A Discovery

In my year-long quest to lessen the stash a touch (I won't say I've succeeded, but it's still on-going), I have discovered a nifty trick. Match that stashed yarn up with a pattern in the queue, move that pattern to the top of the queue, and get freshly excited to use up that dusty yarn (and diminish the queue while you're at it)! This fall, I have had an irresistible itch to get rid of that yarn and those long-queued patterns that accompany them. Here are a few that I'll get on as soon as possible.

I bought this yarn a year ago and matched it up to one of my long-term queued patterns, Damask. I had wanted to knit it up during the spring, but little time and a lot of warm weather made me put it off. Now that it is below freezing (already!), I think it's time to cast it on! The yarn is SweetGeorgia CashLuxe Fine. A little bit of cashmere. :) It'll be a toasty wrap this winter.

This yarn has the same sort of plan. It'll become a Blackcurrant Shawl. The yarn is String Theory Caper Sock. I actually had to scour outside my queue for the perfect pattern that wouldn't get lost in this lovely hand-dyed yarn and that I could wear close to my skin. It, too, has a bit of cashmere. It's possible you might see me bundled up in both shawls at the same time this winter. ;)

The last project is more of a re-purposing effort. I tried to use three skeins of Swan's Island Natural Colors Merino Worsted to make Levenwick, but was pretty sure I would come up short. I attempted to order another skein, but the dye lot is so far off that I can't use it. I'll have to find another yarn for Levenwick, but I am pretty sure I can get Jules out of the original three skeins. Happy day! It was just the color I wanted a Levenwick in, but I think a woolier wool will help the structure of the garment a bit better.

I also just acquired yarn for Meridien, a pattern I received a year ago. Again, I could only get three skeins and it didn't look like I'd have enough, but some project searching tells me I have plenty, despite what the pattern page says, so I'll give it a try! I have a back-up pattern just in case. You'll see the project and lovely yarn soon, but I'm not sure I'll jump on it quite like these three.

Once I destash sufficiently, I'll go back to only buying yarn for planned projects. That should make my life much easier. I have a lot of yarn to get through before then, though....

How about you? What is the state of your stash? Are you trying to cut down, or just living it up?