The Vulture Habit

It was just a few skeins waiting patiently to be knit up, bought for a particular project.

I like to buy on sale, so I keep a knitting journal with ideas, patterns and where to find them, yarn specifications, and needle sizes. Then, I keep an eye open for sales and then pounce! The sock yarn I bought at 30% off three weeks ago, hit the clearance section for 1/2 off...snap - another skein of yarn was attached to my hand and I couldn't shake the dang thing off. It came home with me. It's sitting it the basket with the other sock yarn - 7 skeins total...happy to have been bought and dreaming of the pattern it will become.

Really it's only 7 skeins of sock yarn. It's not like they're rabbits and go making baby skeins! The color combos would be very interesting to say the least!

Working happily on the Felted Backpack for Potluck Yarns I thought I felt a shift in the yarn force. Ever so subtle but still felt it. Continued on the Backpack - it's finally dry and ready to ship! Started to clean up my yarn drawer in the living room. One drawer in the dresser that serves as a critter stand is for current projects, patterns, magazines and such. The shift happened again. Putting stuff where it goes..like a bookcase - who knew?

Entered the craft/business room upstairs I saw it. It looked innocent enough...hiding behind the skein of variegated blue sock yarn. Yarn in rectangle storage containers. The big ones that can hold a skein on end - if it's a small length one. Bigger skeins have to be placed on their sides. Have two of those containers. I can open them up, see what's there - no buried yarn. Plus various other holders, plastic bags with zippers hold projects waiting around but nice and safe of crawlies.

Then it happened........I touched the sock yarn....BANG...the yarn force shifted hard! Like magic all this yarn was sitting there. More than I remembered. Honest...never saw it coming! It's only bought on sale...I can't remember when I paid full price for a skein of yarn. There's the yarn for a felted bag. The silk that is going to be a tank top of sorts. The alpaca that is going to be a loose fitting cardigan. The dang fun fur of various colors and other small balls of acrylics waiting to be Gnomes. The cotton that is going to be a lace cardigan. Another set of cotton that is being made in to top. The rust color yarn that is going to be gingerbread men. The Noro that was one sweater that is frogged back to skeins to be another sweater. The mohair that was becoming a sleeved wrap but is becoming a hoodie. It fits on a set of metal shelves in containers, plastic bags, in baskets and the few rebels who sit mocking me on the shelf.

I have vultured myself into a stash mountain. At least by my standards! It's still only one metal shelf unit but for me - the amount I have is huge! DD#2 asks "Mom, could you make something white for Sophie to wear? You have enough yarn you should be able to do that." Funny...I only buy yarn when it's one sale. I don't buy just because I may one day use it. Except for the few wayward skeins of acrylic that was donated to me, the yarn is meant for something specific.

Touching that one skein of sock yarn caused the mole hill to become a mountain on by my standards. (I've seen the stash pictures of some ravelry members...mini stores! Whole rooms just for their stash.) I'm stuck in my stash and I have to knit my way out! I'll be here for a few months. Send food, water and lots of chocolate. This is gonna take awhile!