Cool Sheeping in 2018

Folks, my stash (of yarn) is starting to take on a life of its own. A year ago my stash fit in one seven-foot bookcase. Right now it takes up the seven-foot bookcase, half of a six-foot bookcase, a good-sized box, and two of those giant Ziploc bags.  

[pics of stash room coming]

I have sweater quantities in 14 different yarns.  I have blanket quantities of acrylic. I have enough Into the Whirled hand painted yarn to last a lifetime (it takes up its own shelf in the bookcase).  I don't think I've hit SABLE overall, but I've definitely got enough to last several years.

I'm looking to stop or at least slow the growth of my stash. What I really need to do is "cold sheep".  This is term that means to completely stop buying yarn, usually for a predetermined period of time. I don't think I have it in me to adhere to such a strict standard, but I think I can stay within the spirit of the concept with a few exceptions.  I'm going to call it "cool sheeping" because it's not quite "cold."  

So, I hereby pledge to "cool sheep" for 2018.  I will knit and crochet only from stash with the following exceptions:

1. I can buy yarn that is more than 50% man-made fibers (acrylic, nylon) but only for a specific purpose and only after trying to find something that will work in stash.
2. I can buy yarn with gift certificates given to me by other people.
3. If there's a Stephen West or other KAL that I really, REALLY want to join, and after trying really, REALLY hard I can't find anything to work in my stash, I can buy ONE kit.
4. I can buy up to a total of 6 skeins at fiber festivals (MDSW and Rhinebeck).  That's 6 skeins total, not 6 skeins per festival.

Guidelines I will follow:

1. I will try to find patterns to fit the stash, rather than stash to fit patterns.
2. I will get the number of projects on my needles down to 5 and then keep it there - the longer I'm busy with already-started projects, the less I'll be looking to buy yarn for additional projects.

To make things even more interesting, how about a points system?

• +10 points for each 100g used.
• +1 bonus point for each year the yarn has been in stash (e.g., yarn that has been in stash for three-and-a-half years would earn +3 bonus points).
• -10 points for each 100g purchased (even if purchased within the above exceptions).
• -5 extra points for each 100g purchased if the yarn was outside of the above exceptions.

My goal is to be at or above zero at the end of the year.

I'll try to remember to check in periodically and update my progress.  Wish me luck!

Hitchhiking on the Bandwagon

Last year, I was able to purchase an amazing skein of Bugga! from the Sanguine Gryphon booth at Maryland Sheep & Wool.  The colorway was called Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz, and it's a beautiful blue-green-grey variegated.

Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz (the yarn version)

Top View

My immediate thought was that it needed to be involved in some kind of Douglas Adams-related pattern, of course.  Careful searching revealed that 6,000 people enjoyed a beautiful shawlette pattern called Hitchhiker, which (when knitted with the correct amount of yarn) has 42 points along the edge.  It was fate! Kismet! The perfect match of squishy soft yarn, squishy soft garter stitch, Douglas Adams -themed yarn and Douglas Adams - themed pattern.

I started the shawlette, but tried to get all fancy by adding a stripe of stockinette every now and then, to show off the amazing colors of the yarn.
This resulted in so much frustration I eventually frogged the whole thing.


But I kept obsessing.  The pattern just kept calling to me - calling for THIS YARN.  So today I started again, without getting fancy, but of course with some modifications.  This is me we're talking about, here.

Since the pattern calls for 150g of Wollmeise (575 yards) to get 42 teeth, and Bugga! has only 412, I knew I'd have to get creative to get the magic number.

So, I've gone up a couple of needle sizes (to a US 4, 3.50mm) to create a less dense fabric.  And, more importantly, I've shortened the pattern repeat by two rows.  Given my larger needle size, this is actually resulting in teeth that are about the same length as their height.

This pattern starts so quickly at first!  It's the first day, and already I've knit 20 teeth.  I think that counts as 50% done, don't you?  Yep, definitely.

THE CRAZIEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT OF ALL TIME

OK, maybe it’s not the craziest birthday present ever. That would maybe be, like, an elephant riding a unicycle wearing lederhosen and trumpeting “You Are My Sunshine” while holding out a bouquet of flowers or something.

But still, pretty crazy.

Yesterday, this arrived on my doorstep. That’s right, ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY 50g balls of Palette, each a different color. My mom, who is also a knitter, is trying to inspire my fledgling designer self with every color under the sun. I think it might be working.

What do I do with it?!?!?!?!?!!!11!!? Puff all the hexipuffs? Knit toys? Massive clown barf sweater? Yarn bomb my building’s lobby?

Here are some pictures of the awesomeness: