Last week I cast caution to the winds, jumped into my car with my BKB (Best Knitting Bud) Deb, and headed north to the Interweave Yarn Fest in Loveland, Colorado. It was a beautiful day and we were looking forward to our adventure. I brought some skeins of yarn that needed matching, a couple of patterns, a cocky attitude and an absolute conviction that I wouldn’t buy even one skein of yarn that I couldn’t use this year.
Here’s the background on my yarn stash: I’m working on reducing the stash this year by at least 50 skeins. As I headed up towards Loveland I was lulled into a false sense of progress as I had just totaled my knitting efforts and knew that I was on a great pace to reach my goals: 21 skeins of yarn had already been knitted out of the stash. I could afford to splurge a little, right? I am a knitting machine and I will pull off this resolution with one knitting hand behind my back. No problems!!
Right. No plan ever survived contact with a knitting marketplace. After cruising and shopping the marketplace at Yarn Fest, Deb and I scooted on up to Fort Collins to visit My Sister Knits, a favorite LYS. By the end of the day I had bought 11 new skeins of yarn.
So, I bought 7 skeins of yarn with a definite projects in mind for them. The other 4 are more of a “I need to buy these now or I will regret it later” type purchases. I mean, look at that mohair!! I will combine it with another yarn and produce a fabulous cowl or shawlette that will still be using up yarn from the stash. That’s good, right?
The last three yarns will become a three-color shawl of some type. Something beautiful that won’t count towards depleting the stash, but will be worth the knitting anyway. Something that I will treasure. (My Precious! sang in my mind as I grabbed the yarns to my chest… I just ignored the look that Deb shot my way as I tucked the yarn into my basket and skipped to the checkout counter…I don’t need an intervention. Really, I don’t. Move along, now. ) I wonder if I can get the mohair involved somehow? The colors all go together. Sometimes it is best to just go with the serendipity. I wonder if I can find more of that mohair?
Do you see how my stash got into such a state in the first place?
All in all, I came home with 11 skeins of yarn and I suddenly have a stash removal total of only 10 skeins. Well, that is less than optimal… Still, not impossible to overcome if I buckle down and get to work on my projects. I’m all fired up again and casting on like crazy. Socks, sweaters, shawls… I am on it!
Have a great (knitting) weekend, everyone.
Yarn, Books & Roses 
As you said, it all had to go home with you:) We can’t have anyone living with regret. Each skein is lovely and I look forward to seeing the finished items you create!
I know, right?! It’s a big problem with indie dyed yarn… you have to grab it before it is gone forever! Those colors were created at the same time by Hue Loco which is why they coordinate so well. I already have big plans for the yarn. 🙂
I’m pretty sure I read a study about yarn fumes having a hypnotic affect and one cannot be held responsible for what happens when under the influence of such an overwhelming amount of yarn, as you’d find in a yarn store, fair or festival. 😉 The good news is your subconscious picked some yummy yarns for you. 😀
That’s what happened!! I feel better already. I cant be held responsible for for the slip… it’s all the yarn’s fault!! Those colors are just amazing and I cant wait to get knitting!
Haha! I laughed out loud when I saw the title of your post pop up in my inbox. Your new yarn is lovely! That Nordiska is going to be stunning!! It’s on my list as well, and I will definitely be lengthening the body as you are planning to do. Knit that first, please, so I can see yours an be inspired. 😉
The Nordiska will be first because it is a lighter sweater. That Koivua will be a cold weather staple. I have a V Neck Boxy ready to go too that will hopefully knit up fast. I love colorwork, but it is slower going…
Wow! Such beautiful colors! You’re still on the plus side so I know you’ll be able to attain and even exceed your goal – knit on!
Being on the plus side was the only saving grace to the new purchases. I have a bunch of yarn wound up and ready to go… it is knitting time!!
Book fumes+yarn fumes=throw caution to the winds and engage in heavy (yarn) petting and serious ink huffing. So envious!
I bought books last week too! Dang, I never realized that they were connected, but there it is!! I bought some good coffee too.
Love that mohair! All the joy you’ll have knitting with it is definitely worth it! 🙂
That’s ok. The same thing happened to me. I don’t really have room for any more yarn and I’m trying to save money. I have been able to plan projects from stash yarn. I just haven’t been able to knit them. After receiving some very expensive news about necessary car repair, I decided to visit a new yarn shop in the area to cheer myself up. I found the last skein of merino stellina fingering yarn in my favorite color half price and a skein of heather fingering yarn that matches exactly the Cherry Tree Hill fingering merino and possum yarn I wanted to knit. I couldn’t pass up either one.
I also am motivated by trying to save money; I had to replace a fence and my furnace this fall. Ouch!! You know, if we just stayed out of the yarn stores this wouldn’t happen, but there is zero chance of that!
I sounds like you found some fantastic deals! I envy you your possum yarn, 🙂
You will make something lovely with all of it 🙂
That’s the plan! I saw the perfect shawl last night!!
You’ll get the stash down again and you don’t want to live with regrets!
Exactly!