Life's a Stitch

And more recently life’s a creative adventure with some travel thrown in.

Img_0120How do you justify occasionally spending $18 for yarn for a pair of socks or $48 for a scarf? You’d never spend $18 on a pair of socks in the store. As long as I don’t need the money for the necessities of life like food and mortgage I can justify it:

1. The time I take knitting the project keeps me out of trouble and away from opportunities to spend way more on random things I don’t need.

2. It’s a good value timewise. A movie costs in excess of $10 and it’s over in two hours.

3. It’s healthy – $18 could buy a lot of chocolate.

4. You can wear what you made. Try wearing $18 worth of chocolate on any part of your body other than your hips, where it ultimately settles.

5. Use can use the item as a gift. Unless, of course the recipient would prefer $18 worth of chocolate.

6. I don’t smoke, eat much chocolate or go to bars.  I only have two magazine subscriptions (a previous addiction), and don’t spend money on TV, certainly I can splurge guiltfree on yarn.

Now I feel better. I hope you do, too.

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14 responses to “Justification”

  1. Susan Avatar

    I do feel better, and I’m glad that I’m not the only one who has such sound rationalizations about yarn purchases. I think that there’s also another health factor — if you’re sitting and knitting with the nice, expensive yarn, it’s unlikely that you will be eating while you are knitting, so it’s a good calorie reduction strategy.

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  2. monica Avatar

    You forgot about not using the money on drugs. Although to me yarn is my drug.

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  3. Uli Avatar

    It’s gorgeous, I love it and you’re totally justfified. I sometimes question myself when I pay for yarn, especially sock yarn – especially when my Mom questions why I would spend so much to make a pair of socks but then I have a very similar rationalization to yours…..
    Nice yarn. Enjoy!!!

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  4. Ellen Avatar
    Ellen

    It works for me. So how do I justify having to fly to Vancouver to GET yarn?

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  5. Rebekah Avatar

    Definitely do feel better. Good reasons, all of them. I’d like to add:
    It’s a lot cheaper then a psychiatrist.

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  6. Kristen Avatar

    Those are all perfectly sane justifications, which I often employ too.

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  7. Jane Avatar

    I thought you didn’t make socks?

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  8. Becca Avatar

    This is close to the sentiment of an exact coversation between my best friend who is a knitter and I recently had.
    Her:”I almost bought you a pair of socks, but they were $7.”
    Me: “That’s ok. I don’t want to buy $7 socks. Let’s go buy sock yarn that’s $12, or $16, or more!”
    And yes, I just bought some online.

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  9. Dorothy Avatar

    You certainly don’t need to justify to us!! Hey – even better – I have a $15 credit at Marilyn’s but by the time I get up there the STR will probably all be gone. I like the comparison to the movie – I’m not going to any more. I’ll stay home, watch movies on TV and spend the money on yarn!

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  10. Christine Avatar

    I think I will print that post out and save it for future reference (when I buy yarn) to make myself feel better! 😛 I couldn’t agree more with your points!

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  11. crazy for yarn in alabama: Darlene Avatar

    I will DEFINITELY be memorizing your justification for expensive socks!! LOL!!!

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  12. Lynne Avatar

    I haven’t met many skeins of yarn that didn’t make me feel real good…better than any beer ever could!

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  13. Lorette Avatar

    Indeed. Just think of the hours of gratification you’ll get out of that $18 skein of yarn. And it keeps you out of taverns, too, unless you happen to be one of those who knits in taverns.

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  14. FinnyKnits Avatar

    The extra $$ goes toward being able to pick out the EXACT color socks/sweater/scarf/washcloth/etc that you want. I mean, what’s worse than an off-color washcloth? Nothing. Nothing that a $20 hank of the perfectly hued yarn won’t fix

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