I was wondering if anyone else would like to join in the mammoth task of stash reduction next year. I have so much yarn that really should be used, and a ton of things I've never finished, and maybe some encouragement could help!

There was a great idea on Ravelry of "personal sock clubs" where you make packages of your sock yarn with patterns, and pull one out each month.

And any ideas of ways to use up little bits of yarn would be good, too.

Plus, if the stash is brought to a manageable level, you can then buy yarn to celebrate!

I think that sounds a wonderful idea knitbird. How about I sticky it as of Jan 1st? (someone poke me to remind me)

Its fair to say I've got the willpower of a....coffee cake (and for those who don't know, coffee cakes don't have much willpower..) and would do with a good kick.

Ravelry also do personal blanket clubs and all sorts so I'll have a nosey around to find some ideas.

Cracking plan.

I thought of a personal challenge, but one of my younger radishes says i can't do it. 100 projects in 365 days. Not looked into the logistics of this though, and seeing as i have not picked up the needles since Saturday she may just be right.............

what about small projects? Like er......fairy hats? :p

I don't know any fairies personally, but i have seen some at the bottom of my garden. All without the influence of alcohol too! Don't know if they would appreciate stripes though........

Sounds like a fab idea Knitbird :D Not sure about the 100 projects in 365 days - I wouldn't be able to do that one I shouldn't think. For small stash is there any scope in making squares that we could stitch together to make blankets or something and donate them somewhere?

There is a charity that deals with knitting blankets for the elderly, in homes etc. Would that be viable?

what about small projects? Like er......fairy hats? :p

Baby socks, bootees that's 2 items to a finished project. Sounds a great idea. I find I can knit a pair of size 7 socks and a pair to fit a 2 year old from 1 ball of opal sock yarn.
How about local sock, hat, scarf, wars using packs we make up? Like the idea of squares for charity or those little hand szied teddies for tragedies?
Happy knitting

If anyone is thinking of looking through their stashes and possibly getting rid of some yarn (no matter how small an amount or what weight of yarn) can I put my nan first on the list of recipients please?

She's housebound and spends her time in her chair knitting baby clothes, hats and blankets for Oxfam for the various relief projects around the world. At the moment she produces 10 little jumpers a week, all based around which colours of oddments work together in stripes so she's got enough for a whole jumper.

So please don't throw any yarn away- it can all be used and appreciated, by a mother and a baby somewhere in the world.

I am definitely up for some kind of stashbusting knit along. I quite like the idea of a "year in a blanket" that I saw on ravelry, where you knit (or crochet!) one square a month, and it can be a colour or pattern that represents that month in some way, or a new technique you force yourself to try,like a sampler. Although there is a chance I would end up buying more suitable yarn for some of them rather than using stash only, which would defeat the purpose. Or, I am up for hats, gloves, scarves etc. For charity knitting, I'm a bit drawn to the "teddies for tragedies" I have seen somewhere before.

Medusa, when I have a look through my stash I may pm you if I find any yarn that I just wont get round to using and would be put to best use by your nan.

I'm in too, particulalrly as I have a freshly stocked stash so won't have too far to rummage to find something nice! I'm hoping that joining this and buying yarn from the John Lewis sale aren't mutually exclusive experiences?

I'm in. I moved the stash from the inefficient 'plastic bags stuffed down the back of the sofa' arrangement to the new efficient trolley with drawers. Two months on and somehow the drawers are full and the plastic bags are back. They're climbing out from behind the sofa and threatening to take over the sitting room. I blame hobbeycraft.

................ They're climbing out from behind the sofa and threatening to take over the sitting room. I blame hobbeycraft.

Oh no! Are they delivering things you haven't ordered..........:D Wonder if I could get away with that excuse? My birthday gift of a beautiful wooden chest to put my knitting projects in has led to an even higher mountain of yarn as I now need to balance things on top of the box 'cause it won't squish down like the carrier bags did...............:hihi:

The Hobbycraft saga. I went in to buy christmas stickers for the kids to make cards and when I came out I was in possession of two carrrier bags full of yarn - Rowan tweed and Rowan soft lux at half price. Unfortunately when I got it home I realised I didn't have quite enough of the soft lux (it's got a bit of sparkly stuff in it so makes nice christmas things). I went back a week or so later and there was more of the tweed as well as quite a lot of the lux left AND the price had been halved again to £1.18 a ball... so I came home with another two bags full.

I still think maybe I could do with a couple of balls of the maroon lux to make headbands for my nieces... and I just know I'm getting some lovely new knitting needles for my Christmas... and this morning I got Christmas money from Aunty Agnes... and I'm sooo bored with knitting the boy's vest in 3x4 rib but I'm nearly finished and I'll need something else to do (no, not the half dozen other unfinished projects, something tweedy or sparkly)... and (the clincher) it would only be two balls so it wouldn't even need another carrier bag! So that's settled then, I'll nip up and get a couple of balls as soon as I've finished my tea.

I am behind with everything christmas related, I have wool taking over the living room and a big stick would be handy to keep it all under control, and now I want to go to Hobbycraft too...

The Hobbycraft saga. I went in to buy christmas stickers for the kids to make cards and when I came out I was in possession of two carrrier bags full of yarn - Rowan tweed and Rowan soft lux at half price. Unfortunately when I got it home I realised I didn't have quite enough of the soft lux (it's got a bit of sparkly stuff in it so makes nice christmas things). I went back a week or so later and there was more of the tweed as well as quite a lot of the lux left AND the price had been halved again to £1.18 a ball... so I came home with another two bags full.



I wish you'd not posted all that! I was wondering about calling in at Hobbycraft for something on my way home from work - but had more or less decided it wasn't worth going out of my way when I've got so many other things to do at the moment, but.... now I'm not so sure!! :)

Anyone interested in a yarn swapathon. We could agree a weight and amount eg 100g DK and then put in two lots and just swap with someone else.

Ok, I have managed to get rid of five balls of Rowan Summer Tweed, as my mum has decided that she wants to knit a cushion cover. I know it's not quite stashbusting, but it makes some room!

I've found a pattern for a crochet bookmark on Ravelry, and think I'll make up a couple of them from assorted colours of 4-ply cotton in the stash, I can then be very organised and add them to any books I give out as gifts.

The lovely Maramcp showed me a stash busting book by Judith Durrant, with loads of little things that take up small amounts of yarn, hopefully this will get me motivated, and finally I've got one ball of big woll left over from another project, and I'm going to make a pair of very chunky mittens. Whew!

I'm closing this thread so that all the 2009 Stashbustalong discussion now goes into the same thread which can be found here (http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=444223).