Do you buy yarn just for the sake of buying? Or, when you stop into a yarn shop, feel compelled to buy a skein or two so you won’t hurt the owner’s feelings? Well, that’s me in a nutshell and has been for many years.
Last month I started going through my stash of yarn, believe me that was a task and not everything had been put onto Ravelry, so I really didn’t know quite what I had. I soon begin to realize that I simply was not in love with the majority of the yarn I owned and it was time to part with many single skeins that would never become socks or shawls, and skeins that I still don’t know why I bought but I had to have them. With that in mind, I decided if I wasn’t going to ever use it, then I really needed to loose it!
I slowly went through every bin and started putting aside the skeins of yarn I knew that I would never use for projects. After taking inventory of my yarn, I moved on to my fiber stash and set aside braids I knew deep down I would never spin. Next step in my destash project, photographing everything that I decided must go. Now that was a chore in itself, but it had to be done before I could list it to sell. After a couple of weeks of selling on eBay, everything I had listed was on its way to a new home and I had emptied out enough bins to be able to reorganize my yarn and have everything in one place. It really felt good to look around my craft room and not see piles of yarn and fiber everywhere.
This year and going forward, I have challenged myself to purchase enough skeins of yarn for a project in mind and not just buy to be buying. I have also challenged myself to whittle down the remainder of my yarn and fiber stash before adding more to it.
With that being said, I have since purchased a bit of fiber for a spinning project that I will be starting this weekend for a lovely handspun cardi. I’m super excited about this and can’t wait to get started on it. I have also started queuing projects in Ravelry to go with the yarn in my stash. I have already found a few additional skeins that might not work out, so now I must decide to either use it, or simply loose it.
I will be working on my challenges and will try with all my might to restrain myself from buying, but as all of you fiber folk know, that is a hard thing to do at times 
Until next time, happy knitting, crocheting, spinning and crafting!
That is quite an undertaking. That is a great approach to take, I’m sure I could benefit from a bit more discipline too!
It really was Liz but I do foresee a challenge ahead
Have you ever read/listened to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off? She has a section that talks about yarn stashes – it’s ever so funny! I highly recommend the book. Great to listen to while knitting.
Looking forward to seeing the projects that result from the destash. Have a lovely weekend
I have not but now I must! Thank you Renee and have a lovely weekend too
MOST of the time, I only buy yarn when I absolutely need it for a particular project. On the other hand, if I see a can’t-be-passed-up sale, then I will buy yarn with a vague idea of what I want to do with it, but nothing specific, and take advantage of the sale. As when Ame’s went out of business, I bought up all the baby yarn I could find, since I was always knitting baby outfits for fellow workers having babies. I admit, I have not used up all of it, even these many years later. But I sure did put a huge dent in what I started out with. And continue using it still.
There is definitely a benefit to getting rid of what you know you will never use. The benefit to you, and the benefit to the person that will find in what you don’t like, something they may have been looking for.
Happy knitting and spinning……..
Awesome comment Sandie and I agree, it’s good for both parties
I’m glad I’m not the only one who has that issue. I always feel guilty when I leave a yarn shop empty handed.
Oh trust me Caity, you’re not the only one out there
Wow….going through any stash – either fabric or yarn/fiber is a task that will take me quite awhile…but the end result is exactly what one needs to get the creative juices flowing
It does help to get a bit of creativity going, not too mention finding treasures you forgot about
My yarn storage could use a little spring cleaning and organization too. I like your idea of matching yarns and patterns on Ravelry.
Janet, matching my stash with patterns really helped me to decide to “use it or loose it”. I realized that I had a lot of yarn, but not enough to make a garment or at times even a scarf. It was time to spring clean!
What you wrote about “buying just for the sake of buying or because it’s pretty”, could just as easily been said by myself. I admire your digging in and getting rid of what you no longer want. I really need to do the same, but had only thought of selling it on Ravelry. Did eBay work out better for you?
Happy knitting!
eBay has always worked great for me Darlene and two years ago it helped me towards the purchase of my very first spinning wheel.
Okay, Tina! You know you’ve always been my idol and a true inspiration in every way, but now you’re just showing off! LOL I even have yarn in my stash that people have given me, really yucky stuff, you know the “Aunt so and so can’t knit/crochet anymore, so I got all her yarn for you…for free!” kind. I will never, ever use it, but it’s still here. One day, maybe, I’ll get rid of it.
LOL, that you Gail and I’m giggling at your comment
That’s great that all that yarn went to loving homes! I recently went through my stash and set aside some yarn for Goodwill. Then I knit an orange cowl using up yarn in my stash. So i made a little progress!
It is great Veronica, and I too have donated some to Goodwill. It feels good?
I too have lots of yarn but its mostly yarn that I spun. However, I don’t have a problem with going into a lys and buying yarn/fiber to stash as there’s no lys near me. Sometimes I wish there were though, since I have to order online and wait until it gets here and hope that I like the yarn/fiber I bought. The other thing that helps to keep my yarn/fiber stash down is lack of money to buy yarn/fiber. Believe me if I had money to buy yarn/fiber I’d be in the same boat as many of you are. Glad you were able to destash some of your yarn/fiber stash to good homes though. Happy Spinning, Knitting and Crocheting!
YES! I was inspired to do some spring cleaning/de-stashing of my own, and carted off 3 huge “trash bags” of yarns (mostly acrylics, bought for projects in which I lost interest) to the Goodwill store. I plan on attacking the stash again this weekend, so I can free up some space in the storage crates for my nicer yarns. And! my darling daughter helped me collect all my knitting books, cleared off two shelves of the big bookcase and helped shelve all my books. I guess I’ll keep feeding her, at least for a while….
Good for you! Doesn’t it make you feel good
@ Gail: Some of what I carried off to Goodwill was of the “freebie + gifted” sort — some even from my sister! Good thing she doesn’t live nearby!