Ground control...

Doing this earworm tracking thing is interesting.  It seems that my earworms are nowhere near as random as I think they are.  It seems that songs from adverts and / or documentaries are getting into my head and staying there.

It's all good though, at least I'm not getting any really annoying stuff in my head.  June's earworm playlist is here if you fancy a listen.

I successfully managed to avoid yarn buying today.  I am doing what the Knitmores call stash cultivation, which means that you build a beautiful stash.  My current stash is lovely, but I must remind myself not to buy yarn because it's on sale or because it's cheap.  I have plenty of yarn at the moment that I'd like to work through.  2 sweaters worth, 2 blankets worth, several pairs of socks worth, and several shawls worth.  I would like to spin for a sweater though, but would just like to improve on my spinning first though.  Having said that, it's getting so much better than what it used to look like.

By the way, here is my Vortex shawl project page (so you can see the link to the pattern), with pictures as promised.  I love the way the colour variations in the handspun yarn swirls with the pattern.  It sort of looks like what I imagine a vortex to look like.

I am really happy with it, naturally! I really think that the yarn suits the pattern and vice versa.

The 10 stitch blanket is still ongoing and I'm happy with the way it's going.  I'm aiming for random colours and something that's a bit shabby but lovely.  Not that I think my work is shabby, but I want random.

Getting there,,,

I am now off work for 10 days (well 9, if you don't count today).

I have no initial plans really, I'm not going anywhere. It's just that in the run up to Christmas, I get a bit stressed out - especially working in retail, so I need a bit of me time.

I've been doing a fair bit of knitting for other people, what with Christmas and everything so I've been doing some knitting for me. So I have 2 scarves and a pair of socks on the needles. One of the scarves is a self designed scarf; the pattern will be coming soon!

I've been using the software that I got for Christmas and I must say, it makes things so much easier to write up. Mistakes are that much easier to weed out. I made a couple of changes to the way the pattern was written. It looked a bit silly to have the main design in stocking stitch and the edging in garter, so I have done the edging in stocking stitch as well. It will look amazing when it's been blocked.

A new yarn shop has opened in Leicester on Queens Road in Clarendon Park. It's a nice shop, but I think it's got room for improvement. They have some of the more unusual stuff there, which is tricky to get hold of, which is really good for an independent shop to have, but they also stock Sirdar and Debbie Bliss, which is available in pretty much any other local yarn shop. The stock is a bit sparse too. I expected to see a lot more yarn there and they could do with a comfy sofa where people can sit and knit - they even have that in John Lewis. They have the room!

I also noted a lack of stitch markers. I am going to make some up and take some down to see if they will have them on sale or return.

I have plans to complete my CV this week as well, plus I want to have a bit of a declutter. I'd best get on with it then :)

To stash or not to stash

I have a problem.

My yarn stash is enormous. Most, if not all knitters will also regale you of stories of their stash.

I have a chest of drawers that is mostly full, a big tub full and a linen box thingy full of yarn and squishy fibre to spin with (as well as the kilo of undyed merino to spin).

Sometimes, you'll be at your local yarn store and will see some yarn that speaks to you. Sometimes it's the colour, sometimes it's the sheen and sometimes it's just the sheer squishability (what??, it's a word!!). Sometimes you'll have a pattern in mind and the yarn will just scream to be made into something.

For most of this year, I have been on a yarn diet, attempting to reduce my stash so that I can buy more yarn loveliness. I did succumb when I came across the sock yarn in Lidl - 200g for £3.99!! I bought 800g in a cream colour, thinking that I could overdye it and turn it into something awesome (as I did for my lacy baktus with lots of beads).

The thing is, by depriving myself of yarn now, what if something comes by that I can't get hold of again (I'm thinking specifically of some of babylonglegs' yarn)? I can only knit at a certain pace and while the patterns tend to be available for a while, I don't tend unpick and reknit stuff after a horrendous experience of trying to unravel some Rowan Kidsilk Haze (the horror, the HORROR!!).

Also, there are patterns that I love, but being on the bigger side, would need large amounts of yarn for. Sometimes the yarn is quite expensive and can be tricky to substitute (gotta love Ravelry for looking at yarn choices when browsing patterns). I tend to knit things like scarves and gloves. Sometimes I have too much yarn of a certain type and colour (yes KnitPicks Palette in not quite Teal, I'm looking at you) to consider knitting these items, but not quite enough to knit something bigger.

When is it good to destash (but I might neeeeed it!!) and when is it good to hold on to yarn because of a pattern that you have in mind, but just haven't got round to doing (I'm thinking of the felted corset I have swatched for but haven't started yet)?

Also, I'm thinking that with our knitting group Secret Santa coming up, it might be an opportunity to knit up some of my un-needed yarn and gift it (I'm looking at you again KnitPicks Palette in not quite Teal), but I don't want to gift something that might be quite hideous to someone else, but nice to me (I'm looking at you massive crocheted granny square in blues and greens).

I also note that going into a yarn store and squishing yarn has a restorative effect when I'm feeling stressed. I hate clothes shopping with a passion (and I'd do it all online if I knew it'd fit) and after flouncing out of a clothes shop when the music was pissing me off (note to self, must take earphones next time), I headed into the haberdashery department of John Lewis and squished some yarn and felt much more relaxed. So maybe there's a psychological reason for surrounding myself with yarn; combating the stress of life with yummy, squishy yarn.

I'm rambling now, but I'm headed off to Fibre Flurry this weekend. I'm doing the lace workshop as it's not something I'm terribly confident at but would like to be. So the question is, do I enhance my stash, or be sensible and work to cut down on yarn mountain?