I have just recently realized that I have 3+ large boxes of stash accumulated and only one part of that (6 skeins of Cascade 220) is actually earmarked for a project. The rest of it just haunts me. And I'm really really trying to use it up, but it always goes like it did with the C. Chunky, where I'll look through every single pattern I own, then look through all my yarn, then try to pair one yarn with a pattern that it isn't really suited for but I convince myself I can make it work, then start swatching or knitting, and then a few hours later realize that I'm fooling myself and that particular yarn will never work for that pattern. Another problem is that I have such random amounts of most of my yarn. 420 yds. of cashmerino chunky??? What was I thinking!?
I think it's a hopeless cause, but I will turn to you, dear blogworld, for suggestions. In order to not overwhelm you I will just present the case of 3 of my yarns, that I may actually have enough of to do something larger with. Here they are:
The one on the left is good-ol Rowanspun DK. I have 10 skeins of it, so over 2000 yards. I might like to do some kind of cabled sweater with it but I seem to be having a hard time finding a cabled pattern for dk weight yarn.
The other 2 are some random yarns I picked up many years ago at this insanity. The middle one is 50% wool 50% acrylic and is fingering weight, I think, the label just says 2.5-3, next to some pictures of needles, which I think must be US sizes since it doesn't look thin enough for a 2.5-3 mm needles. Although I could be wrong. There's no telling how many yards of this there are. But I have 10 skeins, so again probably over 2000.
The last one is the most mysterious. It just says "lino" on the label, which means linen. No yardage, no weight, no gauge suggestion, no nuttin. But it looks very thin to me, I'm thinking fingering or less. I have 5 skeins of this one. But they're pretty hefty skeins.
I don't think I'll be too depressed if I can never figure out anything to do with these last 2, since I think they were probably like $5/bag or something like that.
Maybe I should just give up and give my stash to goodwill or something, and start over with the promise that I will not buy any yarn without a project in mind (or rather, with a project written down, since I did have a project in mind when I bought the Rowanspun but that idea is long forgotten).
Anyway in happier news, I started this sweater for J in Knitpicks merino style:
The main color is the brown and the stripes will be green. I have to say this yarn is amazing, especially given that it is only like $2.30 per skein. The resulting fabric is so soft and smooth and fuzz-less, it's like the anti-alpaca.
I understand the boyfriend sweater curse now, I think it could be due to the fact that the knitter will invariably want to show the boyfriend the progess of the sweater every ten minutes: look! it's half an inch longer now! hold it up against your stomach again so I can see how it looks. no, feel it! it's really soft! doesn't it looks nice?
5 comments:
If I were you I'd use all of the odds and ends that I liked either to make a striped zigzag afghan or knit into squares and sew them all up into a blanket, and give any yarn I wasn't totally enamoured of to Goodwill. But then I am somewhat unhealthily in love with blankets.
Making something sweater-sized out of enough yarn for a sweater sounds a good idea. You could always try adding cables to a pattern you can find for dk weight yarn for the Rowanspun.
Then of course there are always scarves, hats, mittens etc. And have you seen this? http://www.oneskein.com/ It's on my list because I too have a propensity for buying yarn that I like with nothing in mind :), and it might be an investment for someone who collects odd balls of yarn!
phillippa, you are brilliant! i totally forgot i had actually started some little squares years ago out of leftover yarn for a patchwork type scarf, but i like the idea of a blanket even better, especially since i just got some of barbara walker's books and that would be a great way to try out a bunch of patterns. yay!
Did you make another knitpicks order? O-o
I love the colors though...the green and the orange look so nice together...and it is a particular nice shade of deep orange...damn, now you made me want more yarn...
I have a cable sweater pattern in a debbie bliss book that uses dk weight yarn. I bring it in tomorrow. I had bought some grey rowanspun dk for it a while ago. :P
The merino sweater is looking awesome, where is the pattern from? My husband might like a sweater like that.
Your stash yarns look nice, don't give up on them! I think the peachy colored one looks like fingering/baby yarn, and if you bought it in Europe, then it would be 2.5-3mm needles, that seems right. Why not make something like Mili or Alouette from Rowan Vintage Knits? Both are shortsleeved sweaters, one stockinette w/ lace edging, ignore the embroidery, or maybe do it in white, and one is all lace. I find shortsleeved sweaters so useful for work or dressing up when it's cooler. Or maybe Timeless from Rowan Mag 34, a lace cardigan? I would be happy to enable you with some of these. The linen yarn, I know I have seen nice summery tops in linen-like yarn in Katia patterns and Rowan has a whole book on linen yarn, but I don't have it...:)
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