Thursday, March 26, 2009

Stash Management Plan

Using Ravelry's handy-dandy download of stash into Excel, and knowing I average around 30 yards knit per day, I figured out that it will take me 12 years to knit up my stash. Although it's kind of a relief to find out I haven't (hopefully) reached SABLE ("Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy") status, it occurs to me that I do need to try to keep the outflow slightly higher than the inflow. With this in mind, and using that cool knit-o-meter feature, I am resolving to knit more yardage than I acquire every month. I can bank deficits just in case there's a big purchase I want to make. (For instance, 3 skeins of Sundara's Fingering Silky Merino would be 1500 yards, meaning I'd have to average >50 yards a day to buy a sweater's worth.) This also gives me incentive to keep my knit yardage up since it won't 'go to waste' if I don't use it that month. There needs to be a penalty for non-compliance.... how about NO yarn can be bought the following month?*

To make it interesting, I'm going to use my job-jar approach whenever I can. Depending on what else is on my needles in a given month, I'll draw from my big project and/or small project stash jars and knit with whatever yarn comes up. Ravelry will make finding a suitable project for the chosen yarn easy, and it will be fun to revisit yarns I feel in love with once upon a time.

Some progress to report - I finished the first sleeve of my Sand and Surf hoodie:



Words can't express how much I love this yarn and this colorway. Cool oceany aqua and warm sandy taupe.


* Yarn bought in Sundara's sweater subscription is exempt from this. 1500 yards of this showed up this week. Technically it was bought before I started this.


Friday, March 20, 2009

Reboot

I can't seem to get myself together this month. I'm not waiting until the 31st to redo my goals, 'cause I know already I'm not coming anywhere close to achieving them.

I did finish my Dad's mitts last month. Check. (And the shoulder did stop hurting.)



Haven't touched the Blackberry scarf since it became obvious it wouldn't be done in time for my friend's 50th birthday. I gave her this instead:



I got the body (sans hood) done on my hoodie, but the shoulders are too narrow. It will have to be ripped back to nearly the armholes and reknit. Can't get psyched for that right now with spring almost on us, so that is in hibernation until fall.




I got started on my Après Surf Hoodie in my Alpine Algae Sundara FSM -



LOVE this color! Very beachy. Aqua and taupe. Will I be done by 3/31? What do you think...


I will accomplish one of my goals for this month - I just had to start my Yarn Chef project -


Did. Wakame tunic from Interweave Knits Summer '08 in Yarn Chef's Café au Lait in Picholine. ("Little olive(s)" I believe.) This color is the devil to capture. I love this yarn. I hope I'm 25% done 'cause my yarn's 25% gone.

I still have 10 days to work, and there's a knitting retreat in there. So knitting will be done. I may start Amelia ahead of schedule to have a project to work on when I'm not up to lace.

Monday, March 2, 2009

The Weatherman was Right


10 inches baby.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



One of my favorite things about this house is watching snow fall in the woods while sitting inside drinking tea and knitting. We've only had a couple of small snowfalls since moving here about 14 months ago. This one could be as much as 10 inches! Yay!


Now I'm gonna go brew a cup of tea, and sit here and knit -