2018 Stash Report Card

After an extended summer hiatus, I decided to take a break from Christmas knitting and write an update for the blog.  My New Year's resolution for 2018 was to use 2 skeins from stash for every new skein acquired.  I rationalized that if purchased and used right away, then it didn't count as it was stash neutral.  Makes sense, right?

The first half of the year, I was fairly true to my resolution.  During that period, I had completed several projects, all from stash.  The list includes:

• Three sweaters:  Japan Sleeves, St. Brigit, and After the Rain
• Five Shawls:  Stormy Sky, Frozen Skies, Shila, Emy, and Quicksilver
• Five Cowls:  Sailor's Rib x 4 (though I did acquire 1 skein, the other 3 were from stash), and Concentra
• One Hat: Wayworm Cap.

Seems like I started the year off with a bang, right?

The neutral period follows . . .

Of the four summer tops I completed, two of them I love and wore all summer long. The Desert Sands Lace top had been in my queue for a few years, and when completed, it did not fit.  Fortunately, it fits Vivian and looks great on her.  The fourth is still a work in progress as it is being constructed from 3 different colours acquired from a clearance bin. Now I'm struggling to finish the shirt tail section since there is not enough of any single colour to complete it.

Two Sea Grass shawls, which I absolutely love, were made from yarns newly acquired and consumed right away. One linen sweater, Pipit, was the result of trading four skeins from stash for two linen skeins, then acquired two more to complete the sweater.  Net effect -- stash neutral.

Additions to stash . . . 

It would seem that I have been doing very well this year in meeting my resolution.  So why do I feel like I have failed miserably?  Maybe it has something to do with all the yarn that I cannot find a home for in my stash.  What went wrong, or right, depending on your perspective.

• Trunk sales at my local LYS
• Trips to Romni for special events or sales
• Yarn Festivals (Frolic, Picton, Fenelon Falls, Kitchener, Woodstock)
• Road Trips (have to visit an out of town shop when I have the opportunity)
• Closing Sales (sad to see any shop close)
• Clearance Bins (who can resist?), and two other significant factors.

1. Luck - I have been very fortunate this past year in winning several raffle and door prizes, and friends gifting destash items my way -- all really good stuff!
2. Working Yarn Festivals - I was very targeted in my shopping at all the yarn festivals this year.  In fact, I heeded my own advice from the Yarn Festivals Post.  One factor contributing to my curbed enthusiasm was to work at three of the shows instead of going as a shopper (not that it stopped shopping, just made it very targeted).  So how did this add to stash, you ask?  Because I was paid in yarn!  Whoo-hoo!  Acquisition without guilt!  Who could ask for anything better?

I have acquired some lovely yarns, but since I am having trouble finding a place for them, and am too busy with Christmas knitting to start projects, I am experiencing guilt.

My Christmas and Charitable knitting this year consumed stash for the most part; a little bit on the neutral side.  I feel really good about that.  I also donated a green garbage bag full of stash yarn that would never be used, to a charitable drive held by the knitting guild.  Perhaps I have used at least as much as I brought into the flock this year.  So maybe I just need to reorganize the yarn room and then I won’t feel like I went off the resolution path.

I decided I would collect up as much of the completed projects as were readily available -- some had been put away for the winter and some already gifted or donated.

Used vs. Stashed
	Looks like I had a very productive year! Now to gather up all the acquisitions that need a home in the stash room.
	Oh-oh. This doesn't look so good. Let's try this again without any fingering or sock yarn. As any avowed yarn-a-holic will tell you, sock yarn doesn't count!
	Now I feel better. Given that, I officially declare this year Stash Neutral -- and vow to do better next year!

My New Year's resolution for 2019 -- Get those items that have been deemed "in the queue" on the needles, and produce results!