Resolutions for Knitting

In coming to the shelter, I have naturally had to pair down my possessions to only the most basic of daily items.  So along with toothpaste and organic coconut oil (seriously I need to write just about that, but it'll get x rated), my daily necessities include knitting implements.

I've been knitting since I was 5.  I was a precocious child, or more specifically, my mother needed to shut me up.  For 20 or more years I've been collecting various knitting accoutrements.  I have vintage or perhaps antique needles given to me by my son's grandmother on his father's side (is that the best way to say that?), as well as bamboo, aluminum, laminated birch, plastic, interchangeable, straights, double pointed, and just soooo much stuff that goes with all of that.

Obviously, I could not bring all of that with me, and the reality is, a knitter (some of whom would perhaps stab me for writing this) does not need all that stuff.  I've managed to create a small pouch of basic items that will not only get me through international security and TSA, but fulfill all my knitting needs.

 What you are looking at is, a basic set of Denise interchangeables, scissors and crochet hook from a broken The Knit Kit, a few locking stitch markers, and a tape measure from Lion Brand, which I have an abundance of that I've never had to pay for.  

That's it.

As for yarn, I've had to downgrade my "stash" as well.  Basically, I no longer have one.  First of all, I had to throw out the few balls I had left.  They were wool, and they had been eaten by carpet beetles while living at my parents house (apparently the damn things eat wood too, there weren't any carpets there).  Second, and this is where the resolution part comes in, I'm no longer going to buy yarn just to add to a stash.

I wrote a comment addressing this on the Lion Brand blog, and I've mulled over it even more.  I'm going to choose my projects with a bit more care, and buy the yarn specifically and only for that project, cast on and finish, then, not buy more yarn until I have finished the previous project.  I've been doing this since November, and it works very well.  

I use the needles and immplements that I have and don't need more.  Not needing that huge box of things is very freeing, no extra anything, and it's pretty cool.  

I'm not missing out on anything, I just finished a sweater, from a vintage pattern nonetheless.

All those things aren't necessary. 

Now, the only yarn I have on hand are 5 balls of Paton's Glam Stripes, that I managed to snatch up at the Dollar Tree.  I'm making my daughter a pinafore as they were all the rage in the Beatrix Potter books worn by cats and Jemima Puddle Duck.

So, can I still to my resolution?  I have been thus far, and will continue to do so.

This experience of living at the shelter is such a great time to learn how to live with less. Much less, and more importantly, learn to appreciate the things I have and not take them for granted.  The one thing I learned by living in Greece was that Americans simply have too much stuff, and look at us, we're unhealthy, over weight, and all we seem to care about is that golden American Dream that seems to more often lead to heart attack and stroke than it does to a beautiful house and nice car.  

I'm not giving into it anymore.  I've already thrown out more than half my possessions, and once we get permanent housing, I plan on throwing out even more, because I don't need it.  I'm going to sit down with Shadow and perfectly curate a collection of personal belongings that is not only meaniful, but useful in our day to day existence.

With that said, I'm going to enjoy a cup of green jasmine tea and continue my knitting.