Spending money on crafts

**ironmaiden** · 12-28-2005, 01:21 PM

I bought a Knifty Knitter loom. And using it you can make a hat in one night (about 2 hours) easily. But the problem is that it uses two strands of yarn and you finish so quickly, that you go through lots and lots of yarn real fast - and thus it becomes an expensive hobby. I usually knit a sweater and buy real wool. But I knit slowly and work on it a maximum of an hour a night (because of my wrists), that it is many months or even a year before it is done and thus my wool sweater is cheaper than the equivalent time's worth of knifty knitter products.

Part of it, is deciding what you are accomplishing by crafting - make stuff quick to give away as gifts or just because you like to craft - the process ir more important than the product.

If it is the process and not the finished product you are after, why
a project that is very time intensive would be cheaper to do. Like a quilt entirely by hand or an applique quilt or a hand quilting a quilt. A knitter would do a sweater with needles on the smaller side. Something that would be a challenge.

Why? Because it would take longer means you'd only have to come up with the materials once and they would last a long time. A simple quilt done entirely on the sewing machine would be done in a short amount of time and it would be time to buy more fabric, batting etc. But a hand applique'ed Baltimore Album quilt would take a very long time as well as be an inspirational challenge. A scarf on big needles goes quick and it's time to buy more yarn. An intricate fisherman's sweater or an intarsia sweater takes much more time and effort.

**Valerie in WA** · 12-28-2005, 11:04 PM

You know, I've never thought about it that way. I think we live in such a rapidly moving society that we forget about slowing down and savoring experiences. Thanks for sharing this.

BTW, I just got a Knifty Knitter a week ago, and it is wonderful.

**slowtypinwoman** · 12-28-2005, 11:07 PM

Alex has been working on her's all evening. She thinks it is a cool as sliced bread.

**favesis37** · 12-29-2005, 10:51 AM

i love my knifty knitter but agree that if used everyday it could be expensive, however i get all my yarn at the thrift store so it works out good for me. i am goingto have to slow down as my wrists are hurting so bad and my fingers are so swollen that it hurts to even type

**ironmaiden** · 12-29-2005, 04:18 PM

One of the reasons my knitting takes me so long is that I have to limit myself to an hour a day or my wrists hurt. In a way it is nice, cause I accept that I only have an hour and I'm not wishing for just a little more or trying to sneak in more time (instead of doing other things). When my hour is up, I accept it and am thankful that I had an enjoyable hour.

**pkellyc** · 12-29-2005, 10:51 PM

I read a tip somwhere that you can reuse yarn from old sweaters. I guess they wash them and unravel the yarn. I thought it was a good one.
I do not knit but when my kids were small I used to make mittens out of old sweaters. I just traced a mitten pattern from their hands and cut the pattern out of the sweater by using the ribbed bottom of the sweater to start my cuts. The kids just loved them.

**pita1213** · 12-30-2005, 05:34 PM

i got a nifty knitter from my mother from christmas. i have been using up someo fhte yarn that has been sitting around for awhile. leftovers from other projects that have long since been completed. i like that it takes practicly no time to com plete a hat or whatever because i'm getting a jump start on next christmas's gifts and i'm using up yarn that was just getting in the way of other craft stuff.

except for the yarn i used to make a nursing cover up for a friend, i always buy yarn on sale or at walmart. i can't work with real wool because i'm allergic to it so that saves me tons just have to use acrylic. like with anything else one does, you just need to watch what you are spending on things and try to buy on sale or with coupons.

**brainyblonde** · 12-31-2005, 09:27 AM

I received one of these as a gift, too. I am a beginning knitter, and I want to be able to use the fancy (expensive), fun yarns to make scarves for the nieces next year. My first project was a scarf (for me) using ticker tape type yarn, and I bought it with a 40% off coupon at Michaels. I only needed one ball, and there is still some left. With the coupon, it was about $3. I worked on the project while watching movies with my son.

I set aside $ in my budget for crafting supplies. I will usually shop the end of season sales for many items, use 40% off coupons and will buy items online. I put together gift baskets for friends and family for many occasions, and the less $ spent on the packaging the more I have to fill them.

I love making the no-sew fleece blankets and can usually find the fabric or panels on sale at Joanns or fabric.com.