All That Remains

All that remains of my drawer-full of worsted oddballs and leftovers is these 6 partial balls of yarn. It's some Cascade 220, some Naturewool, a teeny ball of Bartlett's, and a ball of something soft and creamy white, its identity and ball band lost. The crocheted blanket is done.

The original plan for the blanket was to finish every last scrap of the worsted leftover/oddball yarn at least in this certain category of workhorse wool yarns. The idea wasn't about being stash-less, necessarily, but I know that if ever the urge hit to knit something in Cascade 220 or Naturewool, I could just go pick some up. I liked the idea of starting fresh and new, and just getting all of this old yarn used up and cleared out of the drawer.

But I've decided to return these bits to the stash. I value the inspiration that this kind of stash provides. I like having little oddballs to work into charity projects or craft projects for the kids. I know they'll get used eventually. I also like the idea that perhaps when the worsted stash gets to be unwieldy yet again, I'll use these yarns to make another blanket.

I also tried my best to evenly distribute the colors throughout the blanket. I rotated through at least 15 different yarns and about 25 different colors, and at the end of the blanket, I didn't want to repeat so many similar colors so closely. So yes, there was a design choice to be made.

And, yo, the blanket it big enough.

Now, all that remains to do on my blanket is to weave in all these ends.

Dramatic Stash Reduction

My stash lives in our guest room. I have a large dresser full: one drawer for wools, one drawer for cottons, and one mostly of odds and ends and leftovers. There's also an old china cabinet with all the books, sock yarns and other special yarns jammed in there. I keep sweater quantities in the closet, along with lots of other craft supplies. It's been a easy way to keep organized, but this summer we anticipate some longer visits from various family members. And this fall, we'd like to do some remodeling to the master bedroom and bath, so Mr S and I will have to move into the guest room during the duration of the construction.

So this Spring, I have been reorganizing the yarn room, making more room in the closet for our guests and their things, and getting rid of some other, unused things. But as I was working in there the weekend before MSDW, my husband got a full-on view of the stash. He saw all of it. At once. His eyes bugged out in shock, but just for a moment. He didn't say anything except something about my plans to buy more yarn at MDSW the following weekend.

Later, he acknowledged that I do knit a lot. And knitting a lot requires a lot of yarn. He really did understand. He was just surprised that it was that much. I've never hidden any of my purchases from my husband. I stay within the budget, and since he pays the bills every month, he knows how much I spend. And although he didn't get at all angry or even seem annoyed, I realized it was time to really reduce the stash. It has gotten a little unwieldy.

Dramatic stash reduction was called for. I not only had to make room for my guests, but I had to prove to my generous and understanding husband that I really did intend on using all of that yarn, that my abundance had a purpose. There was only one thing to do: crochet a huge scrapghan. Being a crochet project, it would use up a ton of yarn, clearing a lot of space in the yarn dresser, and it would create a useful item for the whole family.

I cleared out all of the worsted-ish woolen leftovers, singletons, or random yarns bought for unrealized projects from the wool drawer. I stuck them in the basket and began Bella Dia's Vintage Vertical Stripe Blanket.

Week One: 27 rows

I have been crocheting at a feverish pace for two weeks, and currently have 56 rows of double crochet, or a blanket about 70" long x 20 " wide. The rows are long but simple, as this pattern has you crochet into the space created by the row below, instead of having to insert your hook into the V's of another stitch. As a crochet beginner, it is a great project. I'm trying to crank out as much as I can while I am still enthusiastic about the blanket and before the weather gets too hot to have a huge wool blanket on my lap.

Week 2: 56 rows

I'm still working of different knitting projects as well, all from stash. But for now, it's all about cranking out those long double crochet rows and using up all this yarn.

Out With The Old

I need structure when in an overwhelming situation. So I often make arbitrary limits just to bring some order and control to the chaos. Therefore it seemed only natural for me to create some kind of absurd rule for MDSW 2008 purchases: I couldn't buy yarn from any vendor from which I had bought yarn in 2007 that was still in my stash.

So no Brooks Farm. No Tess. But I was able to buy from The Fibre Company due to these quick knits just before we left ...

Pattern: Sideways Ribbed Cap by Cathy Campbell
Yarn: Terra from The Fibre Company (sunflower and light indigo)
Needles: US 7s
Notes: Thank you Liz for your inspiration! This hat is an end of the year present for another of R's teachers. We thought the lightest yellow of the sunflower was reminiscent of sunshine and the indigo evoked a clear blue sky. Perfect for our lovely outdoorsy preschool teacher.


It took me a while to find buttons that would work until The Yarn Lounge got some Danforth Pewter's buttons. I didn't realize until I got home that I've actually been in their store in Middlebury, VT. The business is wonderful and they are right near the Vermont Organic Fiber Company. Sounds like a fun day of shopping next time I'm up in the area!

Terra is 60% Merino, 20% Baby Alpaca, and 20% Silk. That equals 100% delicious. And at 100 yards a skein, these are better than some of the skimpy yardage skeins that I saw this year at MDSW.


Pattern: Ruffles Scarf by Amanda Blair Brown from Scarf Style
Yarn: Terra (Sunflower) from The Fibre Co.
Needles: US 7s
Notes: I had a skein (and a bit more) leftover from the hat, so I tried a Ruffles Scarf. These short rows were actually a lot of fun to knit. I didn't have enough for a long scarf, but it's just enough for R!

And now may I present my new Fibre Company yarn ...

Organik

Limited Edition Longhorn

SSS Wrap-Up

I finished a few more projects this week to top off my Single Skein September Stash-A-Thon. Here's the final three projects:


Pattern: Fetching, Knitty Summer 2006
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, 2 skeins
Mods: I skipped the picot bind-off to preserve yarn, and still needed to buy a second ball. Argh! Luckily, a little stash diving turned up another ball of CA in cream, so I have a colorwork hat planned. Just in case you needed another reason to freakin' love your stash.

Sorry the pic is so blurry. My mom is not much of a photographer.

Pattern: simple 2x2 rib scarves, improvised
Yarn: Crystal Palace Labrador, about three skeins. I bought a bag of this yarn three or four years ago, when I still lived in Richmond, and after having many lives and several uses, I was tired of looking at it every time I opened the "wool" drawer of my stash dresser. I had enough for two of these scarves, so I made one for me and my sister.

better shot of the scarf

Story: My sister, an all-around awesome gal, nascent knitter, and guest blogger at XRK, has had a pretty shitty week after having her apartment ripped off. While she was there, asleep in the next room. She deserved something special and new, after losing all her photos, her masters degree work, her carefully mapped out "life plan," and her wallet, not to mention her overall sense of security in her home. I am just so incredibly relieved that whatever asshole that took her stuff did not want to do harm to her. Because I could not live in a world without my sister.

I finished 10 projects during Single Skein September, and used up about 18 skeins of stash yarn. I am glad to have returned to some of these great yarns in my stash, but mostly, I am so happy to have finally knit some of these projects that have long been in the queue. I have a very peaceful relationship with my stash, and know that the longer that I knit, I will find a use for most of the yarn that's there. However SSS was a great exercise in focusing my energies on actively finding uses for those small quantities of yarn that lurk in the stash, rather than continue to be distracted by socks.

Of course, the sock distraction is returning with a vengeance in Socktober!

Back Home Again

We arrived home yesterday after a glorious vacation in Rockport, MA. I had a great visit with Liz and then my extended family, finished a project, went whale watching, and read HP7 once, twice, and then certain chapters over and over and over again ... I have lots to blog about, but first things first ... vacation yarn buying ...

I had determined that I would not visit yarn stores on this trip. Liz had already gifted me with the wonderful Schaeffer Anne and I didn't want to test my family's fiber tolerance after they cheerfully accompanied me to MDSW. I'm also trying to keep a handle on the stash. I was fairly certain that I could avoid any fiber stores. (Stop laughing now. I mean it.) There happens to be however, a curious phenomenon that occurs when a yarn-loving knitter enters a fiber-friendly city. It is magnetic. Yarn stores just materialize in the path of the yarn lover and the force of the subsequent pull puts gravity to shame.

It happened to me while Letterboxing with the BackBou's wonderful cousin and her family in Portland, ME ...

After finding the Casco Bay letterbox, this yarn store just jumped in front of the path ...



Seaport Yarn! Well, I had to go in ... I ended up with 4 skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (two Fresh Stripe and two Jungle Stripe).

I have never knit with this yarn (can you believe it?) and I can't wait!! While in the yarn store, I saw two extremely nice knitters who were executing a very successful yarn crawl -- they offered again and again to show me where the other great yarn stores were on there map, but after seeing the warning looks from the BackBou, I declined. However, it seemed quite clear that Portland is a fiber-friendly city.

As if that weren't enough, Portland has a Flatbread Company Restaurant! Lorna's and Flatbread? We were in heaven!

Old Yarn, New Skirt

What can I say? Rosebud, she is my muse, especially when it comes to stash busting.


Pattern: Simple Top-Down skirt using techniques from Barbara Walker's Knitting From the Top Down. I would highly recommend this book for any knitter's library. Basically, using very old leftover yarn from the stash, my gauge swatch and some simple instructions, I was able to improvise a simple round skirt with a cute ruffled edge. It would surprise you how many "designs" available on the web are almost straight from this book.

Yarn & Needles: Three skeins of Classic Elite Flash in the Lapis colorway, US 7

This project qualifies as some super-duper stash busting, as I bought a bag of this yarn over three years ago when I was still living in Richmond. I used some of it to knit a Soleil tank, and have had a few leftover hanks hanging around just waiting for the right project. Having a tiny daughter with an endless enthusiasm for her mother's handknits is my best stashbusting tip!

This yarn is a mercerized marled cotton yarn, with two plies of a sapphire blue and one turquoise ply. I have used it for several projects over the years, all of them before I began blogging (thus there are no pics for linking, sorry), and would recommend it for easy-care projects. The different colored plies creates an interesting effect, and some of the colorways are really unusual. I have managed to pick up vast quantities of this yarn twice on major sale, and nothing against the yarn, but after having knit at least five different projects with it, I am officially done with Classic Elite Flash.


The bad news is that I still have two hanks left. I wonder if Rosebud needs a halter top...

The Queue

Breaking SoS KAL news: The 2007 SoSKAL has morphed into the Summer Stash-Out. Contact Leigh if you are interested. Thanks for hosting, Leigh.

As promised, here's the planned queue, with details:

Row 1, L-R:
1. Reynolds Mandalay for Simple Knitted Bodice. This yarn started its life as Cozy at some point in 2005. The pattern, while lovely, bored me to tears, so I frogged it. Thus, over 2 years in stash.
2. Classic Elite Flash for a skirt for Rosebud. This yarn was purchased at a sale at Lettuce Knit (no website) in Richmond and was knit into Soleil. These 4 skeins are the leftovers. This yarn has been in stash for 3 years, at least.
3. Mission Falls 1824 Cotton for a Baby Surprise Jacket. This is actually kind of sentimental. This is a bunch of odds and ends leftover from various baby sweaters, but a lot of it is from the very first sweater I ever knit, since frogged, a baby sweater for Rosebud. Stewart recommended I make "the Hand." I have since made it two other times, and because of it, I have sworn off intarsia. Forever. Anyway, the BSJ is intended for the recently born son of a certain knit blogger that I have known for over 20 years. Marnie, if you are reading, surely you won't mind a long stashed, recycled yarn BSJ for your darling boy, will you?

Row 2, L-R:
1. Tess SuperSock and Baby: This yarn really just represents the socks I plan to knit this summer. My goal is to knit 5 pairs this summer. Some patterns on the horizon include Leyburns, Wildflower socks, and of course, Nancy Bush, as well as some man socks -- see below. Newly acquired.
2. Green Mountain Spinnery Sylvan Spirit for the next XRK KAL -- our first Yarn-along! I am planning a Rusted Root. I can't wait to see what y'all decide to make with this stuff. I'm not sure Rusted Root is the right pattern, but I'm going to try. Newly acquired.
3. Katia Jamaica for a dress/tunic for Rosebud. This is my current WIP, and my latest design. More details to come. This yarn has been in stash for about a year.

Row 3, L-R:
1. Brooks Farm Primero for Shetland Triangle. I am a little concerned that I do not have enough yarn to make it large enough...I am willing to take some suggestions for this one. Newly acquired.
2. Brooks Farm Acero for Man Socks. There are certain men in my life who seem to be desiring the handknit socks: my father-in-law, my brother, and as always, my beloved. I hope to knit a pair of socks for at least my FIL and my brother, and maybe my hubby, but he has gotten a lot of the knitterly love this year. Newly acquired.
3. Touch of Twist Alpacas for shawls. My SIL has requested a shawl. I am itching for lace. There just might be a Spring Things shawl in the works, and maybe an Ene's shawl too. Newly acquired.

So, it works out to:
2 tops for me
2 projects for Rosebud
bunches of socks
3 lace shawls
1 baby jacket

Ambitious, perhaps, but inspirational, all the same. Don't forget to leave suggestions for the Primero in the comments.

What's Your Queue?

It has taken me some time to decide what to do about the Summer of Stash. After my yarn binge at MDSW, I considered participating again, but I have decided against it.

Last summer was a great process for me. I focused on knitting and creating, and not on buying more yarn. I curbed my desire for the new while rediscovering the yarns I had. I made some great pieces. I edited the stash by releasing loser yarns, finishing UFOs and got rid of yarns with negative associations. I found a balance between inspiration and acquisition, and know how long the queue can reasonably get before I begin to feel uncomfortable.

I made peace with my stash.

I am not naturally a hoarder, nor am I much of an impulse shopper. I've never blown the grocery budget for a great deal. I do not haunt local yarn shops. I have enough self control to keep the stash at a manageable size, and have a real sense of when I want to buy, and when I just want to knit with what I have. I love the yarn in my stash, and when the stash gets too big, I feel like it takes me further away from yarn I really want to knit and projects I really want to make.

I finally figured out that I will eventually use most of the yarns in my stash. I buy a lot of sock yarn, but I knit a lot of socks. I'll knit those oddballs into something. I'll find the perfect project for the sweater yarn. I'll be inspired to knit a lace shawl or a cotton top. Someday, I'll want to knit a linen handtowel, and I have just the yarn for it. If I know I'll never use it, I'll give it away or relegate it to crafts for the kids.

Other uses for yarn: party games for kids!

I just have to give it time.

Thus I have no guilt or pressure about my stash, and do not need a Summer of Stash to control or organize it anymore. I am feel blessed with an abundance of yarn and inspired by the yarns I have, and though I will likely be taking the summer off from major stash enhancement, I am planning on buying yarn within the constraints of my budget and that's about it.

Instead, I have planned a Killer Queue of (Mostly) Stashed Knitting to organize my summer knitting. A lot of it is new yarn, purchased at MDSW. Some of it is long-stashed. Some are oddball knits. Some will have to be newly acquired. Next post will be the details on the Summer Queue, but here are the yarns I'll be knitting this summer.



It looks like it is going to be a great summer. Tell me, what's in your queue for the summer?

I in no way feel like the SoSKAL is the personal domain of XRK, although we did co-host last year. I am in the process of passing the mantle onto another knitblogger for hosting the SoSKAL 2007, but if anyone wants to help out, please let me know.

MDSW Afterglow

Well. I had a wonderful time. Here are my new goodies ...

Clockwise from top left: N's Tess sock yarn (good taste my dear), Terra bargain yarn (2 skeins light indigo, 2 skeins sunflower), a big pile of stuff (1 skein Spirit Trail sock yarn, 4 skeins Green Mountain Spinnery Sylvan Spirit Peridot, 1 skein Brooks Farm Acero), new drop spindle with Spin It book, felting kits from Black Sheep Designs (Jingle balls and birds), and N's dye tops from Springwater Workshop (nice color selection N!).

Most fun was meeting Carol (you totally crack me up), Jody, Erin, Nova, Bridget, and Amy. What a great time! The girls came along and did very well. N truly enjoyed shopping for fiber. Scary. She's only 7. I better up her allowance ...

R dug the animals (and avoided Carol's fate). We were all richly rewarded with festival food before heading to the In-Laws ...

Where the BackBou tried his hand at drop spindling.

Then home again for a photoshoot of our kitchen! Fine Homebuilding is going to feature our kitchen remodel in their kitchen and bath issue (out in the fall). We felt like rock stars!

The BackBou demonstrating the usefulness of the butcherblock. With all the excitement of the photos, I knit an entire sleeve of the Spartan with the wrong needles. Drat.

PS: Auntie Lynn -- Sorry we missed you! Thanks for the yummy shortbread!

Postcard from Maryland

Dear Mo,
I'm having a hard time putting together a post about MDSW without repeating everything every other blogger has said about the day: the long lines, the cute animals, the great weather, and of course, all the amazing yarn.

I took the bus from Rosie's Yarn Cellar, and since I have a "in" with a certain bus captain, I managed to snag a seat on the much-coveted Early Bus. This was a great way to travel, since our bus driver was particularly disinclined to sit in the long lines of traffic to get into the fairgrounds, and well, it was a bus full of knitters, so you know that you'll have something to talk about.

I had sort of planned most of my purchases, and for the most part, I stuck with my plans, and gave myself enough room for impulse purchases as well. It did seem for a moment that I bought an obscene amount of yarn, but the Back Bou was kind enough to point out that I spent less on yarn than Mr. S's and my dinner at Tru, and have no useful garments to show for that!

I was also so excited to meet up with certain bloggers and spend time with my IRL knitting friends. I finally got to meet Minty (and her Mom!), and was pleasantly surprised to see Nova there as well (with her absolutely darling son and hubby, too).

But the true highlight of MDSW for me was getting to spend the day with Ann and her family. I could have been absolutely anywhere for the day with her gang and would have had fun. Hell, I could have even been in a yurt and been totally satisfied with my day. Throwing in the incredible yarn was truly just a bonus to a day with my dear, dear friend.

The only thing missing? The only thing keeping the day from being perfect?

You, of course. We missed you terribly.

So do you want to see the haul?

From Tess Designer Yarns

a gigantic hank of Prime Alpaca

Tess Supersock & Baby

From Brooks Farm

two skeins of Acero for some man-socks

Primero

A sweater's worth of FourPlay

The Bargains of the Day

A ton of alpaca laceweight

Two skeins of Terra from the bargain bin

Do you want to know what we bought for you?

Four skeins of Green Mountain Spinnery's Sylvan Spirit

We each got four skeins for our next XRK KAL. This time, it will be a yarn-along! More matching outfits, I say!

There were a couple hanks of Spirit Trail sock yarn that are not cooperating with the camera, but they are lovely as well.

But now I do think it might be time to reinstitute a Summer of Stash...