Thrifty Living: Use It Up

Last week, I pledged to be less of a consumer. This week, I'm trying to make good on that pledge, starting with using up what I already own...

I like knitting, which you've probably gathered, as I'm always banging on about it! So it's no surprise really that I have quite a lot of wool. Not a completely ridiculous amount, but a fair bit. It all lives in a large Harry Potter-esque (that's the only description I have for it!) trunk, taking up more than it's fair share of my bedroom floor, and doubling as a handy table/seat/stepladder when needs be. You'd think that because I have a lot of wool already, I wouldn't need to buy any more - this is also the same for pretty paper, fabric and lots of those I-don't-know-what-I'll-use-it-for-but-it's-so-novelty craft supplies, but I work in a craft shop, in fact, it's not really a craft shop, it's like a craft supermarket. Temptation is frequently too much for me to bear.

Customers regularly say to me "I'd spend a fortune if I worked here!" and it's true, it's like being a kid in a sweet shop. If something's on sale, I'll buy it, if something new and pretty comes in, I'll buy it. It's a compulsion! However, in an attempt to curb my spending and more importantly, to clear out some space in my pretty small craft room with a bed in it bedroom, I'm pledging to use up if not all of what I have already, at least a substantial portion of it, before buying anything new. 

Wool-wise, as luck would have it, one of the lovely ladies at my Wednesday knitting night succeeded in teaching me how to crochet a granny square last week. This may not sound it, but it's a seriously big deal for me. I've been trying to teach myself to crochet for years, ever since I taught myself to knit, and I just couldn't do it, which was pretty infuriating as I tend to pick things up quite quickly. Now I've mastered the very basics, I intend to use up all those annoying scraps and half-balls of yarn that hoarders like myself cannot bear to throw away, by making a big granny square blanket*.

It's quite therapeutic, crocheting round and round, using a ridiculous amount of colours. I don't think I've really made much of a dent in my stash yet, but it's a step on the long road to recovery! Haha.

Have you got any good stash-busting projects? If so, send them my way!

A ♥

*yes, another blanket. To go with last years knitted blanket and my (still not finished) patchwork quilt. I won't need to waste money on frivolities such as central heating when I'm a student! haha.