Guys I might definitely have a yarn problem.
I know it’s nothing compared to some of the people on Ravelry, but that’s like merely not being the drunkest person at an Eagles game. It’s just not high of a bar.
My goal for 2015 was to knit 50 balls of yarn and maintain a “one in two out” rule, and I’m happy to say that I pulled it off! I used 50 balls, gave away 12, and “only” purchased 30. Some of the more fun projects for the year included a “yarn topiary,” a christening dress for the new baby, a sweater for the 3 year old, and a big shiny Clapotis shawl.
I’ve got 10 projects on the needles. A couple of them just need minor finishing I haven’t gotten around to. One is a giant bedspread which will maybe be done sometime before my preschooler goes to college. The others are in various states of boredom or inconvenience (it’s hard to fit a bedspread in a tote bag and take it on the train).
I spent the last two evenings organizing my Ravelry stash (an online database of yarn which you can annotate with quantities, colors, etc) and tallied up just how much I have. I went by weight rather than yardage because it is much, much easier to measure.
I have 28.6 Pounds of yarn. 13 kilograms.
Back of the envelope math has that spread over 170 balls in 140 different brands/colorways.
My goal for 2016 is to reduce my total stash by 25%, which is a pretty tall order. It requires knitting through 2,500 grams of existing yarn plus anything I buy new. A lot of my focus will be on using up single skeins and odd balls of weird fibers that can’t easily be incorporated into other projects. Some types of yarn are just better to have lying around than others. I forsee a lot of tiny clothes and plush toys on the project list for the year.
Yarn Used
Yarn Purchased
Net Change
Hello! I found your blog off a search for knitting machines. Just borrowed an old Toyota that a knitting buddy recently got from a coworker. Definitely needs a tune-up. Since I haven’t gotten it cranking yet, I was wondering whether you still use yours and wouldn’t it be an easy way to chew through your stash? Or is this a stash purchasing lie I am telling myself?
A huge portion of my stash is worsted weight or heavier, and most Japanese 4.5mm machines are really only suited for sport weight or thinner. The other big thing is that using a machine is a dedicated activity, meaning I can’t do it while watching TV or supervising the kids. So it’s a lot harder to find time to machine knit. But you should still dive head first into machine knitting, it’s super fun!
I seem to have a thing for M’s: Madelinetosh, Malabrigo, and Miss Babs. I have lots of fingering and lace weight. Unfortunately, no kids. I am looking forward to learning how to use this beast! Mine came with the ribbing and lace attachments. Crossing my fingers that much of it will work with a simple cleaning!
Good luck! 9 times out of 10 you’ll need a new sponge bar. You can buy replacements, or you can just take the existing bar and replace the foam with some weather stripping. The key is finding a fairly dense foam, which can take some trial and error.