Stash Busting

 I had some wonderful wool for Christmas, a 100g hank of Rainbow DK from Sara's Texture crafts..

The mini skein was loved so much I suggested I might like a full size family member under the Christmas tree. It is beautifully soft and so colourful. I will have to wait for a visit from my mum to wind it into a ball...I have learned my lesson and hope two winders will be better than one!

I also had some wash and felt wool in fabulous colours and some mohair blend in earthy tones.

 In the run up to Christmas my fairly organised collection of wooliness had become a bit of a random heap. 

I work from bags - organising each project into a hessian or hand made bag,

however some balls had hopped from their home package to another, some bags were stuffed to overflowing, cotton and wool yarns combined in containers and in the end I ran out of stashing bags...eek!

Everything was left in its pre-Christmas shambles and when the decorations were safely stowed in their new home the conglomeration of colour could be tackled.

Amazingly as I procrastinated Linda and Ana created the Stash Buster Challenge, so my organising had a new purpose! 

I was going to begin  my stash busting confession with an apology...being relatively new to crochet and a reluctant simple knitter I didn't think I would have an impressive stash.

However I was equally impressed and appalled by the amount I had amassed over a short period if time!

It has now been divided into pure wool...some of which I use for wet or needlefelted projects

Felting wool for future felted crochet

Acrylics

Pure wool in neutral colours - mostly hand spun by a friend,

A ball of very chunky acrylic destined for a scarf...it still is 

but I changed my mind on the style for the recipient so it will be hooked for next year...

These are earmarked for something I mentioned ages ago..

Short ends - I began collecting these from friends when I started felting..they are so useful!

cottons...two missed the photo call as they were lurking in the depths of a bag!

and last but not least Summer Stripes - I bought quite a bit in the sales last year for Easter eggs and for Tracey's Boho scarf...

The stash busting has begun with the zingy Summer Stripes  hooking a  pretty pattern appropriately from Ana's blog. I have added a slight tweak in my homage to granny style and it is coming along..

A by-product of photographing the beautiful bounty is a record of  yarns without having to root around and an accessible reminder of colours so I don't have to race out and buy more only to find I have repeated myself!

There are plenty of ideas in store for some of my other balls - however I am really looking forward to seeing how other like minded stash busters tackle their treasure troves.

Emma has written a timely and wonderfully illustrated piece on organising which has inspired me to show you the bag I use for my hooks and stuff!

In the late 70s early 80s I had an amazing smock type dress which had a decorative panel at  the top. From the same shop, which I recall was a fair way from home, I was given a bag with the matching material and almost identical panel. The dress is long gone - alas I grew out of it - it may have come back into fashion a couple of time since! However the empty bag has travelled with me in various boxes patiently waiting for a purpose.

 Its the ideal size and shape for all my hooks and paraphernalia and holds many happy memories too!

Looking forward to stash busting and sharing lots of fun creations with fellow yarn and woolly lovers!