How Much Do I Really Need?

I had been "on the wagon" for a good bit of time when it came to not buying yarn. I love yarn but I think I became more a collector than a user. All the pretty colors and the hand-dyed ones were drop dead gorgeous. One thing I was realizing though, was that I would purchase a beautiful hand-dyed yarn online, but by the time it arrived, I was lacking the same enthusiasm that I had when I put it in my basket and hit the purchase button. What happened between the day I purchased it and the day it arrived? I really have no explanation, but that's when I decided to stop buying for awhile. I had not bought a single skein in over 2 years, but decided I would hop off the wagon and get a few solid skeins from Hobbii. With these, I could use them for anything I wanted to make. I find that the hand-dyed (although gorgeous) limited me on how they could be used.

Don't get me wrong. I think hand-dyed yarn is gorgeous, but many of the patterns I have cannot be used with them. It took me forever to realize that. The same with self-patterning commercial yarns. I see many older patterns on Ravelry that are nice but you cannot really see the patterns until they are knit in a plain color or something that is quite subtle. If you have noticed, many of those patterns have only a few projects made, and I assume it's from not being able to see the beauty of the how the pattern was designed - only the yarn patterning. If you look through the few projects, on will find that when made in solid colors or tonals, there's a difference, and the beauty of the pattern stands out.

It's funny how that all came to light while I was not buying any yarn. But the wildest thing is, it has spilled into other areas of my life as well. I look at things differently now. I'm no longer buying things, putting things away for someday or buying just because it's on sale. I don't stock up on many things now. Clothes last forever as long as I chose carefully. Gone are the days of buying cheap clothes that I bought on a whim. Same with practically everything else in my life. 

We do hit grocery sales and stock up when the price is good - but we don't overdo it. Same with other household needs. Only buy when the price is good and when we NEED it, not WANT it. 

It amazes me that by just stopping getting on item for a bit a time, that my whole perspective has changed. I has come at a good time, too, because of the economy. Prices keep continuing to go up, but not our paychecks. But what I think amazes me the most is all the stuff I don't buy any more! I look at things that I like and think, "Do I need it or do I just want it?" and almost all of the time, it doesn't come home with me. 

Yes - the Wagon was a GOOD thing!