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January 30, 2015 Leave a Comment

The Perfect (past) Yarn Stash

 

Speaking of yarn stashes: First, my current yarn stash is just not that significant. There was a time when it was, well, gargantuan. All the photos in this post are borrowed from the internet.

Creating a Massive Yarn Stash

I was machine knitting and hand knitting, and even though it all was a slow slog knitting-wise, I felt that I would and could knit anything. Nevermind that even machine knits took at least a week and often two to complete (and then the pattern took time too). I felt I had the capacity to knit endless quantities of yarn, so that is what I bought. I liked going to local yarn shops (research), but every trip became an opportunity to purchase because. Well, ideas of what I could do. Looking back, I can’t judge too harshly because I was developing my skills and knitting knowledge. Granted, I could have done it without owning all that yarn, but it was delightful amassing it.

Similar to my Basement StudioSo I was acquiring yarn at a rate exceeding my ability to consume it. We lived in Portland and I had a huge studio (probably 3 times the size of my current office) and every spare space was occupied by my yarn stash. At some point it did occur to me that I could buy single balls to try out–but that came later. Although I was buying a lot of yarn, it was all stuff I loved, in colors well-suited to my preferences. I would occasionally rearrange everything to change the energy in my studio and it was a pleasure to touch and review everything.

Yarn Stash in Smaller Space

Exactly like my spaceThen we decided to move to San Francisco where real estate is a very different story. My first office/studio here in SF was half of the laundry closet (it was a large one), then I moved to space under the stairs. But before we moved, I cataloged and boxed every bit of yarn I owned (after culling some of it). This was 1998. Most of my stash moved into a storage locker. When it was unpacked into the locker I recorded where every box landed so I could get it easily when needed. But my stash mostly existed as an Excel file. I could picture every yarn because of how I had handled and loved it in its previous home.Stackable storage boxes

We moved to our second home in SF, a flat in North Beach. My office was the second parlor of a Victorian, that had a large walk-in closet. The flat turned out to be smaller than we realized and that closet was completely jammed with my clothes, furniture, shoes, coats, and part of my yarn stash. I could see some of my yarn from my desk, I knew how much I had of everything, but I kind of didn’t have to deal with it. It was my perfect (past) yarn stash.

The One Who Buys the Most Yarn Wins

Similar to my storage unitOne year we had a family contest where I gave prizes to the family member who had a) used the most yarn, b) made the largest number of items, etc. As I was giving the prizes (for which I was not eligible under the rules) Mitch allowed as how he thought there should be a price for the person who had actually spent the most money on yarn–him!

At some point after 2003 I realized I shouldn’t have a personal stash, and mostly I don’t. I have yarns that I use for Jill Wolcott Knits, and every once in a while I acquire something for myself. I have one of those plastic bins in the garage that has cashmere/spandex yarn that purchased in NYC years ago. I’ll knit it for myself someday!

Filed Under: Blog, Bust Your $tash Tagged With: Bust Your $tash, knitting, stash, storage, yarn, yarn stash

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