The "Year of the Stash"

Knit-Alongs
1041

I didn’t make a formal inventory but I did have enough yarn for an afghan, several scarves, dishclothes and socks. I have a 1 year old now so I can really only knit/spin 2-3 hours max at night after he’s gone to bed. I didn’t think to make an inventory until I started running out of ideas for my stash. It has been very helpful with finding patterns that match up nicely.

I’m down to 1 bin and a 3 drawer unit full of yarn - mostly it’s yarn for the Great American Aran Afgan that’s on hold. At this point I’m going to have to start that big baby back up soon because I’m running out of yarn for smaller projects!

I wish I could say that I had all this will power but my DH has been very good at keeping me true to my word. Inititally I said no yarn buying for a year so I thought I could start buying again this September. He then reminded me that it was a New Year’s resolution that I made in January so now I have to go to Dec 31st.

I think I can do it but it’s really starting to get tough. What am I going to do when I only have yarn for one last project? Can I just get a “good job” and start buying again?!?!? (who am I kidding - I could never finish GAAA in less than a year)

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:waving: Hi Susie!

That is neat how you have linked your WIP’S in your signature!
I clicked your links…and I must say…THE GREAT AMERICAN AFGHAN is absolutely a WORK OF ART!

Do you have all the yarn for it? I didn’t get how many squares are involved. What size is each square if knitted to gauge?

Wow. It is a show-stopper! Each square could take two weeks.
What a fun project! I am going to look around again and see if I can get ahold of the pattern myself. Maybe I’ll join ya in a KAL! I see that there are some KAL’s going already in other forums.

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:teehee:

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I’m actually one of the moderators for the GAAA knit along. It’s at this site: http://aranafghanalong.blogspot.com/
You can just send me a PM with your email address and I can invite you to join.

I think I bought my pattern book from here: http://www.stitchesmarket.com/xcart/customer/product.php?productid=6462&cat=214&page=3

The yarn is Plymouth Encore and I bought 20 skeins. I’ve see other knitters use a variety of yarns so anything with similiar weight would probably work well. There are 24 squares to choose from to make an afghan and/or pillows, each square is 12 x 12.

I got the idea from Silver awhile back and she may still have pictures on her blog of her finished afgan - it’s just beautiful. I think the first square took me about a month to finish. It may go faster now that I’ve got more experience.

1045

Thanks for the info, Suzie! I feel like I have plenty of time to hop on the GAAA Train this Fall. I have a few WIP’s to finish…and a promised project to start and finish.

It is such a beautiful afghan. I like the fact that each square is 24-12x12’s, rather than a million 4x4’s.

I have used ENCORE for other projects. I am familiar with it. Is all ENCORE acrylic, or are there some wools as well. Well, no matter, when it comes time, I can research yarn types. Acrylic or superwash wool makes the afghan washable…but wool is blockable and gives more warmth.

I knit an aran afghan a few months ago. It was knit on one large circ…size 11 needle…I used ROWAN Polar in a warm red. Definitely not washable…but ever so warm and cozy. Being red it should not need too much laundering. When it comes time, I really don’t know what I will do. Tumble dry for a few minutes in one of those huge laundromat dryers with a sheet of DRYELL self-dry-cleaning cloths?

It is 55x75 and used over 20 skeins of yarn. I forget now. It went very quickly. I cast-on Feb 12 and was done by Mar 14. Being all one repetitive pattern…with a bulky yarn and US 11 needle…whoosh. Done! I knit this afghan out of necessity! As our children married and left home…they all confiscated an aran afghan from the sofas! I guess I should feel complimented! Mom’s handknit afghans becoming “family heirlooms”. Some of them are 20 years old…acrylic yarn purchased at K-Mart a long long time ago. I remember well…the 10 skeins cost me $9. Skeins had a TON of yardage back then, too! Well, the afghan is still alive and kicking! And all the kids are “attached” to their favorite TV blankie. Many nights I remember seeing 5 kids snuggled under 5 afghans watching movies late at night! I’d say, hey there, two of you has to share an afghan…I need a blanket!

Well enough of that! Here a photos of my very easy aran afghan, the pattern of which is in the latest book called CABLES UNTANGLED.

The first photo shows my first 6 inches of work against the pattern photo in the book. The pattern called for worsted weight yarn in cream, however, I had 30 skeins of ROWAN Polar in my Stash…and needed a BIG cozy afghan.

ROWAN Polar does not do well when “fringed”…so I created a little petite Bell Ruffle for my afghan, the pattern of which is in “Knitting Over the Edge” by Nicky Epstein! The book paid off!!!

I kept is folded up at first…then decided to throw it over the back of my knitting sofa. Easier to put it back there than to re-fold! It is a very BIG blankie! I love it. I am only 5’ tall…so it covers me completely!

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It’s absolutely beautiful and I love the red! You would have no problem at all with GAAA. It’s all cables, twists and bobbles so far. I saw “Cables Untangled” and thought it might be good but now I’m definitely adding it to my wish list.

I’m pretty sure my Encore is a mix, something like 75% acryllic and 25% wool. I haven’t even bother blocking the one square I’ve made so far. I’d much rather knit and just take an afternoon to block them all at once.

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I haven’t popped in for a while but thought I would let you know I have finished 2 projects from stash yarn. This is a continued goal of mine now. Keep purging, keep making.

There are a few yarn details in my blog, but here are the pictures of my summer tank (with my DD) and skirt.

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very pretty FOs :heart:

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ArtLady, that afghan is absolutely beautiful! i love the color. :inlove: the ruffle actually looks like little tassles all along the age. adding it was a great idea. :thumbsup:

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Hi’ya Chick! :waving:

Great work! It is wonderful that you are de-stashing so successfully! Good for you!!!

Darling little girl. What a doll face!!!

Thanks for taking the time to post photos! We love photos!

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Hi Lady Violet! Thanks for the compliments! I just love that afghan. It puts me to sleep every time! So soft and cozy. It is my sofa afghan, and with all the 5 kids married off, it is ALL MINE!!!

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ThisChick,

I really like the detailing work of the tank. The color is fabulous too!

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Thanks! It was so easy to knit and wears so well.

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Such lovely FOs!!! Thischickknits, your daughter is adorable!

ArtLady, Plymouth Encore is 75% acrylic & 25% wool. It’s what I’m using for the squares for the afgan group I belong to. It knits up quickly…when I have the time to knit these days!!

1055

OK so I am going to be in on this one. I knit to sell and knit for home so I have a huge stash and need to use up yarn in both a bit. I bought more today at a sale at Hobby Lobby…you can’t beat .88cents a skien.

I will update this later when I can think better (I have a tummy bug blech).

I need to finish a drawstring bag for my neice that has been sitting there. Then behind that I would like to work on a tank…the yarn was from a swap and if I don’t get busy I won’t be able to wear it this summer. Then I need to make some shorties for my ds again b4 it gets cold and he can’t wear them LOL.

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well, when i was shopping for my summer swapper, i bought this patternand 6 skeins of cascade 220 (last month!) its the noni lattice bag pattern. very cute and very big! it’s knitted double stranded and the effect of the lattice is created by cabeling.
my issue is, i love this pattern, but i’m not ready to tackle it. should i save the wool for this, or knit a top for me? could you reccomend one too? TIA

oh, the colors i picked are heathers, a soft sagey green and a country-ish blue.

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[COLOR=blue]WELCOME :hug: ABOARD THE STASH TRAIN![/COLOR]

[COLOR=navy]Kinda neat that you also “knit to sell”. Let me ask you…how did you go about this? Commissions to sell to friends? Shops? [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]One of our Stashies has not purchased new yarn for over 300 days![/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]Well, not so with me…but I have kept to our guidelines/goals: can’t buy any new yarn til something has been knit from the Stash! And even then, the new yarn can’t go into the Stash Bin…it has to be knit right away.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]Well, they are only guidelines! A lot of us are decreasing the amount of yarn in our Stash simply for the fact that we are aware of our Stash and are more focused on using it. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]Anyway, post some photos of your accomplishments later! Also, notice the STASHBUSTER IDEAS link in my signature? One of our Stashies started a KH thread that is filled with pattern contributions from many KH knitters…patterns that just take a skein or two.[/COLOR]

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Hi Jeani! :waving: I think you should save the CASCADE 220 -6 skeins - for that darling bag! WOW! It is really nice!

I don’t know what kind of top you are in the mood for. A quick summer top? If so, there is a KAL going here…I think you have seen it…called 1st Sweater KAL…anyway, a couple of knitters, and myself, started a cute top called TEMPTING. It is a free pattern…I think there is a link for it in the KAL…and it doesn’t take much yarn or time! Better hurry! Our summer is finally here! :sun:

If you are looking for a fall/winter pattern idea…let me know!

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i am gonna look through some of my other patterns, see if i have a perfect cardigan pattern. otherwise, it’s gonna wait until fall, i think, to be knit :slight_smile: i do looooove the pattern, and the colors:inlove:

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[COLOR=navy]Hi’ya Stashies! :waving:[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]Well…Laila’s Crazy Quilt is finally finished. Made entirely from STASH YARN![/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]Even though the squares are not a perfect fit…they are dern good enough! [/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]I got all the designs from “200 Afghan Squares”. If all the yarn had been the same brand and gauge, I am sure the squares would have been a perfect fit. Hey, but what is PERFECT anyways???[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]I like this Crazy Quilt better than any I have ever made for my grandchildren![/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]Here it is! I didn’t measure it yet…but each square is 8"x8",[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000080]So the quilt is about 48"x64". Pretty good size for a 4 yr old![/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]Her “Name Square”[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000080]This is the edging. [/COLOR]