One more newbie question, and this is just out of curiosity.
What comes first for you: the yarn or the pattern?
Are you more prone to buy an awesome skein of yarn figuring you’ll find something to do with it later?
Or do you find a pattern first and buy specific supplies for that pattern?
I’m just wondering what I can expect as I journey deeper into this knitter’s world!
thanks!
Yes. :teehee:
Same here. 
You should expect the unexpected.
:teehee: I agree. I do both. It’s a little harder to buy yarn first though because then you have to find a pattern for exactly that amount of yarn.
…which means I must buy a bunch of it, now! Just because I buy yarn with a specific project in mind doesn’t mean that’s what it will get used for either. Sometimes yarn just insists on being something else. :shrug:
Unless you always buy enough for a sweater, just in case. 
Pattern first, unless there’s a…
sale
bargain
freebie
discount
promotion
give-away
close-out
raffle
new store
new yarn
great color
great texture…
need a yarn fix
When I first started knitting I bought a few different sizes of yarn and needles to see how it felt to knit with a variety of different yearns.
Now that I know how to read patterns I usually get the pattern first, then the yarn.
I mostly knit smaller items like cowls, scarves, mitts/gloves, hats and socks <-- love to knit socks, and I’m about to venture into small shawls! So I find I can buy 100g skeins of almost anything and get a project out of it and usually have a bit to spare. So based on that I buy what I fancy, when I want, or if there’s a good deal or a sale.
If I were to do a bigger project, like a sweater or an afghan, I’d chose my pattern first and take it with me on a yarn search. That way I can ask the advice of the seller and make sure I get enough to complete the project too.
I have a decent sized sock yarn stash (that I can also use for fine shawls) and a few skeins of other types of yarn (DK and worsted) for hats, cowls etc. Occasionally I want something specific, maybe a colour, so I go to my LYS and drool over everything!
HMM that’s a tough question for me. I guess I do both.
If I see someone at our local knitting group working on something that I’d like to also do then I get the yarn for that particular item.
Or if I’m in the mood to make something for one of the grandkids I’ll see a pattern I like and get the yarn for that pattern.
Other times I see a skein, or two, or three… and just have to have that yarn with absolutely no clue what I’ll use it for!! Generally, unless I’m thinking a scarf or some other small project I’ll get enough to make at least a vest or maybe a sweater so there are more choices. ie, if I only get 2 skeins of a color and later decide that would be a gorgeous sweater it’s usually too late to go get more of the same dye lot or even the same color.
Oh, and coupons, I forgot coupons. ROFL
It’s one of those days. :mrgreen: