Stash Exposed! Yikes.

Laura

OK, time to pay the piper. My house did it's job and coughed up lots of yarn . . .  too much yarn. My sins are now exposed to all (read 'husband in shock'). It is not really my fault. Before I left my job at IBM I worked part time in my LYS. It was an opportunity to learn more about my craft, fondle new yarns and meet other knitters. I had a blast. However, since I had that other job I took my yarn store salary in the form of yarn credit. So combine a regular Friday schedule, an employee discount a few extra hours on special projects and ta da massive yarn stash all carefully hidden stored in various bins and bags around the house.

The trick to moving without losing your mind is to get organized and decluttered before you move so you're not packing, moving and unpacking unnecessary items. While I would never ever categorize stash as an unnecessary item it was time for me to admit I would probably never knit with most of it. The next best thing to keeping yarn in stash for yourself is finding someone else to love it. And so my eight bins went into the Garage/Moving Sale inventory. Thanks to Craig's List I was able to advertise the yarn content and got to meet many nice local knitters I had not met before. A woman from Russia, a grandma knitting preemie caps and a 7-year-old anxious to learn. We chatted about yarn content, gauge, designs and stash.  We also sold a few chairs, some clothes, outgrown kid's toys and several flower vases (do they procreate inside my pantry?)

All in all a delightful afternoon. Don't worry I saved some of the best items (like my Brooks Farm, Tess) for a blog destash. As soon as I get my head above water I will list a few of those items. What would happen if you collected all your stash in to one place? Would you be surprised by what you find? What would your family's reaction be? For my family I think this just confirmed Mommy is off her rocker! :)

Comments

[Carol]

I'm thinking that all of my vases must have gone to live at your house! I can never find one when I want it!

[Suzanne V. (Yarnhog)]

My stash is all in one place. It used to be the guest room closet, but now it's called "mom's yarn store." I don't think it's at all unreasonable, and virtually all of it was bought on clearance, but other people always look stunned when they see it.

[Greta Gillmore]

I tried showing this to my husband to justify my stash, his responce was "just becasue there are others like you, it doesn't make it right." Blech!

[Vanessa]

My stash is dwendling down...I only have cheap yarns .... I do have some Alpaca though some place in my Closet lol... I want to make a NICE shawl I think. I have yarn EVERYWERE lol... Mainly in one closet but some in the Livingroom as well. Wish I had more WOOL... I have 98% Acrylics.