julieblossoms

My yarn stash is ridiculous. Embarrassing really.  And it’s been hiding away in my garage for years. Yes, what’s pictured here is only a small part of it. I crack open the lids of the tubs occasionally but only to add to them, never to take anything out. I can’t say exactly what is possessing me to face my yarn buying demons this morning, however, here I am and I’ve decided to write about this journey.

Before I had coffee, before my children had even woken up, I found myself perusing yarns on line imagining how they would feel in my hands what colors I would want to wrap myself up in and what I would make out of them. Once again I was in my familiar fantasy land of color and texture falling in love over and over.  In my love struck morning haze I ordered a $52 skein of yarn (yes it will be amazing —prism “wild” in antique to make a scarf that Daryl Hannah rocks in celebrity scarves and my very good friend and fellow knitter Heidi made it too) and after I pressed send and confirmed the order it was like the alarm clock went off and I suddenly woke up. Woah what just happened? More yarn?

Christ Julie. And I thought to myself I need help. I need a 12 step program. I wondered how many other people out there had amazing stashes and still felt compelled to buy more and very expensive yarn.  However, I didn’t feel any remorse whatsoever just resolved to actually get back in touch with my stash. To see what in fact is in there and then to USE it.

I, Julie, am a yarnaholic… I have a habit here and nobody but I can deal with it. Of course I am the best of knitter rationalizers.  A friend for 21 years and founder of Atelier Yarns in the city taught me about fine yarn and how what’s the point of having your hands all over something cheap when you can work with luscious alpacas, cottons, wools, silk. She ruined it for me. From the day she showed me her stash (which is EXTENSIVE) there was no going back. And even this morning when I was conflicted with feelings of guilt around spending money during these hard economic times… on yarn!? I can still explain exactly why buying that skein of lusciously delicious yarn was worth every penny of my $57 (including the shipping).

Your stash reveals a whole lot about you. Your weaknesses, your colors,  your desires…

I’m going to call this my California stash.  One day I want to write about how I plan to deal with and use this stash of beautiful yarns. To tell stories along the way and show you projects. Might be a while though…In the meantime, I’m just acknowledging it’s there.