Redirecting...

Well is anybody still out there...

I have neglected this blog for almost 2 years. So much as changed. So much needed to change. I started this project as a form of therapy. I needed a place to vent about my professional unhappiness. And once I solved that problem, the blog fell by the wayside.

I left the museum world two years ago this March and I'm now the owner (with 2 other women) of the local yarn shop. Everything is right with the world. I have found my calling.

So if you are interested in the yarn/knitter side of this blog, join me at www.theyarnmart.com for that side of my life.

If you are interested in history and/or looking for information on Katherine Carson Breckinridge and her kin, then stay tuned. I'm still exploring and wondering about her. I guess I always will.

Knitting Down Stash Progress Report - Week 1

Where did the week go? I have been knitting a little on all the projects I listed in the last post but I've made very little progress on any of them. With the exception of O W L S. In Vintage Chunky, the sweater is speeding right a long. I actually have to stop working on it and focus attention on other projects so I don't get too far ahead of the KAL group.

I hope to have a better progress report next week.

KDYS - Queue and WIPs

Happy New Year! I'm excited about this year of knitting down my stash. I've gotten skeptical looks from my husband and my knitting friends but I think I'm up for the challenge.

To start the project off, I have organized my stash and I have donated/given away yarn that I know I will never use. I also finally realized that you have to mark yarn in your stash "Used" when you use it all up. How many years have I been on Ravelry and I'm still learning. So the official stash count is 130.

I have 49 project in my queue (on Ravelry)  and 13 projects in my WIPs (Works in Progress).

My WIPs are a variety of projects from sweaters to socks and were started yesterday or in some cases, 3 years ago. For those of you on Ravelry, you can check them out. For those of you not on Ravelry, here is the run down.

O W L S for Yarn Mart KAL - started 1/1/2012

Nuvem - started 11/3/2011 for KAL at Yarn Mart

Baby Blanket for the Rattermans - started 12/10/2011

Spectrum Scarf KAL - started 10/13/2011

Grove Mitten Version 2 - started 9/8/2011

Graphic Sox - started 08/16/2011 for example for 2 socks on 1 circ class

Momma's Market Bag - started 7/7/2011

Dress for Julienne's Baby - started 6/4/2011

Huron for a Girl - started 1/11/11

Chloe

Noro Lace Cover Up - started 10/10/2010

Socks for Van 2 - started 08/05/2010

Beret for Me - started 02/20/2009

Revision on Stash Count

Arrive over 3 years of using Ravelry, I just discovered that you have to mark stash yarn as "used up" once you have used it up.

So my stash count is really 129 instead of 142.

Knit Down Your Stash in a Year!

I'm a project person. I need a project to occupy my thoughts and my actions. Don't get me wrong - I love a day on the couch watching movies and knitting but I need something to be in charge of and I need to feel that I'm working toward a large goal. Opening a museum, designing a new kitchen, organizing a closet - all of these activities involve planning, thought, and execution. And I get a great rush from these activities. But a lot of my projects involve spending money. I'm looking for a project that is nicer to the wallet.

So for 2012 I'm going to knit down my yarn stash. For the non-knitters out there, knitters buy yarn and lots of it. Often it is not for a specific project - you just love the yarn, the color, the texture and you have to have it. I buy a lot of stash yarn on vacation when we visit other local yarn shops. I buy stash yarn because it is a good deal. I've even bought stash yarn that I have the pattern for and I'm going to start the project next and then something comes up and it joins the rest of the stash yarn. Where do I keep all this yarn?? Well, under beds and in closets mostly. I store it in plastic bags or in plastic containers. I know what I have thanks to Ravelry and the amazing stash feature there. As you can see from the screen shot below, I have 142 different yarns in my stash. That's not 142 balls of yarn - that's 142 different types of yarn. That's a lot of yarn.

My plan is this - I will select a yarn at random (depending my mood) and I will find a pattern and start knitting. The majority of my stash yarn is already tied to a pattern or project so this should not be difficult. What will be difficult is finishing the project. I'm a process knitter, not a project knitter. This means I enjoy the process of knitting rather than the joy of completing a project. When I get bored, I simply move on to the next project that catches my eye. Some might call it ADD Knitting and it results in a lot of UFOs (Unfinished Objects).  My husband gently reminders me from time to time about the pair of socks I started knitting for him about 4 years ago.

But the goal of this project is to actually finish projects. I'm not saying that I will begin one project and work on only that one until it is finished. I would be setting myself up for failure if that was the scenario. The goal is to use yarn that I actually already have and not buy more for a little while. That will be the real challenge.

Sunday, January 1, 2012 I will start a new project and continue working on several project I need to complete. I'll post about the projects I'm working on and the achievements and struggles. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I hope I will.