Willpower

Yesterday I did something I've never done in my life before.

I returned a skein of yarn.

A couple of weeks ago I bought 3 skeins of Rowan felted tweed yarn in order to make a pair of wristwarmers. I figured 2 would probably be enough but I should buy a third just in case. The yarn store that I bought the yarn from has a policy that you can return yarn with a receipt within 60 days of purchase.

I used 2 skeins together to make a thicker yarn. I knitted one wrist warmer. Then I knit a second. And there was a lot of leftover yarn on those two skeins. Certainly I did not need the third.

Finished wrist warmers:


And yet, it's not like there was anything wrong with the skein. Normally it would have entered my stash. (Or I would have given it to a friend.) I'm sure I could find a project for it, eventually, just like I can find projects for all the unused yarns in my stash. But as of now I already have more projects than I can complete by the end of the year, and with the things I need to make, it will be a while before I start anything else. Also, I've been sick for the past 2 weeks and haven't been working, and I'm taking the next 2 weeks off as well so I can recover, and thus I don't have that disposable income. (Right now my job is my justification for expensive yarn purchases.) And I'm going into the real world next year, where I'll have to be financially independent and stuff, and thus should start saving money. Not that I buy yarn that often. But still, it's the principle.

So I went to the store and I returned the third, unused skein of Rowan felted tweed. I had paid $10 for it. Those $10 ended up going towards an $18 skein of sock yarn that I'm using to make a pair of socks for a friend for the holidays. (Not that I'll actually finish them in time. I still need to get his shoe size so I can get started...)

Though conversely, I could have used the same logic I used for making myself return the yarn for buying more yarn instead. At least in that I'm sick and haven't been working. Being sick gives me the right to buy myself expensive yarn. The yarn is a reward for being sick. Or compensation. Or something.

But really, I'm not sure what I would have used the yarn for. I also still have the leftover yarn from the 2 skeins I did use. They might be used in a pair of mittens I need to make (which I think will combine a few yarns). But that third skein was/is unnecessary. I think I made the right decision.

Here's the leftover yarn from the 2 skeins:


Finally, a detailed shot of the cabling, just for fun: