Did you know that sock yarn doesn’t count as stash? It doesn’t. (And I love that.) Here’s why:
1. One or two balls/hanks/skeins of sock yarn don’t even take up enough space to matter. What? You have multiple yarn to be knit into socks? Yeah, but each bit of yarn for each pair of socks doesn’t take up much space – and that’s the way you count it.
2. In most parts of the world, socks are a necessity at some point of the year. (Except to my friend Michelle in CA who wears sandals when she visits CO in the winter. She’s not getting a pair of handknit socks from me. Ever.)
3. Socks being the necessity that they are, means that the yarns you have set aside to make socks with are also a necessity. That might even mean that the sock yarn purchases need to come out of the family household budget, but I’m still contemplating that.
4. You already know that these little things knit up just oh-so-quick. I’m thinking you can knit a pair a week, conservatively. That means 52 pairs a year. You’re going to need a LOT of sock yarn for that. What? You knit other things besides yarn? Ok. Let’s be conservative and say you only do 2 pairs of socks a month. That’s still 24 pairs a year. That’s a lot of sock yarn that you’ll be using up. Anything that you use up that quickly doesn’t have time to be “stash”.
5. You just don’t know what kind of a mood you’ll be in when you pick your next sock yarn to knit up. If you’re in a bad mood, you might need blacks/dark greens/blues/browns. If you’re in a lighthearted mood, you might need pastels or brights. You just can’t limit yourself to a couple of choices on hand. Sock yarns, therefore, are mood matchers. Not stash.
6. You might get frustrated with a challenging lace pattern on the cuff one night, and need to start a toe-up simple sock to sooth your ruffled feathers. Obviously you need new sock yarn to choose from. And depending on your mood, you need to have CHOICES. (See #5) Sock yarns are mood adjustors. Not stash.
7. You might get bored with the simple rib pattern that you have chosen for the cuff, and need to start a new pair. (See #6. And then see #5.) Sock yarns are brain challengers. Not stash.
8. All of your sock yarns have a purpose and a specific project designation when you buy them. You’re making socks. Thus, I don’t believe they qualify for the TRUE meaning of the word stash, which is “I have no idea what I’ll use it for but if I don’t buy this yarn now it will be gone when I think of something to use it for and come back to buy it later.” (see previous blog) Sock yarns have a true identity, so they can’t be stash. (A perfect example of “get it when you see it because it will be gone when you come back for it later”? Schaefer Anne and Lola, which are one of a kind colorways. When they’re gone, they’re gone. I pick those colors out first, when adding to my personal sock yarn buffet.)
9. No yarns bought to make gifts for others, count as stash. They come under the GIFT category – and need I say, from the GIFT BUDGET, not your yarn budget.
10. It’s a lot of fun to buy sock yarns, because there are so many wonderful patterned yarns, hand-dyed choices, different weights, etc. Not counting these yarns as official stash means you can indulge in all of the sock yarns you want – and what’s not to like about that? Sock yarns are happiness-inducers. Not stash.
So you see, sock yarns are many things (who knew?). But socks yarns are not counted as “stash”. I call it my “personal sock yarn buffet”. PSYB. It’s my job to keep the buffet full and enticing, right?
(The photo at the top of this list? That is my current PSYB. And actually, I took that last week before the Claudia Hand-Painted arrived. I added several of those wonderful yarns to my PSYB. Tomorrow, it will grow again, because the UPS man will have been here with more fun yarns for The Loopy Ewe … and me ….)
Sheri Ihavesomanysockyarnswaitingtobe”socked”butcontinuallyaddmore.Howmanydoyouhave?
