A Little Yarn On The Side

This week I had Wednesday off instead of my usual Friday because the piano people at the main store were attending training, so I filled in for them on Thursday and Friday, as well as filling in for the audio person on Thursday and the guitar guy both days.  It was like a music pop quiz.  We were so short-staffed that I didn't get to leave for lunch, which was a bit disappointing because..... I was going to go look at a new sewing/embroidery machine My faithful Jeeves is having problems again.  First it was not being able to tell the difference between needing a new thread color and having an empty thread or bobbin, but that was workable.  Now it's stopping repeatedly during a design saying he's out of thread when he clearly isn't.  This is all fixable (probably), but my embroidery software can't run on a computer system newer than Windows XP.  Microsoft, of course, hasn't supported XP for years, but personally, I've never found Microsoft's "...

I've had the loom less than a week, have only practiced with it, and of course I'm already thinking I might need more yarn.  Because I'm insane.   This morning I got down my bag of felt-able worsted-weight wool: And in case you're thinking "Oh, that doesn't look like too much," (in which case, you are delusional and probably have stash issues OR you are just trying to be a really good friend and supportive of my madness), this would be a good time to point out that this is ONLY the worsted weight wool.  There's a whole tub of OTHER worsted-weight yarn....... and some bags with sweater quantities that we're not going to talk about just yet. So, considering I have not actually made a single thing on the loom yet, I think I have a bit of time before I run out of yarn, don't you think?

Whew!  It's Monday again--how did that happen so fast? Guess what?  I'm wearing the corduroy jacket!  I'm still not wild about it, but it is Me Made Monday, and as I was taking the cats to the vet for their shots first thing this morning, I didn't want something I really liked to get shredded.One does have to think about such things with cats. Luckily, no one ended up bleeding this year, but this is as close as my little sidekick is getting to me today.  Neither Andy nor I are brave enough to even attempt to pet Calisto just yet, because she's kind of bitchy at the best of times.  However, being shunned by cats does have a few perks..... like getting control of the cutting table long enough to finish cutting the strips for the table runners,  and even getting the first set pinned and ready for sewing.  They're cute, but feline "help" is rarely, if ever, really helpful.  Maybe I can even get Andy's Valentine shirt cut out before I...

This: is a picture of the sewing room in December of 2007--right before I started my first year of Cold Sheeping.  It doesn't accurately show the yarn stash by any means, and I know there were at least a couple fabric tubs not shown here, but let's compare that to the sewing room today: The yarn bins:  the Christmas fabric bin,  the closet,  more yarn bins (and a huge mess),  and the fabric shelf: Even though I know the first picture doesn't show everything, I think it's pretty clear that my fabric stash has exploded while I've been Cold Sheeping yarn.  It could be worse, I suppose.  It could be both yarn AND fabric, but still...... Since I have less than 90 days left before being able to buy things, I have been working on my list.  After this little wake-up call, I will definitely be signing on for a second year of buying nothing, but there are some things I genuinely need.  If possible, I am going to find some black pe...

Tracking one's yardage is more fun some months than others.  For May, I have a dismal: skeins of yarn:  3 yards of yarn:   767 yards of fabric:  3.875 (which at least beats the zeros for March and April) ornaments:  20 Today is the 151st day of the year and I've made 151 ornaments.  Someone had better get busy--canning season is coming!

It's supposed to be "Flash Your Stash" time on Ravelry, so meet the lace yarn.  You're right--it's probably not at all smaller than it was a few years ago.  Remember that self-pity purchase over my back in 2011?  Let's just say I seem to believe that lace yarn has magical healing powers.  Ahem.. This: is the yarn I'm either currently supposed to be using, think I will use soon, or just want easy access to.  Or we could also call it, "two containers of yarn I was just too lazy to sort."  That works as well. This is about the time that my back decided it wanted no part of lifting pounds and pounds of yarn around, so we're just going to see pictures of the three tubs under the stereo: and the bags of yarn that love to drop on anyone crazy enough to get close enough to the closet: and the less-threatening lower shelf: and these are the worsted weight (non-feltable) tubs and the fingering weight tubs: which is all ...

I'm glad I had a big yarn-stash-busting year last year, because this year is likely to be dismal.  I did know that when I decided to make 365 ornaments, and because so many ornament patterns are improvised, I have no idea how much yarn they're using so will just count the entire skeins when they're finally used up, but it still makes for some very embarrassing February numbers: skeins of yarn used:  2 yards of yarn used: 689 yards of fabric used: 15.875 ornaments made: 18 I guess as long as I can see a visible dent in ONE of the stashes each year, that's something, isn't it?

It would be hard to say whether the hour in the pool turned out to be good or bad, because yesterday morning while doing leg squats propped against my exercise ball against the closed bathroom door, the door swung open on the 10th one and I fell.   Right on my ego.  Apparently even Theo can recognize a cry of surprise, because Andy only beat him to the hallway by a few seconds.  Tonight I'm feeling good enough to know that I didn't do any serious damage, but yesterday was really, REALLY painful, and I spent the day on full medications and the heating pad.  So, if I was at all sore from the pool, it was pretty much covered up from being sore from a losing battle with a door.  Thank heavens THAT didn't have to go on my medical record.  The turkey incident was bad enough........... There was some very simple knitting, starting with finishing the green ball, then stripes when the drugs were at their strongest,  then getting a bit trickier as they...

Last night I cut out the fabric for the summer dress AND a matching hat.  I haven't started sewing them yet, but as laying out the pattern and cutting it is my very least favorite part of sewing, I was rather amazed with myself.  I've already used up more fabric so far this year than I did during the entire year last year, and I think if I even sew a little bit most days, I really could use up a fair bit of fabric this year.  It might even be easy to move around in the sewing room by this time next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to go lay down--I think the shock is too much for me right now...............

 With the last two mitten ornaments: I've reached 35 ornaments for the year.  I really thought I would end up higher with the embroidered ornaments, but I have been sidetracked the last few days by 1. Real life, 2. problems with pain medication, and 3. other projects.  I rather wish this yarn didn't have random dots of color in it, but I still like the sock so far, and it's rather exciting to be making a 2013 Christmas gift early.  The second sock is well underway even, so I think I'll have a finished project here soon.  I have been working on the latest sewing project, and last night managed to attach facings and the collar to the two shirt options: The white stitching on the left is where I basted down the facing, and now I'm supposed to top stitch right beside it.  The problem, of course, is that this never really works for me. Everything is where it should be, but I always find this puckers a bit. Last time I made this pattern I cheated a b...

On Ravelry, several people have been talking about how many miles of yarn they have in their stash.  Though I was born here in America, I still struggle with our completely crazy measuring system.  My first year canning was a nightmare:  2 cups make a pint, 2 pints make a quart............and then WHAMMO! 4 quarts the the gallon.  NO!  If we start out by 2s, we need to STAY with the 2s.  Of course, this is nothing compared with our other measuring standards--12 inches to 1 foot.   Do we jump to 12 feet?  No--we pick the totally daft 3 feet = a yard.  Do we stick with 3s?  Nope.  1760 yards make a mile.  If it was going to be a random number anyway, how about an easier one to remember?   See what I mean?  It's completely insane.  So knowing that I have just under 200,000 yards sounds like a lot, of course--and IS a lot--but I don't really have a mental picture.  Until I did the math: I have 113 m...

It's January 1 and I am starting my SIXTH year of Cold Sheeping.  I swear my stash has gotten smaller, but it would be hard to tell overall because I didn't start out with a very accurate record.  I thought I started out with a pretty clear picture of the stash last year, but packing up the sewing room unearthed some MAJOR amounts of unrecorded yarn.  So, five years later , I think I can honestly say that all yarn has been accounted for because I have no idea where else it could be lurking.   So, I am starting the year with: 949.29 balls of yarn 199,734.1 yards of yarn Totally scary numbers--but in the last 5 years of Cold Sheeping, I have used up: 439.99 balls of yarn 83,483.9 yards of yarn Also rather amazing numbers, really.  I didn't keep a record of "reward" or "whoops" or even "allowed" purchases, but I'm sort of guessing there has still been a substantial stash decrease.  Which means the stash was COMPLETELY insane 5 y...

Nothing says "I don't believe the world is ending" like lace knitting: and nothing says "I almost wish it HAD" than working with mohair, but it makes such lovely things, and what better time to work with mohair than when one has Valium?  I mean, really.... I am having a little knitter ADD (if that isn't a redundancy) now that I've reached the 20,000 mark, and can't figure out what to do next--which is how the mohair shawl came out of the WIP basket.  It's going to be WELL into next year before I even use up the first ball of yarn on it, but it actually felt good to work on a WIP and not care about yardage.  Then, of course, I came back to myself, so: I made a little bell ornament for the Holiday Music stash-dash, which I think took about 20 yards of Red Heart acrylic.  It turns out that it's more difficult to get out of "high maniac" phase than I thought, so there may be another ornament or two or even a hat before the end ...

Finished socks: for 330 yards, and finished but unstuffed Mr. Flurry: who will get his eyes when he gets his stuffing, and maybe some scarf fringe--haven't decided on that part--for another 393 yards according to someone else's yardage estimates, but which seems about right, so......... I have just crossed the 20,000 yard mark for the year!!!!!!!!!! If only that were a sizable dent in my stash.............

It's December 1, and in November I used up: 9.4 skeins of yarn 1,594.8 yards of yarn absolutely no fabric whatsoever (gotta work on that part) It felt like a lot more yarn than that, but the obsession with the Alice Starmore sweater in fingering yarn might have something to do with that.  I may never be this close to 20,000 yards in a year again, so with even more than my usual maniacal yarny fever, I need to knit just under 2,000 yards of yarn this month.  Amid all the Christmas parties and other festivities.  Hm......... Meet the new (hopefully) yarn-eating project: which is a free pattern from Lion Brand yarns.  I'm using size 7 needles to get gauge, and the skeins are only 110 yards each, so I'm hoping this will be super motivating.  And anyone thinking this yarn looks slightly familiar, it's part of the "oh-my-gosh-what-if-I-use-up-my-entire-stash" purchase made in 2007   before starting my first year of Cold-Sheeping.  I just lo...

Never underestimate the determination of a type-A knitter: 2 washcloths and two tribbles later, I have now used up a whole CONE of dishcloth cotton yarn, and have one more entry on my "all used up" tab on Ravelry. Now, on a new yardage-burning high, I've become a bit of a knitting schizophrenic.  What can I work on that will increase my yardage fastest?  The epaulet sweater is in worsted on size 8 needles, so it got some attention yesterday.  I decided to disregard the pattern and knit the sleeves in the round, which leaves a visible line on the sleeves as I'm working in garter stitch and there's a clear line where I now switch from knit to purl, but I'm not sure I could do a seam that would be any less noticeable, so I can live with it.  I think I've gotten past the "interesting shaping" part that I was curious about and am now in the "boring all-garter-stitch" part, so I worked on it as long as I could stand it, then cast o...