I reeeeally liked this chat specifically about de-influencing and no yarn buying. I remember at the beginning of the year I kept hearing people make videos and goals about not buying yarn and thought, “If everyone commits to not buying yarn, what will happen to the small businesses?” I get the idea of not wanting to over consume but it’s all about balance. And supporting small business instead of large corps. Anyways, thanks for this video it was fun to watch!
I loved this. Your comments and suggestions are excellent - at least I found them very sensible, logical and useful. I am planning to pull out all the yarn in my considerable stash this summer and do some of the things you mentioned. I actually destashed two years ago, got rid of a lot of yarn by doing charity projects and donating to community agencies. But then I rebuilt the stash, so it's really past time to become more intentional. I prefer the concept of a yarn pantry than a stash, I like to have plenty of choices to consider when planning a project or wanting to start something on the go. My color palette varies considerably, too, from year to year. All colors speak to me depending on my mood or what phase I'm in. So I know that eventually everything I buy will be used. And if a garment, worn (if it's not a gift). But now, I want to keep the purchasing in check and keep the pantry stocked but not overflowing.
So appreciate your thoughts on this! I agree that being more conscious about buying and supporting small businesses aren't mutually exclusive. I recently have gotten a lot of content about "color seasons, " which has got me thinking about which colors I feel my best in. Recognizing those is super helpful in the shopping process!
This was a great chat to listen to! I get stressed if I have more than one project waiting for me. So I allow myself to buy yarn for my next project and no more. I'm a one-project-at-a-time knitter, and I'm also very slow. This method keeps my yarn under control and keeps me stress-free while making.
In our capitalist world, this is a really important conversation that we need to have about mindful consumption which of course spreads into the fibre arts world. You provide some interesting 'rules' about the colour choices you choose, aware of what you will use over time which highlights a very interesting perspective. A yarn wishlist is something I've implemented too. It's a cool idea.
I agree on the benefits of a yarn wishlist, especially for someone who has started knitting not so long ago. I personally want to try out many yarn brands, so I keep a list in my head and whenever my needles are free and I find a project I want to make, I can refer back to my list and see if maybe I can try out one of these yarn brands for this specific project.
Thank you so much for the time and effort you clearly put into making these chats . It is a complex and nuanced topic that could do with more discussion. When I first started knitting I could not grasp how long each project actually takes. As time moves on and my tastes change the type of yarn and the things I’d like to knit also shift. So having a maximum of three WIPs really helps me stay on track.
This was a great video! I’ve been thinking about these things a lot so really appreciate your thoughts on this. You’re very eloquent! It took me about one year to figure out what types of yarn and colours I truly enjoy knitting AND wearing so now I try and make a more consious choice. It’s an adventure! And i’m greateful i’ve had the opportunity to try stuff out.
I have colour preferences; and they are not always what's trendy. For example, I love to wear red all year long. If I see a lovely red when I am in a yarn store, I will purchase it knowing it will get made up into something. Same with deep purples. Right now, there are no reds or purples (or pinks or blues) in my stash because I have not physically gone into a yarn store. What DO I have in my stash? Hmm...best described as "Emily Neutrals" that I purchased to make a throw blanket, a 'vintage' scarf, and socks - all for family members. I really should get knitting on those and clear my space for more glorious pinks and blues; colours that make me happy. Thanks for the motivation Emily.
This is great. I took a lot of notes about things I need to think about. I've (mostly) got myself to a point where I'm much more intentional about purchases and I mostly only have yarns that I love, but there's always room for improvement and I've been starting to think about how I can link everything together (fiber, colour, style). I think this is going to prove to be very helpful. Thank you!
Your videos are always such a pleasure to watch and listen to. I appreciate your scientific approach to everything that you do. As a crocheter, I never really had a yarn stash. I also never followed patterns, but would instead create my own. So it was natural for me to go into a yarn shop, spot a yarn I enjoyed and create a project plan from there. Since taking up knitting this year, I have seen so many podcasters discuss their intentions to “de-stash” and it has created an awareness of things to avoid in this consumption-based hobby. With that insight, I have come up with some rules for myself that have helped to focus my intake. 1. I keep a running list of knitting patterns that I would be interested in knitting in my phone, with the necessary yarn weight and quantities they require 2. I limit my yarn purchases to second-hand finds. For me, this increases the thrill of the hunt and automatically removes the over-consumption tendencies just by lack of option. When I do find yarn in a second-hand shop, I determine the fiber quality, quantity, value and deal. While I am still in the store, I do some basic research to see if I have a pattern in my wishlist that would suit this yarn or if there is a pattern for something I would like to make out of it. The yarn only comes home with me if it’s attributes match those of a pattern that I am interested in knitting. Only then do I allow myself to purchase new supplemental yarn (mohair) if necessary. 3. Once I have acquired the yarn, I create a new note in my phone with the yarn I have and the pattern it is dedicated for. I link to the yarn that needs to be purchased to begin the project and then I make those purchases as the project prior is coming to an end. I don’t force myself to go in chronological order of the finds, rather I organize them based on the time of year and I set goals as to when I’d like to have that project done by and work from there. For example, I found a sweater-vest quantity of hand dyed yarn at a value of $80 for a whopping $3 in a goodwill. The colors are very Autumnal, so I’ve decided it would make the perfect Thanksgiving day sweater. I have it in my notes that I should begin that project during the month of October to have it done in time and now I know that I can purchase that mohair while I finish up my end-of-summer project. This is a system that works for me and that feels sustainable (for now at least). I also have to say, that I really enjoy that thrill of the find and feel like extra excited to get away with such deals. I also don’t feel guilty when I walk away from a yarn in a second-hand shop because it doesn’t fit in to my wardrobe or fiber preferences. I also get to scratch that new-buy itch by finding those supplemental yarns new and getting to order them. I hope this made sense and could maybe help someone who is itching to buy yarn without breaking the bank or the environment!
Thank you for sharing!! I love the idea of a start by and finish by method to organize projects. I think it may help my continuing to balance the number of WIPs I have at once 😄
Well thanks for commenting back!! It’s reassuring to know that I always have plans to get something on the needles once another project wraps up. I think I find joy in the planning and anticipating along the way, which also keeps me from buying unnecessarily since I know I always have a few projects on lineup. I try to plan where I want to wear a specific garment and that helps keep the excitement going throughout!! I would definitely suggest giving it a try!!
Really love your chatty videos, it's really helpful to hear your "ongoing" thoughts on these various topics as I've been thinking about many of these things myself lately. Regarding the yarn wishlist, I've actually started to make something like it a while back - pinterest boards for yarns I want to work with separated by weight, and when I think of a project for the yarn I've paired them up in a board before actually buying the yarn. I feel like seeing a visual overview like this really helps me to understand if I would like the finished thing and not just distracted by an interesting color or design. When it comes to color I'm the opposite of you - I am often drawn to the idea of warm neutrals but I definitely prefer wearing and knitting vibrant colors like red, rust, brown, green and blue.
For me, assessing my wardrobe and identifying what I wear that is not me made and what I’m missing has been really helpful in finding my style and where knits can fit into that. Finding my colour season has also been super helpful to find the colours that work for me so I can get the most wear out of my projects
As always, so thought provoking, thank you! I am also very much project driven. I try to regularly go through my Ravelry queue and „demote“ or delete projects I’ve had on the list for a long time and an unlikely to make any time soon. Keeping the list shorter keeps me more focused on using the yarn I have for the projects I most want.
really enjoyed listening to your views about this topic, emily! I’m doing a yarn swap with my local knitting group the next time we meet and I also have a yarn wishlist 🥰 plus I’m also starting my scrappy blanket soon, so I feel like I’m doing a lot of things to love on my yarn and still am able to add to my stash and knitting what I have planned for all of it 🧡
This was so great, Emily! Your point about having all your yarn out and pairing them together in ways you hadn’t thought of reminded me of how I declutter my wardrobe! If I have a piece of clothing I haven’t worn for whatever reason, I try to pair it with other items/outfits I didn’t think to wear it with. Or why am I not wearing this item - because it’s not comfortable or it’s outgrown my style or it doesn’t fit me well anymore. So crazy how similar our yarn stash is to our closet 😅
My plan is to perfect Irish crochet. Small motif projects that are later joined with netting , perfect for small quantities ^.^ also adding foot and ankle warmers to sweatpants bc I hate when they roll up lol
I really enjoyed the video. I think the most important thing is to reflect on what we love and want to make and wear. It's been a few years since I selected the color pallets that I enjoy, cool colors, especially black and jewel tones. However, because I also want to give a try to new ones, I decided to buy them with cool undertones and use them as stripes with a color I'm comfortable next to my face. I also realized that when it comes to socks, I love a wider range of colors and styles, so I let myself explore more with them.
This was a great episode again. My mother and I did the challenge to come up with three adjectives that describe our styles. And we had a very nice conversation on how knitting trends have changed since the 80s (my mother is knitting since then!). We talked about high and low contrast. The 80s were such a time with incredible contrasts. So compared to that, my mom chose for low contrast. But right now, the trends are towards very little contrast I feel, but she (and I) are somewhat in the middle we feel. As always, greatly appreciate your podcast and keep up the good work.
@@highfiberknits the most interesting (and annoying) yarn is this really bobbly yarn with thick and thing pieces. Hard to find a nice pattern for it but I somehow managed to do so 😊 the stash was not so big anymore because my grandmother stopped knitting quite some time before her passing as she lost a lot of her eyesight. But I saved the yarn that was the prettiest 🥰
Emily, you and I are on the same wavelength!! I talked all about my stash and purchasing yarn intentionally in my latest video, and I think you hit all the points that I didn’t cover in my video. Absolutely loved this video! ❤
I loved your video too! Especially the note that the greatest hits will often come back, and I think the same can be said for commercial yarns and those that are likely to go on sale!
Love this topic as it aligns with where I’m at with knitting (and sewing and consumption in general). I’ve come to many of the same conclusions you have (colour palette for me cool toned neutrals with red and hot pink as colour pops, mostly natural fibres or at least higher percentage of natural fibres than synthetic, knowing my style (minimal, relaxed, classic basics). I also follow Alyssa and Christina and have gained a lot of inspiration from them (and now you).
loved this video! your explanations of how you choose which colours/tones to work with was really inspiring. I've never really analyzed my yarn choices but I think I'll try to be more mindful going forward, using some of your prompts! :)
I can't buy a lot of new yarn unless I have vague ideas for the projects heheh. I do it with thrifted yarn for sure though. I think my last Knit Picks order was a little over a year ago and I have not even finished the cardigan I started the order for xD I am getting to my Dishie for dish towels since I don't have kitchen towels though!
I dont support no yarn buying because if most of us did that yarn stores would go out of business. I do support buying less than what you use up, I like that and its a good incentive to use up stash so you can buy and support the industry.
The one thing I tell people when they start crocheting or knitting is to invest in hooks and needles over investing in yarn because you can make anything with any yarn but not everything can be used as a hook/needle
I have been a knitter over 20 years, started at age of 9. I have only few times bought yarn without an idea what to do with it. I look at patterns for long, look different options and colours before i make a desition. It can take me over a year that i actually deside what yarn and color i use😅 But i'm like this with everything in life, i take my time to choose. Also one project a time works best for me, i'm fast knitter so it takes a week to make sweater, 2 days to make socks so i don't want to delay the progress with multiple projects. I tend to forget what i did since i suck taking notes so that affects my knitting multiple. I almost never knit according to pattern fully or combine patters so it takes sometime lots of remembering. My next scrap project is gonna be the spotsweater 😊 end of this year with this years projects leftovers since my palette is mostly white, grey, beige/brown, black, blue and green.
@@highfiberknits I carry sweater projects to kids hobbies etc in my book tote style bag, but they can be a alot to handle so i totally get what you mean wanting to have smaller to take with. I tried for a while knit multiple same time, i just end up going back to finishing one by one automatically. Would be nice to have small projects on the side but just doesn't work for me 😅 I love seeing podcasters show all their whips in progress, it's really inspiring! (Sorry my english grammar, it's my thrid language)
I ordered one month's worth of a yarn subscritpion once to see if it was something I would enjoy and find value in. I absolutely loved what came in the mail....but I am stuck because I do not know what to do with it. Why? Because I didn't plan for it. I will use it, but I want to use it mindfully as it is so lovely. I also did a 4 week advent calendar for the same reason. This was a calendar in which I opened a different box each Sunday in Advent. It was fun. I have used some of the yarn. Will I do this or another Advent calendar again? Not likely. If I do, I will be very mindful about my choice.
The advents tempt me every time, and I think there is so much value in the experimentation with colors and seeing someone’s vision come to fruition. I hope your projects in these special yarns are lovely!
On your scrappy blanket - I realize you don't have a pattern, but do you just mix all types of yarn on it? What if you have bulky yarn and sock yarn? Do you combine them all? Just wondering. I loved that idea of a scrappy blanket. I think I might do that.
I a using the pattern. Called the Excavation Blanket, which is free on Ravelry. Im holding fingering or sport weight scraps doubles, and DK or worsted scraps single. I won’t be using any bulky yarn, but what I find is that the stripes are so thin that there is minimal noticeable effect of different gauges!
My biggest problem with yarn is that there's one color I love above all other colors (brick red/orange) and whenever I see yarn in this color I want it! So I have many skeins of very similarly colored yarns and they are all very beautiful but do I really need yet another skein of brick red/orange yarn?? (Maybe not...) I think I am at the point now where I have plenty to play around with and I won't be buying more unless it's for a specific project. Although I was very tempted by the Stephen West YAL recently... and I'm not even that into Stephen West! But the marketing for the YAL was incredible. It's all based on floral arrangements and here in the cold rainy tail of winter, it was really appealing to me in all the spring ways! But I held out and did not join up with that. I think that's one thing that really works for me - if I want something, I need to just pause and see if I still want it in a few days. Most times, I don't really. But the impulse is strong, especially if there is a sale or limited quantities. I also prefer to save my buying for in person stores, if possible. My city has 8 yarn stores and even more if you drive outside of it for a bit! I would really like to support them by purchasing in store, and I love seeing colors in person and touching the yarn before buying. I also like the idea of using less packaging materials and less shipping (carbon emissions, etc) wherever possible as well as supporting small businesses in my community.
I love your sentiments about supporting local by going into small businesses in your community, especially because it literally forces you to slow down and consider the purchase and has a higher “activation energy” so to speak.
I really like a lot of what you said here. One of my goals for the rest of the year is to not buy any yarn in Q2. If I make it, then I can buy one sweaters quantity as a prize. Or maybe I can buy a new swift or some other tool. We'll see. Also, as a side note, I find it fascinating how beauty tik tok is following the exact same path as beauty youtube in 2015. Like, beauty youtube had "anti-hauls" and beauty tik tok has "de-influencing." It's the same thing, just a different word. Like I said, fascinating.
