Waiting for The Man

At the beginning of each month, a plain white envelope shows up on my doorstep. In it are four little plastic baggies and a piece of paper or two. I usually rip the envelope open immediately and pounce on the little ziplocs, inspecting each with delight. Then I run and grab some needles and dig into the offerings that the Yarn of the Month Club has sent me...oh, wait, did you think I was talking about something else?



Well, I must admit that the YotM Club is addictive. Every month you receive four different yarn samples, with enough of each yarn to make a 4" swatch. Often there's a theme - my favorite being the angora bunny yarns they sent for spring this year - and they always include a pattern using at least one of the yarns. Often the yarns are ones I've been curious about but haven't tried, or ones that I've never seen at my LYS or online. Some are yarns that I'd never ever buy, but the democratic nature of the club allows me to give them a try anyway. Most are enjoyable to knit up, and a couple have actually made it into my stash: Artfibers' Tsuki (a lovely lace mohair I'm using for Birch) and Steinbach Wolle's Strapaz Cotton Effekt (for the day I actually make socks).



Once I've knit up my swatches each month, I wash and dry them, label them, and tuck them away in a drawer for future reference. And then I start waiting for the mailman again.