I was very excited my hubby wanted to learn to knit UNTIL last night. It was his second attempt and he was doing well. Then, to my shock, he made and mistake on his swatch and CUT it with scissors. I was hoping my sharp inhale would discourage this. By the third time, I HAD to ask him to let me help. I taught him how to tink and frog. Then, I left the room and was able to relax with my knitting. Unfortunately, when I returned after he went to bed, he left the yarn and needles on the couch! We have cats…they love to play with yarn and bite on needles! I put the yarn back in it’s bag and the needles in the case. I figured out how to talk to him about those two things…just calmly explain that the cats can ruin the WIPs. However, how do I explain that he is going to have to purchase his own yarn to work with. My stash is beautiful. I put lots of thought into each purchase…touching the material…figure out what to make with it…and protecting it in bags. He feels I could just go buy more yarn and does not understand. Does anyone have any advice PLEASE. I love that he wants to learn to knit and I look forward to shopping in our LYS and knitting with him. Unfortunately, I see knitting as an art to be LOVED and CHERISHED…he sees it as a hobby.
Advice PLEASE
Honestly? I think you should point out to him how you feel about your yarn, but unless you are buying one-of-a-kind hand-dyed stuff that you actually cannot, he’s right that you CAN go out and buy some more. For me, my relationship with my dh would take precedence over my yarn, and if I told him how important it was to me that he get his own, and he still insisted on using my stash…I’d just go get more when I needed it, and enjoy the time spent knitting with him!
:noway: :noway: if he is putting up shelves and they go on crooked does he smash them down with a hammer? i think not. he unscrews them and rehangs it straight. reading that just about gave me a heart attack!! I feel your pain!!
Thanks so much for replying. I do not have one-of-a kind yarn. I got so anxious over the situation, I could not think clearly. Thanks again 
scout52- thank you for replying and understanding how anxious I was. I so LOVE this site! How do you put the smiley faces in the box? I only know how to smile?
Well, it’s not MY yarn, so I could think more clearly!:teehee:
The other, fancier smileys show up when you click on the big “Post Reply” button at the top or bottom of the thread, instead of the little reply button on each post.
Jenny you are very welcome. It wonderful that he wants to knit but he needs to respect the yarn and the needles!! 
Mine does. He throws things,swears and screams every time he attempts any project. I do home repairs when he’s not around and will not even try to get him interested in knitting.
That explanation aside, yes, explain the basics of your stash and show him what’s easy to replace and what isn’t.
I would buy some nice (not special) yarn that he could use. When he wants to knit give him the yarn you bought for his use. If he wants another yarn from your stash just tell him you were saving that yarn for such & such project.
Lisa R. - Thank you again! I love smiley faces 
! I also love this site! 
Everyone is so friendly 
First of all you are a brave woman for trying to teach your husband to knit. I will no more teach the hubby to knit than he will teach me to play mechanic on my motorcyle.(I can change the oil, brakes, wipers, wiper fluid etc in my truck and that’s enough)
That being said go to Michaels or even Walmart and buy him a lovely skein of yarn, wind it into a ball, put it in your stash, and pull it out for him to practice with. Explain to him that all your other stash yarn is reserved for project.
HMMM guess I’m kinda lucky my hubby walks a wide circle around my yarn, fabric etc. One morning our puppy had a ball of sock yarn that she was strewing down the hall and he called me to get it fom her b/c he didn’t want to mess it up and get yelled at for touching the pretty yarn.
I want to thank everyone that has given me so many wonderful ideals:woohoo: Everyone is so nice and thoughtful. I love this site :woot: Thanks again:knitting:
Ooh, Jenny, I’ve got the same thing going on! My DH learned to knit over Christmas break and is enjoying it! I don’t have much of a stash, so that part isn’t a problem.
The funniest problem I had was that he kept saying he was going to tinkle instead of tink. :doh: I told him you don’t PEE on YARN!!!
:roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard:
…oh no…
I think I’ve been doing it wrong…
I didn’t read all the posts but this one was pretty good. Unless it’s something extra special that you really want yourself then let him have some of your yarn. After all giving makes you a better person and it’s contagious, 
bOR you could go shopping for/with him and tell him you thought about him and got him some nice yarn!
Jen
Some men would probably just quit if you told them to go get their own. Maybe you could start him off by buying him a few skeins of his own and tell him how you feel about yours for sure.
What a difference a short amount of time makes! :woot: First, all the wonderful support made me be able to think instead of being anxious :teehee: I went to Michaels and purchased him two beautiful skeins of yarn. I was amazed at how excited he was about having his own yarn…he is realizing that knitting is an art :woohoo: Then, he completed his first knitted swatch with his new yarn:yay: We discussed, calmly, that WIPs could be ripped out by our cats and what would happen to the bamboo needles after the cats teeth marks. He completely understood. Further, after realizing I only have one pair of needles from size 7-11, he said we could go to our LYN and purchase my first set of circular needles cloud9 :woot: I am so excited!:knitting:
Sounds like you have a keeper, Jenny! I’m glad you’ve reached a compromise!
Oooh, Jenny! I’m so glad you worked it out! My DH and I knit together, now, too!
If DH is feeling generous, see if he’d be happy ordring a set of Knit Picks OPTIONS! They’re wonderful to knit with and give you flexibility as far as length goes.