Yarn Crawl or How I Busted My Budget

This weekend was the St Louis area yarn crawl.  Last year I didn't do the crawl because we were shopping for a house.  And as I have mentioned with the move, I have been on a yarn diet. I have also mentioned that I have fallen off that wagon.  Well, any thought that I might climb back on that wagon was blown this weekend.  I bought yarn at 5 of the 7 shops.  I tried to purchase something at every shop to support women owned small businesses, and because I like all these ladies, and of course I love yarn.  I enjoyed seeing everyone in my travels too.

My New Preciouses

However, I did break my budget.  Feeling a little guilty about that, but it is done and I have new yarn.

Insta-Hat

I have been so lucky in my knit life to have come in contact with some amazing knitters.  So much talent in so much variety.  One of my Sunday knit buddies is a talented stitcher, has a great eye for color, and she can a read a pattern backwards and forwards.  However, what she truly excels at is finding some of the best patterns out there.  I am constantly wanting to knit what she knits.  I find myself stalking her project page on Ravelry more than I should.  She is a pattern trendsetter.

Co-worker showing off her new knitwear

Over the holidays my knit buddy found the most adorable hat pattern on Instagram called Insta-hat by Lee Meredith (http://instagram.com/leethalknits).  Meredith posted the free pattern on Instagram and Tumblr in 4 installments.  You did have to go to a social media sight to view each part of the pattern, but it was worth it.  The pattern was fairly simple and knitted up fairly fast in bulky yarn.  I loved my friend's finished hat and knew I had some bulky yarn that needed to be knit up.  I threw aside my crochet (because you know I would rather be knitting) and cast on the Insta-hat.  Part 1 & 2 of the pattern went well, but part 3 gave me some fits.  After pulling part 3 out the second time I put in a lifeline.  Like always, once that lifeline went in I knit the pattern perfectly. 

My own Insta-hat

I was just going to make one hat for a co-worker who had asked for a beanie style hat in September.  I finished the beanie version of the Insta-hat and gave my bin of bulky yarn another look.  I found some green alpaca blend that needed to be knitted up in a slouchy version of the hat for me.  This pattern was quick and fun. I may have to go back to the bulky bin again and do some stash busting with this pattern.

Yarn Stash

I admit I have a yarn stash problem.  Admitting it is the first step, right?  I will not divulge the size of my stash, but let's just say it is embarrassing in proportion.  Anyway, recently I found a pattern which has helped me eat up some of my single skein stash issues.  I like that in a pattern.

However, the oddest thing happens when I have a new pattern I want to try, I never have the right yarn and have to buy more.  I am not really complaining, I like buying yarn. But how is it with such an impressive yarn stash I am always one skein short of a sweater?

Day Twenty-nine: Gratitude

My day was all about my knitting, I got four projects soaked and blocked out. These finished items are hanging out together on my ironing board drying. Three of the finished items are part of my Christmas knitting. I feel like I am making progress towards my holiday. I still have five more project to go and I will be done. I am hoping the goddesses of knitting will bless with with speedy needles and error free projects. When I look at the items they make me smile and the thing that makes me smile the most is looking at stash yarn now beautifully knitted up into something wonderful. So today I am grateful for my yarn stash.

My yarn stash is all about possibility. When I look at the hanks, skeins, and balls of wool, alpaca, cotton, and whatever fiber fell off a shelf and into my basket I see more than just the string. I see warm afghans, fabulous scarves, fun wristwarmers, and stylish socks. They are all there waiting for me to knit them up.

Not surprisingly, I have shade after shade of green. A whole spring worth of greens patiently biding their time until they become something fun, something made by me. This Christmas as I paged through knitting books and patterns on ravelry, I thought about what I had waiting for me in my pie safe which houses my stash. I dug through my yarn and reviewed my candidates and was able to find exactly what I wanted. Don't get me wrong, I bought new yarn just yesterday, but still it is nice to come home to a cabinet of possibilities just waiting for the right pattern to be knitted up. For all of these possibilities from my stash I am grateful.

In the Beginning... There was Yarn

With this ball of yarn (Tibet Recycled Silk, Himalayan Yarn Company) an obsession began. My mom, an amazing quilter, wanted to stop at a quilting shop while we were on vacation in Traverse City, Michigan. Mom is obsessed with fabrics (knitters aren't the only ones who have stashes). At the time I was not very crafty; I did not sew or quilt. I would usually wander around this type of store and wait for her to quit abusing her credit cards.

This store was different, it had yarn as well as the usual quilter fare. I saw this sexy recycled silk and wanted to knit something out of it. But I really didn't knit, hadn't a clue, but I fondled the yarn anyway. I walked away and right into the most spirited women I have ever meet. She was a 72 year old, white-haired lady who had knitted since she was 3. I loved the sparkle in her eyes and the way she talked about knitting. I wanted to be her, I wanted to knit.

I showed her the yarn and the wrist warmer pattern I wanted to knit with it asking her if she thought I could do it. Being an avid ambassador into the world of knitting, she excitedly said yes and was genuinely disappointed she could not teach me. I don't remember her name, but her smile and her zest for life affected me so much that I commit ed myself to learn to knit.

OK it took a little longer to get there, BUT a year and half later I made good on that promise and took a beginning knitting class. Yet, still the yarn languishes, no wrist warmers, and technically this is the first ball of yarn in my stash.