February 2026: No-Buy Recap
Week 5 (Feb 1 - 7)
This week I cast on an idea for a new top, one of the ideas I sketched out last month! I’ve been obsessed with the fitted torso with flowy bust fit, so I knitted a quick swatch, did some rough math, and got to knitting on 3.0mm needles with some Patons Kroy from the Joann closing sales. We also got to harvest the little strawberry I was showing off last month! Not only was she the cutest strawberry I’ve ever seen, but the tastiest.
I’ve been looking forward to this week for weeks! Mainly because this is the week I’ll be receiving my first iron transfusion. I could feel my energy creeping up as I sat in the chair and went from taking my time walking in so I wouldn't faint, to practically skipping out. It’s easily one of the best things I’ve done for my health and if you also struggle with anemia, it’s worth talking to your doctor about this option.
One thing to know about me is that I love anything girlie and heart-shaped. Valentine's specialty items are my kryptonite: heart-shaped salad plates, coupe glasses, and pink EVERYTHING. I’ve been seeing some of my favorite small businesses slowly roll out their Valentine’s collections this week, and my wallet is itching. To help me combat this, I’ve been thinking about what my husband would actually enjoy for Valentine’s. The answer is - he loves anything I make! I’ve been pinning DIY cards, decor, and gifts on Pinterest for inspo. I even made a chart for a filet crochet photo frame for the photostrip from our wedding photobooth.
In between all my regular weekly things, I’ve been working on the tutorial for the crochet dress I made last month. Honestly, writing these tutorials can… for lack of a better term… kick my ass. Translating a concept that makes sense in my head to clear and concise language isn’t always my strong suit. BUT, tutorials like these are how I learned to take my crafting to the next level. I really believe that learning these skills shouldn’t be behind a paywall, and I try to do my best to contribute to the pool of free information out there.
Things I wanted to buy this week, but didn’t…
Pretty much anything Valentine’s day related
Sterling Trading Co’s keychain drop
Yarn for a new blouse idea
Week 6 (Feb 8-14)
We kicked off the week by watching the Superbowl with some friends! Between hanging with friends, Benito blessing us with a halftime performance, and winning a square on my 2026 Bingo card, we had so much fun ringing in the week!
However, this week has felt heavy for me. Between working on my health and seeing everything continuing to happen with ICE, Palestine, the Epstein files, etc., it sometimes feels impossible to find a respite. I noticed this week that I’ve been having a hard time pulling away from being online, even non-current events related things. I always need to have a podcast or a YouTube video on in the background; silence brings anxiety. What does this have to do with a no-buy? In the past, I would’ve almost certainly ended up online shopping. That isn’t an option I’m allowing myself this year. Instead, I’ve been focusing on my WIP and working on other crafts. Like hand-making a Valentine’s Day card for my husband and working on a filet crochet frame I mentioned last week. I’ll add the chart I made + the charts I used for the letters in case you want to make your own version <3.
This might sound a little silly, but after listening to Jonathan Groff’s interview on Good Hang (Amy Pohler’s podcast), I realized that I need to make more time to laugh and enjoy small things. He talked about how news bloopers were the funniest videos, so I put on a compilation and let myself laugh at all the goofy slip-ups. It was probably the most fun I’ve had on a random Thursday night in a long time. It’s something that can’t be bought! It reminded me of when YouTube first became popular when I was in middle school, and the only videos I would watch were little skits that my friends and I would recreate.
This Valentine’s we’ve decided to each plan a date day. Saturday, we went to Cook’s Corner, a biker bar and one of our favorite breakfast spots in OC. We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon driving up the canyon, stopping to look at the hills and visit some of my favorite spots, like the local cemetery.
Things I wanted to buy this week, but didn’t…
A new lip gloss lol
Those selkie basque waist dresses AGAIN
Kiki the Brand swimsuits
More gardening supplies and plants (probably will soon, but don’t want it to be an impulse buy)
Week 7 (Feb 15-21)
I can’t believe I’ve gone 7 weeks without buying clothes or yarn. The best part is, it’s not something I think about much at this point! Seeing how much financial progress I was able to make with just 7 weeks of mindful spending has been a big reality check. Not to mention, I don’t feel restricted with my crafting at all.
Sunday we did a little trip to the local nursery, where I was able to find the tomato plant I’ve been wanting. I knew I already had all the other supplies I would need, so the total cost of bringing her home was just $4. Hopefully we’ll be able to get our $4 worth of tomatos this summer <3
I treated myself to a new little cast on (My Favorite Things Knitwear Beanie No. 6) Valentine’s night and spent the day working on the 12 inch brim. The plan is to have it blocked and ready in time for our trip to Portland for the Rose City Yarn Crawl in just a few weeks. It made it to the blocking mats by Sunday night with some agressive blocking in the crown to try and get rid of a mistake in the crown decreases lol. Wednesday night was spent doing the finishing applied i-cord touches and finishing with a quick steam to relax all the fibers together. I’m using up some lace boucle from Superglo Fiber and holding it with Drops alpaca silk for extra fluffiness, but there’s still so much left over! Time to find another project I can do a faux shearling trim with, my eye has been drawn to cardigans with a faux fur trim on the collar and cuffs.
Something I haven’t tackled quite yet is my WIP pile. There’s things in there from 4+ years ago, some of which I still fully intend to finish! The one that’s really drawing my attention is this sequined number that I orignally was working on for New Years before the flu got me and we canceled plans. After reevaluating, I think it’s time to reknit the collar to make it longer and wider. Once that’s done I’ll let myself start working on some matching disco shorts! Going back to my WIP pile is incredibly to get rid of that “I have nothing to work on/with” feeling. Quite honestly, my WIP pile is a bit overwhelming. Next month, I’ll make it a goal to categorize my WIPS.
Things I wanted to buy this week, but didn’t…
Baroque jewelry (Wuthering Heights-esque necklace)
Week 8 (Feb 22-28)
Ok, I couldn’t resist and decided to cast on a new freehanded cardigan. That faux shearling trim idea was in my head nonstop, so I spent Sunday working on the shoulder shaping in bed while one of my cats napped alongside me. I think it’s interesting that the longer I work from stash, the more I lean towards freehanding projects instead of following other people’s patterns. I think it’s a byproduct of being on a more creative streak.
I tried on my red top once it was done blocking and… womp womp. The front bust is wayyy too big and puffing out around the armpits instead of having a scrunched look. I’m thinking I’ll reknit the bust and take out at least 15-20 stitches from each panel, which will hopefully give me enough to do the whole top in the same yarn (one of the back panels has a different yarn). But that’ll be a project for the future. Right now, I’m having too much fun with my faux shearling trim cardigan.
Wednesday I joined the front and back yokes of the cardigan and decided to redo the armscye shaping for a more snug fit. I worked on the body until I finished another skein of yarn. One of my biggest worries with this cardigan is getting the sleeve fit right. The goal is to have them fit with appox 0-1” of ease, I don’t want them to be oversized at all!
Haha - ok big update. The sweater is completely frogged because the sleeves were driving me crazy. Self-drafting tip - if you want a fitted look, do it all in ribbing so it’ll be fitted no matter what lol. To help me get over the frustration of frogging the yoke and sleeve of the sweater, I started working on a wall hanging to go over the spot where my cat loves to sleep <3 All from scrap fabric, too, yay!
P.S. I’ve started posting on TikTok again so if you’re interested in seeing more snippets from me, you can find me @theyarnbitch there too ;)
Things I wanted to buy this week, but didn’t…
Fabric for the wall hanging
Food! I didn’t feel like cooking but made myself do a meal prep
February Recap
This month was an interesting one! Though I feel like I’ve hit my stride in not shopping for clothing, yarn, etc, I’m still discovering what my crafting looks like without constantly acquiring new things. When I notice I’m feeling restless or bored with my projects, I’ll break it up with a different craft or go for a knit n’ walk. Previously, I likely would’ve found myself scrolling through product pages.
I’m frogging anything I’m even slightly unhappy with and having fun finding projects that will use up precisely the amount of yarn I have. It’s been more fun to figure out how to combine odd amounts of yarn into a cohesive project, like my beanie no. 6. At a glance, you wouldn’t guess it’s made up of odds and ends from stash!
Speaking of stash, I’ve cracked into 9 skeins out of stash, most of which, I completely used up. That brings us up to 15 skeins out of stash. Overall, month 2 of this little experiment has renewed my creative spark and has made shopping a less anxiety-ridden activity.
