Just wondering how much you all have spent on yarn, a project and what you consider to be just “too much”?
I’ve spent more than $200 in one day on various supplies. That was for a multitude of projects though. So far my most expensive project is my Skacel pinwheel sweater. I spent about $130 on the yarn for that. I think “too much” depends on what the item is and what it is for. Mainly I look at what it will cost me to make, and whether or not I think the finished item is worth it.
I have a circular shrug that I desperately want to make, and I’ve budgetted around $100 for it. At the same time I’m hunting for wool to make a sweater for myself for under $30 because it’s not worth more than that to me.
I recently spent 70 bucks on one skein of yarn. Too much? nahhhhh.
DH and I have an ongoing “argument” … whenever I go to buy yarn, he says “try and keep it reasonable”… Well, to me, spending 70 bucks at the yarn store-on 1 ball of yarn or 7 balls-- is reasonable. UNreasonable woul dbe spending 800 dollars when we only have 700 in the checking account. Right? He usually disagrees with me…
Aaaahhh yes. The perennial argument, no? I agree with Hildie. I spend what I can afford. Too much is buying something when you know you don’t have the money for it. Spending $1000 would be reasonable, if you had the money and that is what you wanted. I don’t see knitting as different from anything else. If we can afford it, we eat steaks. If we’re broke, it’s mac and cheese. Does that make sense? That’s how I look at it. It is all worth to you what you want it to be worth. I like that Hildie spent $70 on a skein of yarn. How can you put a price on happiness?
I forgot to answer the question! HA! I think the most I have spent in a day is a pretty low number. However, when I added up all the costs for the first year I was knitting, it all added up to about $750. Now, this includes supplies like needles and scissors and stitch markers and bins to put yarn in, and so on etc.
I refuse to knit with bad yarn. 
For me, knitting is about the process as much as the end result. And I want to enjoy the process. It’s my entertainment as well as my craft as well as my sweater budget. You will never be sorry you used quality materials.
I agree with the reasonable is what you can afford thing. In that sense, I did once spend $68 to make a sweater (which is still unfinished) and that caused me to eat sandwiches for a week…but I’m a college kid, so it didn’t kill me. I could still afford my books that quarter and gas to get to class, so why not?
Amen sister!
Hilde, just out of curiousity, what did you purchase that was $70/skein? And, what was the yardage? Do you have a specific project for it or did you just fall in love?
My problem is that I usually purchase like 3 skeins at a time and not enough for a project because I feel a little guilty I guess shelling out $75 or $100 at a time for a project… However, I have found that this practice just gets me a huge stash, but not a lot of things to do with it. So, I agree with the others, spend what you can afford, but at the same time, have a project in mind when you go. 
The most I ever spent on one skein of yarn is $50. It is hand dyed alpaca that I got at Webs. I loved it so much I got 2. I did get 25% off, and each skein is 600 yards, so it’s not that bad.
In fact, I loved it so much I sent for a third one just so I knew I’d have enough for a sweater. I haven’t even rolled it into balls yet because I love it the way it is.
I don’t want to know how much I’ve spent in the last year on yarn. Nonononononono!
i think we all have our very own specific threashhold for “pain.” my very first hank that i learned the knit stitch on was somewhere around $25-30. ummm yeah if i had seen the price i never would have spent that…lol. the LYS is very good at hiding prices! :rofling: i have spent that much on a skein since but not often. i just can’t bring myself to it for some reason. Oddly, the $90 stuff at the LYS doesn’t attract me at all. doesn’t feel good and sorta looks like fun fur.
i have spent more than $20 for about 3 yards of angora but it feels so yummy! i am not really sure what my threshhold is but it could easily be moved for the right level of yummy! :rofling:
poo. I knew someone was going to ask what it was! I chucked the label, of course :doh: It’s three strands… mohair, a glittery thing, and skiiiiny eyelash yarn. Here’s some pictures. I had to wind two balls, but it ended up being about 200 yards total.
I saw it and fell in love! I had visions of a feather and fan wrap thing, but I bought it over 2 months ago and it still sits in balls… that’s my biggest problem, buying LOTS of yarn, and not doing anything with it. I think I subconsciously just like to have yarn…
what do you do with 3 yards of angora? bunnies are SO SO soft 
lol it was actually more than that (i am given to hyperbole ya know… :rofling: ) but it isn’t much. it is to be a fringe on the Teddy Hood (from Knitters Stash)…i got bored making it though and had to put it down for a bit.
Goodness ladies! I feel really silly now worrying about spending money on yarn for a baby blanket from knitpicks! I’m new to knitting and am totally sticker shocked when looking at “real yarn” prices. I’m used to getting the stuff at joanns. Even in there I get really cheap. I think I’m in big trouble! :XX:
I don’t think that I have spent much more than around $100 at a single time for yarn- but I would shudder to think about how much I have spent overall in the past year!! I think that the most I have spent on a project would be my karaoke clapotis- which was around $70 or so. To me, it was worth it, because I love the yarn so much and the project was a challenge for me, which makes me feel proud when I look at the clapotis. Plus, I am worth it!!!
:shock: Wowwie - $50 … $70 on one skein of yarn?? That’s so totally out of my league… :help:
Ohhh you get over that real quick. 
Most I ever spent was 75.00 for a sweater. Didn’t even blink 
Well, I splurged on Knit Pick’s ambrosia for my scarf, and it was barely a splurge because a scarf doesn’t take much yarn…
but I did experience the whole “WOW! It’s totally worth it!” epiphany as it knit up-- it was just so lovely and soft and just a wonderful tactile experience. So I could easily see splurging to a much larger extent on something even more luscious.
3 yards of Angora… well, as a bunny owner, let me tell you… they are an absolute joy (really!) to have hopping about the house --I’m a HOUSE bunny owner–… Ours are Rex which means their fur is unbelievably soft… Did I have a point? Oh yes! Get yourself a bunny and grow your own yarn! (minus the cost of spinning wheel, carding combs, baby carrots, bunny food…)
I spent $189 total for Afghan yarn (12 hanks of Manos del Uruguay 
), my DH was with me for that. That’s the most I’ve spent at once. When he tells me to “slow down”, I always tell him that spending $$ on yarn is different than spending $$ on food or drinking—it will never be wasted! I 
YARN!
The most I have spent on yarn was the day my husband took me to a yarn store for my first outing after my hysterectomy. I could hardly walk, but I really wanted to see that store. They were having a sale, and I had never been to that store before.
I looked through the sale items and grabbed about 4 skeins that were 40% off, then I went to the regular priced items. I was interested in the Noro Kureyon, because I’d never bought any before. I asked to see a certain color by number, because I’d been drooling over it online for a while. My husband was around the corner listening, and came up and said, “Go ahead and get it”. He asked me how many do I need for my project, and I told him 3. He grabbed 3 skeins and asked me if I wanted anything else. I was speechless.
When we got to the counter, he said, “Why didn’t you get more of that mohair you liked in the sale section?” And then he went and got 2 more skeins! Again…I was speechless.
We spent almost 60 dollars, which seemed like a lot to me. I usually buy my yarn on sale at Hobby Lobby or Michaels.
When we got in the car, I asked him why he wanted to buy that yarn for me. He said, “When I saw you ask to see some of it by color number, I knew you’d been wanting it for a while.” He is such a sweetie. He also said that he wanted to give me a special treat for going through such a difficult surgery. (It lasted 3 hours, and I had to get 3 units of blood.)
I guess I’ll just have to keep this guy.