Let's tour the yarn stash

The vest is coming along but it's all smooched on the knitting needle so not a good subject for a picture. But since I haven't had knitting pictures lately - let's take a tour of the house and see what we find.

Before we start I have to let you know since moving to my new computer I don't have my graphics program. It doesn't work with Windows Vista and I need to get a new version. So - some of these pictures need a little help and I couldn't give it to them.

First the guest room - Here's some boxes filled with "antique" yarn. I brought these boxes over from the other house and they have the old acrylic, cotton, and wool yarn. I have yarn in these boxes that is well over 30 years old. Some day it WILL be used. On top of the boxes (sorry about the blurry picture) is a few t-shirts that are going to my cousins kids and an afghan that I was playing with. It's leftover acrylic knit up as a log cabin quilt pattern. I knit this in the round sort of. I used a long circular needle and knit each side before moving to the next side. I never bound off the completed round because I didn't want the bulk of the bind off and I didn't want to have to pick up stitches all the time. Not my favorite thing. Well on to the next room.

The dining room. Oh look - a box of yarn from the other house is hiding here. This is yarn that was for sale in the shop. It leftover dye lots and I'm going to have to be creative to use some of this. But I will or - it may end up in my will......

Next - the den. This room is a little frightening. It was my parents bedroom when I grew up. When I bought the house and moved back here I just couldn't have their bedroom be mine. A little bit too bizarre. I'm very comfortable with my old bedroom and their bedroom makes a great den. Plus I didn't want my memory confused parents to come over to the house and not understand that they don't live here anymore. (but that's another story) I live in the den much if the time. The computer and HD TV are in here. The cat chair is in here. My comfy chair is in here. The kitty toys are usually in here. But most importantly - the Jill toys are in here.

In the back corner - a basket with some knitting next to the bookcase. It's got a prayer shawl in progress but forgotten a month ago, a grey reversible cable. I decided I needed to figure out the reversible cable thing without buying a pattern. I figured it out, knit about 2 feet and put it aside. Under these are some afghan squares and a partly finished teddy bear.

Moving on - over to the small bookcase. In front is a box of finished but need to block items, you'll see these things some day. I promise. Behind that is some cones of baby colors from the other house. I brought them down to work on the baby boom at work knitting. The bookcase has some of my knitting magazines and patterns. If you look carefully on the middle shelf let side you can see one of my grandmother's patterns from the 1950s.

On top of the little bookcase is - yup - you guessed it - more yarn stuff. This basket has a finished EZ Baby sweater, a started sock, a green cable sweater back, my mystery shawl (clues 1-4), and a couple of items hiding in the basket. Over on the left you can kind of see the kitty cottage that Bert hangs out in a lot.

Behind the kitty cottage is the closet. Let's look in there. Surprise! more yarn stuff. These shelves are actually the good stuff. The sock yarn, my KnitPicks "to dye" yarn, some silk bamboo and other fun stuff. Some Cascade 220. This is the stash I head to first when deciding to start something new. Then I head to Amazing Threads and buy something new. Don't we all do that!

That blue and rose colored thing on the bottom is a knitting case I made about 15-20 years ago. It's the size of the three ring notebook and has lots of pockets, handles and zippers going all the way around closing it up, nice and safe. It holds all my straight needles, my grandma's needles, and many accessories. The double points and circular meendles live in a different container (a metal box from Target last year- Christmas candy!)

No pictures is the knitting hanging out around my chair - the vest, the turquoise shawl, a couple knitting test pieces. Out in the living room is a basket filled with little hats I've made to donate for this winter and a silk sweater I've been designing and got stuck on what I want to do. It's cool yarn so it sits out there in case someone drops by and I can say - "see my pretty yarn".

Sadly, all this yarn around the house is about 25-30% of my stash. The rest is still at the other house. I'm not ready to let you see that yet! Maybe someday....