There is a theme developing among my fellow bloggers, in their goals for the new year. Everyone is talking about taking control of their yarn stash, making wild promises to only knit from stash, or to ensure that even with yarn purchases, total stash decreases in a frenzy of knitting.
Up until now, I've always been very careful when it comes to yarn buying. I haven't bought yarn without a specific project in mind, so even though I now have 15km of yarn sitting on the shelves (thanks, Ravelry, and your fabulous export to excel feature on the stash page), only 2km of that isn't assigned to a specific project. Which makes me feel a little better about having it, when I see others with twice as much yarn as my total, and nothing assigned to any project at all!
The danger now, though, is that I am starting to receive yarn as presents. Christmas came, and with it three separate yarny gifts.
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| King Cole Bamboo Cotton in purple |
First came the UK Swap Group Falling into Winter swap parcel, and the ball of King Cole Bamboo Cotton that was included in that. I still have 70 yards of black left over from my Sweet Pea Shawl, so I'm thinking I will make something that uses both. Gloves, perhaps with a black cuff? Or a small shawlette?
Then came Christmas itself, and on the day there were two yarny surprises waiting for me. I've mentioned the first before; the UK RAK Secret Santa swap parcel I received contained four balls of Artesano 100% Alpaca DK.
I think I may end up doing some sort of matching set with this. Hat, cowl, gloves, not sure what patterns to use. In total I have 430 yards.
My final yarny gift is going to be the hardest to choose a pattern for, because the colour I've been given is insane! Beautiful, but insane.
It's Skein Queen Squash, 100% Merino fingering weight. 430 yards in the skein. Will this be my first pair of socks? Or can I find something else where the bright colours won't look out of place.
Outside of these gifts, I only have two yarns I've bought with no pattern in mind.
But Wollmeise doesn't count, you're allowed to buy that on a whim. It will become a gorgeous shawl one day!
If you have any suggestions at all for what I can use these yarns for, I would appreciate it!
Then came Christmas itself, and on the day there were two yarny surprises waiting for me. I've mentioned the first before; the UK RAK Secret Santa swap parcel I received contained four balls of Artesano 100% Alpaca DK.
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| It is not as pink as this photo makes it look. |
I think I may end up doing some sort of matching set with this. Hat, cowl, gloves, not sure what patterns to use. In total I have 430 yards.
My final yarny gift is going to be the hardest to choose a pattern for, because the colour I've been given is insane! Beautiful, but insane.
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| Skein Queen Squash in "Baubles" |
It's Skein Queen Squash, 100% Merino fingering weight. 430 yards in the skein. Will this be my first pair of socks? Or can I find something else where the bright colours won't look out of place.
Outside of these gifts, I only have two yarns I've bought with no pattern in mind.
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| Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin in Sonne |
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| 5 balls of Rowan Calmer in black |
But Wollmeise doesn't count, you're allowed to buy that on a whim. It will become a gorgeous shawl one day!
If you have any suggestions at all for what I can use these yarns for, I would appreciate it!
Lovely yarns. When I have a yarn but no pattern I love to browse through the Ravelry pattern pages. Either look up the exact yarn and look under the pattern ideas tab or put the details (yardage, weight etc) into the pattern browser. It is a total time suck though and you end up favouriting lots of patterns :)
ReplyDeleteThe Skein Queen yarn could work well if teamed with a more uniform colour as a contrast, maybe striping it so the SQ becomes a pop of colour, or using it in stranded colourwork.
ReplyDeleteSocks is a definite for the Skein Queen Squash!! Or really crazy fingerless mits, or a head band. But I would stick to a basic pattern. The colours would take away from anything intricate.
ReplyDeleteJust my 2 cents:)
Oh wow, those are some pretty awesome christmas gifts. Also, I can totally understand why you bought the wollmeise, the color is amazing!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could do some fingerless mitts? Something that easily gets pulled off when you enter...polite company?
ReplyDeleteSock yarn doesn't count as stash. Ever. Wollmeise or not. Just sayin'........
ReplyDeletelovely new yarn! I am one of those people who buys yarn and rarely has plans for it haha. I would totally make socks out of the insane yarn - just a simple stockinette pattern would look amazing!
ReplyDeleteI love calmer. It's so nice to knit with!! And, gifted yarn never counts. Otherwise I would have to feel very guilty about the 13 balls I received over the holidays!!!!
ReplyDeleteI love every single skein you showed! And I'm definitely not as careful and reasonable as you are! I think my problem is that I buy yarn online and I'm always a victim of "one shipping cost" and get more than I need, "just in case":)
ReplyDeleteLove the colour of your wollmeise, apparently it's a fashionable colour for this season. Think it would also make a nice shawl.
ReplyDeleteI want that Skein Queen yarn! It's fabulous! I would make socks with it (and now that you rock the DPNs you can totally knit socks)
ReplyDeleteAs you noticed on my stash count post, I have a lot of yarn considering I haven't been knitting long, but I am matching it up with patterns on Rav now, so that totally counts as organised ;)
Guilty as charged on vowing to only use stash yarn. It's awesome your family and friends get you yarn as gifts!
ReplyDelete