So I’m on Day 8 of the 100-day Ban and still holding strong. I’ve noticed a bad trend that I follow when I’m on a yarn ban…I compensate my lack of yarn purchases with book/pattern purchases. Now, in most cases this wouldn’t be a problem, but in my case, I have more books than skeins of yarn (I’m just guessing here…but it’s a pretty good guess).

My room is lovingly referred to as “The Library” by my family. My sisters keep teasing me that I could sell library cards, and when they bring friends over, they have to show them “The Library” because they think I’m weird (I am, I know it). I have wall to wall bookshelves crammed full with books: English textbooks that I spent a fortune on and will probably never throw away no matter how out-of-date they become; old kids books from elementary school and new kids books cause I never kicked the habit; Classics, of course, all of the essentials (Austen, Dickens, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, etc); and last but not least, knitting/crocheting books. I actually have a whole bookshelf devoted to my pattern books, which is rather full and overflowing.
Two books came in the mail yesterday that I preordered and have been waiting anxiously for: The new Mason-Dixon “Knitting Outside the Lines” and the Yarn Harlot “Free-Range Knitter.”
I was so excited for the new Mason Dixon book, because I love the first one so much. When I first opened it to peruse the patterns, I was a bit let down. It didn’t seem to have the same charm as the first one, that is, until I actually read it. Wow. Good one. I completely changed my mind and fell in love with this book. Then I remembered that the same thing happened with the first book: letdown at first, then after reading, Love. The charm of Mason Dixon is really the whole package. You can’t just look at the patterns without the witticisms, and you couldn’t read just the witticisms without having the patterns. It has to be taken as a whole to achieve the whole charming knitting effect. I noticed other people have criticized the second book a lot for not having the same charm as the first, to which I ask them: Did you actually take the time to read the whole thing? Hmmm?

I’ve just noticed that I seem to be making some shameful confessions about my habits. Yes, I’m a squirrel, storing books for the winter (since I can’t store yarn). I only have so much self-control; I can only handle one ban at a time.

PS> I just found out today that I’m going to be an auntie to a little girl! Time to get the pink baby projects started.