Belated New Year's Resolutions

I started talking about a yarn fast a few months ago. And then I went to trunk shows and won some yarn. A friend of mine suggested that I was actually on a yarn diet, not a yarn fast. I agree that it is probably more realistic to plan to restrict my yarn purchases, instead of banning any new yarn purchase altogether. And since I don't want to end up with a stash of unmanageable proportions, I really need to take this yarn diet seriously. Especially since I'll be moving across the continent in a few months, and I don't want to have to explain to the customs officer why I have all this yarn...

In an effort to make this yarn diet more effective, I have decided to put some rules in writing for everyone to see, in the hope that it will make me stick to them.

Here they are:

1. I am allowed to purchase yarn to knit/crochet gifts, if and only if suitable yarn is not available in the stash. Priority should be given to using yarn from the stash. If there is suitable yarn in the stash but not in the quantity required for a given project, I will be allowed to purchase yarn to meet the yarn requirements. If the stash does not contain ANY suitable yarn, I should seriously consider choosing a different project instead of buying new yarn.

2. Yarn purchases are allowed on trips as souvenirs. These purchases should be limited in quantity... A few rules about such purchases:
- NO MORE SOCK YARN! According to Ravelry, I have 22 skeins of sock yarn and I have yet to complete a pair of socks. Granted, I have been using sock yarn for non-sock projects, but I really think I should stop buying sock yarn. Even if sock yarn is pretty and variegated.
- The purchase should be limited to yarn for one project.
- Ideally, preference should be given to yarn that is unavailable locally (in Seattle) and definitely shouldn't already be available in the stash...

3. The yarn diet does not apply to patterns, needles/hooks, or other accessories. Anything that helps me go through stash yarn is welcome.

4. Yarn sales and trunk shows should be avoided. In the case where my resolve falters and I do attend such an event, the rules are the same as in #2.

5. Yarn won in contests doesn't count... I figure the chances of me winning more yarn this year are slight.

I solemnly swear that I will try to adhere to these rules for all of 2008.