And how can you recognize the partners of yarn addicts?

I mean, their significant others, so to speak—whether they’re men or women?
Mine has been putting up with this into the second decade now. At first, he just smiled indulgently and thought it would blow over, but it didn’t.
By now, he can tell the difference between knitting and crocheting at a glance (in return, I learned the offside rule), occasionally makes suggestions on how to design something, and is definitely developing some expertise.
But the most telling sign that he’s the partner of a yarn addict, in my opinion, is that he’s even started buying yarn himself.
How about you all?

It’s the same for me as it is for you.
My husband tags along with me on trips to craft stores and then buys me the yarn or supplies to satisfy my addiction.

He also helps get the finished projects out into the world and puts up with the piles of yarn and unfinished projects in the study.

My dear husband once bought me a whole bag of yarn from the hardware store on a hunch—just because it was yarn. They had some really cheap, no-name acrylic yarn in absolutely awful colors on special sale there. He thinks that all yarn is the same and that I’d be happy with any kind of yarn. In this case, it was a total mistake. Well-intentioned, sure, but way off the mark.

Hehe, in my case, it's that sometimes they have to join in conversations where they only understand half of it.
For example: 

• "This color feels too heavy to me, it overwhelms everything - what light color would be a good counterbalance? And would the harmony still be right?"
  

Or:

• "The proportions aren't right! - Should I make the balls with the 6-row or the 7-row? But if I make this one bigger here, then I have to adjust everything else too!"
  

Or they are expected to be able to give informed answers or advice on topics like:

• "What do you think, what's better in summer, a cotton/polyacrylic blend or maybe something with silk after all? And what do you actually think of viscose? .... Or maybe kapok instead?" :-D
  

Oh dear! Sometimes I do feel sorry for them! ;-) ..... Luckily, I can also listen to their topics (painting, philosophy, or cultural journalism) and try to put myself into those subjects ...

Well, I’ve only been hooked on it for about 2.5 years now.
My mom says, “Sweetie, you’ve finally found something that excites you so much that you’re sticking with it. I’m proud of you. And earning a little extra spending money on top of that—that’s perfect.”

My husband: “You’d better do more around the house and cook us something nice..... 

Do I even need to say anything else? He hasn’t quite grasped yet that when I’m sitting at the computer—or even with yarn, needles, a notepad, a pen, and a calculator—it’s not just a hobby but also work (for me). But he seems to be slowly realizing that I take the whole thing very seriously.

I was able to pay for our next “mini-vacation” just like that.
When I said, “Come on, let’s go… I’ll pay too,” he was a little confused and realized that my hobby actually is a small source of income. He’s slowly starting to take an interest in what I do… after 2.5 years.

Luckily, my husband grew up with a mother who knitted and sewed for others. He can sew himself, and his knitting and crocheting skills are so-so.
Most of the time, he chimes in with comments like, “That’s not anatomically correct…”—and then I have to explain to him for the hundredth time that these things don’t have to be anatomically correct.

He doesn’t buy yarn for me—unfortunately. But he doesn’t complain when there are a few more balls of yarn at home.

Where he really supports me is:

He supplies me with crochet hooks that he customizes for me.
He turns the handles on the lathe so that I can finally crochet without pressure points or pain in my joints—what more could I ask for ;-)

Well, somehow this seems to be a widespread phenomenon—partners who buy yarn. For those of you who aren’t quite satisfied with what he’s bringing home yet, just wait and see—with a little guidance, it’ll all work out :-)
I’m also very familiar with the technical discussions—“it’s not long enough,” “that doesn’t fit,” “pick a different color,” and so on. But those turned handles for the crochet hooks—I just think that’s so cute!

I think my husband would say to me just once in his entire life, “You should do more around the house.” *shock* I think my grandma would’ve already smacked my grandpa over the head with a wooden spoon for that.

That aside, he shows so much interest that I at least THINK he’s listening—just like I show interest in custom lightsabers or model cars the size of washing machines ;-)

Thank goodness he doesn’t buy me yarn, and I don’t buy him engine parts. That’s what shared interests and running a household together are for ;-)

Hi, I can send him to buy yarn with a sample (a piece of yarn) and the label… otherwise, he usually brings me a gift card for buying yarn :)

He also gives me suggestions for what I could crochet, though it’s usually something that’s more for him—and only for him—that no one else would be interested in.

You can spot them by the hats, scarves, and sweaters that no one else has ;-)

My sweetheart doesn’t buy yarn. But he does have some ideas that I can put into practice.

No matter what country or town we’re vacationing in—there are usually great yarn shops to discover, and of course I find it sooo exciting, especially in other countries, to see what kinds of yarn are available there and what people are knitting and crocheting. Meanwhile, my husband stands in or outside the yarn shop with (almost) endless patience, waiting, waiting, waiting.... ;-) Sometimes, though, he slips away to the nearest beer garden or ice cream parlor.
And of course, you can always spot him because he wears the men’s garments I knit—luckily, he usually enjoys wearing them too :-))

Hi, so my husband has his own hobby: fishing—fishing—fishing…
He’s actually quite happy when I can’t always go with him; then he can pick the better fishing spots with the mosquitoes without feeling guilty, since they don’t bother him at all ;-). In return, we occasionally get some great, tasty fish :-))))
The only comment I get when I ask if this or that is okay is: “M-mh.” Which basically means he likes it—and that’s already a compliment. When it comes to yarn, quality, etc., he stays completely out of it. If he doesn’t know anything about it, he doesn’t chatter about it either :-). It’s also great that he puts up with it without complaint when various projects are always “lying around” in the living room (after all, I can only work on one at a time)—and sometimes it looks pretty “woolly,” with lots of writing materials lying around...

So: among other things, you can recognize the husband of a yarn addict by the fact that he can quietly develop his own hobby and puts up with a lot of yarn in the apartment :-)

Or is it when he suddenly ends up standing next to you in the yarn shop because he finished his errands sooner, looks into the basket, and says with a shrug:

“I know, honey, that’s the famous jumping yarn, and a woman just can’t resist it ;-)”

@Sabine
You’re so lucky—your husband turns crochet hooks for you. Do you maybe have a picture of them?
Does he perhaps make them for other people with sore hands, too?
Best regards,
Traudelina

@Traudelina,

yes, he also does woodturning for others... anyone who lives nearby can even come to us to have one customized ;-)

The knob makes it comfortable to hold, and the long handle is great for stuffing or, with the way I crochet, for wedging between my ring finger and little finger

My husband also grew up with a mother who was always doing needlework of all kinds, and he’s used to seeing yarn and fabrics lying around everywhere.
He also knows the difference between “thick” and “thin” yarn and knows that thick yarn is better for winter....
But he has tons of ideas about all the things I could make for him, which I always try to do. And he knows exactly which yarn he wants. He doesn’t want to
wear handmade things. That’s probably some childhood trauma for him. But that’s OK—a soldier in uniform with a crocheted hat might not look so good.

And Sabine, my husband makes crochet hooks for me too, but they’re nowhere near as nice as yours. I’ll show him the picture with a little hint that my birthday is in September and that maybe that would be something....

@Pe-Ka,

a man like that is worth his weight in gold ;-) 

And how does your husband handle it??? .... yes, I know  I’m curious ^^

Best wishes, Sabine

He doesn’t turn them on a lathe, even though he could.

He gets round wooden dowels with a diameter that fits comfortably in my hand. Then he drills a very fine hole into them and cuts them to my desired length. He roughens up the hook tip and then glues it in place. He learned this from his dad, who used to do the same thing for his mom.

And since I always hold the hooks so tightly that they eventually break, he makes me sturdier ones that can withstand my pressure.

Right now I even have crochet hooks—store-bought ones—that haven’t broken yet.
But the biggest advantage of the wooden hooks for me is that I don’t sweat when using them, no matter how hot it is.

And yes, he’s worth his weight in gold. As I can see, so is yours!

@Sabine
Tuck the crochet hook between your ring finger and pinky?
I just tried that right away, but I can’t get it to work :-)
Best regards, Roswitha

@Pe-Ka,

My husband does that too... except that he shapes them for me and sometimes seals them with beeswax - and yes, with those, sweating isn’t a problem... And he started because he noticed that I had really bad pressure marks and that a store-bought needle lasted me at most 2 weeks before it broke...

@Zwergerlstrick; 

that only works well with needles that are long and narrow at the back ;-) and then it looks like this - feel free to laugh...

Sabine, that looks really funny :-)
but I don’t think I could do that either, even with long needles

When I think of how my needlework teacher used to shake her head at that way of holding the needle... But your success proves you right! When such great things come out of it...

It works best for me ;-)

At school, I wasn’t allowed to hold it that way, which is why I didn’t really like crocheting...

Wow, Sabine, you’re so lucky! :-) Those turned crochet hooks are really amazing!!

My husband admires all the things I make and always says, “I couldn’t do that!”
Well, when we’re sitting with our neighbor and eventually start talking shop about knitting and crocheting, he’d rather get up and do something else. ;-)

Of course, he’s happy when I fulfill his wishes and knit him things like a hat, a scarf, and felted slippers. He loves those dearly. In return, he patiently puts up with all the yarn and the projects scattered throughout the apartment. I think he likes yarn, too… though he prefers it on his body. ;-)

@Mowi19,

Honestly: without the turned hooks, I probably wouldn’t be able to crochet anymore (hello, arthritis ;-) ) and nobody wants to see that!

I still have the 1200 g of yarn for my husband’s sweater sitting next to me ;-) He’s so sweet and doesn’t complain, even though those 15 cm haven’t grown in over a year ;-)

Oh dear, Sabine… that’s כמובן not so pleasant, of course. It’s great that you’ve found a way to make the best of it anyway.

1,200 g—wow, you’ve got big plans. I know all about starting big projects that then end up sitting around forever. Your husband will surely be happy when he can finally wear his sweater. He’s definitely earned that reward, with those wonderful knitting needles.

Best wishes from Monika 

@Sabine: Very nice needles :-))) - I sent you a PM
Best regards
Traudelina

First of all: I think it’s great that most partners cope well with it, are supportive, and even adapt crochet hooks when needed. 

For us, everything works wonderfully. My husband is passionate about photography, and when it fits, he’ll sometimes bring something along so I can get a product photo with a model. Otherwise, our motto is live and let live; we’re both crazy about our hobbies. We share the study and spend quite a bit of our free time pursuing our passions. It would be difficult if he didn’t have a hobby, but as it is... everything’s fine.

It’s not unusual for him to sit in the study sorting and editing his photos while I sit on the balcony with my yarn stuff. That can go on for hours without any grumbling. 
We support each other there: he helps me with market dates, etc., and I often go along to photo shoots as his assistant. And we share—and neglect—the housework equally... lol
Best wishes,
Caro

That’s great, Caro! It’s pretty much the same for us too. :-)