2019 Stash Flash

On January 18, 2019 By FogKnitsIn Stash Enhancement, Yarn17 Comments

It’s time for the annual stash flash! It’s part of my continuing effort to remind myself, I don’t need to buy yarn this year!

I started with last year’s photo, taken about this time in January and redacted everything I used up during the year. I’m afraid I didn’t do so well. There is plenty of great stuff left in last year’s pile. Clearly, I’m not running out yarn anytime soon.

The stash definitely grew in 2018. I started with just the new additions. They’re pretty manageable. Yarns my Mom dyed. Yarns from Vogue Knitting Live. Yarns from Stitches. Yarns from my southwest trip. Lopi gifted from a friend. I definitely had a particular color palate in mind.

And then, shit got real. I added my deep stash to the pile.

Everything is now stacked 3+ deep. It’s a bit deceptive but trust me, it’s plenty of yarn for the year.

Someone tell Marie Kondo not to worry her pretty little head about it though. I checked…every single skein sparks joy. That trend continues. This all amazing yarn. Some of this years best additions are a sweater quantity of Swans Island Sport and an awesome gradient speckle kit from Neighborhood Fiber Company.

Of course, all this old stuff is still pretty amazing too. Quince, YOTH, Road to China lite…all untouched since last year. And of course, my lopi stash…I’ve got a lopi sweater on the needles, so at least some of it’s finally getting some love.

This year, I’m serious about it all…cold sheeping and some serious stash busting! I want to put a serious dent in these photos!

So far so good, I went into a yarn shop yesterday and came out with no new yarn. It’s totally possible!

First up, a new sweater and finishing off the current shawl in progress! 3 Day weekend + Rain…I’ve got no excuses!! Happy Friday Gang! Hope you all get some good stashbusting in this weekend!

Stash Enhancement

On September 4, 2018 By FogKnitsIn Stash Enhancement, Yarn6 Comments

After a period of losing local yarn shops, San Francisco got a new shop over the long weekend! Woo! Firebird Yarns…right on Haight Street…a great location for tourists and locals, alike. I can’t wait to see how things develop there. I hope the shop continues to grow and sticks around for long time.

It hit a lot of current trends…indie dyers, gradient yarns, mini skeins, speckles galore! All things I like. The indie variety was impressive…Loft Twenty Two, Houndstooth Fiber Arts, Hula Hut Yarn, Mad Science Yarns (great color names here–tesla coil, genetically modified berries, perfect mad science names!).

And now, here’s my plea to those indie dyers…please, please, please expand your offerings beyond superwash. There is a market for non-superwash yarns, especially considering how many of those superwash yarns are labeled ‘hand wash cold, lay flat to dry’. That’s not how superwash works.

With that in mind, the shop did have one special yarn, non-superwash, sheep raised in Texas, milled out in the Sacramento Valley. It’s a great color too, so I had to buy a skein. It’s a bulky single ply with a bit of thick and thin happening. No idea what I’ll do with it, but I’m sure it’ll be good! It’s a nice soft yarn!

Of course, I can’t resist a good speckle so I picked up a skein of Hula Hut Yarn too.

I’ve got a good collection of green yarns now, this could be my next cast on! Perhaps at the end of the week, after my job interview. I’ve got 48 hours left to prepare…so it’s all work until then! I’d say ‘wish me luck’ but this is definitely the type of situation where you make your own luck. I’m feeling good about my presentation but I’ve still got lots of fine tuning to do. What I really need is two days of distraction free focus. (that might be where the luck comes in!) I’ll keep you posted! :)

WestKnits Surpreyes Bag!

On July 20, 2017 By FogKnitsIn Stash Enhancement11 Comments

Yay for WestKnits stash acquisition! My package arrived in less than 72 hours from the time I placed my order! Who doesn’t love that?! I’m pleased to say, there’s no buyers remorse here! This was a really fun box of goodies to open!

I love the book! (WestKnits Best Knits — the Mix Tape Tour book, I already had, it’s just there for size reference) It’s a larger format than the tour books from the past couple years and Stephen has started including e-book codes for Ravelry in the back cover! I especially love that! I asked and been unsuccessful in getting download codes for some of his other patterns I’ve bought as the print version. I’m so happy he heard those requests and did something about it, even if it took a while!

I love the project bag. The eyes are so fun and it’s a heavy almost canvas fabric. Perfect for people who cram way too much stuff into their bags, like me!

And, even more importantly, I love the yarn. It’s a variety of weights, fibers and colors. I think it makes a great set though. I’m feeling compelling to use it all in the same project.

Going clockwise from noon, we’ve got the mustard color Arucania Nature Wool, 100% wool, aran weight. Then that lovely grey, Holst Garn Supersoft 100% uld. I think it’s fingering weight, if not lace weight. I especially like this one because it’s not something I’ve seen in the US. It reminds me of Brooklyn Tweed.

Continuing on, there’s a denim colored tweed, Berroco Blackstone Tweed. Nothing fancy there but I’ve used it’s big brother, Blackstone Tweed Chunky, with great success. In my WestKnits sweater, no less.

Finishing off the top corner, is a skein of Hedgehog Merino DK in color Stone. It’s really lovely. I’d have to be a fool to complain about that one!

To really give it the Westknits feel, there’s a skein of mohair. It’s not my favorite thing in the world and it’s probably the first thing I’ve give up from this collection but still…It’s the right color so I’ll figure it out!

And finally, a lovely, soft, blue skein of single ply superwash merino. The label says it’s from etsy, but the shop is no longer open.

I have no idea what to make with this pile but it’s gonna be good when I finally figure it out. I’m sure I can make the colors into something awesome. I’m not sure how to deal with the different weights just yet but I know the answer is out there. I just need to find it.

My only debate…do I add my own stash to the mix or do I use only what’s here for a project. It’ll be a while before I get to it so I’ve got plenty of time to decide!

Rhinebeck Round-Up

On October 21, 2016October 21, 2016 By FogKnitsIn Misc, Stash Enhancement, Yarn7 Comments

It seems so long ago already and yet, it’s been less than a week since Rhinebeck. One thing is for sure, one day is not enough! Here’s what I did see in my one day…

Everything from Sheep to Shawl!

And I came home with a few goodies too!

A gradient kit from Good Karma Farms! The peacock colors called to me. Resistance was futile! No idea what I’ll do with it. Maybe something 3-color cashmere cowl inspired. Maybe some sequence knitting, I do love a good texture. For now, I’m just petting it…it’s delightful!

And in the surprise of the weekend, two skeins of Miss Babs Rhinebeck 2016 colorway! A skein of Caroline, (on the left) the new MCN base that’s 20% cashmere!! and a skein of Kaweah, (on the right) the dk weight merino workhorse.

We waited the crowd out, it was after 1 pm by the time we got to Miss Babs. I wasn’t expecting to see any of the special color left. But when there were a few skeins remaining and the line was less than 10 minutes long. Again, resistance was futile. No idea what these will become either but I like the idea of using them together. It could create a neat effect or maybe it’ll be so busy it hurts? I dunno…haven’t decided yet.

And then there’s the yarn Mom & I dyed!

A sparkle sock blank!! Size 0 needles should be coming in the mail today. I’m gonna try really hard to not hate knitting socks. This yarn is so fun…that should help!

and this guy, a skein of HiKoo’s SimpliNatural, it’s a merino/alpaca/silk blend. It’s soooooo soft! With all the fall foliage inspired yarns out there, we had a go at creating our own leaf peepers yarn. I can’t wait to see how it knits up!!

I think this might be a cast on all the things weekend. :) I don’t see any way around it.