That age old question that every crafter has to ask themselves at one point or another (or at many points!)
Today has been a grey day, the sky heavy with snow (the powdery kind, not the fun stuff), and we’ve been stuck indoors as my son is poorly. I’ve been crocheting whilst he rests and does jigsaws, and my daughter contented herself with her toy kitchen and the Lego. I’ve got to a point in my project now where I have a decision to make. Basically I used a beige colour (parchment, to be exact) as my ‘base’, which was fine until I realised that I am going to run out well before I reach the border. However, I have acquired (thanks to a kind fellow crocheter), 800g of the khaki colour, most of which I still have. At the moment I am on part 3 of 6 (6 being the border), and I’m wondering whether I’d be better just switching the base colour to khaki.
This is where my stubborn and slightly perfectionist inner voice comes into play. “But the rest has the parchment background, it just won’t look right.” Then the responsible adult bit of my brain acts “don’t be daft, it’s a waste of money to buy more when you’ve got plenty of another colour.” After that, the negotiator part calmly strolls in (the bit of my brain that sorts our playground arguments with no messing, like a well trained ninja) and reasons that, since stripes 1, 2 and 3 haven’t been joined yet, I could use the darker colour for 4 and 5 and then arrange them carefully to spread out the colours. Crisis averted, blanket (and money) saved!
Anyone else have internal debates over craft purchases? I love to buy, but I have to (reluctantly) make sensible choices most of the time. (One of my closest friends is having a baby soon and I will definitely be purchasing new wool for her baby blanket!)
I mull things over & overthink all the time. I have no advice! If you like all of the colors together, then spread the parchment out & mix in the new khaki. “It’ll be grand!”
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That’s my plan! The khaki is already part of the blanket so it’s not like adding a whole new colour. Fingers crossed!
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Mrs. Craft, I am sure it will be LOVELY!
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Thank you 😊
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At the moment I’m on such a strct budget that conversations about buying anything except food can’t come up. I know it;s unsustainable, but I have enough stash to last until I finish my PhD and (hopefully!) get a job! Then I guess I’ll start having these conversations
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Good that you have enough stash to last you, it’ll very worth it in the end. I’m trying to use my stash as much as possible, unless there isn’t enough for a project. In this case I have enough so I’m going to stop being so picky! 😊
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I used to be terrible when it came to buying yarn I would just buy random colours and then I’d be stuck and actually needed different for projects. Now I’ve deffo learn to hold back and buy what I need. But you can never have enough yarn 😅
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That’s true, but I think I may be reaching the edge of my yarn storage capability 😂 I can’t resist a random colour either, especially if it’s pretty.
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Substitutions sometimes turn out to be a better choice. How about trying the change a bit to see how it looks and then making your choice? I have debated ordering supplies for various crafts many a time so understand your dilemna.
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It’s a tricky one but I think I’ll have to go with the substitution. It’s not out of place as I’m already using that colour in the project, I just hope it’s not too dark. (Mr C doesn’t care either way as long as he’s got a warm blanket!)
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Your plan sounds great! I am of no help, because my reasoning would be that having saved money by using the green, I can now go and splurge on something else the money I might theoretically have spent on the parchment colour….
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I’m having to exercise self restraint in that department, at least temporarily as the car has its MoT and I have the dentist this week too. A crafty treat may be in order in a few weeks!
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If you can use the substitution then give it a go but at the same time if you don’t like it then it would be a shame to go to all the trouble of making a blanket to not like it. See how it goes? And if you have to buy the other stuff then you have to.
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Thanks, I’m hoping that because it’s a colour that’s already there in the blanket the switch shouldn’t make much difference as you can’t see the joins (which the base colour is used for), and the base colour isn’t too dominant in the granny stripes either. Fingers crossed! 😊
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I’m a perfectionist and tend to buy the yarn needed to make it perfect. However it sounds like you can spread it out and make it look intentional. You never know: it might even look better in the end!
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Thank you, you never know! I’ve had to hush my perfectionist voice a few times as the car is due it’s MoT shortly and I’ve a feeling it’ll cost more than a couple of balls of wool! So far the khaki.is working well as it’s not a new colour, I’m just using it more than in the parts I’ve completed so far. 😊
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It’s always hard to choose colours when I buy yarn, although I haven’t bought anything according to a pattern yet.
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I rarely do either, I find a pattern to suit what I have (and that’s where I went wrong as I didn’t have enough yarn at all, forgetting that aran weight has a lot less yards per ball!)
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Ah. I guess it happens to the best of us. My friend has this huge collection that she doesn’t know what to use for. I told her to give them to me if she doesn’t make anything with them by the time she moves for college.
She agreed. :p
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Great way to get yarn! 😊
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I’m trying to use up my stash, but sometimes I just haven’t got the right stuff 🙂 I’m trying to be better with impulse buys though!
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It’s tricky when you haven’t got the right stuff for the job, I end up either swapping patterns or yarn types to suit what I have.
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yarny dilemma’s…I have them all of time. What to do, only you can decide; which is of absolutely no help whatsoever I realise. I love that you identify the internal argument, I recognise that so well. xx
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I’ve gone with my head, as I’m pretty certain it will come out fine, have laid out the parts of the blanket and had a think. 😊
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Hello Mrs.Craft.
I think you’ve got the perfect plan. Mix them in together and it look like you always planned for it to be that way!
I have tons of stash (not wool but of the paper variety) and although I’m trying really really hard at the moment not to buy anymore, I know that the moment Graphic 45 brings a new selection to the UK, that plan will go by the by and I’ll spend. But I’m trying really hard not to.
LOVE the squares you’ve shown us in the photo. Such wonderful colours.
Sending squidges ~ Cobs.x
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Thanks, I’m hoping it’s the right choice, it’s not like adding a whole new colour. I’m trying hard not to make any craft purchases but I’m terrible for wanting to try new techniques, which inevitably need a new purchase here or there.
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Ohh I know EXACTLY what you mean.
My problems are the same … wanting to try a new product and when I eventually buy it … sometimes … it doesn’t live up to it’s promise. I have many things in my craft room which haven’t lived up to their promise, and when I look at them all I see is pound signs! grrrrr.
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I know that feeling too. I’ve done a lot of DIYing when I’ve wanted to try new things, just to see if I like it first!
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I don’t crochet but I can totally relate to this. Recently on a mixed media face book page I was alerted to the fact that Lidl had some fab products at great prices. I had to show great self discipline ,I wanted to go and buy the products ,but I actually did not need them as I have a room full of stash. I know it’s not quite the same thing but I can relate x
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I always find I have to be more creative if I can’t but a product specifically for a project too, it makes me look through my stash and have a think.
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Oh yes, I definitely have those sort of discussions with myself – plus quite a few others 🙂
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Oh dear 😂 but yes, it’s part of being a crafter. Most of my decisions are based on either finances or on the ability to store the item in question!
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🙂
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loving the color combos you have going on here. I often have debates with my self sometimes out loud even so yes I can relate to this
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Thanks, the camouflage colours aren’t to my taste but Mr C wanted them. The darker colour is working fine so far, fingers crossed!
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I think its looking awesome !!!! Keep up the good work
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Thank you, I hope that when I put it all together it looks nice.
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That sounds like a familiar kind of dilemma! I’ve started to think that these kinds of choices are so hard because both would look equally good. I spent about two hours in an optician the other day with my daughter who was trying to choose between two pairs of very similar glasses (one much more expensive) but it took her no time to rule out every other frame in the shop…
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That’s a good point, it’s mainly down to preference. Oh my goodness, you’ve reminded me I’m due for an eye test and new glasses soon. More choices!
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