Stash Curation 2016 Q1

I ended year 3 of the stash-down quest with a positive allowance for both sock yarn and other yarn. Let´s see how I did in Q1 with the ratio relaxed  to 1:1.

For the background  story, goals, and rules, take a look at my plan for 2016.

OUT:

• I knit 4 pairs of socks
• I knit myself a sweater out of Malabrigo Rios (1241 yards, used less than the pattern called for)
• I knit toddler garments out of 234 yards of Dale Babyull (deep stash), 827 yards of Nostebarn 2ply (deep stash), and 551 yards of Garnstudio DROPS Lace
• I finished a pair of gloves from 2014 at 245 yards and knit Amalie a pair of fingerless mitts out of left-over sock yarn (66 yards) – both pairs from deep stash
• I knit a stranded, steeked colorwork blanket using 1412 yards of the 5 skeins of sockyarn I bought for this (used less than the pattern called for). I´ll be counting this as yardage since it is neither socks nor shawl as per the rules

IN:

• 7 skeins of Malabrigo Yarn Rios for a sweater that is already off the needles (1470 yards)
• 11 balls of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply with 40% discount for garments for the girls (1913 yards, two projects already started)
• 6 balls of Sandnes Garn Tynn merinoull to make baby garments, including a baby shower gift (1148 yards)
• 11 skeins of Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro (sock yarn), of which 5 was for a blanket that has been finished
• 3 skeins of Hazel Knits sock yarn that the Husband brought back from Seattle

STATUS:

At the beginning of January, my unspent allowance was 18.5 balls of sock yarn and 100 yards of any yarn.

I used 4 skeins of sock  yarn and 4576 yards of other yarn and added 14 skeins of sock yarn and 4531 yards of other yarn. This puts my Q1 numbers at -10 balls of sock yarn and 45 yards of any yarn.

My accumulated unspent allowance by the end of March is 8.5 balls of sock yarn and 145 yards of any yarn. YAY, the numbers are still green!!!

The Knitting Journal – January through March 2016

Almost done catching up on end-of-month housekeeping. I´ve completed 4 sweaters, 4 pairs of socks, a pair of gloves, a pair of fingerless mitts, and a blanket:

Tanvi by Anjali M, knit in Dale Garn Baby Ull. Started September 9, 2015; completed January 7, 2016.

#1924 Raglangenser i dobbelt 2-tråds garn by Kathrine Gregersen, knit in Askeladen Merino-lammeuld (held double). Started January 4, 2016; completed January 8, 2016.

lila[c]loud by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne knit in Garnstudio DROPS Lace (held double). Started January 8, 2016; completed January 31, 2016.

Campside Cardi by Alicia Plummer, knit in Malabrigo Yarn Rios. Started January 24, 2016; completed March 14, 2016.

Spacious OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams, knit in Sunset Stitches Sunset Super Sock. Started January 21, 2016; completed January 29, 2016.

Jane Bennet Socks by Rachel Coopey, knit in Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro. Started February 2, 2016; completed February 17, 2016.

SlipStripeSpiral (SockMadness 10-1) by Mylene Pipers, knit in Zwerger Garn Opal Schafpate and Sandnes Garn Sisu Solids. Started March 1, 2016; completed March 14, 2016.

Rose & Thorn Socks (SockMadness 10-2) by Ronni Smith, knit in Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro. Started March 21, 2016; completed March 25, 2016.

Kingdom by Becky Herrick, knit in Shibui Knits Sock. Started January 18, 2014; completed February 6, 2016.

Adorable kids fingerless gloves by Wei S. Leong incorporating recipe of the month :: align mitts by by Courtney Spainhower, knit in GnomeAcres Sparkle Gnome. Started March 2, 2016; completed March 6, 2016.

Baby Blanket Snowflakes / Vognteppet Snøfnugg by Pinneguri, knit in Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro. Started January 18. 2016; completed March 31, 2016.

Stash Curation 2016 – the Grand Plan

We are almost one third into 2016, and it is time for the annual grand plan to be revealed.

If you are interested in the back story or the original rules and goals, you may take a detour to the 2013, 2014, and 2015 posts. 

My long term objective is that the majority of my stash is sock yarn, simply because that is what resonates with my crafting. The past focus reflected by the ratios has also been an overall stash reduction.

After the incident of the 2014 LYS sales, I´ve been extremely picky about what yarn to buy and when. Some might say that I´m becoming a yarn snob, but why should you not knit with the best yarn you can afford that is appropriate for the project? When maternity leave ends and I return to work life with three little ones demanding my attention evenings and weekends, knitting time will be at a premium. When you treat yourself, you don´t dive into the sales bin at the dollar store…

In 2015, I turned the  negative 4472 yard balance to a 100-yard allowance enforcing the 1:3 ration. That is almost 13500 yards more out than in! At the same time, the unspent sock yarn account went up from 16.5 to 18.5 skeins.

Without further ado, I rename the Stash-down Quest to the Stash Curation! The trove shall be curated and groomed allowing precious and appropriate skeins in and the lesser yarns will be subjected to use-or-loose. 

My revised rules and goals for 2016 are:

• In general, knit up as much as possible from Deep Stash (older than two years). The majority of the commercial yarns that have been on my vanishing list fall into this category.
• 1:1 skein ratio for fingering sock yarn – Knit one pair of adult socks or a shawl, may buy 100g of new sock yarn
• 1:1 yardage ratio for all other yarns
• Yardage in is when the yarn enters the house. Yardage out is when a WIP becomes an FO or yarn is gifted/donated/traded
• Vacation yarns do not count (but may only buy yarns not available at local-to-me yarn stores (LYSes)
• Gifts and prizes do not count

As always, I will not reveal the overall size of the stash in terms of skeins/balls or yardage, but I will report on yarn going in and out 🙂

Knitting in 2015 Photo Recap

The Knitting Journal – October through December 2015

Still catching up on end-of-month housekeeping. I´ve completed 6 hats, 2 shawls, 2 child garments, a bunny wash cloth, a doll blanket, some crochet ornaments, a doily, a sweater west, a doily, and a bracelet/cuff:

Preemie Baby Beanies by Karen Everitt, knit in Sunset Stitches Sunset Super Sock and Dale Garn Baby Ull. Started and completed on October 3, 2015 and on November 3, 2015, respectively.

Two Baa-ble hats by Donna Smith, knit in Askeladen Merino-lammeuld (2 ply). Started November 11, 2015; completed November 14, 2015.

Barley by tincanknits, knit in Dale Garn Falk. Started November 28, 2015; completed November 30, 2015.

Windschief by Stephen West, knit in Dale Garn Falk. Started December 29,  2015;  completed December 30, 2015.

[No photo]

Mielie Vest by Hilary Smith Callis, knit in Dale Garn Falk. Started September 23, 2010; completed November 15, 2015.

Celestarium by Audry Nicklin, knit in Garnstudio DROPS Lace. Started September 28, 2015; completed  November 26, 2015.

FiboNautilus by Teresa Seasons, knit in Malabrigo Yarn Sock and Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro. Started October 11, 2011; completed October 29, 2015.

29-45 Doily by Pierrot (Gosyo Co., Ltd), crocheted in Katia Galaxy. Started November 4, 2015; completed November 7, 2015.

DK 8 Point Round Ripple Baby Blanket by Samantha Attanasio, crochet in Garnstudio DROPS Cotton Viscose. Started October 13, 2015; completed October 19, 2015.

#1924 Raglangenser i dobbelt 2-tråds garnby Kathrine Gregersen, knit in Askeladen Merino-lammeuld (2 ply). Started November 15, 2015; completed November 28, 2015.

#1925 Heil dress i dobbelt 2-tråds garn by Kathrine Gregersen, knit in Askeladen Merino-lammeuld (2 ply). Started December 1, 2015; completed December 30, 2015.

Spa Day Facecloth by Anne Mancine, knit in Dale Garn Lerke. Started and completed October 5 2015.

Cuff inspired by Baby Blanket Snowflakes / Vognteppet Snøfnugg by Pinnegurio, knit in Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro. Started and completed December 31, 2015.

SNOWFLAKE motif by Crochet- atelier and 104-46 Elegant heart by DROPS design, crochet in Coats Puppets Eldorado 12. Started October 29, 2015; completed November 2, 2015.

Stash-down Quest – Q4 2015

The last quarter of 2015 reveals a shocking truth!

For the background  story, take a look at my plan for 2015.

My current rules and goals are:

• In general, knit up as much as possible from Deep Stash (older than two years)
• Vanish all pre 2015 Dale Baby Ull and Nostebarn / Askeladen Merino-lammeuld (2 ply)
• Vanish all pre 2015 yarn of sport weight or thicker
• 1:1 ratio for fingering sock yarn – Knit one pair of adult socks or a shawl, may buy 100g of new sock yarn
• 1:3 ratio for all other yarns, based on yardage
• Yardage in is when the yarn enters the house. Yardage out is when a WIP becomes an FO or yarn is gifted/donated/traded
• Vacation yarns do not count (but may only buy yarns not available at local-to-me yarn stores (LYSes)
• Gifts and prizes do not count

So, how did I do wrapping up 2015?

OUT:

• I knit a doll blanket out of 315 yards from deep stash
• I knit a huge shawl out of 1059 yards of fingering weight, partially deep stash
• I crochet a doily out of 411 yards from the 2014 LYS sale
• I knit an adult sweater vest and 2 hats out of 1150 yards Dale Falk from the 2014 LYS sale
• I knit a beaded lace weight shawl out of 1005 yards bought in Q3
• I knit a sweater, a snow suit and 2 hats out of Nostebarn deep stash (3402 yards)
• I knit preemie hats, ornaments, and blanket squares out of 660 yards of scraps

IN:

• I bought 3 skeins of Cascade Heritage sock yarn for a test knit I was approved for
• I received the final shipments of the 2015 yarn club DH gifted me for Christmas – a  skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight.

Gifts/prizes:

STATUS:

At the beginning of October, my unspent allowance was 21.5 balls of sock yarn and -2567 yards of any yarn.

I used 0 skeins of sock  yarn and 8002 yards of other yarn and added 3 skein of sock yarn. This puts my Q4 numbers at -3 balls of sock yarn and 2667 yards of any yarn.

My accumulated unspent allowance by the end of December is 18.5 balls of sock yarn and 100 yards of any yarn. THE NUMBERS ARE NO LONGER RED!!!

Stash-down Quest – Q3 2015

The third quarter of 2015 took a big bite of the stash!

For the background  story, take a look at my plan for 2015.

My current rules and goals are:

• In general, knit up as much as possible from Deep Stash (older than two years)
• Vanish all pre 2015 Dale Baby Ull and Nostebarn / Askeladen Merino-lammeuld (2 ply)
• Vanish all pre 2015 yarn of sport weight or thicker
• 1:1 ratio for fingering sock yarn – Knit one pair of adult socks or a shawl, may buy 100g of new sock yarn
• 1:3 ratio for all other yarns, based on yardage
• Yardage in is when the yarn enters the house. Yardage out is when a WIP becomes an FO or yarn is gifted/donated/traded
• Vacation yarns do not count (but may only buy yarns not available at local-to-me yarn stores (LYSes)
• Gifts and prizes do not count

So, how did I do for the third quarter of 2015?

OUT:

• I knit a baby blanket out of 842 yards of fingering weight deep stash
• I knit 2 dresses out of yarn bought for these in Q2 (1332 yards)
• I knit 2 hats and 5 sweater out of 2068 yards fingering weight from deep stash
• I used up the last of the Nostebarn lanolin yarn (153 yards, deep stash)
• I finished a crochet dress and bolero started in 2003  (2270 yards)
• I finished a cardigan for me started in 2010 and knit a toddler sweater out of the left-overs (1580 yards)
• I knit 2 child sweaters and a hat out of the reminder of Dale Lerke from the 2014 LYS sales (825 yards)
• I finished another UFO cardigan for me and knit myself a second sweater out of the left-overs (1312 yards)
• I knit 4 adult hats for charity out of 6 balls of Dale Falk from the 2014 LYS sale (696 yards)
• I knit 1 pair of adult socks out of fingering weight yarn (skein of Cascade Heritage bought in Q2)

IN:

• I bought two skeins of Garnstudio DROPS Lace (1750 yards) for a shawl that got cast on as soon as the yarn arrived.
• I bought one skein of Leading Men Fiber Arts Soliloquy (sock yarn) on their annual sale.
• I bought two skeins of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport Multi (400 yards)
• I won a podcast contest and have been gifted a skein of sock yarn as prize.
• I received July and September shipments of the 2015 yarn club DH gifted me for Christmas – two  skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight.

Gifts/prizes:

STATUS:

At the beginning of July, my unspent allowance was 21.5 balls of sock yarn and -4110 yards of any yarn.

I used 1 skeins of sock  yarn and 11078 (!!!) yards of other yarn and added 1 skein of sock yarn plus 2150 yards of other yarn. This puts my Q3 numbers at 0 balls of sock yarn and 1543 yards of any yarn.

My accumulated unspent allowance by the end of September is 21.5 balls of sock yarn and -2567 yards of any yarn.

The Knitting Journal – July through September 2015

Long overdue, but catching up on end-of-month housekeeping. I completed a blanket, 7 hats, 11 sweaters, and a pair of socks:

Sea of Dreams Baby Blanket by Aimee Alexander, knit in Dale Garn Baby Ull. Started June 28, 2015; completed July 20, 2015

Swirl Hat by Mandie Harrington, knit in Malabrigo Yarn Sock. Started July 20, 2015; completed July 21, 2015.

Helen Joyce Dress by Taiga Hilliard Designs, knit in Garnstudio DROPS Baby Alpaca Silk. Started May 15, 2015; completed July 22, 2015.

Crochet summer dress with bolero, in Idena Cotton Lux. Started May 2003;  completed July 23, 2015.

Tempest by Ann Weaver, knit in Garnstudio DROPS Cotton Viscose Started May 1, 2010; completed August 23, 2015.

From A Distance by Meagheen Ryan, knit in Cascade Yarns Heritage Solids & Quatro. Started July 3, 2015; completed  August 6, 2015.

DOLLY Glatstrikket trøje 102351 by Marks & Kattens, knit in Marks & Kattens Dolly. Started November 2, 2011; completed August 8, 2015.

YUM sweater by Gralina Frie, knit in Marks & Kattens Dolly. Started September 3, 2015; completed September 19, 2015.

12008 Fanasæter infant cardigan by Dale Design, knit in Dale Garn Baby Ull. Started Januar 1, 2011; completed August 14, 2015.

Nouveau-né by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, knit in Dale Garn Baby Ull. Started September 8, 2015; completed September 28, 2015.

Four Seaman’s Cap by Brenda Zuk, knit in Dale Garn Falk. Started August 6, 2015; completed August 14, 2015.

Flax by tincanknits, knit in Garnstudio DROPS Cotton Viscose. Started August 18, 2015; completed August 28 2015.

Garter Ear Flap Hat by Purl Soho, knit in Dale Garn Lerke. Started September 4, 2015; completed September 6, 2015.

Two times Tallulah by Sarah Ronchetti, knit in Dale Garn Lerke. Started August 15, 2015; completed September 30, 2015.

Little Cables Hat by Claudine Ong and Eole by Nadia Crétin-Léchenne, knit in Indigo Moon Island Time fingering Wt Merino. Started August 23, 2015; completed September 25, 2015.

Silkegenser by Kathrine Gregersen, knit in Nøstebarn Silkeull. Started September 2, 2015; completed September 25, 2015.

Puerperium Cardigan by Kelly Brooker, knit in Askeladen Lanolingarn (2 ply). Started September 10, 2015; completed September 25, 2015.

Stash-down Quest – Q2 2015

We have reached the half-way mark of 2015, and the stash is still shrinking.

For the background  story, take a look at my plan for 2015.

My current rules and goals are:

• In general, knit up as much as possible from Deep Stash (older than two years)
• Vanish all pre 2015 Dale Baby Ull and Nostebarn / Askeladen Merino-lammeuld (2 ply)
• Vanish all pre 2015 yarn of sport weight or thicker
• 1:1 ratio for fingering sock yarn – Knit one pair of adult socks or a shawl, may buy 100g of new sock yarn
• 1:3 ratio for all other yarns, based on yardage
• Yardage in is when the yarn enters the house. Yardage out is when a WIP becomes an FO or yarn is gifted/donated/traded
• Vacation yarns do not count (but may only buy yarns not available at local-to-me yarn stores (LYSes)
• Gifts and prizes do not count

So, how did I do for the second quarter of 2015?

OUT:

• I knit 7 pairs of adult socks out of fingering weight yarn (3 FOs deep stash + used the last skein of Cascade Heritage bought in Q1)
• I knit a baby sweater out of 367 yards sport weight (deep stash)
• I knit two child sweaters (806 yards) and a pair of knee highs (568 yards) out mostly sport/DK  yarn from the 2014 LYS sales
• I knit four baby items out of two skeins of Malabrigo Sock (880 yards, deep stash)
• I knit 10 preemie hats and 6 pairs of child socks out of 1347 yards misc left-over sock yarn (mostly deep stash)

IN:

• I bought one ball of Stray Cat Socks Self Striping Yarn from Etsy.
• I bought three skeins of Cascade Heritage sock yarn for Tour de Sock.
• I bought nine 50g balls (1647 yards)f Garnstudio DROPS Baby Alpaca Silk to knit dresses for the girls. Both dresses are bond off and awaiting buttons.
• I won second place in Sock Madness 9 and have been gifted four skeins of sock yarn as prizes.
• I received the April and June shipments of the 2015 yarn club DH gifted me for Christmas – two  skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight.

Gifts/prizes:





STATUS:

At the beginning of April, my unspent allowance was 18.5 balls of sock yarn and -3786 yards of any yarn.

I used 7 skeins of sock  yarn and 3968 yards of other yarn and added 4 skeins of sock yarn plus 1647 yards of other yarn. This puts my Q2 numbers at 3 balls of sock yarn and -324 yards of any yarn.

My accumulated unspent allowance by the end of June is 21.5 balls of sock yarn and -4110 yards of any yarn.

The Knitting Journal – June 2015

June end-of-month housekeeping is here! I’ve completed 4 pairs of socks, 3 preemie hats, and two sweaters:

 

Virrat (Tour de Sock 2015 stage 1) by Tiina Kuu, knit in Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks Kona Superwash Fingering. Started June 1, 2015; completed June 4, 2015

Far Into the Forest (Tour de Sock 2015 stage 2) by Kirsten Hall, knit in Regia Silk 4-ply (white) and Lana Grossa Meilenweit Merino (blue). Started June 12, 2015; completed June 17, 2015.

Emma Asked by Kelly Brooker, knit in Katia Jaipur. Started April 27, 2015; completed June 19, 2015.

Gramps by tincanknits, knit in Dale Garn Lerke. Started May 5, 2015;  completed June 19, 2015.

Photo coming soon

Three Preemie Baby Beanies by Karen Everitt, knit in various sock yarn left-overs. Started June 1, 2015; completed June 28, 2015.

Toddler Toe-up Ribbed Socks (my own pattern), knit in Zwerger Garn Opal Sweet & Spicy. Started June 18, 2015; completed June 27, 2015.