Borrow or Buy?

Knitting night got off to a wonderful start this week when Obamette presented me with a yellow rose of friendship. I was a little confused at first. She approached me with such a grateful countenance that I thought, "Wow, she really must have liked the pizza I brought last week."

But no, she was thanking me for some advice I gave her the week before when she presented the group with a personal problem in need of an immediate solution. Apparently the advice I offered was the winning strategy and she was so relieved and happy that she felt the need to thank me.

Of course, she's the one that made it all fall into place. But still, it's nice to have a little confirmation that maybe I've learned a thing or two over the years that can help someone else.

This pleasant exchange was also further confirmation that our weekly knitting night has become a lot more than just a bunch of chicks gabbing. We all help each other through our various life events. I think they call that "friendship."

Let's see....what else happened this week?

Babies, babies, babies.

Yet another friend of mine is knocked up -- a bit of a shocker to everyone, including her -- so I need to pick another baby pattern and have it completed before the shower in August.

Rugby, who has knit an entire Babies R Us full of items, suggested an adorable hooded baby carrying bag that is in a new book of baby patterns she just bought. She passed the book around and, although I fell in love with the baby bag, I opted instead to take on the bathrobe. It just felt more like something my friend would like (and didn't involve a zipper or buttons). I think I'm going for a pastel purple or blue with a lime green edging. Cute for a baby boy!

When the book got to CertainT's lap she exclaimed, "You bought this!?" When Rugby answered in the affirmative, CertainT delivered a little lecture on borrowing knitting books from the library rather than wasting money buying them. Rugby countered saying that so many of her friends are having babies, it just made sense to buy it. Plus, it is an absolutely beautiful book (and Rugby hopes to be knitting for her own spawn at some point down the line).

Just like her nickname implies, CertainT was unconvinced and remained certain that borrowing pattern books from the library is the only way to go.

For me, I don't do either. I can barely handle the flood of free patterns on sites like Ravelry, Knitty and KnitPicks (feel free to share any other resources you know of!). Plus, I can always borrow the books from my generous Chickenheads. The only books I've invested in so far are Stitch & Bitch (of course) and the wonderful Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders, which I've already used enough times to make it worth what I spent. Throw in a few stitch bibles and I consider myself loaded up with projects until perhaps 2012.

What side are you guys on?

Bock, bock.