To Stash, or not to Stash, That is the Question!

Thanks so much for your supportive comments re my auxiliary ‘Yarn collection’, Based on that experience, I had to lie down with a Bex and a nice cup of tea (or as someone suggested, breathing deeply with my head between my knees)!

I was then inspired to investigate the two other – umm – ‘yarn marshalling areas’ - to see what was happening there, and the results have made me hesitant to post for some time – but here we go!

Linen Cupboard (Primary yarn area)

I have 24 jumpers worth,
plus a lace stash,
4 duvet bags (those clear square plastic bags which zip open that you get when you buy doonas or blankets) – 1 is manufactured sock yarn (Patonyle, Arwetta, Opal, Heirloom, etc etc, some handpaints and baby wool- generally a four ply collection). Some of this has overflowed to fill a 25 litre tub in the auxiliary stash. 1 is Bulky yarn; 1 is assorted 8 ply and one is luxe yarn – silks, alpaca, yumminess for special projects.
There are also 2 large plastic tubs – 1 x 55litres and 1x35 litres holding the jumper stuff,
several bags of cotton,
2 large bags of worsted weight skeins for felting projects,
3 shopping bags of novelty yarn and some other bits and pieces.
All this covers around 2 cubic metres!


Downstairs (Ancilliary yarn area, primarily devoted to sock yarn)

Here’s where I really had to put my head between my knees.
8 jumpers worth ready to go. – In project bags with patterns – all set to cast on!
98 pairs of socks worth of artisanal yarn. There’s a lot more than 98 skeins – because much of the yarn comes as 2 skeins for a pair of socks. Of course, some is effectively 2 pairs of socks per skein (Wollmeise etc) around 30 pairs worth is forming it’s own sock club – bagged up with an appropriate pattern – one which ‘spoke’ to me and I have matched up – some is real sock club – from either Red Bird or the Rockin’ Sock Club.
Some felting stuff, some cotton, some bits and piece.
My extensive downloaded pattern collection, books, magazines, pattern books and journals.


If I knit 10 jumpers a year, 10 pairs of socks a year and assorted single skein projects I have enough yarn for 9 years of jumpers, and around 15 years of socks.

Given that I am 46, is this going to be enough? Will this see me through to retirement?

I don’t think so. So now, I’m worried. I need to get some more plastic bins and get serious about acquiring a stash. I need to really start acquiring some yarn – because there are a lot of knitting years ahead of me and I’m not sure I have a large enough yarn collection to last me till I’m 80 or so.

So over the next 10 years, I’ll be talking to stash advisers, investing in yarn, sheep and alpacas. I’ll reclaim my mother’s spinning wheel and talk to Mandie about fibre. This stuff is my superannuation – and I need to get busy!