The end of April is upon us making it time for a Cold Sheep and Stash update! If you read this post you know what I'm talking about and if not well, going "Cold Sheep" is a phrase for not buying yarn, but using up your stash of yarn instead. I thought I would do a monthly update as to how I'm doing with my goal of "shopping" in my stash and today's the day. My day total of going Cold Sheep is now up to 77 days! Yay!
Now, onto what skeins of yarn I have used up. The sock yarn turned out to be a boon for my desire to knit Spring weight shawls and I used 2 skeins making Dragonfly Wings and Miss Winkle. I am currently using a third sock skein with a skein of my indigo dyed sock yarn to make the shawl Pendulum. Then I got a bee it my bonnet over the rest of the indigo dyed yarn and started on my first Christmas gifts for 2014! Yes, you heard me right Christmas gifts! I choose the Grrlfriend Market Bag, which just about uses up a full skein of my worsted weight merino yarn, as my friend gift for this year. I'm making them in pairs using my brown walnut dyed yarn with the indigo/myrobalan teal. Thus far I have two completed and 4 more to go (well, 5 really as I want one for me too.) So, that's what's been knit - 4 skeins of yarn and 2 in process.
I'm very pleased that this project has turned out to be such fun. I was really worried I would feel deprived, but so far that hasn't been the case. Knitting now is more like a challenging puzzle of matching my ideas and pattern wants to yarn I already have. Who knew knitting could get even better?
Joining in with Nicole for Keep Calm Craft On.
I love your bags and especially your walnut dyed yarn. (did you spin the yarn too?) Hooray for Cold Sheep! --Lori P.S> Visiting from Frontier Dreams
ReplyDeleteThanks! No, I am not that consistent at spinning yet. It's just plain merino worsted wool from Wool2Dye4. The black walnut dye is super easy with no mordant required (and free if you have black walnut trees in your area - I get mine from a friend's yard). All you do is simmer the black walnuts for a few hours in a large stock pot filled with water, strain the liquid and throw out the walnuts (in the trash as they will kill other plants), simmer liquid again with yarn for a couple more hours (longer makes it darker), take out yarn to cool, then rinse out excess dye and dry.
DeleteLovely bags and nice to read about another Cold Sheep-er, I'm at just over 6 months now :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! 6 months is something to shout about I'd say. Do you have a long term goal in mind? I'm hoping for about 2 years.
DeleteI am trying to do that, but have failed so far. But just today I recommitted myself, so feel your post is confirmation of my goal! I will make it a game, just start I will pick a yarn and then go looking for patterns. Usually I find a pattern and then decide I have nothing in the stash to use and must buy something. LOL!
ReplyDeleteThat's so true that the "order" in which you look for your next project does make a difference on how it affects your stash. Good luck!
DeleteYour bags are wonderful. I think I must be an unusual knitter as I do not have much of a stash at all........
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think having next to no stash is something to be proud about; it shows you have control over your hobby as opposed to your hobby controlling you :)
DeleteI like that term--cold sheep. It made me smile. :)
ReplyDeleteAbout a month has passed since this post. Are you still having fun with destashing?
I am still having fun destashing, but I am getting a little itchy to buy something new. Dan gave me some summery yarn (cotton and linen of which I have none in my stash) for Mother's Day to help me keep on track. So far so good...
ReplyDelete