Sunk Cost

 I actually have a post graduate degree in Engineering Management. This means I have a bunch of business courses that have somewhat limited use to me, today. However, some of it is handy to remember.

In simple terms, sunk cost means that once the money is spent, the materials you may have spent it on now all have the same value (basically, they are free). In terms of crafting, it means that all the fabric, yarn and other materials in your stash are equal, when you start a project, so you are free to use whatever you like, without worrying that it was expensive when you bought it.

 The sale fabric has the same value as the pieces you paid full price for, and the hand dyed yarns have the same value as the mass produced yarn. Too often, I have heard people talk about saving a special fabric or yarn, because it was so expensive. If it suits the project, use it!

During this long period of isolation, I have been using this principle to choose from what I have, for projects I want to do. I will admit that I might not have used my favourite fabrics to make masks (although I have used every bit of my rainbow fabric). However, for everything else, I just use my stash as a free source of beautiful materials.

This was a week for that.

I discovered there a new baby , dear to someone I care about. New Canadian babies need winter hats, since winter is coming. So, I found a pattern I like and looked for some suitable yarn. I had one ball left of Knit Pick's Chroma in worsted. It was waiting for this hat.

So, now there is a hat. It is bright, and colourful, all the things Canadian baby hats should be. With luck, if it falls on the ground, it will be immediately noticed. Welcome to the world, little one. Here is a "free" hat.

I decided that my Chromebook needed a sleeve. I bought the Chromebook when it became obvious that Zoom was going to become my new meeting space, and my tablet was too small to see all the faces. In hope that the future may allow in person meetings, I decided that it needed a protective sleeve.

Isn't that fabulous fabric? I used this bright fabric for the exterior, some flannel on the inside, and a piece of fusible fleece as the batting. 

I actually quilted it, though it doesn't really show.

The binding was a piece of batik that just kind of suited. Now it is ready to slip into a tote bag, ready if I ever get to go anywhere.

It is a perfect fit, considering that I was just designing it on the fly. 

The flannel has been in my stash for years, and I have lots, so it probably wasn't expensive. The bright print was a much newer purchase, bought on impulse and at full price, as I recall. The batik is from my Batik Collection, that has been dwindling lately, as I find places I want to use it.

Using your fabric and gorgeous yarn lets you enjoy it so much more than keeping it hidden in your stash.