We are already halfway through June, and I am only now getting the chance to reflect on my monthly progress towards my goal to use up my yarn stash this year. May ended up being a crazy month, with June also throwing some wrenches at my routine! I did not get to crochet or knit as much as I had intended because life got in the way (as it often does). Within a matter of a few weeks, my family went on an impromptu housing trip across the country, decided to move, packed up the belongings we planned to take with us for this six-month temporary housing stint, went on vacation across the country to visit my family (it was a much needed break from the stress of moving), returned home for the movers, and drove across the country to settle our family in California, where we will be calling home for the next six months. It has been a whirlwind of activity and travel and packing. But even though things did not go as expected, I was still able to make some progress on my yearlong goal to use up my yarn stash.
You can learn more about my original goal that I set in 2020 here as well as read about my plans to update that long-term resolution for 2021 here. I publish monthly updates about what I make and design, yarn I use up, my spending on yarn, and what I learn from my efforts to use more of what I already have. You can find these monthly updates under the Attacking My Stash tab up above. I have become more minimal and intentional in my crafting and hope to continue growing and developing as a creator through this goal to use up my yarn.
Thankfully, I was able to release my Sweet Pea Child Skirt pattern before things got crazy! You can find this pattern on my Etsy, Ravelry, and website shops. It covers sizes 3 months up through 16 Juniors!
My Budget
So remember how last month I said that I wanted to spend less money on yarn? Totally didn’t happen. Though even as I wrote my April Attack My Stash 2021 reflection post, I had already spent a lot of money on hand dyed yarn so I knew that my wallet would be sad this month. But the yarn I bought brings such joy to my heart! And everything I purchased with great care and purpose. I spotted some yarn from LeRoo Cotton for a summer release that was named “Georgia Peach” and I had to have it. My daughter’s name is Georgia and her nickname is Peaches, so I plan on making something extra special for my little one out of this yarn. The last time I bought garment quantity of a hand dyed yarn I ended up being short, so this time I purchased an extra skein of yarn for good measure. Keep your eyes peeled for a child garment pattern design that I have in the works!
Since we discovered that we were moving (and quickly, at that), I knew that I needed to buy some yarn local to the DFW area so I could make a pair of socks to commemorate our time here. I found some great yarn that was on sale at Ewe 2 Yarn in Waxahatchie. So while I purchased more skeins I did so conscientiously. I even joked with my husband that I might buy the whole wall of sock yarn because it was so pretty and all he said was, “Remember that we have to be able to take it to California with us!” So I showed great restraint in only buying one hank and one mini for a pair of socks.
I am very blessed to be able to afford hand dyed yarn. It is a privilege not only to spend money on a hobby but to also buy nice yarn just because. My job, my husband’s job, and my little crochet business all allow me the financial flexibility to spend money on yarn that makes me happy. I did not purchase any yarn from a big box craft store this past month; I am proud that I can financially support both local and indie dyers!
My Yarn Stash
In May, I acquired eight skeins of yarn between the “Georgia Peach” yarn, the yarn for my pair of Texas-made socks, and the Oopsie sock set I purchased at the end of April from Sewrella. I am now the proud owner of many beautiful hanks of yarn!
With all the chaos of an unexpected move and only one week to pack up our things in between two out-of-state trips, I felt like I hardly crocheted the second half of May! In total, I was able to use up exactly eight skeins of yarn. That means I broke even this past month. That is crazy to me since I haven’t had a month like that since the very beginning of 2020 when I was still trying to curb my yarn-buying habits. But with some beautiful yarn acquisitions and a lot less time to create, I am proud of myself for at least not adding to my yarn stash in May. I finished a few skeins of worsted weight yarn for a blanket I planned to donate to the animal shelter, as well as one skein for a scarf pattern I tested for @amberblissthis. I also “finished” a couple skeins of fine weight yarn, but I really just organized my stash and realized I had scraps of that yarn that I should just move out of my stash. I do keep all my scrap yarn, so one day I will have a mega scrappy project to work on, but I do not count those tiny balls in my stash.
Things I Learned
Life really got in the way of crochet this month, which was overwhelming. I had so many plans that fell through. I wanted to work on my first YouTube exclusive video, write a new blog post about my journey to learn how to knit, and release my Sweet Pea Cover Up pattern. I had to learn to be okay putting first things first and letting myself step away from Crowchet Creations for a couple weeks while I helped to sort things out with our move. If you have ever moved across the country you know how many things need to get figured out! I am so grateful for my testers for my cover up design who gave me a lot of grace in releasing the pattern later than originally intended, and I hope to continue working on social media content as I had planned now that we are getting settled in our new home. I had a crazy experience though where I just threw up a picture of me and my daughter wearing matching cover ups on the beach during our California housing trip and it EXPLODED on social media! Like, it blew every other post of mine out of the water for engagement and reach. So you really can’t predict the algorithm! Though I am sure having a cute matching baby by the beach helped.
Also, as I sorted through my yarn to determine what I would bring with us for our temporary move, I realized which yarns truly “spark joy” and which I bought just because I thought I might get use out of them. Of course I brought all of my hand dyed yarns as well as a couple higher end yarn brands. I discovered some of my favorite big box yarns to work with too. The experience of pairing down my yarn enabled me to recognize what types of yarns I should have in my long-term stash, once I use up more of my other yarns.
Finally, I learned that I wanted to make more time for donation projects. I managed to squeeze a few extra skeins of yarn into our moving boxes to make this happen. It is so fun to work on yarn I love for projects that inspire me, but I get so much joy out of making something for someone else (especially someone who is in need) that I didn’t feel like my stash was complete until I had some yarn set aside for donations. I made a couple blankets for a local animal shelter right before moving, and I also have made hats and scarves for the Christmas in July event by a Romanian elder orphanage. I get a lot of satisfaction from my fiber art knowing that I can serve and help someone else through my talents!
Things to Change
First and foremost, as I mentioned above I want to make time for donation projects. I don’t have a ton of yarn set aside for that right now, so I need to make a point to use it up in the coming months! I avoid working on pattern designs or market makes on Sundays as a way to focus on worship and not monetary gain. I think I will dedicate some time of Sundays to working on a project I plan to donate or gift, rather than a selfish make, as a way to make time to donate my talents to others.
Since we made this temporary cross-country move, I have realized how different my time will be spent. It is not really possible to get a nursing job right now, especially since the licensing process in California takes so long and I will just be quitting in a few months when we move out of state again. So I really only have crochet and my family to balance my time. I am looking forward to setting aside more time to this little business and having many more pattern designs coming this year!
May took a crazy turn of events, but I am excited to see where life takes me and this little business. I hope to be able to work through more of my yarn in June so that I can continue to share my progress with you on this year-long goal to attack my stash. If you join in, share with me in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @crowchetcreations or use the hashtags #crowchetcreations or #attackmystash2021! For my next update, I’ll be reflecting on reaching the halfway point of 2021, which is crazy! I hope to see you again soon.
Happy making!
XO, Emily
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