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Boondoggled
Chatty Knitter
USA
305 Posts |
 Posted - 08/29/2007 : 12:53:00 PM
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It recently dawned on me that I think of my stash in terms of how long it will take me to knit the projects rather than amount of yarn. So I have been walking around for the past few years feeling as though I had a HUGE amount of yarn, when really it is just a normal or small amount of yarn. It's just going to take me forever to knit it.
Does anyone else view their stash in terms of time or in some other way not related to the amount of yarn?
Have a nice day!
Tanya |
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DaniW
Chatty Knitter
USA
164 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 1:18:00 PM
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I hadn't really thought about it before. I tend to knit mainly socks and I think of my yarn in terms of how many pair I can make.
I think of time when I start knitting a pair, because I like to have projects staggered so I don't get bored.
I've only knit one sweater and am still working on sweaters 2 and 3. I think if I started thinking of my sweater yarn in terms of time I'd get a little depressed. I prefer denial. [:00]
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kdcrowley
Permanent Resident
USA
4773 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 1:37:46 PM
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I tend to think of it in terms of whether I can see it or not.
If I can see it, I come to a screeching halt and don't do any knitting at the sheer magnitude of it all.
Kelley
Check out my solar-dyed yarns at http://www.ceallachdyes.com
and my blog at http://ceallachknits.blogspot.com
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m11721
New Pal
47 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 3:35:31 PM
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| I do this. My formula is to try to keep the stash to what I can use in 6 months (yarn and fabric). This doesn't count leftovers which is the worst part of my yarn stash. I'm trying to work on some one skein projects to whittle down the leftovers a little. |
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kdcrowley
Permanent Resident
USA
4773 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 4:55:05 PM
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Yes, but I find that lately all I get time for is the single skein projects.....LOL
I have some sweaters that I want to do, as well....the yarn is sitting in my stash, but I have a couple of projects in play that need completing, and then i will start the sweaters.....I sense some startitis coming on.
Kelley
Check out my solar-dyed yarns at http://www.ceallachdyes.com
and my blog at http://ceallachknits.blogspot.com
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aprilshowers
Chatty Knitter
295 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 5:04:32 PM
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| I keep track of it in yards and aim to keep around 10,000 yards. If I go over 10,000 I have to force myself to stop looking at sales emails and KR stash reductions which seem to be my main weakness when buying yarn. I started grouping leftovers in ziploc bags separated by gauge and fiber content. I started a log cabin blanket with my old 18st/4" acrylics and will add to it as I get more (I'll donate it to an animal shelter or something when it's done so don't worry about what it looks like). For the other bags I've been making baby sweaters with colorwork to use up all those little scraps. The sweaters go kind of slowly since I am new to stranding colorwork but boy did that Log Cabin blanket eat up yarn in a hurry! |
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condith@yahoo.com
New Pal
4 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 10:15:34 PM
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Yarn!!!
A recent study indicated, that Yarn and thread gives off certain
Pheromones that actually hypnotize women and cause them to purchase
unreasonable amounts.
When stored in large quantities, in enclosed spaces, the Pheromones, (in
the yarn,) cause memory loss and induce the nesting syndrome, (similar to
the one squirrels have, before the onset of winter, i.e. the storing of
food,) therefore, perpetuating their species and not having a population
loss due to their kind being cut into pieces and mixed with others.
Sound tests have also revealed, that these yarns, emit a very high-
pitched sound, heard only by a select few, a breed of women known as
"loomers." When played backwards on an LP, the sounds are heard as
chants, buy me, loom me, and wind me into a ball ".
In order to overcome the so called "feeding frenzy effect," that these
yarns cause, one must wear a face mask when entering a storage facility
and use ear plugs, to avoid being pulled into their grip.
(One must laugh, however, at the sight of customers in a yarn store, with
WW2 army gas masks and headphones!) . Studies have also indicated, that
aliens have inhabited the earth, helping to spread the effects, that
these yarns have on the human population. They are called "YARN STORE
CLERKS".
It's also been experienced, that these same Pheromones, cause a
pathological need, to hide these yarn purchases, when taken home (or at
least blend them into the existing stash.) When asked by a significant
other if the yarn is new, the reply is, "I've had it for
awhile."
Author Unknown
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lorna12@cox.net
New Pal
1 Posts |
Posted - 08/29/2007 : 10:27:23 PM
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I rarely think of my yarn as "stash". More often than not, I think of it as Fine Art. And as such, I use it to decorate my home. You'll find my yarn in baskets and bowls and in hanks hanging from my walls in small groupings of hooks. The yarn not used for specific display is arranged on the shelves in my studio. And I love to sit there and try to take in the beauty of all the textures and colors. Oh, and sometimes I even get around to knitting it!
Compared to a fine oil painting, my yarn is very economical and is multi-purposed, or can be! |
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Pinnsvinn
New Pal
20 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 03:14:54 AM
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Very interesting. Coincidentally, I have spent the last week organizing most of my stash. I tend to see it in terms of what needs to be knit and how much time that will take. I keep a "knitting schedule" on my computer in the same folder where I keep patterns and pattern changes.
Since I knit sweaters almost exlusively, I don't count leftovers as "stash." in fact, I've been looking at the two shopping bags full of 1-3 balls in different yarna snd wondering what I should do with it.
Since I do think in terms of how long it will take me to knit something, it does keep things in control. Right now I have yarn for about 12 sweaters and it should take about two years to knit -- that's assuming of course that I don't augment it at any time! |
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Celtic Memory Yarns
Warming Up
Ireland
62 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 03:39:50 AM
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I tend to agree with Condith - I see yarn as absolutely essential to maintaining and increasing my sense of security in life. In this I am Pioneer Woman, gazing out across the limitless prairie from the shelter of her cosy stash cabin. Any I come across anywhere that looks like it could contribute to the strength and longevity of my nest gets snaffled and taken home!
Jo |
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scarfitup
Chatty Knitter
187 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 04:19:49 AM
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What wonderful ideas about stash! Coincidentally, I reorganized mine just this week too, and now I can actually FIND my washer and dryer and see the floor of my microscopic laundry room! While I obviously don't knit in there, I do a lot of my thnking and combination trials sitting on the floor, and some of my jewelry and other fiber work using the tops of the machines as a work table (good height, BTW!)
Some of mine is in bins, some in cupboards, and some in a lucite cubby (16 slots, I think) hanging on the wall. I LOVE to look at all the colors, textures, and possible combinations of fibers. Yes, I too think of it as a dynamic work of art that's constantly shifting. I save everything (pack rat!!!) and use small leftovers for my Sac Sauvage series, fringe, fiber neckwear, and home decor.
I AM ALSO TRYING NOT TO BUY ANY MORE FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS!!!! What do you think the chances of that are??? ;)
Scarf It Up!
Wearable & Functional Fiber Arts
Port City Pottery & Fine Crafts
Wilmington NC
http://scarf-it-up.blogspot.com
http://scarfitup.etsy.com
http://creativewilmington.com
http://flickr.com/photos/scarfitup
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RonMidwife
New Pal
5 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 04:28:02 AM
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| My stash excites me, for it represents coming projects. I buy with completing a specific project in mind, and tend to only work on one project at a time, to completion. I have six items, yarn and patterns, in my stash, waiting for me to complete the sweater for my son, currently OTN. So, for me, my stash is like always looking forward to the cherry on the sundae, which I save and eat last. Happy Labor Day weekend! |
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Knitty_Prof
New Pal
USA
30 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 04:58:42 AM
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I just spent the last week re-organizing my yarn "stash" again. My friend moved to Turkey, and I inherited her stash of weaving yarn in cones and a lot of other things from her studio. The back of my little station wagon was filled to the top with my inheritance from her. I left it sit around for a week before I began sorting through it all. And, then it took about another week for me to sort it out and put it in order. I chose to do three things with this stash.
1.) Some will go to my classroom at the college where I teach art. 2.) Some came into my studio and was added to my stash.
3.) About 15 bags of yarn are going to go to Ebay for auction
I have two studios - one for fibers and one for painting, jewelry design. Art is not a hobby for me, it is my profession.
I keep my yarn stash in my fiber studio where I have shelving from floor to ceiling in one nook. My stash is in see-through drawer bins. I have put a label on the front of each of those drawers so I can see at a glance what is in there(i.e. Noro, Mohair, Worsted, Socks, etc.). Yesterday, I bought two large bins at K-Mart and have put weaving yarn (on cones) into them. I have 4 such bins filled with weaving yarn. They are stacked and sit along the wall between my loom, sewing machine, and swift.
How do I "feel about my stash" you have asked. I have no romantic notions about it all. In my mind, the stash is "art supplies" to be managed and organized for use later in a project. I have to feel like I have it all under control as best I can. Part of my creative process is to begin working in a clean space - I cannot tolerate disorder when I begin a project. That comes later on!!! It has to be in containers to keep it from getting dusty (or even worse, moths). I like to know exactly where a thing is, so that when I go looking for it I am not chasing rabbits. I want to know I can put my hand on exactly what I need when I need it. When I am ready to "work" I don't want to waste time sorting for things I need.
My stash is not fine art. But, it is the ingredients from which I will make fine art. It is the raw material that will be used in creating something beautiful if all goes well. Incidentially, I joined the stashalong blog and have vowed not to buy yarn this year - I started on January 15. I have only bought yarn once, when traveling in Europe, but that was a planned purchase. Otherwise, no more new yarn in 2007. I can work from stash, easily.
We can make art of of anything! |
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knitonepurltoo
New Pal
47 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 05:07:03 AM
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I think of my stash in very much this way - it's one thing to look at each skein and say how lovely it is, but quite another to realize that if I buy something new, it could be years before I knit it up, at the rate I'm going. I'm yearning to be a stashless knitter, so I can buy what I most want when I need it and knit it up right then.
Donna
Knit One, Purl Too: A Knitlog
http://www.knitonepurltoo.com
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srbrodeur@verizon.net
New Pal
11 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 06:18:43 AM
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| When I buy some appealling yarn, I think in terms of what I'll make with it. Sometimes I have a specific pattern in mind, sometimes not, but since I fear running out before I've finished, I overbuy (hence, lots of leftovers). Sometimes I buy a delicious yarn and wait for the perfect pattern to come my way. We're in a temporary house while waiting for a new one to be built, so I brought yarn for specific projects (mostly sweaters) that are higher on my priority list. AND I keep buying new yarn when I can't resist. So I see my yarn mostly in terms of specific projects, altho I'll never empty my stash. |
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braindead
New Pal
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 06:21:20 AM
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| I think of my stash in terms of length of time to knit it. It will outlive me...so I've designated a yarn executrix. |
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Boondoggled
Chatty Knitter
USA
305 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 06:48:11 AM
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| These are some really great (and funny) ideas about Stash Philosophy. I am glad to hear that left overs and one balls don't count, since I am bad about these type of purchases. |
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chrisknits
New Pal
USA
45 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 07:02:41 AM
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All I know is I have 43 miles and 420 yards of yarn to knit before I am done. I don't tend to think of the yarn stash in "how long to knit the project". I think of it as yarn I love. Most of it is designated to a project, but not defined by length of time. I used to be very productive, now I barely find time to knit. Too much computer usage!
Chris |
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Mermaid Knits
Permanent Resident
USA
1129 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 07:20:21 AM
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A yarn executrix - I must add that to the things I need to talk to my lawyer about!! Great.
My stash is critical to me. Those are the raw supplies I need to get creative with. Right now it is not my profession, but in the near future it may be, so I treat it as a vast resource. I have it sorted out by weight and fibre type. I don't recall exactly but there is a huge meterage, about 65 kilometres worth!
I have designated projects for the vast majority of it; the new yarn. I calculated that I have enough there for about 5 years of normal knitting. But now other creative pursuits have taken the fore (I'm writing a book) and so less knitting is being done. I am greatly comforted to know I have much lovely yarn to keep me busy for ages.
I do like to see the lovelier yarns on display. Some is normally arranged in baskets in my main craft/office room.
Arctic-mermaid
http://www.flickr.com/photos/MermaidKnits/ |
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Marin
New Pal
21 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 07:36:36 AM
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First, there is a whole segment of my stash made up of one to three skeins of nearly unusable (because there isn't a project small enough -- I have yet to find one-skein projects that trip my trigger) yarn. This can be subdivided into two categories:
1) Yarn I bought before I understood much about knitting and it was just pretty so I bought some. I didn't know that if I didn't buy,say, 400 yards for a scarf or 1200 yards for a sweater, I'd never find anything to do with it.
2) Leftover yarn. When I bought an extra skein for the pattern -- just in case -- and ended up with two or three left. Also, I've never knit a pattern where I didn't use at least one less skein than the pattern called for. Lotsa leftovers.
3) OK, I lied -- there's one more in this category. I found a book with patterns to knit a nativity scene. I bought a whole bunch of single skeins for shepherd's robes and such and they're still just sitting there too.
The rest of my stash can also be divided into two categories (and this time I plan to stick to two):
1) Yarn specifically purchased for specific patterns. I bought what the pattern said, plus one (to ensure plenty more orphan leftovers) and they're mostly bagged up with their patterns and sometimes their needles, ready to go when I'm ready to knit them.
This is as organised as I'm likely to get with almost anything.
2) Sock yarn. Lots of sock yarn. Enough sock yarn to outfit an army (and if the US Army would just accept Lorna's Laces, I'd knit for soldiers every day). Sock yarn of all colours, compositions (yes, I have silk and cashmere sock yarn too) and creeds.
The nice thing is, if I lose my job tomorrow, I'll still have my needles and yarn and I can knit happily for at least a couple of years without needing to purchase a thing. I will neither lose my job nor stop buying yarn any time soon, but it's comforting.
You'd think I was a Depression-era child.
http://theAntiM.blogspot.com |
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tink_r_bell
Chatty Knitter
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - 08/30/2007 : 07:40:02 AM
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Stash - lovely, lovely stash!
In the closet,
In the wine cellar,
I may need more cash!
Under the bed,
In the sofa,
With the towels,
As Janis J said,
"Feed My Head!"
In my bowls,
In my baskets,
But most of all,
Intertwined with my soul.
Steph ;-}
To err is human, just try not to over do it. |
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Amount v. Time
