Dear Friends and Family,

What we won't do for the love of yarn!  We travel around from shop to shop during the Yarn Crawl to see what's new.  Buying patterns here, yarn there.  Collecting enough yarn for two years worth of projects.  So much that sometimes we don't even remember what we were going to make.  We just keep adding to the stash.  When will the madness stop!!!!

Does this sound funny coming from a yarn shop?  I'm a little shocked that I am putting it on paper.... but it's something I hear all the time.  I don't really see any of this as a problem.  I just look at it a little differently. 

The pleasure we get from our yarn comes from several different directions.  One way is touching the yarn.  We have over 100 pressure sensors in our fingers.  Each one sending a signal to the brain.  These tactical stimuli elicit a response.  Some of us like the soft yarns.  Some of us go for texture.  Sometimes it is the color that attracts us.  We all have a color that we look at first.  It's the one that makes us happy.  It changes from time to time as our moods change.  Other times we are attracted to the yarn because it is a certain brand.  We remember using the brand before or maybe a friend shared their passion for a particular yarn and we want to try it.  And sometimes we just have to have it because it is THE yarn that everyone is wanting.  These are all reasons that we buy yarn and they are all reasons that yarn makes us happy!

But wait a minute, I didn't once mention a pattern, project, or finished item being a motivating factor for buying a yarn. This can also be a reason we buy yarn but selecting yarn for a specific project doesn't always bring us the same pleasure as buying yarn that attracts us by stimulating the pleasure sensors in the brain.  The pleasure that we get by buying a yarn for a specific project comes when the project is complete.  That may be why we have a collection of projects in our stash that never get started.  We just can't get enough pleasure from looking at the project in the bag.  So we could say that we need to have a "relationship" with our yarn.  Try to remember when you first met your mate.  (For some of us it has been a long time...lol)  Was it the way they looked, their warm smile, or their package..... you know, the way they dressed, their car, and their job.   (Gotcha!!!)  Something about them stimulated your pleasure sensors in the brain.  I don't think any of us were attracted by what we thought the end product would be.  Looking at their aged parents may only be the tip of the iceberg....lol.  But it didn't keep us from plunging forward with a leap of faith.

So why is it so wrong to buy yarn because we like it even if we don't have a project in mind?  Sometimes we spend money on other things we don't need for pleasure.  Food that we shouldn't be eating or clothes that we don't need. We also hold on to things such as clothes that don't fit and even if they did they would be out of style.  We do it because these things make us happy.  So why do we have to look at yarn differently?  Why can't we just buy it for the love of the yarn and enjoy it?

This week's challenge is for everyone to go and play with their stash.  Reorganize it so you can feel it.  Open up bags with projects in them and caress the yarn.  Examine your color palette and look for what's missing.  Let your senses inspire you!!!  Fall in love with the yarn again and enjoy every skein that you have bought.  Look for something that grabs your attention and think about how you can make the project exciting again.  You might be surprised how motivated you are to finish your current project or start another.

We hope all of you stop by the shop this week for inspiration.  We have several new samples on display from Sirdar (the cape is to die for!), a new Malabrigo shawl, and lots of gift ideas.  We are also helping people to pick out their Christmas Wish List.  We plan on having a week where your family can shop with special discounts for items on their list.

Happy Knitting!
The Rabbit