The Fiber Cellar

As mentioned previously, I may have a problem that borderlines on a fetish.

Non-knitters you may want to avert thine eyes until my next technical work-related blog entry. Knitters, it is time that I introduce you to my fiber cellar.

I try to diversify my tastes by blending together the different textures and weights of my glorious fiber stash. My cellar contains fine laceweight and hearty bulky yarns, pale soft hues and eye-catching bold tones. Smooth cottons, rich wools, and various other blends all find a space in my collection.

Honestly, I mean I'm a recent college grad and have already accumulated three large containers filled to the brim with wools, cottons, and everything in between. My main stash is in the lovely Rubbermaid Roughneck container pictured above(I sort using a system that gauges the "Most-Likely-to-Use" ranking). Essentially this container has projects that aren't in time out or completely forgotten. It also contains the extra skeins of yarn that belong to the current WIPs. See that red mass of tweedy wool? That is the back of a tweed jacket that has been finished and is waiting for its front and sleeves. The pattern is absolutely adorable and the yarn feels amazing, the problem?? You're viewing the third attempt at a sweater with this partially tainted yarn. I love the Kathmandu Aran--I really do--but when you've frogged it twice it starts giving you the evil eye.

From Knitpicks Essential Sock yarn and Patons Classic Merino Wool to Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran and Classic Skye Tweed, I have a little bit of everything from everywhere from the nearby Michael's to the local yarn shop (to be referred to as a LYS in future posts--for the non-knitters out there) to the online yarn distributors. I do not discriminate when it comes to a yarn purchase, nearly any skein of yarn can become something beautiful--barring perhaps "blaze" colored Red Heart.

My "cellar" also contains a few actual vintage fibers inherited from my grandmother (don't worry, she's still alive she just has horrible arthritis) and a hank of hand-spun llama yarn, thoughtfully given to me. Don't worry you will see all of this as I dive into my stash and analyze each fibers potential. (Yes I know, fiber analysis, am I crazy? No, well at least not too crazy, just engineering crazy--its acceptable). This analysis does include a good squeeze and some fiber fondling; itchy fibers and unyielding yarns can make a big project tricky.

Anywho, that's my stash and it just keeps growing at a healthy--err perhaps unhealthy--pace.