Hoarding Fiber Supplies
While on the metro, I was reading through the blogposts that I'd opened in tabs prior to disconnecting from the work net, and I came across this comment by Too Much Wool:
So, I guess what I'm wondering is, does this idea of saving the best for when I'm better make sense? I've always thought along the lines of using the best materials for whatever it is I'm setting out to do, be that cooking or textiles or building materials. I guess it depends on the situation, mostly. But I like to think that someone who is working with something nice will be happier down the road with the finished product and enjoy the process more.
She's got a point. I think one of the things that contributes to this is lack of time. You get something that is just too wonderful not to pass up but for which you haven't had much experience, such as a nice brick of silk. And then you get busy with other stuff, and time goes by. Before long, it's been 3 years since you purchased that brick of silk.
And then when you start out learning to spin, you're in a mania where you just got to stock up on everything, until you end up with a huge stash and precious little time due to working or taking care of the family. Plus, what are you going to do with these when you spin it up? Right, you guessed correctly.
Meanwhile, I've been busy fooling around with my laptop yet again and installing and reinstalling software (yes, it's a geeky thing - if you're not into programming or keeping up with the latest, it can be hard to understand). Hint for the geeky - always keep meticulous record of passwords for software setup, especially when you've got to install manually following a complex set of instructions. And be sure to put the passwords in a location that you can easily get to, such as putting that slip of paper into your computer files or immediately entering it in your favorite password program.
The coming week is going to be a very interesting one - my BIL is coming to visit us from California. He is quite a character, and let's just say, that he can be very talkative.
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I'll be more then happy to knit up anything you spin! By the way, will you be posting a pic of you in one of your beautiful saris?
I don't spin, but I do have some yarns that have been in my stashette for nigh on seven years. My tendency is to buy yarn for a particular pattern, but there was a period where I just went crazy and bought lots of grab bags. Now I have yarn that is just too nice to through into any old pattern. Lately, however, I have begun to feel that this yarn is an albatross around my neck. I won't feel comfortable buying any more yarns until use up some of this stuff, and at this point I don't care how I use it.
When I started spinning, a friend who had been spinning for years gave me two small sample skeins of handspun. I remember being so totally impressed - I think it was one of the things that kept me going when I was struggling to get the hang of spinning.
Well, a few years later and now I laugh about it. She had those mini skeins because they were practice, try-outs of different fibers. I have plenty of those myself, now.
I think the learning process includes spinning things that are new, to try a bit of everything. I tend to justify my stashing of spinnables by saying that there isn't anywhere locally to shop for really nice spinning fibers. However, I don't have the same excuse for yarns.
Different people are comfortable with different levels of stashing/hoarding/buying ahead. I think for a lot of bloggers the hardest thing is to resist the urge of jumping on the bandwagon for the new big thing, without thinking through whether the project is right for them.
Whew. Sorry, the coffee must have kicked in. ;-)