Over a Hundred Skeins and Yarn From New Zealand I Won’t Touch

I'm ashamed to say I don't even know how much yarn I own. The number's a lot. It would be a big number.

I have it in cardboard boxes. I have it stored on shelves. I have it in baskets in my house.

I have it in shoe boxes. I have it under the bed. I would say if I had to guess, I own more than a hundred skeins of yarn right now.

Why I Never Have the Right Shade of Blue

Every crocheter knows that their stash ends up growing because it doesn't matter what project you've started on; you don't have the right colors you need. It doesn't matter how much yarn you buy; it doesn't matter how much you try to plan and save; how many blues you have, how many greens you have.

Whatever you're starting right now, I guarantee you need to run to the store to buy a different shade of color. It just happens to the best of us, and it never seems like whatever we have is going to work for the next project.

The other thing that I take advantage of is sales. Sometimes craft stores, especially around the holidays, will run huge sales on yarn. I stock up when those opportunities arise.

I'll go in and buy 20, 30 skeins of yarn because they're half off or 65% off and super, super cheap. I just try to stock up on anything I think I might ever use or need so that I have it.

Guilty but Still Buying More Yarn

That being said, I absolutely feel guilty sometimes that I have so much yarn. It doesn't stop me from buying more yarn. It doesn't stop me from trying different yarns or thinking that the next thing I see at the craft stores I need to take home.

But I do think sometimes I get a little carried away when I could make do with what I already have.

Going on a Yarn Diet When There Are No Sales

I will say sometimes I do go on a little bit of a yarn diet if I can't find any on sale. No matter what project I'm working on, I'm not going to run to the store and pay high dollars for yarn that I might need.

In that case, I will make do with what I have just to keep costs down because I do have a lot and it's all usable. There's nothing wrong with it. That's something to try to remind yourself of when you're planning your projects.

The Fuzzy Blanket Yarn I Gave to a Neighbor

In previous blogs, I had mentioned a thicker, fuzzy blanket yarn that I bought tons and tons of and ended up not enjoying it. In that case, because it was just sitting around in my garage in boxes, I figured somebody else could use it. It wasn't doing me any good, and it didn't need to just sit here at my house.

I was able to find a lady in my neighborhood who I knew also enjoyed crocheting, and I just gave it all to her. I didn't ask for money; I didn't ask for a trade. It was sitting in my garage for over six months, so I just donated it to her.

And last I heard, she's making lots of fun stuffed animals and warm fuzzy hats for people with it.

Garage Bins, a Project Chair Basket, and Family Warnings

The garage has the largest storage of yarn. The shelf is just one spot. I also have other bins and boxes of other types of yarn, sorted by the type of yarn, whether it's cupcake yarn for my scarves or whether it's really nice, like velour or velvet yarn for baby blankets.

I also have a basket in the house that's always by my project chair that sits with the primary colors I typically need for anything and can reach for really easily.

Family members are aware of my problem. They are aware of the volume and remind me about it all the time. Anytime I start a project or ask to go to the craft store with somebody, they remind me that I do not need more yarn.

Saving the New Zealand and Alaska Skeins for a Souvenir

I do have a couple of skeins of yarn that were very expensive and are very special, and I'm very nervous to use them. I've started buying yarn as I've traveled around the world from local wool and yarn shops if I can find them.

The idea was that I would take that yarn and come home and make myself a souvenir from that trip from that local yarn, but I haven't done it. I'm just too scared to ruin it. Right now I have a very nice skein of yarn from New Zealand, and I also brought home some very soft yarn from Alaska last year.

They're both still sitting in a nice box in my bedroom, and I just need to get up the courage to follow through on the project. I just won't be able to replace that yarn and really don't want to mess something up.