More About Yarn Goblins

Who they really are and where they come from

Their Mischievous Origin Story

As I said last time, we have almost all been there - you think you have your yarn stash under control, carefully curated and tucked away out of sight. Then one day you turn around and every basket is overflowing, skeins are breeding like rabbits behind your back, and you can't stop obsessively collecting more fibre. Whose fault is this covert stash expansion? Why, the yarn goblins', of course!

These pesky little imps delight in upsetting your tidy organisation by squirreling away random skeins in every nook and cranny of the house. With each new stash discovery, you're overcome with glee and instantly forget any prior vows of stash minimalism. Before you know it, your living room has transformed into the goblins' woolly lair - where more is never enough.

But where do these mischievous yarn sprites come from in the first place? Make no mistake, they are of our own making - the goblin horde are actually projections of our inner yarn fanatic psyche. Those intrusive urges to impulsively buy "just one more skein," the unshakeable desire to pet every fibre that crosses our path, the secret thrill of growing an ever-expanding stash like a yarn mad Rapunzel locked away in a magic fibre tower? These goblin-esque qualities originate from the soft, squishy depths of our own woolly souls.

The Goblin Id Awakens

Let’s have a play with a psychological explanation, maybe start with Freud. According to Freudian theory, the goblins represent the "id" - that primal, animalistic part of the human psyche driven purely by our most basic urges and desires with no voice of reason.

The stash spinning wildly out of control? Goblin

The the insatiable id seeking constant gratification.

Feeling an impulse to buy more yarn even though you're already drowning in fibre? Goblin.

The goblin id craves what it craves with no logical restrictions.

These goblin urges may seem selfish and indulgent on the surface. But psychologists argue the id is actually vital for self-preservation - it motivates us to fulfil our most basic needs for shelter, nourishment, pleasure and...in the case of us fibre folk...sensory comfort through squishy woolly acquisitions.     

Maybe the first proto-goblins emerged in our ancestral psyches during the primordial days of animal pelt hoarding and resourceful efforts to insulate our cave dwellings. While their modern day yarn mania may seem excessive, these goblin survival instincts were once an evolutionary necessity and they can still bring great comfort.

The Goblin Superego Clash

So if the goblins represent our primal urges, who is this pragmatic "inner voice" battling against their excesses and trying to restore stash order? That would be the superego - the part of our psyche that acts as our conscience, encouraging us to behave in a socially appropriate way that aligns with our set of idealistic principles and values.

For many of us, the superego is that nagging voice urging us to cull our stashes, lecturing us about the financial irresponsibility of fibre hoarding, and guilt-tripping us about using up what we have before buying more yarn. Essentially, it's the inner Mrs Sensible trying to keep our goblin whims in check.

This constant clash between our indulgent goblin ids and pious superego keeper is psychologically taxing. It's emotionally draining to be berated by our superego for our goblin-approved purchases one minute, only to get swept up in the goblins' intoxicating fugue of fibre lust the next. No wonder so many of us feel torn between our contradictory stash desires!

The Ego As Goblin Whisperer

Ideally, we should be striving for a harmonious balance where neither the goblins nor superego ruling is running rampant and unchecked. This is where the ego - the logical, rational part of our psyche - comes into play. The ego's role is to find pragmatic compromises between the unrestricted id and demanding superego so we can function as well-adjusted adults in society.

When it comes to our yarn goblin tendencies, the ego is our inner goblin whisperer trying to keep the peace. It recognises that a moderate sprinkling of goblin purchases isn't going to derail us entirely, as long as the excesses don't spiral completely out of control. It gently reminds us that yes, those hand-dyed skeins are absolutely luscious and purchase-worthy...but within reason and our set budget.

The ego soothes the goblins' tantrums with tiny, manageable bargains - "Okay, we can get the sparkly rainbow trunk show exclusive yarn...but we need to destash something from the stash first." It knows when to let the goblins frolic and indulge, while firmly ushering them back into their woolly lair before a full-blown goblinrific rebellion erupts.

By embracing our multifaceted goblin nature, respecting our impulses while keeping them in check through the ego's goblin whispering, we can hopefully all strive for a...relatively... balanced state of stashhood nirvana. 🧘

At least until the next goblin raid!

Meanwhile on my Needles

I have got Gremlins not goblins! My Incunabula Cardigan has three sleeves! 😯

The sleeves on this cardigan are top down and shaped with short rows. The result is something that looks like a set in sleeve, without the sewing, which it a style I usually love.

I did one sleeve and I wasn’t thrilled about the shape, a bit too tight and a little too short to be comfortable over a dress with elbow length sleeves. Even allowing for growth on blocking it wasn’t going to work. So I carried on and did the second sleeve but followed the numbers for next size up and did a bracelet length sleeve. Lovely fit and very comfortable.

Ever one to try a quick bodge, (I really know better, why do I do this to myself?) I pulled back the first sleeve part way and fudged the length and stitch count.Knitted all the way to the rib.

Did it work? 🤷‍♀️

Of course not, which is why I will be spending the weekend knitting sleeve 3 😂

It will be worth it 💚