On a Yarn Diet... Sort of...

So since I quit my full-time job in November of 2007, I vowed to knit from the stash and not buy any more yarn. So far, I am doing pretty well. Christmas socks were all knitted from stash. I did drop $6 at Ace hardware for 4 balls of dishcloth cotton. But that was only six bucks!
Oh, and, um... the 2008 Blue Moon Rockin' Sock Club, which just was charged to my credit card this week. But technically I signed up for that and committed the funds before I quit the job.
So besides those...
Self Imposed Yarn Diet it is!

Um...
Well...
I guess I found a loophole of sorts...
Don't you just love wool?
See, I quit that job that I hated, and through the holidays I have been working steadily at the formerly-part-time Scuba Diving job (and LOVING it, BTW) and consecutive dives on consecutive days during colder winter seas leads to physical exhaustion and lower body core temperature, which in turns leads to impaired immunity and health during the cold and flu season, and my wetsuit is 3 years old and a thin little shadow of it's former warm self. So DBF bought me a new wetsuit.
What is my point?
Check out my new Pinnacle Aquatics Elastiprene Merino 5mm Wetsuit HERE!
Yup: That is right: My new wetsuit is lined with WOOL! (How cool is this?) In a brilliant move familiar with knitters everywhere, Pinnacle decided that wool in the ocean keeps you toasty. According to their website about Merino Wool:
Wool is "exothermic", meaning it actually releases heat when it gets wet. The wool fibers swell with water and actually create a warm, non-compressable (unlike neoprene) layer next to the skin.
The lining is comfortable, fine, warm, and soft. Unlike rubber or neoprene, it feels more like cloth. This also makes it warmer to re-don for the 2nd dive of the day!
Wool is more anti-bacterial than synthetic fibers, which keeps the wetsuit from developing that stinky wetsuit-funk smell.
And Wool is a renewable, natural resource!

So... I'm warmer, I'm less exhausted, and technically my new wool product isn't YARN!

(Photo from Pinnacle Aquatics website)