YA

I believe I have a yarn addiction. Just as there is an AA for alcoholics, might there be a YA for people like me? I collect coupons and actually have to restrain myself from going to the craft store and getting more yarn. Just because I can get it for 40% off doesn't mean I NEED to, right?

This is precisely why I need to (a)keep knitting with what I have and (b) explore options like knitting with plastic bags and old t-shirts. The t-shirt thing from the previous blog would also work well for that and can be cut into a "yarn" by using the same technique as for plastic bags.

It's funny what we fill our time with. Tonight I'm watching the movie Julie and Julia. I find it to be inspiring. We all need something to fill our time with. In my last job I would have called it my PMA or positive mental attitude. Basically, it's one of the needs of survival. No one is making smart decisions when they're going out of their minds with boredom and/or anxiety. So my project, partially out of interest and partially out of necessity, has become knitting. Or more so starting a business in it.

Is it preposterous to think that you can knit your way out of financial ruin? It might be. My father keeps telling me I should be careful so I don't get an onset of carpal tunnel. If anyone knows about that it's him.

I've decided that besides the threat of carpal tunnel looming in my future, it might just be possible. Am I becoming rich overnight? Nope. But I am mostly covering my costs. There are a couple things not covered, but you've got to invest, right? I figure, if after three weeks I've covered my costs, I'm not doing too badly right?

I would be doing even better, but have found that I had to turn down a big client on a custom order. Knitting is not a quick thing, and when given a 6 day turnaround time on a large order to be made from scratch with new materials and a custom logo which I've had to figure out how to print myself (see last blog) AND get it shipped by Friday....I just have to say no. Very reluctantly, no. Ironically, they did turn out to be based out of Minneapolis, close to home. Seemed like a big company and I was very sad to turn them down. It certainly could have lead to something good. You just gotta send them a prototype and a business card and hope for the best.

So I continue on with my addiction. Most of my coupons expired today, and strangely enough, I felt almost proud of myself that I didn't go running off to use them. I do, however, have one that is still good until the 19th...I maybe be back again. So hard to resist when you know you get every single item almost half off if you only just space your visits, ha ha.

I suppose there's worse. I could be filling my time of missing home and little cash with worse things like drugs, alcohol, illegal cock fights...who knows. Instead, I use my spare time buying yarn and turning it into cute cuddly things for people to wear and use. Yeah, there could be worse things.