Saturday, July 11, 2015

Beware The Old Yarn Stash

I have a huge stash of yarn in my basement.  I don't know where it came from, maybe it crawled in one day when I was inattentive and left the cellar door open,  I've had that happen with snakes and toads and maybe that's what happened with the yarn.

However it happened, I have skeins and skeins of yarn!   The colors are not very attractive and the texture of most of it is questionable.  Why some company produced yarn that feels like kitchen scrubbing pads is beyond me but it's there in my basement, lying in wait for me every time I go down there.

It usually looks accusingly at me, as if to say, "Why do you hate me and never let me see the light of day?"  I've tried to ignore it, but it's getting harder and harder.  I feel bad for the poor stuff, even though it's ugly and scratchy and no one in a million years would want to wear anything made from it.

And I was successful in ignoring it until a couple of months ago.  That was when I came up with the brilliant idea to try and design a shrug pattern.  Most of the shrug patterns I've seen are simply rectangles of knitting with parts stitched up for the arms.  Is that the route I took when designing my pattern?  Oh no, not me!  I had to have one with fluted cuffs and different stitches to give it texture and a nice big ruffle around the neck line! 

So down to the basement, where the yarn is kept contained in plastic tubs.  I did that so the yarn doesn't get out and try to strangle me when I go down to do laundry and so far it's worked!  Anyway, I pulled the tubs down and cautiously opened them.
All the yarn started clamoring for my attention.  "Pick me,pick me!"  they all shouted.

After doing battle with some of the more unruly skeins, I headed upstairs with my choices.  I picked a florescent orange, don't ask why, I don't know, maybe it yelled louder than all the rest,  a variegated yarn with the appealing name of Chili, a raspberry colored yarn and a large skein of Christmas red.  Then I started knitting.  I won't bore you with the details but it took me quite a while to finish this piece and I did so in the middle of July so I can't even wear my creation for months, but oh well, I will get to wear it eventually.

And now, what you've all been waiting for (if you've had the courage and stamina to read this far), here is my shrug in all its glory!

 Note the bright orange ruffle that encircles the whole thing.  I wanted it to mimic the cuffs with a knit 4, purl 4 ribbing but I ran out of room on my circular needles because I had about a gajillion stitches on the needle but I was too cheap to go out and buy a larger set.


20 comments:

  1. What a bright and colorful sweater, so pretty, sharing your blog!

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  2. LOL I had to laugh at your post! I had some of that itchy stuff too. It has all been used up and will never touch flesh, except fingers putting onto a holder. LOL

    Love the shrug!

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    1. Thanks Christie. I still have more lurking in my cellar. Don't know what I'll do with it but as long as it doesn't reproduce down there, I'll leave ti there for now!

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  3. Love it! The shrug will definitely cheer up a gray winter day. Great story of your battle with yarn. I have that every day with strands and strands of gemstones! LOL!

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    1. Thanks Catherine! I feel your pain. Beads are jsut as bad as yarn, maybe worse.

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  4. Great colors in this bright shrug. Enjoyed reading your post!

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  5. Such a great story. The shrug is really lovely....I can see this being most popular with the younger crowd.

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    1. Thanks Kat. It probably would but after all my yarn battles, I'm keeping it for myself!

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  6. Love your story! Love that shrug. The colors are cheerful, perfect for Fall which is not too far from now.

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    1. Thanks. I kind of like the colors but my daughter was horrified by them! I had little choice in that I needed a large amount of certain colors to complete it and at the time I was just trying to see if I could devise my own pattern.

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  7. Enjoyed your story! It was lively and interesting and I love that bright shrug!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed my yarn tale! I do get inspired every once in awhile. Most times, I sit with my fingers poised on the keyboard and I get nothing. Glad you like the shrug.

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  8. What a fun post, Nancy! I simply LOVE the colors you used in your shrug, and they are not ugly at all. I can see why the orange shouted louder than the rest. :) You made me laugh, and I do love the shrug. Sharing!

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    1. I like them too! I chose them because those were the only colors that I had that might be enough for what I wanted, especially the orange and red. But now that it's done, I think they go well together. I'll certainly be highly visible in the snow while wearing that shrug!

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  9. Great way to explain your creative muse! I love the shrug too! Keep us posted on the next adventure in the basement!

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    1. I was just going back into the basement. I want to experiment with knitting a scarf using something called wrap and turn. I've never done it and this scarf might be the source of a future blog post!

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  10. What a scary thing to have yarn crawling in to your basement and being afraid of it! Haha! That sounds like how my mind works! Cute blog, you are funny, and you have quite a talent for knitting. Fun shrug!

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    1. That's not all I have crawling out of plastic tubs in my basement! I also have a stash of fabric that I've bought over the years or that people have given to me, and as a true craft junkie, I can never say no to free fabric no matter how ugly! I can feel it silently glaring at me every time I go down there. Someday I might let it loose and make a quilt!

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