I am doing a spirit doll workshop on Sunday and I boxed everything up to haul to the site. Way too much stuff. This will be a good test on what is really needed and how do I slim down for another workshop in July. The July one involves packing everything in with the camping gear, which is already a full pack in our little Honda Fit. May have to haul out the roof bag. I don’t like the thing, but it’s useful.
The box up of supplies made such a small dent in the craft room. Sigh, stash really does multiply to overflow an area.
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TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE MAKING THINGS 
We’ve just over a day and a half until the Peek Behind The Curtains Challenge closes! I just know some of you have made some stash-heavy projects that you have not given their own topic. Please share with us before Midnight on April 19 2023, US Pacific Time.
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My de-stash/de-clutter is putting along with the heady speed of a snail on decaf, but still moving forward so I’ll take it. I have a sweater for Kidlet and some socks on the needles and after a long stretch of the “crafty blahs” I seem to be coming back to the yarn daily again.
I canceled a subscription to a yarn of the month club ($10/month). I kept finding that while I usually liked the surprise yarn that came my way more often than not I couldnt find patterns I want to make with them.
I also have managed to keep myself to my embargo with the exception of a birthday splurge. My budget is still effed up from the medical bill adventures of last year so I want to be judicious in my craft purchases. (#AdultingIsBoring) I have a wish-list/virtual cart going on Hobbii that I keep a running list of yarns in quantity for projects I would like to make and don’t currently have the appropriate supplies and that seems to be holding me for now.
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Sounds like a good plan. I struggle to find patterns to fit the yarn I get as well. Much better to do it the opposite way of finding what I would like to make then get the yarn. Only, I don’t seem to operate that way. I have no idea what I want to make…I usually just see something and want to make it now.
But, I have found that I also waste a lot of time using the yarn I have and then hating the pattern or the color is not right or something. I am still trying to find a happy middle ground.
I have inherited so many beautiful yarns from others, but I am sure many of them are because they also struggled to know what to make from them!
I have been using Ravelry’s search tool based on the yarn type and it seems to be working well! I have about six patterns printed out and matched to yarn in my stash.
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Too many ‘pretty! Now what do I use it for?’ yarns in my stash, as well.
But, your post just made me realize that a pattern I want to make calls for some combination of yarns to get to worsted weight, and if I combine a few of those impulse yarns (I still might need to pick up some lace-weight for it), I can do it - and destash in the process! So, backstory time. I had this great, vintage 80s (?) cardigan…green cotton, mock neck, loose fit, fabulous drape…and, I wore it to death (or until my husband couldn’t stand the Kelly green anymore). Anyway, I was furiously searching ravelry the other day, and I found a pattern that, minus the pockets, is nearly identical. So, I’m a happy camper and it’s my next project (as soon as I get that lace to make gauge).
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That is a fabulous pattern! I have a similar red cardigan that has faded to a more pinkish color. I don’t wear it much because of the pink…I just can’t get rid of it until I make a new one! The pattern was from an old Japanese knitting book that I no longer have.
I need to finish the Whatever sweater I started…I like that pattern because it combines yarns as well!
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Curious: could you dye the pink sweater to something you like better? If the structure and fit is sound, I mean.
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I did dye it once with red. It has faded back to a pink/red. It is really too heavy weight to wear down here as well except for a few days…I was thinking of trying to dye it again and changing out the buttons to look less “frumpy” on me.
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I was going to suggest dyeing as well! I love the option to refresh old knits with some new life. I had a shawl I was almost going to give away because it was in a color I don’t really wear much any more until I realized I could dye it! Weird how I had that blind spot when I’m so quick to overdye other things, but I’m glad I thought of it before giving away the shawl.
I’m also in a bit of a predicament where I think I need to buy some yarns to use up stash…that’s a thing right? lol. Any opinions on knitpicks vs hobii or other yarn websites? Knitpicks is my go to but they don’t carry other brands.
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Hobbii seems to have a lot of nice acrylics. I haven’t explored them much but I love the yarn I am using now. I used to buy a lot from knitpicks and still buy certain yarns like Stroll for socks and Capra…my go to seems to be Wool Warehouse. They have relatively cheap shipping and are fast…plus they have natural and acrylic yarns.
Hobbii has a lot of cool yarns like glow in the dark and neon colors as well…
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I’ll have to check them out…to sprinkle my destash with some accompanying yarns…
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Are there specific things you need? Or could it be a more general call for certain weights and colors? Could you ask for yarn in the “Use It or Lose It” topic?
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I like both hobbii and knit picks. Webs has a great selection, but their shipping is kind of slow lately. Also had good experiences with paradise fibers.
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Nothing terribly specific. KP is being evil and tempting me with a “come back” coupon and there’s a couple of yarns I do want to get in any case so I can have enough to finish a couple of patterns I’ve found.
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Yesterday I got an idea and executed it within about 90 mins. That never happens! 
Alllllmost used up the scraps of this cute paper. YEY!
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Not actually cookies, lol. Pattern weights! I did have to buy the washers but everything else was from stash. That orange plaid was a shirt I cut up about 20 years ago!
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@Magpie Those are fantastic! What a great assortment of fabrics.
What I have to share is not a DeStash but more how something did not become stash. This past week I had both a need for some quick gifts, a bunch of really boring zoom meetings, and nothing suitable in stash. So on Monday the 24th I bought two balls of sugar and cream yarn at Joann’s. Six days and six Granny’s Dishcloths later this is all I have left, and I’m going to let these little scraps go. I could probably make something tiny with them but I don’t feel like weaving in that many ends.
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I’m having one of those “destashing is annoying” moments where what I want to do cannot be done with the in-house supplies. Sometimes it’s a fun game of how to finagle a win and sometimes it’s just, “Why can’t we just have nice things.”
I wanted this yarn supply to magically stretch itself to make 3 solid placemats. Or one solid and one color block. Two mats instead of 3 wouldn’t be bad… but not loving the one kinda clashy mat i’ll be getting. Ah well.
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I like those colors together! What stitch is that? It looks nice and sturdy.
I really need to make some placemats as well for the patio table.
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