Stash Busting: How I'm Using my Tower of Yarn (One Skein at a Time)

If you've been crocheting for more than... 10-15 minutes, you already know how it goes. You buy yarn for one project, maybe two. Then there's that "Can't pass this color up" moment, and that leads to the "this is on sale, so technically I'm saving money" moment, and suddenly you man is looking at you and giggling while you take inventory of all of the yarn that you have hidden inside the storage compartment. I recently looked at mine and realized that I have this market coming up soon, I really gotta get this stash busted before it busts me.

Why Does Stash Busting Matter?

For me, Stash-busting isn't just about clearing out under my couch. It's more about:

• Saving money so I'm not endlessly buying new yarn when there's perfectly good fibers waiting to be loved.

• Getting Creative because sometimes limited colors or partial skeins lead to the most interesting of projects.

• Making Space for new ideas, new textures, and yes, new yarn (because let's be real, there truly never is a "last" skein.)

And honestly? There's something extremely therapeutic about working with what you already have, especially when chronic illness makes my energy and budget unpredictable.

My Stash Busting Game Plan

Here's how I'm tackling the chaos stored under my couch...

1. Taking Inventory of Every Color and How Much- If they're just scraps, there's a good chance that if I can't use them for part of a coaster, they're going into my scrap ball which gets turned into a scrap-ghan when it gets big enough. The larger skeins get taken note of the weight and color, and then placed into a random wheel spinner based by weight.

2. I have another wheel full of projects of all sizes, and different wheels for different weights of yarn. This is how I decide what to do with the yarn that I don't know what to do with, because it ensures that I get a variety of items and they're not based on what I like to make, it's based on a random generator.

3. Going back to the Scrap Ball- Once I get to a certain point in a skein, it gets designated to the scrap ball. I have one large one that's almost ready to become an afghan, and that will be donated to a local women's shelter. I call them scrap-ghans, but they're perfectly good pieces of material that I don't necessarily want to throw away, but I can't use them for a full project and they're not small enough to use for stuffing. So, they get attached to one another and put into one large blanket, and then donated, since I have enough of my own blankets.

4. Farmer's Market Prep with Stash Projects - Since I've got a market coming up, stash-busting is actually helping me stock my table. Quick items like bandanas, Dragon Egg Dice Bags, or coasters are perfect for those odd half-skeins.

Stash- Busting Crochet Ideas:

If you're in the same boat (a.k.a. Yarn Hoarder's Anonymous), here are a few things that you can whip up without needing a full skein

• Scrunchies or Hair Tyes

• Keychains

• Dice Bags

• Coasters

• Granny square bags

• Striped Scarves

• Washcloths

• Coin Purses

• Fruit Bags

The Mental Side of Stash-Busting

What I didn't expect is how much lighter I feel when I turn the "guilt stash" into something I can actually use and sell. For me, having a yarn stash brings a small source of comfort, especially now that I have a small business, because it makes me work towards creating more products for other people. Turning it into something real, even small, honestly feels like claiming some sort of creative intention and purpose for myself and my company, instead of just letting it gather dust.

And yes, when I bust the stash I'll probably go out and buy more yarn, but at least I'll know that I'll have a place to put it.

Peace, Love and All the Above,

Ella Marie <3