Stash Explosion

Well, this is what happens when you leave your yarn unattended for too long.

It explodes.

This is pretty much my entire yarn stash. It had been a while since I really examined what I had, and things in the closet were starting to get messy. (You know how it is. Yarn is quiet, but can get pretty rowdy.)

So this afternoon, I pulled it all out of the closet and took a look.

First, there's the sock yarn. There's enough there for about 8 or 9 pairs of socks, but really, not too bad. It's a small little pile. Easy to store away. (Note my curly-haired little assistant.)

Then there's the Cascade 220. Practically tiny, really. Eight skeins for my Perfect cardigan (once Ann and Kay have the pattern ready), and two skeins for a Tychus hat for my Dad. All nicely ear-marked for specific projects.

Some Debbie Bliss yarn--5 skeins of Cashmerino Aran leftover from sweaters, and 5 skeins of Alpaca Silk waiting for some kind of project. Again. Tiny really. But we're starting to see signs of a problem. Leftovers and yarn with no purpose in life? Sad, sad little skeins....

Hmm, this pile is kind of big. This is my Rowan yarn. Some Cashsoft 4-ply leftover from my Union Market Square pullover, some Calmer that I bougth when our LYS went out of business last Spring, and, oh yes, the oldest yarn in my stash. Rowan's Wool and Cotton, from back before they took the ampersand out of the name. THAT goes back almost 15 years to when a different LYS was going out of business. I couldn't really afford it, but I just adored the yarn, so I bought two bagfuls. I used some of it for my Bjerk sweater a couple years ago, but am almost reluctant to actually use what I still have. It's been in my closet for so long, it's like a friend. Hmmm . . . this is starting to look problematic.

Manos del Uruguay (and a couple skeins of that other Uruguayan yarn). This has been in my closet for a couple of years now, too. The skeins of topaz-colored yarn are leftover from the pullover I made two years ago, but the long skeins? Well, what I'd really like to do is turn them into an afghan. I love the colors, it would look gorgeous in my room, but, well . . . there are other things I'd rather be knitting . . . and so it just hangs there in the closet (draped over trouser-hangers)--nicely out of the way, but . . .

Hmm . . . now we come to the REAL problem. The lace yarn. Like this collection of Kid Silk Haze, for example. Does anyone really need this much crack?

And then there's the Zephyr. Blue. Purple. White. And the evil Copper.

Not to mention the other lace yarn--the Alpaca-Silk, the Cherry Tree Hill, the leftover Chai from my Flower Basket Shawl.

Yep, I think it's with the lace yarn that we really see that there's a problem. Now, I know, some of you are sitting there laughing at my stash. Because, really, this is pretty much the entire thing. (Unless you count spinning supplies or handspun, which I don't. And I didn't take close-ups of some of the odds-and-ends kind of yarns, though you can see them in the original photo, if you care to look that hard. I didn't show you my Olympics yarn again, either, because, well, you just saw that.)

Things I noticed about my stash, though? Really, very little of it that I don't actually WANT. I did put some skeins of "extras" into a bag with the intent of getting rid of them, but really . . . what would anybody want with a skein and a half of some leftover yarn? Of course, I rarely do the tiny projects like hats. I save some of the leftovers because I tell myself that I'll make socks to match the just-finished sweater, or that it's a shame to get rid of perfectly nice yarn, or that I should keep extras in case of emergency mending needs later on . . . and yet, then it just sits there.

I've got a very nice stash, really. And I'd honestly like to make something out of just about all of it. The quality is excellent. I still like all the colors . . . although it's interesting that there are very few neutral colors in my stash at all. Blues. Reds. Purples. Greens. Almost no browns or whites, and no black at all, except for a skein of fuzzy fake-fur kind of yarn that I got for an Elmer Fudd hat's ear flaps that I never actually made. (You'll note Chappy's avid look--he really wanted to "help" some more. He just laid there, staring longingly at the piles of yarn while I sorted....)

Oh well. The real problem?? Buying NEW yarn is so much fun!

  And, oh yes, the other thing I did? I sorted through my knitting books. These are the reference-type and basic books that I use the most--top shelf of the bookcase in the closet, easiest to reach.

The second shelf has more pattern-type books. Also my books on spinning and (for now at least) my sewing basket, because it has to live somewhere.

The bottom shelf holds the other craft books--quilts, embroidery, crochet. (Yes, crochet.) One book I'd completely forgotten I had? Alice Starmore's Celtic Needlepoint. Now, I knew I had her Celtic Collections for knitting, but had forgotten that this other book was one of A.S.'s. Now, the sad part is that I didn't pick up her Fair Isle or her Aran Knitting when I had a chance, when they were new. I thought (laughingly) at the time that they were too expensive, but . . . I had no idea. If I'd known that they'd be selling for $150-$250 for a copy now, well . . . I would have grabbed a copy when I could!

But the really surprising thing of my having this needlepoint book? I don't do needlepoint. Oh, I know how, but I prefer other types of embroidery--it was just that the designs in this book were so beautiful, I really wanted a copy. Ironic, huh?

Now, what else did I want to tell you?

Oh, yes.

I finished my Jaywalkers.

I've got to admit, though (please don't yell)--I don't love these socks. I DO love the zigzag look of the pattern. But I don't love the way they fit. I didn't put any negative ease in at all, since the pattern states that there isn't much stretch because of the zigzags, but . . . the socks feel large. Especially the heels. I should have made the heel flaps MUCH smaller. They sure do look pretty, though!

Comments

[Gracie]

I've consoladated (sp?) my yarn as well, and I have the same problem. For some reason, I am keeping a half of a ball of yarn. I don't know why, but it is way to hard to throw it away. It just feels wrong.

[Nancy J]

see, my yarn has this problem -- it's friendly and likes kaffee klatches. my yarn invites all its friends and then the friends stay and invite more friends.... you'll need all those colors for colorwork...and that's why i got the AS celtic neelepoint -- for chart ideas.

[Chris]

It's a gorgeous stash. Barely anything there to worry about at all. :D

Hmm, Chappy is much better behaved than Chaos would be when confronted with that much yarn! (heh, I typed "yearn" the first time)

Your Jaywalkers look gorgeous! What yarn did you use? They look eerily like the Jaywalkers I'm working on right now!

[Paula]

Hey Deb, those are nice Jaywalkers. Mine feel a bit big in the toe. What is it? Spring? I have gone through my stash, my knitting magazines, and my patterns. I have donated yarn to the Red Cross and Project Linus, and knit for charity. Still the stash keeps growing...

[Beth]

You do have a really nice little stash there. But the emphasis is on the little - you should go buy more. Don't say I never encouraged you... ;)

[JessaLu]

Nice stash you have there ;o) You have nothing to worry about, I've seen bigger ;o)

I envy your knitting book stash ;o)

And, don't feel bad, I'm not crazy about my jaywalkers either.

[minnie]

meh, that's not a stash! (as i sit and look at my 8 sets of 3 drawers full, and my pie safe, and all the boxes of yarn in my room, and the 20 skeins in my closet, and the 8 skeins of yarn (i did the same thing as chris, and typed yearn at first, lol) i've got hiding in the back of the van because i'm not quite sure WHERE i am going to put this yarn!

andyour jaywalkers look great, did ya see mine? they're going slowly, because i'm alternating this with my charity knitting/sewing (i'm making mini shamrock blankets for NICU). gotta keep training for the olympics!

[Christina]

Have you ever considered knitting the oddball afghan? I buy the lonely skeins whenever I'm at my LYS, in hopes of knitting this afghan up (My stash is VERY small). Here's the link: http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/afghans/sampler.htm

Of course, there is also Barbara Walker's Learn-to-Knit afghan, which you can use many colors, or the mitred rambling afghan... I think you get my point. Nice jaywalkers, BTW.

[amanda]

Wonderful stash --- I don't see any problems there at all *wink*

Jaywalkers look awesome. Congrats on finishing them!

[christine]

Deb - you have inspired me to organize my books. I'm going to do it tonight.......or tomorrow.....or by the end of the week........
Love the jaywalkers! They are fun, aren't they?

[Snow]

I keep vacillating between wanting to make the Jaywalkers and wanting to skip them because the fit seems to be a bit touchy. The jury is still out.

I've contemplated eBaying some A.S. books to pay the kid's tuition at college.

[Julie]

I'll have to pull out and photograph my stash someday so that you can feel better. And I have to say that I was *very* envious of the KSH pile you had there. Must. . . resist. . . temptation. . .

[Risa]

Nope, ain't going to pull out my stash like that. The kids would disappear and no way could I get the cats to stay quiet, yet yearning, off to the side like Chappy did. Nice crack pile!

[Janine]

I have this to say: Sally Melville's Styles. The BEST source for using up a mixed pile of not-quite-enough-for-a-full sweater but too good to toss yarn.
I think those Jaywalkers look great--women have suffered for beauty for centuries, so just buck up there, missy!

[Lu]

I agree about the heel flap of the Jaywalker socks, I think I'll have the same problem.

Yours are beautiful!

[Emy]

Seems like both of us are into the blues and reds too! Love those stash colors!

[Tracy]

I'm thinking that I love the size of your stash, very manageable. Here's hoping that after a good stint of stashaloning mine resembles yours. Right this minute, I'm not going to think about it, nervous twitches don't do anything for my appearance ;)