And just like that, we are six months into 2020- what a year it has been! It is impossible to sum up what has happened so far this year (Australian wildfires, global pandemic, Black Lives Matter resurgence, etc.), but I think we can all agree that this year will lead to some shifting of paradigms and routines for decades to come.
I made a goal at the beginning of this year to use up 75% of my yarn stash in an effort to make space, save money, and change my mindset to be more minimal and environmentally friendly. You can read more about my original plan to reach this goal here. The state of the world has definitely shaped the reality of this task. I hope to reflect on what the past 6 months have been like for this experience as well as look to the next six months as I continue to work towards my goal. If you are interested, you can check out my process (with tips and tricks for decluttering your yarn!) here and here, and you can read about my #attackmystash2020 updates for the months of January, February, March, April, and May.
For the month of June, I started to get my crojo back. I not only made a bunch of cute baby items for our little girl coming in October but I also participated in a pattern test for Lianne from @fantasysprites and made progress on my Sweet Pea Collection of patterns. This month, my numbers are looking pretty similar when compared to past months, so while I am not surpassing my goal to destash my yarn, I am working consistently at using up my supplies.
My Budget
Over the course of this year, my mindset towards purchasing yarn has changed greatly, and my June budget shows that. I spent absolutely no money on yarn this month! I refrained from purchasing yarn last month as well, and I think this trend will continue. The first few months of the year were a lot harder to stay within my budget of yarn spending, but as I practiced self control and made a concerted effort to use up my yarn stash instead of buying pretty yarn without a purpose, my habits changed. Granted, the coronavirus pandemic helped me stay home and away from the craft store, but I think my perspective towards yarn also changed. This past month, I won a giveaway that gave me a gift card to Jo-ann’s Fabrics. And while I literally had free money to spend on craft supplies, I spend none of it on yarn. I have found that my yarn stash was plenty of inspiration for my next projects and that I needed to prioritize using the yarn I already have instead of adding more to the pile.
My Yarn Stash
Since I purchased no skeins of yarn this past month, my yarn stash is steadily decreasing. In total, I used up 15 skeins of yarn during the month of June, and I have consumed 87 skeins of yarn so far during 2020. That sounds like a crazy amount! I am really proud of that number. However, my net usage of yarn only comes to 55 skeins because of the yarn I purchased this year (still sounds like a big number though- I need to be proud of the work I have done!). When I focus on using yarn from my stash, I make a much larger dent in the space I have dedicated to my craft supplies. My ultimate goal is to only have 127 skeins of yarn by the end of the year. We will see if I reach that number, but I think no matter how close I get to reaching my goal I will be really happy if I continue making progress like I have these past 6 months. I currently have 454 skeins of yarn in my stash, and I am working hard to use up more! The biggest ways that I used up my yarn this month were through a couple DK weight cotton stash-busting projects, both using little 10 gram skeins of Scheepjes Catona yarn. I made an adorable peach mandala decor piece as well as a couple TinySprites for the pattern test in which I participated. I used up eight of those small skeins of DK cotton during June. I have found this year that the greatest way to use up my stash is to make bulky and super bulky projects. This month, I made an autumn table runner with some beautiful Lion Brand Yarns Mandala Thick & Quick. I was able to quickly make a larger project and get rid of some bulk in my stash. As fall approaches, I hope to stock up on more cozy and bulky items in my shop so I can continue to work through that part of my stash.
Things I Have Learned
The biggest thing I have learned over the past six months is that I probably set too lofty of a goal for Attack My Stash 2020 (I know, I hate to admit it). While I have already used up a good amount of yarn, changed my spending habits, and made more space in my home, I do not think that I will reach my ultimate goal of using up 75% of my yarn stash this year alone. I have kept with my goal consistently so far this year, and I hope to continue decluttering my yarn. However, it may take me a bit longer to reach my goal of having a lot less yarn stockpiled in my home. That’s totally ok! I have made progress, and will continue to make progress, and I am looking forward to seeing how the next six months go in the process of working through my yarn.
This past month, I realized that I am having an easier time using up my stash of DK weight cotton yarn (both Scheepjes Catona mini skeins and small skeins of Paintbox DK). At first, I wanted to treasure the 100+ skeins I had because they were won in a few giveaways and carried a huge range of color; I didn’t want to use up a skein and then regret what I used it on (a little silly, I know). But now that I have worked harder at actually using up that yarn, I am having a much easier time parting with it. I hope that I can continue to use it up in the coming months. Also, I realized recently that I need to brainstorm more baby items to make since I am fresh out of ideas. I don’t want to make more clothes since I have already been given a ton of clothes from well-meaning friends and family, so I need to make more functional items for baby girl. I asked on both Instagram and Facebook, and I got some really interesting suggestions: lots of washcloths and burp cloths, swaddles, hair pieces, and even a car seat cover! I have enjoyed making a few clothing items, toys, and decor, so I hope to make a lot more items for baby in the coming months.
Things to Change: Looking Towards the Future
Specifically for the month of July, I am participating in a donation program called Christmas in July by Elder Orphan Care organized in part this year by Liz from @lizs_indiana_attic. I plan on donating scarves and hats that I make this month to send to Romania to a group of elderly adults. Since this year all of the crafting is done in our own homes instead of at big events, they are in desperate need of volunteers to donate! I am really looking forward to sending some kindness and warmth across the world, and I hope to find more outlets to donate crochet to for the rest of this year. In general, I want to work on gifting more of my items to other people since that is a great expression of love and care for another human being. I have always loved crocheting to fill a need, and I hope to meet the needs of others my giving them handmade items they can use and treasure.
I also want to spend more time working on my shop so that I can sell more products this coming fall and winter. I have quite a few seasonal items already made, so I hope to also declutter my crafting stash by selling those items in my stock. That way, I can use up some of the yarn I purchased to make more stock sooner. Last fall was my first time participating in craft fairs, and so I think I have learned a lot more since then. Even if craft fairs may not be the reality of the world we live in this autumn, I hope to make some sells around that time of year so I need to prepare now. Finally, I hope to work on at least a couple more patterns this year. My Sweet Pea Skirt is currently in the testing phase, and I have another design on my hook as we speak. So keep an eye out for more patterns to come!
What a year 2020 has been! Part of me did not even know if I would be where I am today in regards to Attack My Stash 2020. I am really proud of myself for sticking with this goal, even though it is hard, so that I can change my lifestyle and mindset to be more minimalistic and environmentally friendly. Let me know in the comments below, on Instagram at @crowchetcreations, or through the hashtags #crowchetcreations or #attackmystash2020 how you are joining me through this journey to declutter your crafting supplies over the course of this year.
XO, Emily
