Monday, October 27, 2014

stash diving


Somehow (and I really have no idea how, hehe...) over the past few months I've built up quite a selection of beautiful yarns. I have to admit, I've never been a knitter with a huge stash. This isn't because I haven't wanted to collect beautiful yarn. On the contrary I think that investing in our creative pursuits (within reason of course) is very important. Rather, it just always worked out this way. Previously I was a strict monogamous knitter. I would purchase the yarn for whatever project I had planned and then get started. Sure, I had a collection of yarn I'd received as gifts, or that hadn't worked out for the project I had planned, but for the most part I really didn't (and couldn't afford to) purchase on a whim. 

This past summer however, I got the opportunity to visit a few new cities and discover a few new yarn stores. Knowing I wouldn't have the opportunity to come back to these beautiful spots, I made a few thoughtful purchases and now have quite the collection of beautiful yarns in my knitting basket, inspiring me to cast on new projects! Today I thought I would share a few of the yarns along with my ideas (or lack thereof) for what to make them into. So here's the best of what I've acquired these last few months!



The yarn in the above photo) is Drops Alpaca. I've got plans to make some striped hats from most of it, and as you can see in the photos above, have already cast on a pair of mitts for a friend from the brown & green yarn on the left. 
(PS: yes, sometimes I sit on my table when I knit. It's pushed up against our giant NW facing windows and the light is lovely and with a few cushions it's also quite cozy...)


Apparently I've got a thing for Alpaca currently. This yarn I bought while in Strasbourg, France with friends. The shop was called la droguerie and had a lovely selection of not only yarn but fabric, buttons & beads. They even gave me that little card about the Alpacas when I purchased the yarn- a chance to practice my (very) rusty schoolgirl French. The green I used to make mitts for Waldi and the other two are for a pair of mitts for me. 



While in Hamburg, we visited Mylys- a lovely yarn store and cafe. I was so blown away with the selection of incredibly gorgeous yarns but in the end fell in love with this skein of Mad Tosh sock yarn, in the Cove colourway. So far I've no concrete plans on what to make with it, but I'm thinking maybe a cowl like this or this.
(PS: any suggestions are much appreciated!)


This skein of yarn is from a small sheep farm in the Bavarian Alps. Waldi went on a hiking trip with his brother this summer and brought it back, along with some handmade sheep's milk soap. It's lovely and rustic and sheepy and My first thought was (again) a pair of mitts, but I've been making so many lately (both from my own designs and otherwise) that I really should use it for something else (again, suggestions appreciated).

So, of course, I wanna know- what do you guys have in your stash that you're dying to cast on?  

4 comments:

  1. Oh lovely! I absolutely love to discover new places, and I'm over the moon when it happens to have a yarn shop or a farm where you can get some local fibers.
    Since I don't travel that much anymore, I started to search for small farm yarns or not very well know brands that are produced by local people.
    I've just completed one cardigan, and I'm currrently working on an icelandic sweater, but i also have this gorgeous plum yarn which is a blend of wool & alpaca, and I'm trying really hard not to cast on a new sweater :)

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    1. That's such a lovely idea to look for small & local yarns. I'll have to do a bit more research on what's in my area! Also, I saw your post about your Keynote cardigan and it is SO incredibly lovely. You've inspired me to cast on a sweater project! As soon as my Christmas knitting is finished I'm planning to research the yarn for it :)

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  2. Gorgeous yarns! There is something about beautiful yarn - it just looks so pretty and inviting and cozy. Like you I usually buy yarn with a specific project in mind but still I have a stash because I can't always resist buying yarn randomly when I travel. I recently bought a few skeins in Scotland and some smaller projects I am thinking of for these are hats and shawls.

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    1. I would love to buy yarn in Scotland! I saw your photos from your trip and they are incredible. Buying yarn when traveling is extra inspiring- your hats and shawls can remind you of a special place you visited as well as inspire you with their loveliness!

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