New Yarn Rules

A new year means new yarn rules. 

I'm still digging my way through the stash, but because I did so well with using up a lot of it in 2012, I'm allowing myself to buy a little yarn here and there for 2013. 

The catch? I have to have a purpose for it. 

 
When I first began knitting and crocheting, I would buy yarn haphazardly, whenever I saw something I liked on sale (hence the giant 'stash'). I had no plans for it -- and often by the time I figured out that I needed one more ball to actually make something, the yarn was no longer on sale -- and sometimes no longer even available.

Now, I purchase with purpose. I have to actually have an idea in mind before I buy the yarn. So when I saw this Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick on sale, I knew I could quickly whip up a hat and cowl for a friend's belated birthday gift. 

I can't remember the last time I bought super chunky yarn, so it was great fun to be able to finish both items in an evening! Using fun, vintage needles from a thrift store made the task even more memorable.

Of course I had to try them both on for size, to make sure they would fit my friend. The hat pattern can be found here, and the cowl pattern here on Ravelry. The link takes you to Lion Brand's website, where the pattern is free, once you register. I grabbed a free hard copy of the pattern at Michael's. 

I even had enough leftovers from the two balls to make myself a cowl (only just though... I had inches to spare by the end!)

I'm thinking I may also need a matching knit hat, so the next time I'm in town, I'll have to see if that yarn is still on sale.