its more expensive or a "novelty" yarn, I tend to buy enough for a scarf... so like 3 skeins (or maybe 5 if they are very teeny balls). If its acrylic or some cheaper yarn, I buy enough for an afghan.... like 8 skeins (or more if they are the smaller 5oz skeins). Of course, I tend to hold two strands together for afghans, so I go through more yarn that way.

 

At minimum, I would say get 3 - 5 balls/skeins of the yarn in question. That way, you at least have enough to make a scarf and hat or a tote bag out of your find! Unless its some crazy uber-super-duper-killer-once-in-a-century-madness sale. Then, load up the car.

[Empress Busy Bee]

How do you restrain yourself?

I don't have room for too much extra yarn. I don't have money for too much extra yarn. I don't feel the need for too much extra yarn.

[alchemyfyr]

I have a Michaels, AC Moore, and a Joanns all three minutes down the road from my house. Until last month I was getting the Sunday paper with the coupons from the three stores for 40% off. Since we canceled that, my husband has actually been bringing home the coupons for me from his work paper! Although he usually makes a comment if I go to buy more yarn.....don't you have enough? or Use up what you have before you buy more.

Usually I stick to Bernat, Caron, and Patons yarns as I make a lot of things for my 1 yr old daughter and I also donate baby items. Unless something is at a big discount, I just buy with the 40% off coupons. Sometimes stores will accept more than one coupon so I will buy that many. Since the store is so close if I know I need more for a project then I will just go back with other coupons. At most the stores offer 20-25% sales so it's cheaper for me to use the coupons when the yarn is not on sale.

 

Last month I did not buy any yarn (I promised my husband since we donated money to the American Idol Gives Back fundraiser) so I was able to use up quite a bit of yarn. I only have about 3 dresser drawers full and my 2 bins of WIP so I'm a long ways off from some of you ladies (although I'm really jealous cause I'd LOVE to have that much yarn to use).

 

I've never caught a big sale like some of you mentioned. I'd have a tough time pulling myself away from that yarn and I know my husband would kill me if I came home with a car full of it!!!! lol

Have a good night!

Kristy

[Misa]

I'm on the "it depends on the price" side of the fence too Like I got four balls of suede yarn that was half price a few months ago. Even half price though it was really expensive, thus only the four balls. Enough to make a nice scarf. But the local Dollar Tree had Lion Boucle in a fabulous red varigated the next weekend for a buck a skein and I bought every skein they had....48 of those bad boys That's more than enough for a nice ghan for my nephew

[YarnAdict]

I have a notebook. A lot of the time, if I see yarn on sale for a pattern in my notebook, I buy what I need for that pattern. There are so many, I may never make them all, but I still keep looking.

 

Shaunna

[magiccrochetfan]

This thread has me laughing out loud at some of the stories:lol

 

I don't have room for too much extra yarn. I don't have money for too much extra yarn. I don't feel the need for too much extra yarn.

that should be my mantra. I used to buy yarn because I liked the color and thought I would decide later what to make of it. 30 years later I still have some of that forlorn yarn. so now I am trying very hard to have a definite plan before I buy--my budget pretty much demands that.

 

But I love Erin's story about the 25cent yarn and the hundreds of skeins bought and used over the years...that sounds like fun.

[DreamsOfYarn]

I always try to get enough for at least a simple afghan - as to color, whatever "speaks to me" If there is not enough of one color, I'll do a few skeins of each color available . . . cuz you never know. I have to be careful when I do this tho - because sometimes the yarn in my basket will begin calling to the yarn still on the shelf - - - - that's not so bad, but when the yarn on the shelf answers I get in trouble . . . . I hate to split up friends

 

:laughroll:laughroll:rofl

 

I came home from Hobby Lobby the other day with a bag of yarn. I didn't need as much as I bought. I went for 3 skeins of yarn. I came home with 13. When I got home, my DD asked why I bought so much. I told her that after I got the ones I went there for, I saw a few colors I wanted. Then before I got out of the yarn dept., some of the yarn on the shelf was calling to their friends in the shopping cart, and I couldn't split them up. She just rolled her eyes at me and said 'whatever'.

 

I usually buy enough for an afghan. That way, if I decide to make something smaller, I will have leftover yarn to make scrap afghans with.

[bobwilson123]

well i just buy buy buy until there is no money left in my purse

[cupcake]

(lol) some funny answers here. I have done the buy buy buy until my wallet is empty, and now my cupboard is full full full!

 

Accessory yarn I buy 2 balls, enough for a hat or scarf. Baby stuff, 1 ball of each colour. I cant help it but I feel better buying one of each colour rather than 10 of the same colour. The same with afghan yarn. I worry if I stick to one colour then I will run out, so I tend to buy a few balls of complimenting colours.

 

I am also colour selective. Good greens and yellows are often hard to come by so I will by them cos they are there!

[LEaD]

Well, this depends on the price. If it is on sale under $2.00 I will buy about 10 skeins. If it is 2 to 3 dollars a skein I will get no more than 3 or 4.

 

Now as to color, it would depend on how I am feeling that day, or what strikes me as a WOW:eek got to have that color.

 

That's a great rule of thumb! I hope I remember it the next time I buy yarn.

 

Which may be never since my daughter starts college in August.

 

sara

[Mandys76]

I always buy enough to make an afghan...which means I have so much yarn lying around! More than I could ever possibly use as well...My most recent aquisition was nearly 28 balls of a yarn...rather dumb of me, as it was $4.95 a ball as well! (SHHH don't tell my hubby)