Skip to main content

Take 5 with Knitting Sarah!

Knitting Sarah
A few weeks ago, I introduced the Take 5 series, which is where I ask fiber-loving folks to share top five lists on a variety of topics (click here to get caught up). This week, I asked one of my favorite midwestern bloggers, Knitting Sarah, to share a list which could stop cold sheepers in their tracks...or, at the very least, make those of us with lesser resolve feel better about our frequent bouts of stash enhancement. Presenting....

Knitting Sarah’s Top 5 Excuses to Buy More Yarn


  1. Yarn doesn’t go bad. As long as it’s stored properly, yarn will happily sit in your stash for years waiting for you to find just the right pattern and moment to knit it (trust me, I’ve personally tested that theory). So really, why not add to it?
  2. Incentive. Sometimes we all need an extra push to finish up a certain work in progress. I find that the promise of new yarn on the way or new yarn upon completion of said WIP often helps me cross the finish line. I think it’s totally rational that I’ve come to consider the prospect of new yarn as a finishing tool.
  3. Souvenir, v. to remember. The verb ‘souvenir’ in French means, ‘to remember’ and what better way to remember a vacation or a special occasion or, you know, the fourth Monday in March than a nice sweater quantity of yarn?
  4. Matchers. Ironically, sometimes the only way to use my stash yarn is to add to it. Those single skeins often need new beautiful partners and I simply can’t stashbust effectively without adding new skeins to the fold.
  5. TEOTWAWKI*. It’s important that we as knitters are prepared for all possible scenarios, such as a disruption in yarn supply. Whether it’s due to a coronal mass ejection shutting down the power grid or it’s Sunday and your LYS is closed, you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to be ready.
In case you were worried, I’m pretty sure that #5 has you covered no matter what kind of stash enhancement you’re after, so go ahead and give those pretty new skeins a home!

Sarah also sent over this handy flow chart from amusingyarns.com which she frequently refers back to when the temptation to buy more yarn arises.

Be sure to check out the Knitting Sarah blog for more great ways to enhance your stash!

*TEOTWAWKI = The End Of The World As We Know It - for anyone who was wondering!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my  taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends,  so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with  this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks).  The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels?  I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n