Thread Binge -- Naughty Stash Dieter!

I am all excited to post my "Off My Stash Diet" thread binge, and Blogger has another breakdown. Pooh!

I really tried to stay on my stash diet Monday night -- really I did! But I had friends/enablers telling me things like, "Look at all that crochet thread you used up," and "Don't even try" (to stay on a stash diet in the face of all this beautiful thread). And (urp) I fell right off.

Kathy had some wonderful books. She had copies of Sharon Miller's lace knitting book, which I really covet. But at $55, it was out of my budget. I have to admit, that is one book I would almost go back to working full-time for!

I bought a set of Lacis 5-0 knitting needles, and a set of their 4" 4-0 needles. Some silky-feeling deep purple size 5 Coats Opera. A ball of Oren Bayan size 50 thread (equivalent to about a size 30 tatting thread) in softly-shaded blues. Two balls of the Japanese Olympus thread. Two balls of Valdani pearl cotton, made in Romania, in incredible colors: one goes from deep forest, almost-black, green, to pale pastel green, and the other ball is green, black, and a purplish-blue. Last I bought two balls of the Oren Bayan size 70, one in a lovely silvery gray, and the other in an unusual blue and white.

It's been fairly easy to stay on my stash diet in places like Hobby Lobby and Michael's. The selection there is nothing to tempt me: let's see, tatting thread in black, white, ecru, shaded pastels, green, and red. Have that. In all sizes. But Kathy's thread bins, ooohhhhh.