Green Thumb and Yarn Focus Challenge

Other than the Snake Plant bloom, I don't really think of myself as having a green thumb. That's why my indoor plants are all very hard to kill, like snake plants. As for outdoor plants, sure I can grow flowers, but my flower bed usually looks more like a jungle than an organized flower bed. But for some reason, I do really well with plants that produce produce. Currently, we have two strawberry bushes and three tomato plants and all are doing very well. We've had a few strawberries every day now and just waiting for the tomatoes to ripen. So I thought I'd share pictures of my produce plants for Project Spectrum.

As for the Yarn Focus Challenge, I almost caved. I would have caved because Red Bird Knits was having a 20% off sale for two days only and I had been eyeing some silk laceweight for a while and well, 20%, how could I resist? Well, I resisted only because the color that I really wanted was out of stock. So I'm still in. I'll likely stay in for the rest of it. I have my June free day to look forward to. I'll be buying more sock yarn and some laceweight for Icarus.

But, I likely won't participate in any more "alongs" that limit yarn buying days, no more stash-alongs for me. I do appreciate being in the YFC and I'm glad that I'm participating this time around because it's made me realize something about myself. I like yarn. And I really don't like being limited about buying it. I know the purpose of the challenge was for participants to really think about the purchase before making it. And I have thought about it; I've missed out on a couple of yarns that I really would have liked to have because I did think about it and now I'm feeling "non-buyers remorse" a bit. (One was this beautiful laceweight cashmere in muted purples.) I know I didn't really need the yarn, but I wanted it. I think it really goes to this – Yarn is my indulgence. I don't really wear a lot of makeup or perfumes. The few pieces of jewelry I own are purely sentimental. I don't own (or really desire to own) expensive clothes or shoes. I have two kids, so I don't have much time to indulge myself in a warm bath or day at the spa or salon. I'm not really sure I would indulge in the spa if I had the time or money. So, yarn is my indulgence. Yarn and roving are things I like to have around just to touch, to look at, to knit up, to spin. I love the textures and colors of yarn (and also fabrics) and I love watching colors as I spin or knit. It's fascinating to me. Compared to jewelry or really nice shoes, a skein of sock yarn or laceweight is not really all that expensive. And as I don't indulge myself often I'd really like to be able to buy an occasional skein of laceweight cashmere or silk to make myself a pretty scarf when I want it.