Our mill visit

Well as I said I was visitng Cold spring mill well my wonderful husband spoilt me firstly he bought me 600g of mystery Noro looks like silk garden but is a all purple not stripes, a cone of mystery yarn of 600g which we have identified as Castle 4ply and a hank of Arrucania ranco multi. Now this came to al lot and would of wipped out most of my budget but it was his gift to me allowed under the rule.

I did buy some yarn myself in a little shop that sells mill ends by weight, here I spent £14.50 on various unbrannded yarn. I  £2.50 worth of this was for my mother so £12.00 of my budget has gone.

I have also just paid for the KnitPicks I have been waiting for since before the challenge stated with postage this was £19.

So £51.26 minus £31.00 leaves 20.26

Sorry should of posted this ages ago but saved it to drafts I have no finished objects to show this time.

Well in February I have been working on 5 projects 2 of which are not finished. Each project has a clicky link to the Ravelry page for members who want more details.

The first to be finished was a hat for my son's friend for his 6th birthday.using around  46m of Chevy Aran I can not be sure as there was no length on the ball band.

Next was a hat for my son using Stylecraft Special Aran 61m

Lastly was a shawl using the yarn I bought with Coquille in mind back in November but on seeing pictures of it knit up in this yarn I changed my mind and chose a different shawl. I used 323m of Zauberball

 

So this month I have knit 430m earning me £4.30

 I have spent £4.51 on 1 ball of Cascade 220 off the form I use and £7.30 on a skein of Colinette Art for my daughters birthday gift. 

                    
So £58.76 minus £11.81 equals £46.96 plus earnings of £4.30 equals a grand total of £51.26

I wonder how I will fair on Monday when I visit Coldspring Mill and a few wool shops around Keighley when we go to collect my husband Valentines gift but he has promised me a gift of some yarn.

January 2011

Well this month I have completed 3 items


The first is a hat made with the Mirasol Cotanani I bought last month 108m










Second is a scarf made with 2 skeins of Rowan Colourscape 320m














Lastly is a little cardigan in King Cole splash for a friend expecting a little girl 275m











So I have knit 703m earning me £7.03

I have spent £2.20 on 2 balls of clearance aran

So 4.83 plus £53.93 total £58.76

I have also started to add my stash to Ravelry and I'm up to over 20 miles so I better knit faster

Spending in the sales

Well it is the end of the year and and today was my LYS sale. First I'll cover my achievements then go onto my spends.

My knitting projects.

First it the tiny sweater ornament I made for the swap on a forum I use.

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Second is a little beret using 95m Rowan Kid Classic

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Next it the Cape, knit using 965m of King Cole Magnum Chunky.It was named the cape from hell as I worried I'd never finish it and it is so heavy. Now its is a wonderful pattern and simple to knit but the gauge is wrong on the pattern as it requires a needle size not used. I'm very pleased with it and so is my mam who's Christmas gift it is. Now I thought I'd never finish this and ran out of yarn I needed at least 1 ball possibly 2 which I had to order but as it was a gift I will not deduct the £4.98 from my budget. I do have some of this yarn left so will make my mam a hat to match.

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I promised a little girl I know I would knit for her ages ago and did this hat last minute in King Cole Sundae it used 95m.

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The Christmas stocking now I'm guilty of not weighing this but it took nearly 2 whole balls of the red so if I say the leftovers are less than the cream we are looking at 250m. This is for my little boy, and this is the kit I ordered at the knitting and stitching show it took ages to arrive and there were lots of problems with the snow but it was finished the day before Christmas Eve. I altered the patterns slightly but I'm very pleased with it.

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Lastly is a lacy Baktus made for a special friend using just short of 2 skeins or Sirdar just Soy 210m.

So I have knit 1655m earning me £16.55


Spends


Hobby craft now a massive bargain 1 ball of Rowan Alpaca Cotton for £1.49

LYS spent £28
2 Rowan Pure Wool Aran £4
2 Rowan Pure Wool 4-ply £4
2 Patons Colour Works Aran £4
4 Mirasol Hacho £6
2 Mirasol Cotanani green £3
2 Mirasol Cotanani grey £3
3 Rico Organic Twist Aran grey £3
1 Araucania Patagonia blue £1 (have some of this stashed already)

So yarn fund stands at £66.87 carried over from last month £29.49 spent and £16.55 earned so £53.93

Please don't think I have forgotten you all, I have been busy knitting and looking after my children.


I visited Harrogate and easily managed to keep to budget in fact I have to say I wasn't impressed at all by the show too many people stalls too crowded and no great offers I'd rather browse the Internet.


I returned with a few items, 2 hanks of Rowan Colourscape chunky for a scarf, I've wanted this for a while, I ball of Zauberball to knit a coquille and I fell in love with a stocking kit on one stall but they had sold out put one is being posted, I just hope the snow doesn't delay it too long or it will not be knit by Christmas. So less than £37.


In addition I bought a notions case and mini sock blocker keyring.


Right on to stash busting since my last post I have knit

Elliot 178 mtrs of Lidl Fontana Scarf yarn



Janet 112 mtrs of Artesano Aran










Cable Hat 92 mtrs Sirdar Hug














I have also done a few tiny projects for Christmas swaps that I can't blog about yet and I have been working hard on a cape as a Christmas gift.

I will also admit I have photographed and listed most of my stash but that will have to wait till I have a few hours spare.

So yarn fund stands at £63.85 remaining and £3.82 earned so £66.87

Hello I'm a yarnaholic

I have a big problem and up till now it was getting bigger so I have enlisted the help of some friend on http://www.knittingforums.org.uk/ to help me recover.

I like knitting and I love yarn a lot as a result I buy a lot now I have enough to keep me going for years I do not need to buy more I cannot store more, in the knitting world this is known as stash, so here is my journey it starts today with baby steps but come 01.01.11. I will take full control.

Here is my 7 point plan:

1. if I knit then it must be from my stash unless it is a gift for someone (even then it should be stash if possible, I can claim the full cost any yarn bought to make a gift once it is knit)
2. if some one asks me to knit for them they must buy the yarn (I don't often knit for others as a rule)
3. I can ask for and receive gifts of yarn (or money for yarn)
4. I can give gifts of yarn
5. I can swap or sell yarn (the money made can go in my yarn fund)
6. I can buy yarn but it must come out of my yarn fund.
7. I can earn yarn fund by knitting 1 pence for every meter of yarn I knit ( This is per finished item UFOs do not count if I finish a WIP I can count this for my fund) 

Now this is not as daft as it sounds and here are some explanations:
UFO unfinished object - things you start to knit and never finish
WIP work in progress, anything on the needles that you are paying some attention to after a while it become a UFO
Now here is the big thing the FUND
I have already made the commitment to go to Harrogate with my mother so there is no way I can go and not buy yarn I also have some Knit Picks on order (this is not available in the UK so in being imported from the USA)
My fund is £100 now here is the scary part I have probably spent more than that in the last month on yarn and yarn related products.
I'm not sure how the fund will last a decent yarn is £6-£15 and around 100-350 depending on weight but I know if I stick to this I will reduce the amount I have by a lot and that is what I need to do.
So feel free to follow me and support me a few friends are going to join me on this journey.
I plan to post with updates on my makes and buys and I might if I'm brave enough share some stash photographs but as I can't physically store my yarn in one place it will have to wait.