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Sunday, March 10, 2013

Conversations with Self




It has occurred to me that, if I don't want to let go of any of my yarn, no matter its form, I won't ever be able to buy anymore.  Nor will I be able to sell anything.  Giving things away as gifts is a little less stressful, but there aren't as many opportunities with that option (I have a decidedly un-knitworthy family).

What brings these thoughts to my head?  Scrumbling away with a current free form crochet project I had the following conversation with myself:

"I like this yarn.  This bit of scrumblage is coming along nicely."

"It is very nice."

"Finally found my rhythm with it after so many attempts."

"Does it know what it wants to be when it grows up?"

"That's why we're having this conversation."

"Oh."

"Yes?"

"Well, you could turn it into a bag."

"Or a pillow."

"Do you need a pillow?"

"Who needs a decorative pillow?"

"Point taken."

"Wouldn't make a very good hat."

"No."

"I'm still liking the idea of a bag."

"Yeah, but I don't need any more bags."

"I thought one couldn't have enought bags?"

"True.  But the pile over there in the corner is growing and they will soon need a room of their own."

"You could sell it when it's done."

"Hmmm.  Good idea.  It would be one of a kind."

"Indubitably."
The yarns in question

"But I like this yarn."

"Uh..mmm...huh?"

"If I sell what I make from it I will no longer be able to gaze upon it, fondle it, play with it."

"And that's a problem."

"Yes."

"But you give away yarn every year in the form of Christmas presents."

"True.  But that's usually acrylic yarn and I find it hard to become attached to it....most of the time."

"So there has been acrylic yarn you've found hard to give away?"

"Yes.  Not often, but every now and then."

"Such as...?"

"Well, there was the blue with the green, red, and white flecks that I made a couple of hats and scarves from.  Made my first knitted, double layer, reversible hat for K with it.  Almost as hard to give up the hat as the yarn, now that I think of it.  It was quite an achievement for...."

"You digress."

"Oh, yes...yarn.  Well, then there was this fuzzy off-white mohair-like yarn with periodic streaks of red, purple, blue, grey, orange, etc.  I really liked that yarn.  Loved the colors.  Loved the fuzz.  Made a dragon from it and then a hat, scarf, and mittens.  Still have the dragon and some scraps of the yarn which will find their way into a free form project someday but the hat, scarf, and mittens were commandeered by S and now I have nothing and one can't get the yarn anymore, nor the blue one mentioned before, and I would..."

"Digression returns."

"Yeah, well, you get the picture.  Letting go of yarn is hard."

"So it appears.  But saving every skein of yarn because you can't bear to use it up is a bit silly."

"Yes."

"So you should really make something from it and enjoy using it."

"Yes."

"And, since you can only have so many bags, hats, and scarves, you should find a way to rid yourself of these things."

"Yes."

"Selling them would make you money to buy more yarns."

"True."

"But, then, this is where we began."

"Yes.  Selling something I made.  With yarn that I can't replace.  That I like."

"And that's a problem."

"Indubitably."

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To be continued
"We" didn't ever come up with a solution.  I'm still looking at these lovely grey and turquoise yarns that are playing so well together and finding it hard to consider letting them go.  Ah, well, such tribulations.  Don't think we'll be solving this problem any time soon.  Must be time for a cuppa tea.

1 comment:

  1. I love this conversation you had with yourself- I think you got to the essence of yarn love here. Right to the core. What you have illustrated is true yarn love, not just flash in the pan yarn lust. Beautiful. I say keep it all, you are obviously the only one who can really be trusted to love your yarn the way it needs to be loved.

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