Big Scary Zero

I haven't stated a blog goal for 2012 yet. I'm keeping it simple and yet so hard. It's only February and already this year has hit me some hard blows to my budget that will take me the rest of the year and maybe next to rectify. I'm cutting back in all areas but the only one that is blog worthy is my knitting budget. This year my knitting budget is Zero.

That is actually painful to write. I can be an impulsive shopper and I’m definitely someone that benefits from retail therapy and buying yarn is a real pleasure. Buying yarn feels so much better than eating chocolate. Better than anything. This is going to be really hard and has the potential to lead to woe-is-me feelings. I hate those.

But I have a plan.

First, is to knit the extra nice yarn from my stash. This is the yarn that has been too pretty and too special to knit. The yarn that makes me worry that the knitted object won’t live up to the potential of the yarn and then I won’t have the yarn anymore. I think I can do this. Although, when I can’t buy yarn this is the yarn becomes even more precious but I’m giving myself the permission to enjoy the act of using it and not worrying if the end result is worthy.

Second, is to make my yarn last longer* by knitting scraps. Already I’ve joined a scrap KAL

Third, is spinning yarn. I can make as much yarn as I want.

Fourth, and most important, is secret pal swaps. I still have a few of those in my budget so every other month I’ll get to buy a little something for someone else and I’ll get wonderful surprise yarn in the mail. This is the only thing that gives me a chance of making it. A slight chance at least.

The parts I haven’t figured out yet. How can I have Wild Abandon April without buying yarn? What about my needles? They are 12 years old now and starting to break but I figure it’s blog fodder for the upcoming year.

Finally, by announcing this so late even if I crash and burn next week, hey, I’ve already lasted 2 months. How many goals make it that long?

* taking a moment to point out I’m not going to run out of yarn this year. I have a 3.5 year supply on hand. This is the smallest stash I’ve had since starting my spreadsheet in 2005 but it is still 3.5 years worth of knitting.