Here we are, at the end of another month, to reflect on my progress in my effort to use up my yarn stash this year. As my husband predicted, it was another one of “those” months- filled with splendid yarn purchases that made me very happy. You can read on to learn more about the yarn I bought this month. But wait- there’s more! Despite the amount of yarn I acquired, I was still able to use up quite a bit of yarn during the month of August. I am proud of myself for managing to break even with the net amount of yarn I own this month. One of my reasons for trying to use up my yarn the past few years is to make room for yarn that sparks joy. I also wanted to save some space by paring down on what I own and to produce less consumer waste. You can read more about my original goal in 2020 here and how I made plans to update my goal for 2021 here. I’ve been making monthly updates about my overall progress which you can read at the Attacking My Stash tab above.
This month, I had a lot of creative inspiration. I published my very first YouTube video, a yarn decluttering vlog to prepare for a temporary move across the country (you can watch it here). I also published a DITL (Day In The Life) vlog about my time spent on a Sunday trying to make some space between my crochet hobby and my crochet business (you can watch it here). Although I don’t have a schedule set up, I would like to make regular videos on my channel, Crowchet Creations. I plan on creating DITL vlogs, process videos, crochet chats, and even a few stitch tutorials. I’m also open to doing other content, so subscribe and let me know if there is something you want to see!
I released my Endless Summer Scarf as a low-cost PDF in my shops in August as well. It was originally released on The Hook Nook Blog but now can be purchased from my Etsy, Ravelry, and website shops. I completed a few pattern tests as well, the Mini Success Socks by @TheGracefulTangle and the Serendipity Bows by @WoodlandStitchcraft. I also managed to knit my hubby a pair of socks for his birthday, just in the knick of time! I did lots of crocheting and knitting to offset the amount of yarn I purchased this month.
My family came to visit, so my mom and I kept our tradition alive of visiting a local yarn store together. I had good reason to buy yarn in August, it was a great experience to have with my mom!
My Budget
This month, I bought a sizeable amount of yarn. Just as before, I tried to make sure my purchases had a plan so that any new yarn I bring into my home has a purpose- it’s all about intentional crafting. I needed to buy quite a few skeins of cotton yarn for specific projects: one pattern test, one custom order bandana bib, and a new pattern design (my Life is Gourd Dishcloth set, coming soon!). Some of that yarn I bought from bigger craft stores, but about half of those cotton skeins I purchased from my local yarn shop. I am trying to focus more of my buying power on supporting small businesses, so I am happy that I could make the switch for some 100% cotton yarn that I needed.
I also made a few purchases from some hand dyed yarn preorders, which have not yet arrived in my stash. Sewrella Yarn came out with a Taylor Swift collection, and I made a point to buy some sock yarn in colors that spoke to me, for both a vanilla sock as well as a Christmas-themed sock pattern I have been eyeing. Treehouse Knits also released a preorder, though the theme was the movie Coco, and the colors were stunning! I just couldn’t choose which colorways I wanted, so I opted for the mini skein variegated set. While it was more budget friendly than buying 100 gram skeins of every color, I still counted it as purchasing seven new skeins of yarn.
As I mentioned above, my mother and I went together to a local yarn store when she visited my family at the end of August. We had so much fun encouraging each other to buy yarn and giving feedback on good yarn pairings! I love sharing this hobby with my mom. I was even able to use her rewards points from her yarn purchase to get a discount on my own. Though like I have said before, my budget goal for 2021 is not about the cost of yarn but rather what businesses my money supports. You can watch my yarn haul on YouTube here.
In total, I ended up purchasing 27 skeins of yarn this month (it’s a crazy amount, I know!), though considering how many were mini skeins and preorders, I did not acquire as much. Read on to learn about my net yarn usage (it will surprise you).
My Yarn Stash
Despite buying 27 skeins of yarn in August, I had a net usage of zero skeins of yarn. That’s right, I used up just as many skeins as I acquired last month! Since much of the yarn I bought was in preorders, I only acquired 16 skeins of yarn in August. I was able to use up 16 skeins too, leaving my grand total count at 284 balls of yarn. As long as I am not adding to my total amount of yarn, I am ok just breaking even some months!
I used a fairly even spread of DK and worsted weight yarn this month. I used quite a bit of cotton for summer garments/accessories and I used up some acrylic yarn for donated hats and scarves. Most of the yarn I brought into my home in August was from Fillory, the local yarn store in San José, California, from the big yarn shopping trip my mom and I took at the very end of the month. My preordered yarn will be coming spread out throughout the next few months, so I look forward to adding those special skeins to my stash when they arrive!
Things I Learned
It felt great to go to the yarn store this month with my mom. Partly, it was because we continued a tradition as we have both grown in our love for crochet over the years. I also really enjoyed being able to have a list of projects and ideas with me in the yarn store. It was fulfilling to have a purpose to (most of) my purchases and to pick out yarns that spoke to me and met my goals. I definitely want to continue exploring new yarn stores with my mother whenever we can. I also want to have more “To Buy” lists with me when I go to the yarn store so I can feel accomplished in my larger yarn hauls.
I really enjoy having at least one pair of socks on my needles. However, it is really hard to use up a skein of yarn on a pair of socks. It feels like it takes forever! Plus, depending on the socks I make, I may have a lot more yarn left over, at least enough to do something with it. I love me a contrast heel, toe, and cuff!
Things to Change
I have never before delineated what counted as a scrap amount of yarn. I vaguely decided that if the yarn wound into a small ball would fit in my scrap tub, then it counted as scrap yarn. I know that I can’t necessarily count everything 20 grams or less as scrap, since some mini skeins come that small already, and some yarn weights are heavier than others. Twenty grams of fingering weight yarn looks a lot different than 20 grams of bulky yarn! As I move forward in my goal to Attack My Stash, I want to more precisely figure out how to classify a scrap amount of yarn.
Finally, while all the yarn I have purchased recently is bringing me joy, I know that I should limit the yarn I buy for the next little while. I have plenty of projects in mind for the yarn I have, and if I have learned anything from trying to use up my stash it’s that I don’t have enough time for all the things I want to make! The more yarn I buy, the bigger that problem gets. For the rest of 2021, I want to try a little harder to figure out how to use up my stash yarn rather than buying new yarn for new projects.
August was not what I expected, but I thoroughly enjoyed all things yarn that came my way this past month. If you are also trying to convert your yarn stash into something you love more, share with me in the comments below or connect with me through Instagram @crowchetcreations or using the hashtags #CrowchetCreations and #AttackMyStash2021. Happy making!
XO, Emily
