It's NOT Stash!

I've recently taken a new path. Well, sort of "twist" in the path, I guess. I've been teaching knitting, bead knitting and crochet classes around the Twin Cities and St. Croix Valley area since the beginning of September and it has been a rewarding experience.

In my travels to many yarn shops, I've met the most remarkable people, willing to share "purls" of wisdom with me. The latest being the ability to view my yarn stash through new eyes, with a modified definition of the term stash.

It goes something like this:

If you purchase yarn for a sweater and a pattern and you put them together to knit or crochet that particular project, it's a sweater. It's NOT stash!

If you purchase a glorious ball of sock yarn (and can just feel the comfort of those hand made socks on your tootsies), and a pattern or book to go with it, it's a pair of socks. It's NOT stash!

If you purchase beautiful lace yarn and a lovely pattern for a delicate shawl or wrap that is just perfect for it (and you just have to try knitting lace sometime), it's a shawl or wrap. It's NOT stash!

If you purchase lovely yarn and beads for a beaded scarf or moebius and the pattern to knit a piece just like the the sample at your local yarn shop. It's a beaded scarf or moebius cowl. It's NOT stash!

If you purchase some wonderful handspun or "just have to have" a gorgeous new colorway in your favorite alpaca, but you don't have a pattern or an idea for what it will be, that IS stash. And that IS ok!!

Get the idea? Ok, now breathe a sigh of relief and gaze lovingly at all those projects just waiting for to be transformed by your skilled, gentle hands. You will get to them someday!

So, now that I've identified and separated real projects from what you thought was STASH and depleted it, why not take a trip to your local LYS  in order to see what's new and replenish it a bit? It's ok to feed the stash and be Stash Happy!!

Summer Fiber Fun

It never occurs to me to STOP knitting and crocheting just because it's summer. Nonsense! There are so many wonderful blends of cotton, linen and bamboo yarn from which to choose, all designed to be worn in the heat. Knitting and crocheting can be completely enjoyable if you explore these options.

I find myself drawn to these yarns. The toughest part is selecting from all the amazing colors. (And, of course, I want to throw beads into everything.)

It's hot here. Feels like a hundred, don't cha know. So, I'm inside, designing a beaded scarf I hope to get going on this afternoon.

And patterns! Ohmigosh! Patterns are popping everywhere. The yarn manufacturers always have plenty of suggestions to support their yarn. You could spend many delirious hours on Ravelry and Knitting on the Net, searching out the perfect project. Many of these patterns are downloadable and very easily accessible.

Too often we think playing with yarn is too hot to do in the summer. Not so if you pick from these cool and breezy fibers.

Did I mention adding beads?

What better way to relax in the evenings after a full day of gardening and summertime stuff than to grab a cold drink, "set a spell" and rhythmically click away. (or crochet)

So, head down to your LYS and puruse their abundant summer yarn palette and pattern offerings. You'll get inspired and be glad you took the trip.

Enjoy!

I Love Yarn!

Yarn, yarn & more yarn!

I have a huge stash, which despite my best efforts to USE, somehow continues to grow. It seems as though I am a "collector" of yarn. I've never thought of my self as a collector of anything, but I think I have to admit I am.

I usually don't make a purchase unless I have a project idea in mind. I wish I could translate all the project ideas from my head to a pattern that will work out during the first go around with the design and actually generate finished products as quickly as I can think them up when I buy the yarn. Argh!

As newer yarn hits the market, I conveniently suffer temporary amnesia and forget all the yarn I have at home, when I'm mesmerized by the current colors, the softest fibers, the yarn that does tricks, the shiny, sparkly, blingy yarn to use sparingly in that scarf to give it the perfect pizzaz! Old stash completely forgotten. I NEED this new yarn.

So, I bring it home to ultimately meet the stash, after, of course, I remember it is there, waiting patiently for me to "get to it". But first it spends some quality time with me where I can see it at a glance and dream about the project it will soon become. Sadly, the new additions must quickly join the ranks of the older stash as I am forced to bring SOME order to my world and make room to work.

Container after container is filled with beautiful colors and textures and I have a plan for all of it! Some projects are started on the needles, some are being worked out on the needles, some are on paper, some in my head. I tried to organize by color and that seemed to work for a while, but now it's all a multi-colored collection of glorious fiber that really, really wants to be something when it grows up.

I'm a knitter, crocheter, designer AND I collect yarn. Anyone else out want to talk about it?

Needles! Now, that's another story! Thanks for reading! More to come.

Oh, and did I mention beads?

Diane

Yarn Happy * Bead Happy