Hey there :) I just found your video recommended and really liked your vibe. Also, I want to stash down myself and commited myself to a no-buy policy until at least summer to give myself some breathing space, the opportunity to use the yarns that I have and am excited for and also, to save money why I per default invested in yarn, wheather I needed it or not. I already am quite intentional about what I make. My difficulty is that my making-bone is quite moody and I have to give it much thought to give voice to all the parts of me that want to make something (or not make something). Which brings me to an observation that I have made for quite some time: knitting is so much soul, so much psychology. How we approach knitting, how we approach buying, how we approach chosing what to make, how we feel about those long hours of stockinette stitch or knits that are rewarding, that keep us going. Knitting taught me so much about life: how to perservere, how to pick something and see it through, how to finnish things. How to know when it is right to discard an endeavor. How to really choose what to knit (will I be wearing this? Or do I knit it because everybody knits it, but I don't feel at home in this garment). How I feel when I don't knit and why. I really look for those kind of observations in podcasts and so seldomly find them. Here, I did and I am so glad about that :)
Finally a podcast with reference to environmental impact. How can we rationalize another year of making a dozen sweaters, several shawls, endless socks, etc? But we LOVE to knit. It's a struggle but one more makers will start to address I hope. Thank you for such an honest summation of the issue. Ottawa, Canada
Thank you for examining your habits of consumption with such openness, because it’s really helped encourage me to look at my own! I don’t know if it’s just the algorithm showing me more of what I want to see, or if more folks truly are talking about the intersection of consumerism and fiber crafts, but I’m loving hearing everyone’s thoughts. (And I’m secretly hoping that the trend toward beige everything will at least give undyed fiber a bit of a boost?) I’m personally trying to spend this year and the next knitting from stash because the most sustainable yarn is the stuff I already own (as I keep telling myself when I want something new, ha!) and then I want to move toward using natural fibers. Thanks for sharing your journey!
Getting into communities were folks are so creative, I frequently get excited by something I see and daydream about doing it, then fill an online shopping cart and abandon it, like window shopping. And I realize it's what I'm programmed to do, turn to the market to dream of accumulation. You're right it's hard work. I'm working on redirecting that creative urge toward transforming what I already have and what folks have already shared with me.
Thank you for covering this with such insight and openness about where you are coming from and the ways you are examining your purchases and curating your stash to fit your values. You really got me thinking. Such a great discussion and I can't wait to see where 2024 leads you! ❤❤❤
I really appreciate your openness and honesty when discussing this topic, and I'm glad the stashdown process could be both healing and informative for you! You've definitely got me thinking about my own stash
I’m happy you shared a more real journey with fiber arts. I have decided 2024 will be a year of reflection and conscious spending. I have taken over my house with yarn and cross stitch, it has gone past getting out of control.
I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on your destashing process and also your feelings towards future purchases. And you are a lot younger than I am! I only began thinking about my fiber preferences a few years ago, after age 65. I do like acid dyes and will continue to use and enjoy them. I would like to support indie dyers but I am much more concerned with the yarn base they are using. My goal now is to support US fiber producers, so I don't want merino superwash that came from Australia via China or Turkey. I especially am thrilled by the local women run mills such as Junction Fiber Mill and Battenkill fibers. Women, local wool! I have decided as well to only buy US made clothing. The other option is to shop at thrift stores and buy anything. So far this is working because I have a bunch of clothing. Shoes are an issue. And there are exceptions that I allow myself. But it's a plan, sort of. I spin a lot of yarn, and that is used a lot. But I do purchase local yarn. Anyway, May the new year be good to you and I will keep enjoying your podcasts.
Yes! Supporting local mills and producers is a feel good panacea for the problematic yarn/fiber sourcing. I too have plenty of clothes and barring a very specific need that isn’t fulfilled by my closet I am 100% on board with thrifting. Shoes and goods like that I have been trying to source from American companies and with an eye towards material sourcing and quality. I want to have one pair of rain boots for the rest of my life, that sort of thing.
Downsizing to what you really love is truly healing. I can't wait to see what you have made recently! I made over 20 hand spun Christmas gifts this year, and it's been wonderful giving them to friends, neighbors and family, it feels so satisfying knowing that the pieces will be cherished. Plus I get to see what I've made as my loved ones wear them all winter long.
Hey Manda! I'm so glad that your stashdown was successful and has given you some mental space and clarity to really see what it is in your making that brings you the most joy. My initial goals this year didn't involve any numbers or hard and fast rules either. I wanted to use the yarn that I already had, but I also didn't want to force it. My dream stash is one that is mostly handspun with some special small-batch and farm yarns sprinkled throughout. I still have a ways to go, but I'm making progress and I'm happy with that. I'll probably continue with these goals into the new year because it does help to limit the overwhelm and keep my crafting in a place of joy and clarity. I'm excited to see what new things you have cooking for the new year and I'm wishing you all the best as we enter into 2024.
I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this, thank you! I feel very similar to yourself,especially since i really got into processing my own fleece and spinning it. Such a dopamine hit when you realise hoe good for the environment it is, isn't it?😊 Really love how down to earth, and kind to yourself, you are. Can't wait to see what this uear brings!❤
I love how this wasn't a "here was my 2023 checklist, and i either failed or passed" and more about the journey of meeting yourself where you're at, and understanding you're not always the same version of yourself (and that's a good thing!)
I was just having this discussion with my family! And realizing I was getting anxiety by having to many choices. So I chose to do a stash down by gifting some towels and honestly just going through my stuff and seeing what I actually want to work with and what I actually want to use. Like you said, if it isn’t something I want to use or deal with it is time for it to go :) Thank you for such a thoughtful nd straightforward look at why we collect our stashes. A lot of mine was beginner excitement to try “all the things” and also dopamine hits on rough weeks.
I wish you a super nice holiday period. May you have plenty of meaningful time with your loved ones. I wish us all Peace, Health, Empathy, Compassion, Love and Joy for the New Year. May we all have lots of time for creativity and crafting.
So funny, before I got to the end I was thinking about how intentionality can be a source of dopamine if done right, and then you talked about it! It's hard though because it's the less "instant gratification" route as opposed to clicking "buy now". But sometimes the intentional route is just as gratifying, if not more so!
I guess I am the opposite lol. I am really close to retirement and won’t have as much money. So I buy a lot of different things on market place. Because I like choices. Now if I live to be 500. I might get them all done 😂😂😂
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Different approaches for different people especially at different stages in life. I bet you’ve got a lovely collection to keep you busy ❤️
Some very good points. I am going through a bit of this type of reflection myself. When does “a lot” become too much? I never really got into acrylic yarns or even superwash wool- other than for socks- and even for socks- I prefer real untreated wool. I just have so damn much of it.
Ahhhhh... Can I share that I feel seriously conflicted when people just make things to just to make things...? I'm not sure how to explain it, but there's a certain style of making that feels bit consumer-istic with churning projects out 🥲 Making stuff you need, if it's gonna be reasonably used or cherished dearly, is a whole work of inner reflection 🪞😂
I agree, it’s a very amorphous space for me. I just finished a pair of socks and have come to the realization that I really don’t need to put another pair in the needles right away. Taking the time to really cherish each item as I make it has been a really nice addition to my making
@@Coastalwoolwashing Wonderful, it might serve you or someone else 😊 I'm working on a crochet doll I've been thinking about for a couple of months while doing a slow destash
Hey there :) I just found your video recommended and really liked your vibe. Also, I want to stash down myself and commited myself to a no-buy policy until at least summer to give myself some breathing space, the opportunity to use the yarns that I have and am excited for and also, to save money why I per default invested in yarn, wheather I needed it or not. I already am quite intentional about what I make. My difficulty is that my making-bone is quite moody and I have to give it much thought to give voice to all the parts of me that want to make something (or not make something). Which brings me to an observation that I have made for quite some time: knitting is so much soul, so much psychology. How we approach knitting, how we approach buying, how we approach chosing what to make, how we feel about those long hours of stockinette stitch or knits that are rewarding, that keep us going. Knitting taught me so much about life: how to perservere, how to pick something and see it through, how to finnish things. How to know when it is right to discard an endeavor. How to really choose what to knit (will I be wearing this? Or do I knit it because everybody knits it, but I don't feel at home in this garment). How I feel when I don't knit and why. I really look for those kind of observations in podcasts and so seldomly find them. Here, I did and I am so glad about that :)
Hey there! I’m glad you found a little slice of introspective making here! I agree it has a lot of lessons that we can apply other area of life 😊
Finally a podcast with reference to environmental impact. How can we rationalize another year of making a dozen sweaters, several shawls, endless socks, etc? But we LOVE to knit. It's a struggle but one more makers will start to address I hope. Thank you for such an honest summation of the issue. Ottawa, Canada
You’re welcome! It’s a difficult topic to navigate both publicly and internally. Thanks for watching ❤️
Thank you for examining your habits of consumption with such openness, because it’s really helped encourage me to look at my own! I don’t know if it’s just the algorithm showing me more of what I want to see, or if more folks truly are talking about the intersection of consumerism and fiber crafts, but I’m loving hearing everyone’s thoughts. (And I’m secretly hoping that the trend toward beige everything will at least give undyed fiber a bit of a boost?) I’m personally trying to spend this year and the next knitting from stash because the most sustainable yarn is the stuff I already own (as I keep telling myself when I want something new, ha!) and then I want to move toward using natural fibers. Thanks for sharing your journey!
You’re welcome! Thank you for watching! Natural undyed fibers can come in such a pretty range of colors too!
Getting into communities were folks are so creative, I frequently get excited by something I see and daydream about doing it, then fill an online shopping cart and abandon it, like window shopping. And I realize it's what I'm programmed to do, turn to the market to dream of accumulation. You're right it's hard work. I'm working on redirecting that creative urge toward transforming what I already have and what folks have already shared with me.
I’ve done that too. I’ve had a silly amount of tabs open with filled carts and I’ll check them out every once in awhile
Thank you for covering this with such insight and openness about where you are coming from and the ways you are examining your purchases and curating your stash to fit your values. You really got me thinking. Such a great discussion and I can't wait to see where 2024 leads you! ❤❤❤
Thanks evie!
I really appreciate your openness and honesty when discussing this topic, and I'm glad the stashdown process could be both healing and informative for you! You've definitely got me thinking about my own stash
Thank you! It’s hard to manage stash when traveling like you are! Enjoy the travels and worry about it later ☺️
I’m happy you shared a more real journey with fiber arts. I have decided 2024 will be a year of reflection and conscious spending. I have taken over my house with yarn and cross stitch, it has gone past getting out of control.
Thank you! If you can, allow yourself forgiveness too. It’s all a journey and each part has its own merit ❤️
I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on your destashing process and also your feelings towards future purchases. And you are a lot younger than I am! I only began thinking about my fiber preferences a few years ago, after age 65. I do like acid dyes and will continue to use and enjoy them. I would like to support indie dyers but I am much more concerned with the yarn base they are using. My goal now is to support US fiber producers, so I don't want merino superwash that came from Australia via China or Turkey. I especially am thrilled by the local women run mills such as Junction Fiber Mill and Battenkill fibers. Women, local wool! I have decided as well to only buy US made clothing. The other option is to shop at thrift stores and buy anything. So far this is working because I have a bunch of clothing. Shoes are an issue. And there are exceptions that I allow myself. But it's a plan, sort of. I spin a lot of yarn, and that is used a lot. But I do purchase local yarn. Anyway, May the new year be good to you and I will keep enjoying your podcasts.
Yes! Supporting local mills and producers is a feel good panacea for the problematic yarn/fiber sourcing. I too have plenty of clothes and barring a very specific need that isn’t fulfilled by my closet I am 100% on board with thrifting. Shoes and goods like that I have been trying to source from American companies and with an eye towards material sourcing and quality. I want to have one pair of rain boots for the rest of my life, that sort of thing.
Downsizing to what you really love is truly healing. I can't wait to see what you have made recently! I made over 20 hand spun Christmas gifts this year, and it's been wonderful giving them to friends, neighbors and family, it feels so satisfying knowing that the pieces will be cherished. Plus I get to see what I've made as my loved ones wear them all winter long.
That’s wonderful! And I agree, healing comes to us in so many ways ☺️
Hey Manda! I'm so glad that your stashdown was successful and has given you some mental space and clarity to really see what it is in your making that brings you the most joy. My initial goals this year didn't involve any numbers or hard and fast rules either. I wanted to use the yarn that I already had, but I also didn't want to force it. My dream stash is one that is mostly handspun with some special small-batch and farm yarns sprinkled throughout. I still have a ways to go, but I'm making progress and I'm happy with that. I'll probably continue with these goals into the new year because it does help to limit the overwhelm and keep my crafting in a place of joy and clarity. I'm excited to see what new things you have cooking for the new year and I'm wishing you all the best as we enter into 2024.
Thank you so much! I love that you have made progress according to your goals and what works for you! Enjoy the holidays!
I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this, thank you! I feel very similar to yourself,especially since i really got into processing my own fleece and spinning it. Such a dopamine hit when you realise hoe good for the environment it is, isn't it?😊 Really love how down to earth, and kind to yourself, you are. Can't wait to see what this uear brings!❤
Thank you for the kind words!
You hit the nail on the head! Congrats.😊😊
I love how this wasn't a "here was my 2023 checklist, and i either failed or passed" and more about the journey of meeting yourself where you're at, and understanding you're not always the same version of yourself (and that's a good thing!)
A year is a long time to work on a goal and not go through some sort of evolution ☺️
I was just having this discussion with my family! And realizing I was getting anxiety by having to many choices.
So I chose to do a stash down by gifting some towels and honestly just going through my stuff and seeing what I actually want to work with and what I actually want to use. Like you said, if it isn’t something I want to use or deal with it is time for it to go :)
Thank you for such a thoughtful nd straightforward look at why we collect our stashes. A lot of mine was beginner excitement to try “all the things” and also dopamine hits on rough weeks.
That beginner frenzy is such a big one too. We want to try all the things!
I wish you a super nice holiday period. May you have plenty of meaningful time with your loved ones. I wish us all Peace, Health, Empathy, Compassion, Love and Joy for the New Year. May we all have lots of time for creativity and crafting.
Well said! Enjoy the holidays ☺️
So funny, before I got to the end I was thinking about how intentionality can be a source of dopamine if done right, and then you talked about it! It's hard though because it's the less "instant gratification" route as opposed to clicking "buy now". But sometimes the intentional route is just as gratifying, if not more so!
Absolutely! Gratification has those different levels of intensity. Instant gratification also fades just as quickly
I haven't bought yarn for almost a year.,I have enough for 10 - 20 years
And that’s ok - if it works for you then there is nothing wrong with it ☺️
I guess I am the opposite lol. I am really close to retirement and won’t have as much money. So I buy a lot of different things on market place. Because I like choices. Now if I live to be 500. I might get them all done 😂😂😂
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Different approaches for different people especially at different stages in life. I bet you’ve got a lovely collection to keep you busy ❤️
Some very good points. I am going through a bit of this type of reflection myself. When does “a lot” become too much? I never really got into acrylic yarns or even superwash wool- other than for socks- and even for socks- I prefer real untreated wool. I just have so damn much of it.
Ahhhhh... Can I share that I feel seriously conflicted when people just make things to just to make things...? I'm not sure how to explain it, but there's a certain style of making that feels bit consumer-istic with churning projects out 🥲
Making stuff you need, if it's gonna be reasonably used or cherished dearly, is a whole work of inner reflection 🪞😂
I agree, it’s a very amorphous space for me. I just finished a pair of socks and have come to the realization that I really don’t need to put another pair in the needles right away. Taking the time to really cherish each item as I make it has been a really nice addition to my making
@@Coastalwoolwashing Wonderful, it might serve you or someone else 😊 I'm working on a crochet doll I've been thinking about for a couple of months while doing a slow destash