Last week my progress in organizing my stash was overwhelming. There was a lot of procastiknitting! This week, it has been much better, and even somewhat exciting.
How are you all doing? It was great to hear from all who wrote in or talked to me at the store. You normalized my stashing. Many discussions over the past week were around how to store wip, how much is too much yarn, and donating yarn.
Each is a topic on its own, and requires you to think deep into what you are trying to accomplish. Are you downsizing? Are you going to finish those “wip” (works in progress)? What do you want to donate and where can it be donated to?
First, how much is too much yarn? Most agree that you need to decide this for yourself. If your yarn stash is suffocating you, that’s too much. If you can manage your stash, have it stored, and are comfortable with your stash leave it alone and enjoy. If you want more to add to your stash, feel free to do so. There is a lot of yarn out there.
Next, is the topic of storing your works in progress. What has worked for me is to keep projects in individual bags, with needles, pattern and a small notions bag. However, as I’ve been organizing my stash, I realize that I have way too many works in progress. So, as I’m organizing and I come across projects, I think about what the project is, why I stopped working on it/lost interest in it, and whether or not I am going to finish it. Two wips got frogged this past week, and I will use the yarn for a different project.
As I’ve been organizing my stash, I have found that I do have yarn that I acquire (sounds nicer than buy) over and over. Encore Worsted is taking up a large bin so far, and as I organize more, I’m pretty sure it will take a second bin. I have lots of Encore DK, as well as Berroco Baby, and I’m storing those dk weights in a bin together. I find they are interchangeable so keeping them together works for me. I discovered that I needed to separate my sock yarns from my fingering weight yarns. I have two bins of fingering weight yarn. And now a bin of sock yarn, with three sets of socks on the needles. Yup I’m great at knitting the first sock, but I have trouble finishing the second one. I’ve discovered I love pattern sock yarn and am excited to see it work out on the first sock, but then once I see it, the second one isn’t quite as exciting. But I will persevere and finish those second socks (some day).
Donating yarn/tools is a bit trickier. Many senior centers in the area will take these items. And a lofty thinker (my play on the title) wrote and said that she had donated yarn/tools to the local library knitting groups. So, check that out as well.
I will not bore you with any more of my self discoveries, but I hope I was able to help lead you on to your own self discovery with your stash.
The Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift is here!!! Trying so hard not to buy it today, but my resolve will break, I’m sure. After all its Mother’s Day and I love to treat myself.
Happy crafting!
Ahh….stash, it’s so hard to control. My fabric stash loves me to the moon an back…probably could reach 🤦🏻♀️. But my yarn is very much in control…by me. I have to finish a project before buying more 💃🏼. However, my boys decided I needed several yarns and 2 books for crocheting them Pokémon characters 🙈😵💫….they saw me showing neighbor girls how to start crocheting. I hadn’t done any crochet in about 25+ years. So now yarn is also getting out of control. 😂🫶🏻
No worries, seniors love to make colorful items for charity!
It can find a home …when needed ❤️
A nice solution to that second sock syndrome is to do them on 2 circular needles. So much easier and less stressful than having to count rows and hoping they come out the same. Works for mittens as well. I converted from the dpn’s and am so much happier!