My yarn addiction has spiralled me into depression...

[Shellybrook]

Every hooker wants a stash right? I've just gotta buy it!

 

walking around Michaels touching the soft yarns

imagine the glorious projects they could become

and the sale items...

oh the sale items...

they find their way into my basket

make their way to my home

...only to sit in another basket waiting for a hook.

 

Oh the threads on the 'ville with visions of other crocheters stash...the jealousy ran through my veins...to think of what a hooker could do with all that glorious yarn!

 

Today my friends...I cleaned up my corner

I emptied my two baskets of wips...and I found all these little tiny balls of yarn sitting in the bottom of the basket, under skein wrappers that I intended to attach to gifts so that my loved ones would know how to care for their new lovely gift...I CAREFULLY grabbed my WIPS and the attached ball of yarn, and placed it all neatly in one basket. I took all loose yarn skeins and balls and placed them in the zip comforter and storage bags. My sadness grew look at all this glorious yarn....will it ever get hooked?

 

So I realize, as I stare at my tidy corner...I have arrived...I AM A HOOKER...I have a stash my grandmother and her mother before her would have been proud of after such a short time hooking. but there is just no way:no I'll EVER get all that yarn hooked! And all those little balls that I can't bring myself to throw away....

[Sbg4evr]

No need to be depressed. Be happy! I sometimes feel overwhelmed by my stash but I brush it off. I make plans for all my yarn but neither go through with the plans. I essentially lie to myself. Don't feel bad.

 

I am proud to say that I used some of my stash this week to make a shawl for my aunt. I am sorry to see the yarn go but I am happy it is gone. I have more space for new yarn!

 

I have a lot of balls that are too small to go anything with. I usually use these balls to make squares for the charity I crochet for, unless the balls are the remains of hard to find yarn. I am selfish with my yarn. I say to myself that eventually I will use those small balls. Eventually I will get more of that yarn and will be able to make something.

 

Think of your stash as a collection. I do.

Cheer up. A stash is nothing to be depressed about. There are worst things to be depressed about. Take it from someone who knows what depression is.

[warmfuzzies]

Greetings from Texas, Shelly!

 

I think most of us know the feeling.........all those precious little bundles of yummy yarn that we can't bear to part with. Really, it is a collection, and sometimes just gazing at the yarn and touching it can provide inspiration for another hat, scarf, poncho, slipper, scrunchie...........the list goes on and on. So my advice is, just embrace your collection.........it's yours, it's unique. Just think NO ONE ELSE has exactly the same collection of yarn! It's a one-of-a-kind, unlimited collectible!

 

Happy crocheting!

Juli from Nacogdoches

:yarn:hook:yarn

[beckihrh]

Every hooker wants a stash right? I've just gotta buy it!

 

So I realize, as I stare at my tidy corner...I have arrived...I AM A HOOKER...I have a stash my grandmother and her mother before her would have been proud of after such a short time hooking. but there is just no way:no I'll EVER get all that yarn hooked! And all those little balls that I can't bring myself to throw away....

Shelly, you are not alone. I have had a stash corner with every craft I took on! I sewed while my girls were young. O the boxes of fabric I never sewed. I make beaded jewelry. Its all in a corner behind me now. I now have yarn and patterns galore. We all do it. I had to get rid of some fabric and other craft supplies awhile back. I donated it all. The yarn and craft stuff went to a girl scout troop. Thye were thrilled! The rest went to a thrift store. So now I start a new stash. LOL Chin up girl. Have fun doing the projects you can and dont worry about the rest.

[krzykajun]

No need to be depressed !!! I'm the same way. I buy yarn, might use it, don't use it, stash it. But, I can say that I have dug into my stash several times. I figure it's not a bad habit and when I make something for someone, it makes them happy !! So it can't be all bad !

[funkyreporter]

Hey Sweetie,

I understand how you feel... I realized a while back that if I quit my day job and dedicated my life full-time to crocheting (and mosaic and polymer clay and altered art and quilting) that I'd never use up all my stuff... it made me sad for a bit, but then I realized that part of what I like about art (crochet is art) are the supplies... the soft textures of the yarns, looking through the pattern books - it's OKAY:yes !

 

Don't feel bad:hug ... many of us are addicts here ~ we realize we're powerless over our addiction and we turn it over to a high power as we believe it to be!

 

Hook on, Sister, Hook on:hook

[pinkroses]

Don't worry be happy. you have a stash.

Waste not want not. that is what I always say.

Think abut this winter. You might get snowed in. Then you will have something to work on .

you won't be bored to tears. ;) pinkroses

[snugsmontreal]

i must say i know exactly how you feel, i was posting today how i needed to reorganize to better fit everything and i realize the same thing. i am young, i crochet and knit a lot... but there is a lot i have on my plate and it always seems like a never ending amount (it doesnt help that the little monster in my head makes me check out the crafts EVERY TIME im in a store.) i have some very nice yarns too, cotton chenilles, rayon chenilles, mohairs, alpacas, wool blends. i can look at a million patterns and none will ever be good enough for my precious mohair or alpaca. sometimes i wonder why it is i buy things i have no current purpose for but its so nice and i love them so i keep on buying.

 

word to the wise, if your stash is already too big for you do not i repeat DO NOT go to ebay

[KellyA]

No depressions, just sweet memories..... Just think of all the stories you can share with other crafters when you show them.

 

You could make a comfort scrap ghan for yourself with all the left overs:manyheart

[yellowrose]

Don't feel sad be proud of your stash. If you want to make something you have your own little store. You don't have to fight traffic to get some yarn to make a new project. One nice thing about yarn it doesn't spoil it will keep forever. A large stash gives you a choice of color and yarn for a project. It is so much better to have yarn than not to have yarn. What no yarn can you imagine not having any yarn. What would a hooker do?

[MyGirlFriday]

Don't feel alone~I too get discouraged with my stash of yarn that has taken over the house.

I just cringe when my DH or DD's mention something about my yarn being all over the place. I can't just work on 1 thing at a time so I tend to have WIP all over the place.

If it made you feel better going thru it than go for it~do it once I week!

I just look at my yarn~pattern~hook addiction and think....it could be something harmful such as drinking, smoking, drugs or gambling. I'm not hurting anyone with this addiction.

Having said that I'm off to play in my stash!

mgf~

[afswife]

lol i love stashes as i was cleaning i have come to realize that i have a stash of 5 18 gallon tubs of all yarn 2 bookshelfs full adn six huge bags to go through left lol hubby says i am going on a no buying list lol so no depression just wear a smile with pride lol

[WendyLee]

Well I have to say that my stash has never depressed me! It has frustrated me from time to time. I want to take all that wonderful stuff and make it something beautiful and I am just not fast enough to get it all done. Then someone comes along that wants something else, or I find another pattern that I would love to make and then I have to get more stash:yarn so that I will have the yarn to make that pattern. It is a circle that I am trapped in and I love it!

 

Ok so I am a little my family has gotten used to it!

[Phoenix]

I agree with yellowrose, it's like you have your own little store now!

 

My suggestion is to take those yummy yarns with no purpose and make them into simple, elegant scarves. A simple stitch is best for a sumptuous yarn- then you have the same yarn that you love to look at, but in a practical form that is quick to produce and always fun to give away. You may never get through it all, but you don't need to wait for the perfect pattern. Just give it a go- every scarf or simple hat that you can whip up is one you didn't have yesterday!

 

It's the starfish in the ocean story- a man sees another man at the beach, picking up starfish and flinging them back into the ocean to save them. The beach is covered in starfish that washed up...it's an impossible task to save them all. The second man goes up and asks "why are you doing this? You can't save enough to make a difference"

 

The other man replies "it makes a difference to that one"

[Auntie Kellie]

My name is Auntie Kellie and I'm a Hook-aholic.

 

My hubby also complained about my stash winding up all over the place. Then he bought me three of those large Rubbermaid plastic containers. All are full of yarns and threads and I still need more containers.

 

Be proud of all that wool you have because you know they are just works of arts waiting to happen. I think my sig explains my feelings about wool and crocheting well enough. Now if only I can find some way to get my hubby to stop complaining each time I detour to the crocheting sections.

 

Hugs and Cookies

Auntie K

[love2crochet]

I have done all of the above! But I do have a suggestion!

 

Take those small balls of yarn and crochet little gift tags. They could double as an ornament?? You can use them to pretty up a package and think of all the glorious compliments that you will get -- sure to cure that depression (well maybe for a week or until the next yarn sale!)

[Shellybrook]

Gift tags...what a great idea!

 

Thank you all for your support...I usually do look at my stash with pride and value it as a collection...I just wish I had more time to play with it and make beautiful things.

 

All in all I guess I love my stash....and I'll surely continue to work my way through every craft department in town!

[beth eathorne]

ladies i noticed Target has large tubs on for less than $4. in this weeks ad.. i am going to get a few and may be able to make some kind of order.. at least that way when i try to buy more i can say i dont have any like this!!!!

[Shellybrook]

I must say...the garmet bag from the dollar store is great because it lays flat...and you can SEE everything thats in it without opening it...and unzip it and easily reach everything you want without disturbing anything else.

[sakurasaku]

Shelly, you have a real talent for words...I could hear someone reading out loud your original post in my head. Not that I know about these things since English is not my native language.. But I liked its rhythm.

 

As for the stash, I like the scarf idea a lot. I am rather envious of your stash. I don't have much of a stash, as I am an impoverished grad student (who just had to pay over $300 to have my car fixed in order to pass inspection Imagine how much yarn I could have bought for that kind of money!). Here is a for you, though, for I know what it's like to feel depressed.

[sewnsew]

There were lots of good ideas here. I'm a bit envious of your stash as well since I don't have much of one myself too. I'm glad you are feeling a bit better about it though.

[knit1crochet2]

You're certainly not alone in having a mounting stash! I can't even throw away the little 2 ft long strings that you have at the start of a new project. I think I might need them to sew something up! Or maybe a little toy! so, I have all those short pieces cluttering up my stash, along with the little balls of leftovers, and the new yarn for that project I'm going to start "tomorrow". When is tomorrow?

[Ladykats]

Oh please, I have one room just for hiding my stash. My guest bedroom doesn't allow anyone to store clothing in the dresser, highboy, amoire, dressing table or the lane trunk. Okay I admit that the hanging side of the amoire is where I stash christmas presents of some forgotten person that shows up over the holidays unexpectedly. But every drawer in the room is full of so many different types of yarn.Now my home office is were I keep my sewing notions, as I enjoy sewing and embroidery as well. And I bead and so many other things.

[Mom w/a Motif]

You are depressed because of your stash? I am the opposite, I get depressed because I want more yarn. I have YAS you know...

 

Tina

[Shellybrook]

I think my friends here at the 'ville have inspired me to appreciate my growing stash that I don't have enough time to work on.

 

I suppose in the end...I need to realize:

 

I am fortunate to HAVE a growing stash.

I am fortunate to HAVE the JOB:yes that keeps me from my stash, Family and Friends:hug that keep me from my stash...the DUST BUNNIES that keep me from my stash.

 

Thank you for opening my eyes!