Knitting and Crocheting Yarn: To Stash or Not to Stash

Times are tough for most everyone these days and we hear it everywhere: SAVE, Save, Save your money! And many stores are giving deep discounts to drive you into their establishment. You see discounts everywhere. Knitters can be considered savers and experienced savers at that. If you're like me, you check out every sale and every store scouting out the best prices and the newest colors and yarns available. We'll make our purchase, leave that particular check-out and go back through just to be able to use two coupons at the same store! Have you seen some of the new yarns today? Have you felt them? The textures are to die for!

Ok, you find all those wonderful fibers at wonderful prices. The typical knitter gets their great bargain on yarns and then takes it home and stores it someplace. It's a game we all play but shouldn't. Don't buy that beautiful yarn and then hide it away. What are you saving it for? We should dig that stash out and use it! Ok, and maybe you've stashed it away so good, you can't find it. Hey but then when you DO find it, is a wonderful surprise!

You found your stash. Now what? Feel it, squeeze it, smell it. Dream about what you can create with it. What would that particular yarn be best used for? Wait, did you buy enough? That's a problem sometimes, too, so take that into consideration. Don't think too hard about it or you'll be putting that yarn right back where you found it.....unused! Just think, if you'd use it, you can go buy more!

Have you ever taken that skein of yarn and after squeezing it and smelling it, decided what you want to make with it, finding out you don't have quite enough; don't dispare! Many yarns can be combined with other yarns of the same thickness or other yarns that need the same type of care. Don't forget that yarns need the same care when combined with other yarns to keep your garment or project easy to clean and care for. Let your imagination fly. Different yarns can create stripes or maybe contrasting cuffs or bands.

Don't hang on to your yarns too long. They can deteriorate and even get moldy if not properly stored. And some yarns do get outdated in they're look and texture, too. Remember trendy yarns come and go.

We don't know what yarns and colors will be are coming up in the next season so use that yarn today and enjoy your project now. It's almost certain that newer yarns and textures will come along making your stash old and outdated. So get it out and use it.

Another thing that dates a yarn, is it's color or color combination. If you ever get to see a manufacturers sample card take a close look at the colors that are featured first or as their "new" colors and their combinations. What colors are placed together? They have already figured it out for you as to what colors go well together. I always like to use colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. Check that out. They're called complimentary for a good reason.

There are some classic yarns and yarn types that'll always be "in style" for common projects like afghans but remember home décor changes, too. But don't forget that older yarns won't make a great fashion statement. Use that yarn before you find yourself sitting waiting for that yarn and/or color to make a comeback. Then was that such a good bargain? There'll always be another bargain.