A Stash of Memories

Does this happen to you?

Every year around this time I get a case of "startitis" -- an "infection" of "gotta make this -- and this -- and this -- and this! NOW!"  I find myself cruising Ravelry for ideas, patterns and groups that have set up challenges for the New Year.

As I confessed on my personal blog a day or so ago, it  hit me when I was roaming around YouTube, clicking on video podcasts from yarn shops.  The first one I looked up was at the recommendation of a customer who was in the Shop last week.  She and her daughter were joining a Mystery Knit-Along (MKAL) originating with the gals at Cozy Up Knits out of Grande Prairie (Alberta, not Texas; you can tell because of the "e" in "Grande" 😊) 

I went on to explain that one of the symptoms of startitis is that not only do you have to start multiple new projects, but also you find yourself compelled to work on each one all at once.  Having a 20-to-30-minute video to enjoy while you work makes it easier to do this -- especially if you have a series of video 'casts lined up that you've never seen, so you can watch them one after the other.  You simply spend one video's worth of time working on one project; when that 'cast ends, you switch projects!  You have an opportunity to get up and stretch -- get more coffee or a glass of water or whatever -- and move to The Next New Thing. 

I ended up starting two projects from scratch using yarn from my stash -- my pre-Crafty Lady stash -- but while I was searching for the right New Things to make to satisfy my cravings, I unearthed something else as well:  memories.

Yes, a stash might sit for a long time in your home -- in drawers, cupboards, tote bags, baskets, wherever.  It might even gather dust (or at least, pet hair!)  But when you dig out a ball or two of yarn and take a bit of time to think about where and when you acquired it, or from what project it's left over, you also release something else: memories.

What triggered my thoughts for this post?  I was digging through my sock yarns when I stumbled over a partial ball of bright yellow and another in deep navy, with the 'Regia' label still attached.

Ah yes... Now I remember...

I moved out of Calgary to the tiny hamlet of Mirror near the end of September 2008.  Some time not long thereafter, I explored the towns nearest me.  By happenstance, Mirror is located almost equidistant between Lacombe in the west and Stettler in the East.  Stettler is my go-to town for my artwork -- framing and mats etc. It also has a quilt shop that has furnished me with batting and fabric from time to time.  However, Lacombe is my favourite of the two -- having a bit more 'character' in its buildings and shops, a larger library, a good quilt shop, a couple of very good coffee shops, the church where I worship regularly, the lovely parkland around Cranna Lake that makes for pleasant walks...and of course, The Crafty Lady.

Pattern: Highland Schottische Kilt Hose
Designer: Nancy Bush 

I don't remember exactly when I found the Shop, but my Ravelry records show that in the fall of 2010, I made a major purchase of sock yarn.  Sometime earlier that year, I'd met a fellow who was a piper in the local pipe band.  He had a mass of lovely black yarn that he wanted made into kilt hose, and commissioned me to do so.  

He was so pleased with them that he asked me if I'd make a pair to match the tartan in his kilt, which was navy, red, yellow and dark green.

The socks would have to be argyles, and I'd need to order the yarn. Oh boy.  Off to The Crafty Lady I went, with an aged pattern in hand -- a book that had once belonged to my mother.  The pattern I chose was the one on the left below: "Highlander".

I needed solid colours as mentioned above, with the dark green as the main colour, navy and red for the diamonds, and a clear yellow for the lines that threaded through the diamonds.  The Crafty Lady had nothing at all in the shop -- but Lori was willing to order up the yarn for me.  I didn't have a pressing deadline, so I agreed.  

Only last week did Lori reveal that she hadn't carried that brand of yarn -- Regia -- in the shop as a matter of course.  Blessedly, I used a great deal of it -- but the last of it didn't sell until long after I'd made the hose, and had begun to work part-time for her in the Shop!

Argyle socks are knit flat, in part, and seamed down the back; the 'in the round' portion comes with heel and foot.  I'd never knit socks flat before.  In fact, I'd never knit any argyle pattern before.  Being paid to do this, I jumped in with both feet.

Luckily, the risk to learn and to try paid off, and my client got his argyle kilt hose in early 2011.  

Pattern: "Highlander"
Source: Patons #37 - Hand Knit Socks from Beehive

Despite their size, I still had lots of the navy, red and yellow left over.  Fortunately, the pattern book was full of other fun multi-coloured socks...so I made him another pair, free of charge.  These too were knit flat, at least part of the way.  When I gave them to him, I told him that a) he'd already paid for the yarn and b) he was the only fellow I knew who'd wear them!

Pattern: Double Check Socks
Source: Patons #37 -- Hand Knit Socks 
from Beehive

Some of you might think these projects would put me off knitting socks for a very long time -- but no.  I still make several pair a year.  Just don't ask me to make anything in argyle any time soon! 😉

Not only will I continue to make socks, I'll continue to add to my sock yarn stash even as I work hard to whittle away at "old" inventory.  And yes, the Crafty Lady will still be my go-to place for sock yarn -- even as I click and order rather than visit the Shop in brick and mortar.

Transition time continues -- with everything in the Shop on sale at a minimum of 5% off, and a max of 25% off.  This includes the perfect needles and yarn you'll need for socks -- from double-points to circular "shorties" and ones you can "magic loop".

There's still time to book a "how to" lesson for sock-making...or for just beginning to knit or crochet.

And there are four more in-Shop Knit Nights before the door closes.  Do drop down to say hello, check out our sales, have a chat, and sit and knit or crochet a bit.   Add to your stash of memories while you visit...and take them home with your yarn.

See you in the Shop!

*Written by Margaret, happy TCL employee and customer...who'd rather knit socks than just about anything else.  Just, please, no argyles!

That Stash!

Let's talk stash. Specifically yarn stash.

Maybe you are one of those ultra disciplined people who only buy enough for one project at a time. You finish that project and then head down to the store to buy just enough for your next project.

I admire you. I used to be like you.

But then for some of us, the collection bug hit. We go into a store and see a yarn we love, we go to a sale, we buy a magazine and find several projects we want to do, and before we know it, we have...

STASH.

We're not talking about a couple of lonely balls of stash, we're talking...

STASH.

I'll bet that no one has as much as this lady.

The World's Biggest Stash?

That's her private stash. Not store stash. She did an interview later.

The World's Biggest Stash Update and Interview

I'm sure you're all feeling better about your stash, unless you want the Guinness World Record.

Although we call it all stash there's different types of yarn stash.

Leftovers: This is the stash that is unavoidable. It's the leftovers from those projects you made. It may be half a skein. Too much to throw out, but not enough to do something with. If you have a skein or more left over you can make a matching hat, or mitts, or a cowl. But it's the bits and pieces that make up this pile. One day, you will make a crazy scarf out of it all, or an afghan. Or something!

Staples: You know that it's designated for socks but you haven't picked out the pattern. You love lace shawls so you collect beautiful lace and fingering yarns, you just need to pick the pattern. You have a ton of dish cloth cotton and you know you'll make those dishcloths one day. Those skeins of yarn are for scarves. These ones over here are your basic worsted weight that you go back to again and again, and that pile over there is your baby yarn because there's always a new baby on the way. You know where it's going, you just haven't decided on the project. But you are ready for the pattern when you find it.

Ingredients: You know specifically what you're doing with this yarn. You have the pattern, you have the needles, you may have even put it in a special spot. You just haven't got around to making it yet. But you will. You will.

Gourmet: You were in a yarn shop and fell in love with an exquisite skein of cashmere and silk that was way too much money but you bought one ball anyway. You went to a sale that was so fantastic that you walked away with an entire bag of gorgeous alpaca. You have five skeins of that really lovely Debbie Bliss but you don't know what to do with it. One day you will find a use for this yarn but right now, it just sits quietly in your yarn pantry waiting for you. It calls out to you sometimes, and you gaze at it, and you may even go looking for a pattern for it, but the perfect pattern hasn't appeared yet.

Expired: And then there's the stash that you just don't know what to do with. Someone handed you their bag of leftovers. Or you thought at one point that the color was nice but now you don't. You bought up the big box store yarn in your early days of knitting but now you don't want to touch it. There's that skein of yarn that was all the rage but now it's dated. And then there's the project of shame. The yarn that you tried out on a pattern but found out you hated it. Either the yarn or the pattern or both. There's really nothing wrong with any of the yarn. It hasn't gone bad. It's just taking up space. But you spent money on it so it's hard to give away. (Hint: You know that worsted weight acrylic that is looking resentfully at you for not using it and you really don't want to - we'll happily take it and donate it to wonderful volunteer knitters who will make blankets for Canada).

And if you give away stash you are perfectly justified to buy new stash!

It's okay. We all do this - well except for those one project at a time people.

One piece of advice. Never show anyone your stash. They will either think you're crazy and want to send you to therapy, or they'll want it. They will bug you about it. They will ask for it. They will pout if you don't share.

I even heard of a woman who would sneak into her mother-in-law's basement where her stash was kept and take what she wanted without asking, because it was in the basement. We do not approve. We think people should have their own stash collections.

Whatever your stash situation, we understand. At the beginning of the year I thought I would go on a yarn diet. No more new yarn until I made a dent in the yarn I already have.

I work in a yarn shop. Do you know how crazy that resolution is? Lori brings in a beautiful line of tonal alpaca and common sense goes the way of the dodo. She has a 50% off sale and the yarn I've been eyeing for months is now in my studio. Kaffe Fassett does a knit along, and I want to knit along. I found a wonderful pattern and none of my yarn works for it.

So it would help if everyone came down to the store and bought yarn so it would quit yelling at me to take it home.

Posted by Anna Maria Junus (happy employee with stash)

Blankets for Canada

We love Blankets for Canada and here at Crafty Lady it's a charity we happily support.

Blankets for Canada began in 1998. Blankets for Canada takes donation of handmade blankets and distributes them to the homeless and other people in need of warmth.

Imagine being homeless in Alberta. A blanket can be make a huge difference in surviving the cold winters.

Blankets also provide a sense of security and it is a message to those who are often alone, that someone cares.

Some beautiful blankets!

Homelessness can happen to almost anyone. Many Canadians live paycheck to paycheck. An illness that prevents someone from working, an abusive marriage that requires sudden flight - often with children in tow, mental illness, alcoholism, unemployment, or a series of bad breaks can cause someone to be homeless. Many of these homeless are women with children, or teenagers escaping abusive homes.

It would be nice to be able to provide safe homes for everyone, but until that happens, every little bit we do can be helpful.

More beautiful blankets!

We have ladies who volunteer their time making these blankets and we like to be able to provide them with the yarn to do so.

We not only accept donations of the blankets, but we also accept donations of worsted weight acrylic yarn. Yes, wool is warmer, but it doesn't keep someone warm who is allergic to it, and wool requires more cleaning care.

Squares waiting to be sewn
together. Great opportunity
to do some designing!

So check your stash. Is there some worsted weight yarn that you could give up? Those big box stores' large balls are perfect.

We're also looking for volunteers to sew together knitted and crocheted squares. We have quite a few of them sitting in bags (squares not volunteers. Putting volunteers in bags would not be nice).

For more information about Blankets for Canada you can visit this website.

Minke Tilma with her 300th Blanket for
Canada. This picture was in April 2013.
She's almost at 400 now!

Blankets for Canada

So right from this store there are several ways you can participate.

• Volunteer to knit or crochet either full blankets or squares - it's a great way to still do  your favorite hobby, especially if you've already knitted or crocheted everything you and your loved ones want.
• Volunteer to sew together already knitted and crocheted squares
• Donate worsted weight acrylic yarn to the store so that we can pass it on to the knitters and crocheters

And as an incentive to giving up your yarn, we occasionally have a bag of yarn given to us that cannot be used for blankets. You are welcome to look through it and take skein for skein if you like what you see.




******

Want to start right now?

Find a afghan pattern you would love to do, grab some worsted weight acrylic and start knitting or crocheting!

Here's some patterns if you want to do squares.

Basic Materials:
New worsted weight yarn (machine washable) You can use leftovers from other projects. A great way to use up that stash!
4-5 mm knitting needles or crochet hood (or size needed for gauge)

Basic Patterns

Any pattern can be used to make the square. This is a great way to practice a new pattern! But if you need more direction, here's a couple of patterns. Squares are 8"x 8".


Crocheted Version

Chain 27 (or number required for your gauge)

Row 1: Dc in 3rd chain across from hook, then in every ch across.
Row 2: Dc across the row. C2 and turn.
Repeat row 2 until piece measures 8"x 8"

Each blanket is made up of 48 squares to create a 48"x 64" blanket.

If you choose you can make strips instead of squares which cuts down on the joining process.

Knitted Version

Cast on 40 stitches (or the number needed for your gauge of 8")
When your piece measures 8" tall cast off and weave in ends.
Garter Stitch - Knit every row until piece measures 8"x 8".
Stocking Stitch- Row 1: Knit all stitches. Row 2: Purl all stitches.

Other variations can be found at Blankets for Canada.

Knitted versions
Crocheted versions

And remember, we don't make mistakes. We make ORIGINALS!

Posted by Anna Maria Junus (happy employee who thinks Blankets for Canada is a great opportunity for anyone to volunteer their help).