Now don't get too worried for me. I'm not an all out, can't-move-for-stuff, collects-everything hoarder, but I do have a few just-slightly-beyond-my-control collections, mostly to do with knitting. . .and crafts. . .and art stuff. And as so many just-slightly-beyond-my-control collectors of stuff, my habit bleeds into other things and other family members. For example we all seem to have a great many books. And even though we have a great many books, kids included, we still tend to borrow books from libraries, which every now and then get sucked into our other books so today my dear husband and I have been hunting high and low for three such books. I am afraid we received a rather official looking letter from our church librarian last Sunday morning informing us that our youngest son had some books overdue, the most expensive one almost exactly a year overdue so find it or else, and therefore something had to be done. And while looking for the last of these books, and one I am quite certain I have already found once before and returned -- which is one of the problems with just-slightly-beyond-my-control collections because you can't be sure -- I came across a pile of knitting magazines in a place I did not know I had knitting magazines along with some knitting and crochet pattern booklets. I'm rather excited about it actually because there are two knitting magazines that I have been trying to find and the one was most definitely there and the other is probably there if I look a little deeper, plus there's a Debbie Bliss magazine I had completely forgotten I had bought. But it's also a little frightening. You see I started cataloging my collection on Ravelry a while back and found I had entered over 80 magazines and books just from memory. Then after spending a few minutes here and a few minutes there I found myself up to a hundred and something and now I have found this new bunch. If I swore not to ever buy another knitting book or magazine again I doubt I have enough years left to finish just one project from each pattern book I currently own and I don't buy a knitting book unless I want to make at least four or five definitely and a couple more maybe. Add to it that the last project I finished was off a web site and I think my next one will be too and I am completely lost.
Why do I have all these books? What does this all mean? Am I a totally lost cause or is there hope for me yet?
I don't know. But I do know I finally put my two year old shelf up in the kitchen and cleared a lovely spot on my counter. And I am really looking forward to curling up and looking through some wonderful magazines. So maybe I'm doing okay.
Except I'm afraid there's still one library book unaccounted for, but I really do think we returned it.
So I did a very brash and bold thing about a year ago: I *gasp* sold ALL my crochet magazines plus a large box of crap acrylic yarn for $125. It hurt. A lot. I did keep all my knitting mags and the books, however i'm coming to realize that the more cluttered my home, the more cluttered my mind and as I get older it gets worse. I am learning to embrace technology and store all my patterns on this handy little device called an iPad....it works great....until I have to plug it in. I have also reduced that large hoarders stash of yarn from 36 boxes to just 6!! But they are boxes of gorgeous, all natural hand spun and luxury fibres for things I REALLY want to make.
ReplyDeleteoh....and now?? I find myself occasionally buying a pattern online that was in one of the stupid magazines I impulsively sold....