Mission: Declutter / Destash

Most yarn enthusiasts (myself included) will always talk about their "stash". We go out to yarn stores, find deals, think of the projects we'll make with the treasures we've found and purchase them. However, what inevitably happens is that the very yummy yarn we've just purchased gets put away with all the other yummy yarns we were enticed to purchase, never to be seen again. . . and so the "stash". This year, I've decided that one of my goals is to reduce my stash by any means necessary. Whether I create projects for sale, to give away to charity, to give to friends or sell it, I'm going to reduce my stash by 80%! Why? Because I don't want to feel that pang of guilt when I go to the yarn store and want to purchase a yarn, knowing I have so much at home.

I know we like to call it a stash, but in reality it's clutter and hoarding (sorry yarn folks) and it's the only thing in my house that I hoard. It's precious to me and I need to realize it does me no good to simply have it in a box or plastic bin or closet if it's yummy goodness never gets to be seen. . . .

My mission, that I've chosen to accept, is to "de-stash" and be merry in the process!

Stash Busting!!

Those of us who have a yarn obsession tend to purchase yarn with the intention of either purchasing a pattern to complete with the yarn or with the intention of making a pattern we already have. Whatever the reason we end up purchasing yarn, most of the time, the yarn ends up in our "stash" the plastic bins, drawers, closets etc. that we use to hold our yarny good intentions.

For the next few months (I'll put an actual date on it soon) I've decided it's a good idea to decrease my stash prior to purchasing more yarn. It's proving to be a challenge, and I'll let you know how it goes as it goes, but for now, here are two projects I enjoyed making from some of the left-over yarn from other projects, because that makes up part of your stash as well!

These belts are very "bohemian" and I just love them to death. I'm planning on making one just for me to wear with my t-shirts and shorts this summer! These two can be found in my 1000 Markets Shop right now!!

Yarn Characteristics

Not long ago I ran a poll on this blog asking readers to tell me which yarns they looked for when purchasing their handmade items. The results weren't very surprising, most people listed wool as their most desired yarn with just slightly under that being no preference. Personally I have no preference which yarns I use to create projects as long as they feel good to my fingers, and glide easily on my hooks/needles.

There is a place where I do discern yarns and that is in their characteristics and how it will play into the piece I'm creating. For example, if I want to create a light airy piece for Summer, I'm certainly not going to use a wool yarn for that. Nor would I use a ribbon yarn to create a sweater intended to warm for the Winter. You get my meaning. If you're a yarn / fiber artists you may already know the characteristics of yarns, but if you're a purchaser of items, this may be very helpful to you when deciding on a piece.

Wool:: (this scarf was made with 100% wool)

Wool can have different characteristics depending on it's breed of sheep. It's warm, insulating, breathable, water-repellent, dirt-resistant and naturally flame retardant. It can absorb up to 30% of it's weight in moisture without feeling wet, but it's weaker when wet than when dry. Some wools are made machine washable by being treated to a superwash process. Some popular items for wool include sweaters, hats, scarves, gloves, coats, jackets etc.

Cotton:: (these washcloths are 100% cotton)

Cotton is usually machine washable and stronger when it's wet than when it's dry. It's heavy, absorbent, inelastic and unlike wool is non-insulating. Cotton has a tendency to stretch and/or shrink when washed. Some popular items for cotton include washcloths, tops, accessories etc.

Synthetics:: (this neckwarmer was made with 100% acrylic)

Synthetic referres to yarns that have been manufactured and have no plant or animal origins. Since they are created to mimic the characteristics of natural fibers they are usually durable, water-resistant, and strong. They are also non-breathable, and non-insulating. Many are machine washable, but very sensitive to heat. Most popular items such as sweaters, wraps, hats, gloves etc. can and are created with synthetics.

As a fiber artists it excites me to have the various options because the diversity allows me to make items for anyone. Some have plant allergies, some have wool allergies, some can't stand the feel of acrylic, some just want a blend that has the best of both worlds and some just want a great looking piece that works. Because I have so many options I can accommodate all.

Now you can make an educated decision on content based on your personal needs.

One of my favorites!

I love all the items I make, otherwise I wouldn't make them. But every now and again I make something that I completely adore because it's so cool and fun. This neckwarmer is one of those items. If you haven't had a chance to see it in my Etsy shop, here it is.

Not only is it a great color, but it has such wonderful texture and it's amazingly warm.

I don't know about you, but the one place that makes me what to cry when it's cold is my neck! I wear turtlenecks for most of the Winter because of that feeling. However, now I'm thinking, I don't need to wear only turtlenecks. I can wear other tops and use this neckwarmer, as well as some of the others I've made, to keep stylish and warm.

No more tears this Winter!!!

Crochet!!

When I started working with yarn, it was crochet. I loved making blankets and scarves for everyone I knew. But it seemed that every time I walked into a yarn shop and asked for yarn to crochet, the store attendant would look at me as if to say "you really should knit" then they would proceed to let me know that they didn't really know much about 'crochet' but that it took a lot more yarn.

I began to think, maybe I should knit. So, a year after learning to crochet (by reading and doing) I bought myself a knitting book, some needles and yarn and started teaching myself to knit. I fell in love, but I couldn't finish a project nearly as fast as I could with crochet. As I learned to move my fingers faster and subsequently in continental style, I finished projects, but not with the same speed as crochet.

Yesterday, I came across this article on the web. Can you imagine? After doubting crochet and learning to knit, and realizing that if I wanted it done quickly, it needed to be crochet, the world is catching up and falling in love with crochet! Go figure!

I've always loved crochet for it's texture and pop. But, I've not always liked the items I've seen made with crochet. It seems that the reason most people think of crochet as the "ugly step-sister" is because of the items they've seen that have turned them off, they did me. I decided a long time ago, that I'd like to make items that are stylish, fun and sexy in crochet, because, it was my first yarny love.

As I work to create 100 pieces for stART on the Street, I've turned to crochet because, I could never make enough items in knit. Does that mean I'll leave knitting behind? No. It only means, I'll have to have two markets and cater to both.

I'm armed with hooks and I love it!

In a few days I'm going to post some more yummy "crochet" yarny goodness for you to fall in love with, cause the more love for crochet there is, the better off our yarny goodness will be . . . besides, crochet can only be done with human hand, so that means more work for those who are willing to learn and grow!

Busy weekend!

This weekend we watched the Olympic opening ceremony, watched some games, cleared and re-organized my dad's garage, shopped for some much needed clothing and spent time with my brother's family. What was I doing in-between all that? Just what you see in the picture, I was working on a scarf that came out beautifully (I'll share a photo soon), and I started on another project. I also did laundry, cleared out our car for our Canada trip this coming weekend and cleaned the bathroom.

I'm sore and my feet hurt. Can I just sit somewhere, put up my feet and work on some yarn projects? Thanks!

Fall/Winter Line Sneak Peak

I'm so excited about my Fall/Winter line of items. Since you're here you might as well get a glimpse into the future! My new line is all about color. I found this really cool website called Fashion Trendsetter and they are dying to tell you all about the colors, and trends of the season into 2010!

When I looked at their color forcast for Fall/Winter 2008-2009 I was excited to see so many colors I wanted to use on the list. So, this weekend I took inventory of what I'm making, where they'll be sold and what I needed, then early Saturday morning I went out and purchased most of the yarn I'll need to get me started. Don't the colors look amazing? This year, I'm all about one or two color items. Looking forward into Spring/Summer I think I may venture further than that, but for now, as I love to do, I'm keeping it simple.

New Etsy projects

My Etsy store seems to have been a bit quiet lately with no new additions, however, it's not that I haven't been working, it's just that I've been preparing a few items and needed a chance to take photos. My sister, her friend Zai, and my niece were kind enough to serve as models, so there are now new posts in my Etsy Shop. If you haven't stopped by lately, take a another look!

Nezinscot Farm Store

I really love doing research on yarn, because I love yarn! A lot of the yarn that makes up my stash is yarn that I bought very early in my crafting days and wasn't really aware of the impact it can have on the environment. Today, I'm much more aware and as I do reasearch I find, it's not as hard as one may think to find organic, local yarn.

Right up here in New England is the Nezinscot Farm Store where they sell their own meats, eggs, vegetables, and cheese, freshly baked goods, a full selection of natural foods and wool products. Yes, Wool Products that are from their farm! They have sheep, llamas, alpacas, and goats from which they get their yarn spun.

I think I'm going to have to take a trip up to Maine sometime this summer to check out their wares. . . I really need to get through this stash!!!

Granola yarn

In my search to use environmentally friendly yarn (when I again begin to increase my stash) I came across a shop called Granola Yarn where they carry eco-friendly and artist friendly yarns including Peace Fleece, O~Wool Organic, Pakucho, South West Trading Company and more. They also carry needles and pattern books.

And as if that weren't enough, they offer you 12% off of your next order from Granola Yarns if you make a 12" square, send it to them so they can create afghans for charity.

Take a look at their shop and help support such a worthy endeavor.

Granola Yarn

Red Fun

It's really an amazing thing when yarn that comes in skeins like this <-------, as well as needles and a hook can be transformed into a work of art like this ----->.


This project is still a work in progress, but when it's done it's going to be such a fun addtion to any wardrobe.

Make sure to look for it in my Etsy shop really soon!

Pink yarn. . .

Do you know what this is? It's a sweater I found in my closet. I've had this sweater for about 4 years and it has become of of my favorites, but lately I've noticed that it's become a bit faded and frayed at the edges. I was going to send it to the Goodwill, but it dawned on me, why send it to Goodwill, only to buy it back to repurpose the yarn?

So what did I do?

I pulled it apart only moments after discovering it!

What a rush!

I'm excited because not only do I get the yarn, but I get the really great buttons on the sweater. I'm thinking I'm going to dye the yarn in order to bring back some vibrance and repurpose it into a pattern I've been developing in my head! It should be ready by mid to late summer for a Fall line of items! Can you even imagine how anxious I am to contine on this project path?

I don't know how much yarn I have from this sweater, but I know it's going to be enough for my project. I think I'll have a significant amount left over so I'll have to decide what to do with the rest. But, one thing, and day at a time!

Yarn abounds

I've started to go through my sweaters and I've found a few that won't make it to the next Winter season. What will happen to them? I am going to reprocess and repurpose the yarn. I can't wait!!!! It is one of my favorite things to do and the anticipation is killing me. There just isn't enough time to do what I want to do. I'm thinking the dark green sweater is going to have to become a hat and scarf set since the yarn is nice and heavy and a great color for a man. The cream and mint sweaters are wool acylic blends and the yarn is going to unwind to very fine, so I'm thinking shawls for the late Summer and Fall. The only thing I need to find now is my yarn winder. . . hum.

Here we have the purple yarn that has become another hat in just a few days! I'm looking forward to totally completing it and listing it for sale on Etsy! The purple is so amazingly rich it's the perfect hat for someone that loves purple! I think I'm going to push my designs and create new patterns! I have a few ideas floating around in my head, but again. . . where is the time???? Oh how I pray for more time.

Finally, we have the orange sugar cubes scarf. Yes, it has helped me write the pattern, yes, it is almost done, and yes, I plan on listing it on Etsy. . . soon! In the meantime, check out the Treaury I was able to snag yesterday. I've showcased artists from the EtsyFAST (Fiber Arts Street Team) and I think the yarn is lovely, but the projects are so cute! Enjoy!