Projects Update & Defending the Stash

I ended up with a snow day last Wednesday, so there was no What I'm Wearing to Teach Today post. I actually did get dressed to go to work, but upon the advice of the administrative assistant for the department, I stayed home.

In the meantime, I've been working on a couple of KALs - the Bang Out a Carbeth and #fringeandfriendslogalong. I had to order a couple of skeins of Alafoss Lopi yarn from The Art of Yarn because I wasn't interested in playing yarn chicken with the Carbeth. While the dye lot will undoubtedly be different (the ladyfriend brought me my original skeins from Iceland), I have a plan - the sleeves will be done with the new yarn. So right now, I'm up to the armpits and waiting to for my package to get here. Unfortunately, Canada Poste says it's scheduled for delivery on February 19th - blech.

In the meantime, I'm still knitting "logs" for what I hope will end up as a nice little lap blanket. I've let go of trying to plan it all out. I've got some basic measurements, a limited amount of yarn, and a few ideas, but that's about it.

The log pile

And I can't forget about the ladyfriend's special sweater; it, too, is moving along although I have no picture at the moment. After discovering that I'd somehow knit the back using two different sized needles, we decided to continue that for the front. If she's happy, I'm happy.

I've been trying to finish A Stash of One's Own since it's currently overdue at the library. The essays are fun and interesting and touching, and they've inspired me to see my stash more fully. It's also possessed me to do a yarnventory or stashventory, if you will. This is what it looked like before I opened all the bins, and actually, not all the bins are pictured here.

Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the amount of yarn I have, I'm actually happy that I haven't reached SABLE - Stash Acquisition Beyond Lifetime Expectancy. In fact, I'm finding the stash to be a treasure trove of awesome yarn...and some yarn I'll be getting rid of.

But back to the stash and feelings about it. It's easy for a nonknitter (and some knitters, but I take that differently) to laugh at or mock a knitter's stash. This actually happened the other day at the studio (where the stashventory is taking place). I was working with the door open (I was actually untangling a massive rat's nest of yarn that had decided to get together), and a friend who has a studio near us stopped by. He saw the yarn everywhere and started laughing. Now, this friend is also an artist, but I know he's a bit linear when it comes to ideas about making, and frankly, I think he's suspect of craft (this is just my sense).

I let him finish laughing.

He said, "This is like that Star Trek episode."

I replied, "The Trouble with Tribles?"

"Yes," he replied.

"No. It isn't," I responded.

At this point he clarified that it was the visual aspect that was the connection, but I wasn't going to be shamed by my stash. And no one should. Even now, it annoys me that a fellow artist would seemingly mock my supplies.

And so I say to you - revel in your stashes (whatever they may consist of). It's taken time, money, and thought (sometimes more, sometimes less) to acquire, and for me, many of the yarns trigger memories, which is invaluable.