Dear Stash,
It's time we had a talk. You are getting bigger than I like. You are taking up too much space. I need to get working on you and reducing you to a nice small pile! I keep looking at you and shaking my head at the size of you. How did I let this happen to you? I wasn't paying enough attention to your size and have been adding to your girth. I have a ton of patterns, quite a few people who would love something knitted and I will make the time to work you into a much leaner stash. I'm sorry I was lazy about working on one project in - one project out. No more waiting! Projects out - no new yarn in!
I love this time of year! Just love it. I get energized and want to get things done. Who needs New Year's Day, I have Fall. Happy I am, as I organize, organize, organize! Putting up the gifts from the garden into the freezer and jars. Clearing out paperwork, clothes and anything that is hanging around that we don't use anymore...then I look at my stash. It's contained in boxes - by fiber. In a tote for the things I want to make for Christmas this year. A few clear zipper bags hold projects that are hibernating and a few skeins are just hanging out.
I do not need to add to this stash. I've even gone into my favorite yarn shop and walked back out without a single skein of yarn following me home for 3 shopping trips! Enter the Mary Maxim Tent Sale. Came out of there with 2 new book - Son Of Stitch 'N Bitch by Debbie Stoller, and Knits for Children & Their Teddies by Fiona McTague and 2 count that just two skeins of Mary Maxim Aloe Sock Yarn in Sandstone...come on give me a break - they were $1.97 each. A pair of socks for $4? Of course I'll buy a couple!
Then, there in the back of the Patons Shetland Chunky: a fantastic dark blue, a wonderful deep red and a happy dark green skeins...I could have sworn I heard them call my name. Been looking for a sale on Shetland Chunky to make my hubby and his best friend, Joe, a sweater each. Gonna take hubby this weekend to pick which of the three colorways will be for Joe and which will be hubby's. Once I buy the yarn for those sweaters I'm on a serious yarn diet.
Oh, yeah, that's right, I was talking about my taking my stash DOWN! I buy yarn for a specific purpose...(see paragraph about) even when the yarn is on sale. If I don't have a project in mind I don't buy it regardless of the price. Looking at what I have on hand, I'll be happy knitting away this Fall. Sitting outside in the early morning and knitting. In the evening, sitting outside knitting. In the house knittin'. I have too many projects I want to do. Instead of buying yarn on sale for a project I had better work on my projects I already have waiting. To me my stash is huge...to a yarn stasher elite, my stash is very small...it's all in how you see it.
One. Two. Three...jumping into my stash...if I don't come up for air soon send some chocolate!
Showing posts with label yarn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yarn. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
New Year, New Resolutions - NOT!
Doesn't time fly by when you are doing other things than blogging?
A new year: time for reflection, dreaming, goal setting and making changes. Not me! I don't due the resolution thing. Setting myself up for more stress, frustration and possible failure. Why even bother? Okay, maybe a few modifications would be fine.
Enter my yarn stash. It's small by many standards. Just stash looking on Ravelry proves that there are many stashes much larger than mine!!!!
Back to the stash; it was in great need of a new storing system. Clear zipper bags, extra-large to small where I could see all the yarn all the time seemed to work. It actually lulled me into a false sense of organization. I started dumping partial skeins of yarn in one bag, of course the end result was one too many yarn searches and it became a tangled mess. The rest of the skeins looked at me from the shelves (one unit by-the-way) calling, wanting to be made into something. The skeins were bought for a project and I would just place them in any bag that was handy. The day after Christmas, I had had it with the storage system.
I attacked the stash, grabbing boxes with lids, setting them on the floor, table, where ever there was space. Grabbed the 1st bag, playing "basketball" sorting the yarns by type, cotton, wool, acrylic and a few weird novelity yarns. Grabbed a marker and labeled what was in each box. Then up on a shelf the boxes went!
The mixed up bag I brought downstairs and untangled all the yarn and placed it in yet another box. This box is full of all the acrylic yarns, made into balls and ready for a toy making binge. Amigurumi - crochet or knit - I swing both ways!
The result? I feel more organized then ever. I know what is where and can grab the next project in seconds. It's funny how hiding the yarn in cardboard boxes resulted in a more peaceful stash.
I don't walk into my office/craft room and feel overwhelmed with all the clear bags and yarn, the boxes are perfect! Funny - I had to hide the stash to be more productive - who knew.
So, I guess that's my knitting resolution: reorganizing the stash and knitting box by box!
A new year: time for reflection, dreaming, goal setting and making changes. Not me! I don't due the resolution thing. Setting myself up for more stress, frustration and possible failure. Why even bother? Okay, maybe a few modifications would be fine.
Enter my yarn stash. It's small by many standards. Just stash looking on Ravelry proves that there are many stashes much larger than mine!!!!
Back to the stash; it was in great need of a new storing system. Clear zipper bags, extra-large to small where I could see all the yarn all the time seemed to work. It actually lulled me into a false sense of organization. I started dumping partial skeins of yarn in one bag, of course the end result was one too many yarn searches and it became a tangled mess. The rest of the skeins looked at me from the shelves (one unit by-the-way) calling, wanting to be made into something. The skeins were bought for a project and I would just place them in any bag that was handy. The day after Christmas, I had had it with the storage system.
I attacked the stash, grabbing boxes with lids, setting them on the floor, table, where ever there was space. Grabbed the 1st bag, playing "basketball" sorting the yarns by type, cotton, wool, acrylic and a few weird novelity yarns. Grabbed a marker and labeled what was in each box. Then up on a shelf the boxes went!
The mixed up bag I brought downstairs and untangled all the yarn and placed it in yet another box. This box is full of all the acrylic yarns, made into balls and ready for a toy making binge. Amigurumi - crochet or knit - I swing both ways!
The result? I feel more organized then ever. I know what is where and can grab the next project in seconds. It's funny how hiding the yarn in cardboard boxes resulted in a more peaceful stash.
I don't walk into my office/craft room and feel overwhelmed with all the clear bags and yarn, the boxes are perfect! Funny - I had to hide the stash to be more productive - who knew.
So, I guess that's my knitting resolution: reorganizing the stash and knitting box by box!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
I Bought Yarn Just Because...Sort Of...
I went to the LYS (local yarn shop) to find a pattern for a cute sweater for the under utilized group of 4-10 size for kids. Never go w/ your family. Hubby, dd #3 and son, as I looked for patterns to knit, they were enjoying the rest of the store. When we met back up, they started checking out yarn.
"Mom, this is nice"....feeling weak at the knees. "This is awesome sock yarn - I love the colors". DD#3 knows my weakness for socks! I knew better than to reach out and touch it. Dear Daughter #3 has a pair of socks started on the needles already. I usually finish a pair of socks before I buy more sock yarn. I resisted! Then it called to me I swear! A wonderful black to light gray skein of the softest superwash wool I've come across. Same yarn DD#3 liked but it made me think of Hubby. Who likes crew socks, size 10 shoe- more knitting. The skein never left my hand. Even joked that they don't see a skein in my hand. Up to the register w/ the patterns I found and the yarn. I bought a skein of yarn just because I fell for it. Didn't make it half way home before I had a pattern figured out for Hubby's socks. Wouldn't ya know, I left my knitting bag at home. The first time I left at home on purpose and I needed my sock needles!
I'm not one to buy yarn because the sale is 80% off original price just to have it. I am not one who sees a ugly, I mean really ugly mustard yellow 100% wool on super sale and buy up the last 20 skeins just because it's on sale. Wait, I mentioned this in another post...fast forward.
I do buy yarn when it's on 80% off, in the color, content and amount I need for a project that all the details are in my knitting journal. Sue me, I like to make notes...(I can never remember if it's 653 yards in a worsted weight or 356 in a chunky weight). A beautiful 100% cotton, in a natural that I coveted while it was full price, I will buy! I need 6 skeins! The Cherry Tree Hill, a sport weight mohair boucle in Serengeti (bright pinks, yellows, oranges and reds) original price $35 for $7.56 - in the basket it went. I also tossed in a couple of skeins of Red Heart texture yarn in gold too. Total of $117 worth of yarn for $30 bucks!
The Cherry Tree Hill is going to be a sleeved wrap. The cotton a basic cardigan - gotta love wardrobe builders. The gold yarn is already made into prayer shawls. All had a purpose before I bought them. Just waited like a vulture for the discounts!
Back to that wonderful black/gray superwash wool sock yarn. It calls to me daily. It's where I can see it. I need the needles that are already in the middle of the cuff of DD#3's socks. Talk about getting it done! Happy Happy Joy joy - I bought a skein just because, sort of!
"Mom, this is nice"....feeling weak at the knees. "This is awesome sock yarn - I love the colors". DD#3 knows my weakness for socks! I knew better than to reach out and touch it. Dear Daughter #3 has a pair of socks started on the needles already. I usually finish a pair of socks before I buy more sock yarn. I resisted! Then it called to me I swear! A wonderful black to light gray skein of the softest superwash wool I've come across. Same yarn DD#3 liked but it made me think of Hubby. Who likes crew socks, size 10 shoe- more knitting. The skein never left my hand. Even joked that they don't see a skein in my hand. Up to the register w/ the patterns I found and the yarn. I bought a skein of yarn just because I fell for it. Didn't make it half way home before I had a pattern figured out for Hubby's socks. Wouldn't ya know, I left my knitting bag at home. The first time I left at home on purpose and I needed my sock needles!
I'm not one to buy yarn because the sale is 80% off original price just to have it. I am not one who sees a ugly, I mean really ugly mustard yellow 100% wool on super sale and buy up the last 20 skeins just because it's on sale. Wait, I mentioned this in another post...fast forward.
I do buy yarn when it's on 80% off, in the color, content and amount I need for a project that all the details are in my knitting journal. Sue me, I like to make notes...(I can never remember if it's 653 yards in a worsted weight or 356 in a chunky weight). A beautiful 100% cotton, in a natural that I coveted while it was full price, I will buy! I need 6 skeins! The Cherry Tree Hill, a sport weight mohair boucle in Serengeti (bright pinks, yellows, oranges and reds) original price $35 for $7.56 - in the basket it went. I also tossed in a couple of skeins of Red Heart texture yarn in gold too. Total of $117 worth of yarn for $30 bucks!
The Cherry Tree Hill is going to be a sleeved wrap. The cotton a basic cardigan - gotta love wardrobe builders. The gold yarn is already made into prayer shawls. All had a purpose before I bought them. Just waited like a vulture for the discounts!
Back to that wonderful black/gray superwash wool sock yarn. It calls to me daily. It's where I can see it. I need the needles that are already in the middle of the cuff of DD#3's socks. Talk about getting it done! Happy Happy Joy joy - I bought a skein just because, sort of!
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