A Little Yarn On The Side

Today, for the first time in several months, the stash is completely contained within the sewing room. Hurrah!!!! I'd like to believe that it's a product of the stash-reduction project (32 skeins & 4433 yards of yarn and almost 19 yards of fabric used!!!), but I think I need to credit a little creativity in the storage arena for this one. Still, I am now COMPLETELY surrounded by fiber! It's like living in a yarn shop, but without getting arrested for shoplifting if I take things. And...drum roll please--the sleeves for Cheap Thrills are done & I just have a neckband and the seams to do and 8 whole days to do them in! (No, I will not be taking bets on whether or not I wait until the 8th day to tackle the seams--that would be what is known as a "sucker bet.") The pattern is called the "Living Lace Pattern Pullover" by Gedifra, and I got it from Elann. They offered it as a free pattern on their website when they had the Gedifra Living yarn, but...

Friday night and it's time for some instant gratification: A project started and finished all in one evening! They're Christmas napkins, and possibly by December I can get some sort of placemats done to match. Another 2 yards of fabric out of the stash!!!!

I just used up my 28th ball of yarn and my 4072nd yard of yarn--That's 2.31 MILES of yarn so far this year. Ha!!! Take THAT Excel!

I think Debra was right--to have totaled up even part of the stash was either brave or crazy, but personally I'm leaning toward crazy. I mean, I knew the stash was large--it's started to get its own mail--but now, thanks to that darned Excel spreadsheet, in my most wool-fume induced optimism, I can't even PRETEND that I have a "reasonable" amount of yarn. "Reasonable" would be a few sweaters ahead, to give me "options." "Reasonable" would be a few additional balls of sock yarn for fast gifts. "Reasonable" would be a couple color choices for lace. It's obvious--I'm going to have to give up Excel.

A few days ago I complained that "real life" was getting in the way of my knitting, so the universe struck back with some cold/flu thing that left me in bed with chills and knitting earlier today. I'm not going to share the downside, but on the "up" side, "Cheap Thrills" is ready to be divided for the neck. [I have got to quit calling it that before I start wearing it--I don't want to be known as someone who gets Cheap Thrills out of the laundry] And for a small, portable project, I started a sock out of a cotton yarn that looks remarkably like children's breakfast cereal. Great--I'm now knitting Cheap Thrills and Fruity Pebbles. And you thought the lace-weight yarn was my biggest problem....

In spite of yesterday's rude awakening, I have resisted the urge to lock myself in a closet and knit lace for 3 days--partially because of a job that strongly discourages that sort of insanity, and partly because my closet plans didn't involve any wine. Besides, unless I learn more creative storage techniques, the "Year of the Stash" is about clearing volume out of my stash. It may be an irrational amount to own, but 46,000 yards of lace weight yarn doesn't actually take up much room. So, on with the plan! As I write, I am wearing the March sewing project--pajamas made out of flannel-backed satin and the "Cheap Thrills" sweater back is done, and half of the front. 14 days left for half a front & sleeves--thank heavens for those big needles!!!

I have 46,634 yards of lace weight yarn in my stash. WOW. What I have on the needles this year will use up 5190 yards, and I've used about 1500 yards so far this year, but still.... WOW. Lace weight yarn is obviously very sneaky. It's small, doesn't take up much room, and is generally much less expensive than say, yarn for a sweater. This is obviously their plan--lulling you into a false sense of security--a feeling of harmlessness. What harm would one more hank do? What's a little merino between friends? And that skein of alpaca--why it weighs almost nothing! What harm could it do? Mohair? It's mostly fuzz--that doesn't take up much room! They sneak up on you, one by one, looking totally soft & harmless, then before you know it....BAM! You have enough yarn to knit lace for the next 10 years. "Denial" is not just a river in Egypt--it's apparently a yarn shop with terrific discounts on lace weight.