2008 Stashbusting CAL Game (winners posted #1835)

[mis1110]

I'm new here to crochetville (just joined yesterday) and this sounds like a fun way to track my yarn usage. I just had a question to make sure I understand fully what I'm doing. To start do I tally up all the full skeins and balls I currently have, or do i start with 0.

[darski]

I'm new here to crochetville (just joined yesterday) and this sounds like a fun way to track my yarn usage. I just had a question to make sure I understand fully what I'm doing. To start do I tally up all the full skeins and balls I currently have, or do i start with 0.

 

You start at 0.

 

you only count what you use from now on (a +) or what you buy/add from now on (a -).

 

Oh and aboard

[LaurieE]

We're not counting current stash. Only what you use.

[Addey]

These last 2 weeks have been odd for me, as usually my projects take several weeks and aren't small. I had a scarf started that needed finishing and since I couldn't find my scarf earlier in the week, I finally got around to making one for me that I'd been planning for oh... 2 years?...

Pretty soon you'll see very small numbers from me... until May when I'm sure I'm going to go into baby stuff overdrive. You can't have too many bibs or washcloths right? right??

Like others have said, this is a tool to keep me from going oh! pretty! and buying stuff and never actually using it. My goal is to be at 0 or hopefuly positive at the end of the year... I know for a fact that if I totaled up my stash it's probably less, way less than 100 points, maybe 75 if I count every 10yd or less ball that's leftover from a project.

[HappyOldCro]

I got shoot the moon last week only because it was the beginning of the year. I do all home made for Christmas except for a few things I order on the net, like chocolates and food stuffs to ship to family that live far away. By Jan I am low on yarn, especially matching types and colors, so I try to grab yarns I find on clearance sales. I joined this cal to try and use up some old vintage yarn I had stashed, one of a kind yarn, and odd balls that came in auctions I won. The only yarn I buy now (for rest of year) is something I totally ran out of and need for a project. Using up balls and small skeins (baby, novelties and vintage sizes) is fast and easy. But now things will slow up a little when I am working with newer large size skeins (like the 11 oz Boucle). And Large projects (afghans, shawls, etc....) unless using 2 or 3 strands at a time, and even then if the projects is big, it still can go slow.

Each person knows their own stash size and speed, I don't think anyone really believes this is a true competition, but if that is what motivates them, that is OK too.

The main thing is to keep your stash at a manageable size for you.

My motivation is to eliminate some of my older yarn and odds and ends.

But most of all it is important that we all enjoy what we are doing, no matter what our personal motivation is. The numbers are just a way of us keeping track of our progress.

Not to keep track of someone elses progress. And perhaps some hints and ideas we could share with each other that may help us along.

On my personal spread sheet, I also notate what project I made and the yarn I used to make it. That way I can keep track of yarn as well as points and it will keep me from the habit of only using the new stuff, and get back to the original plan. Of course I will have to use some new yarn for special projects, but I will not be ignoring the older yarns.

Have fun and enjoy the chance to do whatever it is you are trying to accomplish.

[tamugrad02]

Well, I made 2 balls into skeins, so +2 for me. It's been a slow week.....working alot and we have some major renovations going on in the house right now......

[hseger]

This isn't a competition or race to see who can get the most crocheted or points. It's just a game to help you use your yarn up or keep buying down.

 

It doesn't matter if your score is 0 many weeks in a row all of us crochet at different speeds and have different size materials we use. So please just have fun guys!! Don't feel pressured! Nobody is being judged here!

 

I finally finished off a skein on my shrug. I think I may have a ball of it somewhere to help me finish off the shrug without buying that other skein.

[Minerva76]

It's not really a competition for me either. I got a little excited on a scrapghan earlier in the week and used up several balls of Simply Soft that I had lying around, but I'm back to working on my original projects, which will take a while. My goal is to finish up some WIPs and use up some yarn that I've had lying around for a couple of years. I keep looking at new yarn, but I feel guilty if I buy any these days because I have so much already. So, I'm using it up. Once it's gone....shopping spree!!!!!

[Krystal16]

Darski and others -

 

I am the one that created the original stashbusting CAL, and while it is a "competition", it is clearly all meant for fun!

 

I am chugging along with only one, maybe two skeins a week being used. Those that get lots of points are often giving or selling their stash. (Oh, the horror!)

 

So, that said - you using this CAL and only getting zero, one or two points a week is just great! You're slowly working your way there -

[darski]

Thanks Krystal. I knew it was not a fight to the death I just wanted others to know why I am not posting major finish points.

 

Just knowing I would have to sign in with a yarn purchase makes me think about it before I just grab now. that alone will put me ahead this year.

[LegalWoman17]

I don't think of it as a competition at all. For me, it's a motivator to keep chugging along on items needed for a craft show in November. It's definitely helping me to keep motivated in that effort. And now I find that when I get the urge to buy yarn, I actually stop and think, "do I want to ruin my score?" LOL LOL Think of all the $$$ I'm saving.

[walker1021]

Good Morning

 

First, Congratulations on the baby. What a wonderful ‘excuse’ to make things.

 

Jana what’s a yoyo? I’ve seen people refer to it but I don’t know what they are.

 

Yesterday was the ‘gram’ day. You know the mammogram, sonogram…stuff. On the way home I went into Michael’s and looked at the yarn. I didn’t buy any and for me that’s a first. Wheeee

 

When I got home, I decided to organize the stash. With well over 75 balls and skeins of differing sizes, I decided to create a pathway from the door to the chair where the stash lives. I made 6 alls from floppy used up skeins, and I cleaned up all the bits and pieces. I now have a drawer FULL of balls, and am looking for something to do that’s different than the usual multi shell afghan.

 

Have a wonderful day

Those "gram" days are an evil necessity. Did the mammogram a couple months ago. Glad to be done with that til next year:P

I see our Mad City Crocheter answered your Yo Yo question. (thanks, sweetie!!) These little critters are very addictive, but are really great for using up those little balls lying around. And by what you said, you now have lots. :yarn:yarn I have been having help making them from the girls in my charity group. They make them and mail them to me. Then I assemble and send the finished laghan to either the brain trauma unit in NJ or the children's cancer center in CA. Some to the members sent me their scrap balls for me to make into yo yos. Still working on getting rid of those scraps too. Oops, just realized I wrote a short story. Sorry.

Tah Tah for now (and have fun!!)

[walker1021]

I guess I was asking because.. when I check in to see what is happening here, I see post after post of our crew saying that they finished one skein or two skeins or whatever. I think this is amazing and wonderful but it occurred to me that people might think I was slacking since I never post a finish

 

I too am dedicated to getting control of my stash and of not adding to it unless absolutely necessary.

Darski??? Slacking?? NEVER!!! lol I am not thinking of using this CAL as a competition at all. Just a motivation to keep working down my stash and trying NOT to buy any yarn unless absolutely needed. On that note, I got an e-mail stating the 12 skeins I ordered last week will be on my door step Monday. Oh well.....

[angelfire]

I used up a 3 balls on two different squares today. It is a small victory against the score this week

 

-76 WTD

 

edit. I finshed two more 12" squares and used up two more balls

-74 WTD

[MadCityCrochet]

Those "gram" days are an evil necessity. Did the mammogram a couple months ago. Glad to be done with that til next year:P

I see our Mad City Crocheter answered your Yo Yo question. (thanks, sweetie!!) These little critters are very addictive, but are really great for using up those little balls lying around. And by what you said, you now have lots. :yarn:yarn I have been having help making them from the girls in my charity group. They make them and mail them to me. Then I assemble and send the finished laghan to either the brain trauma unit in NJ or the children's cancer center in CA. Some to the members sent me their scrap balls for me to make into yo yos. Still working on getting rid of those scraps too. Oops, just realized I wrote a short story. Sorry.

Tah Tah for now (and have fun!!)

 

There is actually another neat way that we have been using up donated yarn with our Madison Area Crochet Guild that might work for you, too. Basically, you crochet strips using as many colors as you want. You stop when you get to a certain length and then the person who joins them together only has to worry about joining the one long edge. I keep one going and just keep adding to it as I get a little yarn to add on to it. PM me and I can let you know where we got the (free) pattern, or you can just make up your own.

 

Have fun!

Sara

[Robyn]

Finished up another skein on my Mardi Gras bag. It's almost finished now. I only have the handle to do...But then I have to write up the pattern.

[laughlovehook]

I got 4 balls of sock yarn in the mail from knit picks! I actually got 3 more but I'm returning it so I won't count those. -8

[ldyer1]

I finished up a skein of caron pounder. However, hubby thinks that since it was ball sized at new years ( a mighty big ball mind you) it is only +1. So my YTD +3

[Carousel]

I have used a ball of yarn on a bag last night. so finally I'm moving along.

My score is +2

[Paralee]

I'm working on two afghans right now, attempting to downsize my stash. Maybe I'll start keeping score, too ...

[hseger]

I did a little stash diving and found a ball of the yarn I ran out of and it was just enough to squeek out the rest of the shrug and finish it! so +1 more for today. Now back to slow stuff.

[sammimag]

I got some stashbusting done today and yesterday. I used up a skien and several balls on granny squares and a few squares for Warm Up America. So I'm at +8 for the week. I hope to get more done dd's sweater which should get me two more skeins. If I want to finish my granny gahn I'll need to buy a skein or two.

 

If I can keep this up maybe I can get out of my hole before the rest of my yarn arrives.

[Robyn]

I just used up most of a skein on a charity sqaure. +1 there. If I keep going like this, I might get myself out of the negatives before the week is up.

[Warrior Maiden]

4 skeins half used this week, so a +4 for me so far....

[yarncat]

10-

100yds-bucket hat-black

bought 2 skeins of yarn-4

used 1 skein of yarn+2 for scarf

-1