out of bounds

At the beginning of the year, I created some boundaries in order to temper my yarn acquisition, push myself creatively, encourage myself to complete more projects, and improve my physical and mental health. A goal related to completing projects is to compress the stash. Ten percent should do it.

For a month or so now, I've considered whether distributing some of my stash should be converted to a credit to my yarn budget. It does nothing for me fiscally, but it does reduce stash and create good karma. For stash given to other knitters, I will credit my yarn budget with half of market value.

With that new rule stated, here's a tally of all money spent on fiber and related items in February 2007.

store	$
Circles	115
A Good Yarn	14
Woolcott	74
Mind's Eye	68
Irish Imports	8
Grafton Fibers	18
on line	15
total spent	312

Well, that looks good if you retail yarn. It looks like a lot of money from one's pocket. Some of the items purchased don't count against my budget: needles ($30), magazines ($7), and gifts ($90). I also decided to allow indulging in workshops and field trips ($100). Those substractions leave a total of $85.

And here's the plus side of the sheet:

item	$
rolled over from last month	29
getting out of bed ($1 per day)	28
walking ($1 per mile)	17
packages mailed ($2 per each)	12
weight lost and kept off one month ($5 per pound)	50
stash redistributed	36
total yarn budget	172

So, a budget of $172, less the $85 spent, leaves $87 in the coffers for next month. But there was a major indiscretion, not tallied here, which I will reveal in the near future. There was also a minor indiscretion. The yarn in question, while not a huge chunk of change, is enabling a violation of "start all projects from stash." More on this later.

(Notes to self: walking mileage low due to respiratory flu and ice storm. FOs absent due to lacking the energy to block three scarves and one shawl that require only this for finishing.)

Now that you mention it ...

Dave, I meant to convey that I was adding a rule in the second paragraph of the post. I did not manage to consider all situations when I set up my rules in January.

Kim, perhaps you will find your answer in thinking about why you opted for a stash diet in the first place.

Rebecca, for the record, I did not mean to taunt the Mafia! She knows that a little gift from me is in the realm of possibility. By the way, an old flame of mine began to call me a tease once, and then reconsidered, "Tart yes, tease no." Just so.

Mafia honey, the stuff that I got was tweed (all wool, not surprising), eco-friendly and from County Donegal, and 50 grams for FOUR bucks. Hate me now, or just tell me what colors you like.

Dorothy, thanks for giving me credit for soldiering on. Under my current rules, I would need to give away double the value of stash to counter the indiscretion. Not out of the question.

Comments

[colleen]

Jim, I'm a city planner, not an accountant. Looks good to me!

[Dave]

Is "stash redistribution" a new category? I don't remember seeing that before. Are you changing the rules midway thru?

[Kim]

Kudos to you for keeping track and keeping yourself honest. Me, I broke my stash diet (but for Noro Lily at $4 a ball?) and have yet to consider a penance. Perhaps giving some of my prize(d) yarn to a friend who gave me some yarn she didn't want?

[Rebecca H.]

Mafia doesn't need to know about the yarn that I got at Irish Imports. It's not nice to taunt people like that.

I think the indiscretion was justified, personally.

[The Feminist Mafia]

Irish Imports sells YARN!!??? swoonoooooonnnnoooonnn.

I mean ... I'm totally on a stash diet. Pay no attention to the Mafia behind the curtain.

[Dorothy]

Not a bad month. It could be worse, you could have just written off the whole project after one indiscretion. You could always commit to reducing your stash by an additional percentage that matches the percent your stash went up by with the indiscretion and that would atone for it.