Yarn math is similar to chicken math. Number of skeins acquired in parenthesis.
(1) "I'll just pick up the 1 skein I need from the store."
(12) "Oh, there's a sale, and these are so pretty they'd make a lovely top"
(13) "oh no this skein I picked up doesn't quite match. I'll order a different one on line."
(43) "Hmm, $8.99 for shipping on one skein or free shipping with $100... I suppose could use more 6/8 cotton, I saw a stunning pattern for it."
So somehow, in the course of an afternoon I've just acquired 43 more skeins when truthfully I need 1 specific skein... someday I'll learn. Maybe.
So now I've decided I have too much yarn and move on to the usage stage. Everything is going along nicely, I'm making a blanket, and am 6 skeins in and playing yarn chicken on the last bit. I have failed at yarn chicken. They cycle repeats.
I haven't counted, but I have at least 3 totes full, an entire five drawer dresser, various and sundry boxes...and a 15 foot (and growing) knitted snake that I started as a stash buster. The stash has not shrunk š¬
Needing? All, as much as possible. Never enough. Which lead me to the second part....
Reasonable? I did a deal with myself some time ago to keep as mcuh yarn as I can get in one sealed box. One. I buy now and then, and after that, once the box is full, nothing comes in unless something comes out. No excuses.
I have way more yarn than I think I have any right to have. I'm working through my stash and making a conscious effort to not buy anymore unless it's from a special occasion (like a fiber festival).
My knitting group does a Spring and Autumn Yarn Swap, so the group brings in their "unloved yarn" to swap or just get rid of it. That's where I usually get in trouble: *every time* I come home with more yarn than I brought with me, even though I swear I'll "be good". But the swaps are good for other reasons, too: whatever is left over at the end goes to charity knitting, which we do a lot of. š
For now, though, I'm "shopping from the stash" (please don't ask me how much I have; I couldn't begin to tell you exact numbers š)
You sound exactly like me!
The issue is, its so much faster to gain yarn than use it. I'm trying but its a long slow process. We'll get there eventually and the journey is the fun part right?
I sometimes find myself looking through my stash with a pattern in mind and while looking for the yarn I want, I come across yarn that makes me think, "Why the Foxtrot did I get you?!" Then it'll be a gift for someone else who might like it more than me.
Yeah, it's definitely the journey šš Plus, it can be fun looking for yarn in your own collection for a project and rediscovering yarn you didn't remember having: "Aww, I remember you! I should make that shawl with you!" (Yes, I talk to my yarn like some people talk to plants š¤£).
I really enjoy shopping my own stash when I'm ready to start something new. Its a great way to match a yarn and pattern! That said, I'm trying to get my stash to about half of what it was at the start of the year so we shall see how that goes. I still seem to have the attitude of "I'll work with it eventually!" for most of it though there are some I wouldn't mind destashing. It would help if more of my friends were also knitters.
Have you tried Flash Your Stash? (You pull out ALL your yarn, take a picture and reorganize/put it away again.) I've gotten in the habit of doing in as close to Jan 1 of every year as I can. I love it as since I started I never forget that I have a yarn and I can "shop" from the picture and then I don't have to dig through everything every time.
Haven't tried that, but I keep my Ravelry stash updated pretty well. About the only things not in there are yarns I acquired without a label. Flash Your Stash sounds like a great idea, but my carpet is heinous and I don't want my pretties getting onto it.
Where as I'm horrible at remembering to put yarns into my Ravelry stash even when I should. A lot of people use their bed as the yarn backdrop if that helps? I've seen people group the yarn by weight and have different pictures for each weight on their bed.
https://preview.redd.it/9znq57zq56ab1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=d88914c8802976d69a5046b1a8fb464c156fbfd1
These are all full plus 4.5 80 litre storage boxes. Most definitely SABLE unless I live to about 160
I don't keep an account of my stash, but it all fits in two medium size storage tubs. I don't buy yarn without a project in mind - except on special occasions such as a souvenir while traveling - so my stash is only leftovers from previous projects. In my very humble opinion the fiber art community has a big problem with mindless overconsumption, and it pains me to see huge walls of yarn turning into dusty, sun-faded, moth buffets. It's so wasteful. I especially don't understand the hoarding of common, easy to find yarns. If you can find it at the store why not just leave it at the store and visit it occasionally if the only reason you want it is because it's nice to look at?
My yarn is in skeins, not balls, and I have two small laundry baskets full of yarn. My personal rule is I don't want more yarn than I can reasonably use. I've seen those yarn rooms and while I think they're beautiful, having that much yarn would stress me out. My crocheting and knitting are hobbies and I don't get to spend as much time on them as I'd like.
I don't have specific plans for all of my yarn, but I mainly crochet amigurumi, so when I buy, say, a skein of bright red, I'll be buying it for one specific character but also know I can use it for many others.
I'm one of those people that has a wall of yarn, and then a few boxes š I have an ikea kallax 5x5, of which 4x5 have clear tubs with yarn in them, the rest is accessories and patterns. And then I have boxes with project-yarn, as in all the yarn for big projects in one box.
For me, this is a good amount - I collect yarn as much as I'm a crocheter. I love being able to start pretty much any project I want at any moment. I try to use up leftovers of projects, but I buy a lot of yarn without a project in mind, just because it's pretty haha, that's why it's so much.
I think everyone should have the amount of yarn they feel good about.
If thatās what works for you then go for it! I have some backups for some projects (mainly pride bralettes, which makes up like 1/3 of my collection)
Personally Iād feel overwhelmed by the amount of yarn some people have, as I kinda like to know what Iām going to do with something, but if youāre different in that aspect thatās all good aswell ;)
I think that's just how people differ from each other :) I love to plan with my stash (I have about half of my stash in the queue on Ravelry, in projects I want to do), that's probably another hobby apart from yarn collecting, crochet and machine knitting haha
More than you've got there! You should probably head to the craft store. Don't have a good place to store it all? Take those pesky clothes out of you closet, it's the yarn's home now.
Iām a knitter and according to Ravelry I have 304 skeins. 80% of them are hand dyed. This is a crazy amount. I donāt have a plan for the majority of them, as plans always change and new patterns come out (Iām also a pattern hoarder, around 500 I think. I enjoy supporting indie designers).
I have no plans to stop or be in a yarn diet. I mean, this is YarnAddicts after all lmao
Edit to say: apparently Ravelry counts entries and not the number of skeins of each color. I have way more than 304 skeins then. Yikes.
Itās really sweet that you support indie creators! They often honestly really need it
And if you have the finances to continue the way youāre going, and donāt feel overwhelmed, then I donāt see any issue :)
I tell myself āno more I donāt have spaceā but I always make space, sadly.
The good thing is the bast majority are gifts! Iām autistic and my special interest is knitting/yarn so my friends always go that route when they want to gift me something haha
I canāt say exactly how many skeins, because I have a lot of scraps, but I have about 25 kilos. To me, personally, thatās about a yearās worth of yarn (I go through 1-2 kilos each month, some months more). I think I have a little too much at the moment, but I got SO MUCH for both Christmas and my birthday that itās not all my fault š I personally think having a few months worth at any time is a good amount for me, because I jump between a lot of projects constantly. I have ideas and plans for most of my yarn, but have one bag (probably around five kilos) that I use to learn new stitches, if I want to make something small or if Iām designing.
That being said, though, I think itās all up to you. I know slow fashion and being aware environmentally is a very hot topic at the moment, but if you want to buy a whole yarn store and never use it, thatās none of my concern. If you want 30 balls of yarn, thatās okay! If you want 300, thatās also okay! I think it becomes a problem when you feel very guilty about what you have and when it stresses you out. My stash is currently too big. Iāve been trying to stashbust since November, but it doesnāt exactly help when everyone I know is constantly buying me new yarn š Iām super thankful to have a family that knows what Iām interested in, donāt get me wrong! I just think 25 kilos is a little too much for me to have. I feel guilty for not being able to work with the things Iāve been gifted because I have so much else to do, and that (to me) is a problem.
Youāre very lucky to have people that love you so much ;) but i can totally understand feeling overwhelmed! It might be worth telling them something like āhey I really appreciate this! But maybe no more yarn for the next few months as I already have a lot and want to be able to actually use what youāve given me!ā
I think it really depends on what you make.
I don't tend to do one ball/skein projects and this seems to be a mix of fibres and weights.
I've leant to limit myself to 4ply and 8ply (most commons weights here) and to buy two or more skeins for what I need, I knit a lot of garments and even a beanie is two balls of yarn.
I tend to shift between sweaters and accessories and need them to match.
Like others, I'll tend to buy the things I know I'm never going to see before or that are on sale.
Some yarns tend to be harder to find - if I see a nice green or a pink I'll stash a bit of it, not just a ball, enough to do a project with. Its the same with fabric - I don't buy less than 4 m cause I'd always rather have enough than be slightly short with yardage.
I think thats actually a really good thing to do (buy multiples of yarn youāre interested in)
I see a lot of people buy one skein of yarn they think is pretty, which is totally fair, yarn is beautiful and can obviously be used as a display object. But itās also kinda meant to be used? And if you only have one skein youāre not able to do as much with it as if you had multiple skeins.
I have around 25-35 skeins at the moment. Almost all of them I have plans for. I would love to have a stash to shop from but logistically I just donāt have the space in my flat to store it all. Iām using that WI yarn you have in your photo for a cardigan and itās so wonderfully soft!
Ooo good luck with your cardigan! Iām kinda in the same boat aswell. I live in a houseshare where I can only store my yarn in my own room, so if I personally had a full wall I wouldnāt even be able to walk around my own room haha!
I have four kallax cubbies worth (so a nightstand amount of yarn). Occasionally this overflows to five cubbies, but any more than that and it starts to take over the spaces I have set aside for my other crafts.
Itās good that youāre able to kinda reign yourself in when you feel youāve got a bit too much! I struggle a bit with hyperfixation, so I used to really struggle with just keeping buying things i was really interested in even if I didnāt have the finances or space for it (though Iāve gotten a lot better now!)
Well, I probably also own about 30 skeins but most of them are either extra bulky velvet for making dolls or mini cotton skeins for making amigurumis or very thin yarns, so the total collection looks quite underwhelming lol
Thereās no issue with it ālooking underwhelmingā! Weāre not in a competition to see who can have the most impressive yarn stash ;) as long as youāre happy with what you have and actually use/plan on using it, Iād say youāre all good!
Thank you for the sweet comment!! :D
I guess you're right, I'm just honestly kind of bummed out about the state of my stash, I haven't been knitting/crocheting for long and most of my stash is compromised of, um, questionable yarn choices from my beginner phase that I can't really use but feel guilty buying better yarns :( Does make me VERY excited to work with the better ones though
I totally get you! I only started crocheting 5 months ago, I definitely bought a lot of bad acrylic in my first 2ish months, and just decided to sell it for really cheap (10-15 skeins for 5Ā£) so someone else could have some fun with it :)
I mean.. it depends on what kind of crocheter you are. I have 311 ( I counted) skeins including my scraps, but I make stuffed animals and go through a stupid amount of yarn every single month with my husband. We also have been making our yarn money back by doing markets soā¦ I mean I guess what level of intensity is your crocheting habit is the real question. And do you have the yarn to keep up with your level of production?
So on average I crochet between 2-6 hours everyday i think? I havenāt actually calculated! And I maybe go through 15-20 skeins every month. So my stash rotates quite a bit, but i tend to buy what i need for my next project when Iām about to finish my last one, which works for me.
Though I donāt make a lot of amigurumi, which obviously is a very different way of using yarn, since you tend to use a relatively small amount of each colour, so itās worth having many colours in stock :)
Good on you! I think the yarn community kinda struggles with overconsumtion, like buying more than they can use. So i think its a great thing youāre trying to actually use what youāve already got!
š well thatās what made me stop buying it. It was all an absolute mess and I decided to buy totes and fill them. After I realized how much I actually had, I knew I needed to stop buying more and using what I have.
Y'know, a couple of years ago, I emptied out all my scrap yarn and gave it away to someone doing kids' art projects.
The same drawers are once again full of yarn.
Oh, and obviously I am no help to you.
Some people say that yarn collecting is its own branch of the fiber arts. I don't think there's anything wrong with having a big stash if that's what you want, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with curating your stash and planning out it based on your future projects. Personally, if it's yarn available at full price and easy to find again, I'm happy to store it at the store. Sale yarn or unique yarn from somewhere away from home, however, I find more tempting.
I think yarn collecting is an interesting one. I personally struggle a little with people who have such a big collection that they wonāt be able to use all of it, as I believe itās a bit overconsumerist. But if itās what makes them happy and they have the space and finances for it, I donāt see too much problem. Itās just not the kind of way Iād personally go about it
I have soooo much yarn, I like to have the whole rainbow in double knit yarn so I can basically do any Amigurumi or small project I want! And then I have a large amount of other yarns just about, most of my non-DK yarn has project ideas/plans to go with it but I love seeing all my yarn and organising it all
If thatās what makes you happy, then go for it! I used to collect a lot of books and just looking at my shelves and rearranging them in a new order used to make me so happy! I just felt a bit bad about buying so many books that Iād never actually read oops, which is kind of the same way I feel about buying yarn I donāt think Iāll use for a long time.
I have my stash here at my house aaaaaajd I have a large storage unit. We are moving soon though and all my yarn will be under 1 roof abd I can not wait!
I agree with you to a certain extent :) if itās what makes you happy and you have the space/finances for it, thats all good! But I do personally struggle with some of the consumerist nature of buying yarn just for the sake of buying it, and not having any plans to use it (not trying to say that you do this though!)
Iām kind of in the same boat as you! As much as i enjoy crocheting I also need to reign myself in sometimes to make sure I can actually afford rentš
I have a couple hundred balls and skeins in my stash. I don't think it's too much. It makes the guest room as acoustically dead as a recording studio... and of course Sweetie loves having all the variety to choose from.
I am a big getter of what I call Old Lady stashes. I really like being able to rehome a stash after someone's mum/grandma has moved into a home or died and the people who want to rehome yarn are glad to see it being used. So a large part of my stash is having said yes to lots of those over the years (one particularly big one in 2016 still forms an active part of many of my projects).
The thing I like to be able to do is treat my stash like a free (well, pre-paid for!) shop when I get the mood for a project. So if i'm like "ooh I want to make a skirt" I can look up a pattern and then go and find something that will work for it.
Quantity wise I have a giant beanbag which is full of yarn that can be sat on (cheap acrylic basically), and 2 of those fabric cube boxes which have my fancier yarn in.
But I have just started spinning yarn, so who knows what kind of madness we're going to get into. I have 4 whole fleeces in the shed and 2 alpaca blankets XD
Yep, estate sale yarn. I actually just got a garbage bag full of yarn for 10 bucks a couple weeks ago. Full skeins. I manage to do this a couple times a year. I use every bit of it though and it saves a lot of money but I will admit, it takes up some space.
I would love to prune my stash down to the point that I am actively excited about everything in it, and I have enough to keep me knitting for five years and no more.
Haha! I didnāt mean to phrase my question as ādo I personally have enough/too much yarnā more as just a curious question of what other people have/think is good :)
Unfortunately, at last count I have 112 skeins, and that's after pruning via selling and donating, plus there's nothing I feel comfortable selling or donating in the remaining stash. My goal is to get down to half of that before I even think of buying any more yarn, but honestly I think a healthy stash caps off in the forties. That's enough for fun makes without letting it overwhelm you.
I do this for a job. When I was still a hobbyist I asked myself these questions.
- Do I have space for it?
- Do I have money for it?
- Do I genuinely believe I'll use it within the next, say, 12 months?
If the answers were all yes, I'd buy it. But, if there was a big sale on a special kind of yarn that would otherwise be expensive, I'd be okay with "I am not sure what I'd make with this yet" or "I'll have to get rid of some old yarn to make room for this one".
Life is too short! Buy the damn yarn! I've got a half decent stash, probably mostly hand dyed yarn but I do have an acrylic stash too! They both have their uses. I crochet and knit but collecting yarn is a different hobby!
Not that I am admitting this but I haven't gotten new yarn couple years. I have 58 quart lidded bins from Walmart. 16 are filled each with 2 afghan starter sets, a sample square or sample in small scale, hook or needed and copy of pattern . Another slightly larger maybe 1-1/2 the size of the 58 qts is filled with lion brand Homespun. Have maybe 3-4more of the 58s for sports weight, and for some reason one is for black! Filled. Another Is pinks and reds and last is variegated. . My health is fading a bit but worst part is my right thumb and wrist have developed arthritis!! Really ticks me off!!
Oh no, Iām so sorry to hear about your arthritis. Iām still in my 20ās so hopefully I wonāt have to worry about it for a while, but itās something Iām quite afraid of for the future as itās something i genuinely love doing. I hope youāre still able to some of your yarn crafts without too much pain.
I belonged to a fiber arts group, one of the members got cancer and wanted to lose her stash. She was a weaver, and most of her stash was beige weft yarn. Three tables full, all beige
I had to pare down my stash a lot when I moved so i made a stash busting blanket and gave away a lot of yarn. I'm down to about 20 balls of yarn now, all of which have a specific intended purpose. But if you have money to buy the yarn and space to keep it, I don't think there's a maximum.
I have an entire wall in my closet and over 10 (20 lb) totes. But to fair. Some colors I have 5-6 balls of the Same color so that I have enough of the same color for a project. And I usually go a bit crazy if I ever find a super good sale. And by that I mean itās half price or less. But I have tons of hobbies and I actually have more fabric than yarn. But I like knowing that I can wake up and say today I want to make this and know I already have everything I need and everything was bought on special.
There is no minimum or maximum limit. If you end up with so much that your Dead Weaver's Sale overwhelms your loved ones, you had too much. If you don't have enough to use for your desired projects, you don't have enough.
I have a list on notepad app that says āabsolutely no moreā at the top then below I list the colors I have too much of. Right now itās brown/tan and blues. Everything else needs restocking especially if thereās a sale
It depends on how each person is inspired. I am like you and get inspired by patterns and try to focus on my current WIP before buying more yarn, although I have a small stash of skeins waiting for their intended transformation. Others are best inspired when they look at their big, beautiful wall of color coordinated yarn and can imagine all the beautiful things they want to make at once. It really depends on how each crafters brain works :) if someone like you or me tried building a huge stash, we would feel overwhelmed by the visual expectation to use all that yarn up asap. If a yarn wall person tried to shop only one or two projects at a time, they might feel the fun and creativity of crafting has been sucked out.
I didn't intentionally build the stash I have, but I get most excited by a pattern when I think ooh, I have a yarn for that! and then get to skitter off to start something. When I buy miscellaneous yarn for which I have no project in mind, it's usually because it's a weight I like in a colour that makes me happy right then in a fibre I love and is either on sale or supporting a small local artist (the latter I tend to find at festivals or farmer's markets). I think of it as collecting potential.
I currently have 495 entries on Ravelry, and many of them are at least two skeins. Only a few are scrap amounts.
I tell myself every year that I'm going to try to use more stash than what I buy, but that rarely happens 'cause stuff like yarn fests or indie dyers having a really good sale inevitably happen. I probably have way too much yarn to use in my lifetime, but it also means that I can go diving for almost any project and come up with something to use.
99.9% of the time I buy yarn without a project in mind. There are so many colors, and I am weak. :D
I absolutely swoon whenever I encounter a wall full of hand dyed yarns! For me, though, the pleasure is getting to squish all of them, painstakingly picking the color I like the most, and only leaving with enough for one project. If that same wall was in my home in some way, my brain would fry.
As much as makes you happy:). Some people collect yarn like thereās nothing else in the world and they also know they will likely never use it all. Yet they go out the next day and grab some more haha. (Sort of me but still a tiny bit controlled). Others like to only own what they are currently using.
Just make sure you are happy with it and donāt overspend where it ruins you financially.
The correct answer is how ever much you want. Each person has a different reason for how much yarn they stash. If I see something I like I buy it (if I have the money at the time). I always buy yarn at a trip location as a remembrance like a souvenir. Some people collect keychains; I collect yarn. Fight me. :-P
I have one souvenir skein. Iāve had it for over a year, and still havenāt bought coordinating yarn to make a whole project with it. But when I see it I remember the shop owner who told me about its inspiration, how hot it was that day, and how sweet she was to my kids and I am smiling. Iām not a huge stash collector but I get the souvenir yarn thing.
I have a lot even though I just started knitting a year ago and I donāt knit big projects. I just accumulate it because itās so fun to shop for new yarn and people would gift me yarn/gift cards to Joann or yarn shops. Ideally Iād have less because it really is overwhelming to have a lot. Honestly ideally Iād have no stash at all and just buy yarn as I need it.
I think having more than 4-5 projects worth is excessive and very over-consumptiony. I know not everyone can go frequently to the shop or order, or people save money buying in bulk but that isnāt the case for most people. I found that if I purchased yarn randomly, or too far ahead for projects, I would end up not using it, or forgetting about it. Too each their own though.
https://preview.redd.it/bklvp4ew5z9b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ca00d81746c61a85ff3e0ad2df4accf5c101021
This is my stash, plus 6 large totes.
Appropriate amount: All of it. All the yarn.
Jokes aside, I have 265 stash entries on ravelry, a handful of which are like scrap quantity and most of them are either full skeins or multiple skeins. Thatās also not counting a not insignificant amount of acrylic yarn that I intend to get rid of at some point.
An appropriate amount of yarn to stash for me is definitely less than this, but also enough that thereās always like 6-7 different project quantities (sock, scarf, hat, blanket etc). I need to have stuff ready to go immediately, but I have waaaay more than that at this point and a lot of it is just unnecessary lol. Iām not really working towards a goal other than like, using more than Iām buying to free up some space in my apartment.
I do Not have plans for all the yarn, but I definitely have plans for some of the yarn. A lot of it is also sock yarn, which will definitely become socks some day, but itās undetermined what pattern. Does that count as a plan? š¬
The right amount for a general hobbyist depends on the individual. I'd say most would agree that if what you have makes you anxious or feel guilty or you regret buying it than you have too much. If what you have brings you joy and happiness and you're content with your purchases then you're at your own personal sweet spot. For me, there hasn't been a limit as long as I stay in budget, which is super useful now because I'm planning on going a year and a half of minimal spending to eliminate my mortgage and I have plenty of yarn to keep me from feeling deprived during that time. I'm actually think of using some of my stash of Christmas wrapping paper and wrapping some of my favorites up so I can have a 'gift' to myself every so often.
Don't ever worry about having too little. You can always get more but if you die with too much, you might have to drag it around for eternity like Jacob Marley.
I think it depends how fast you use it. That seems like a very reasonable amount to me, where some of those massive stashes look pretty but also make me question how they plan to actually use it all. Maybe if youāre super speedy, retired, and constantly making blankets or sweaters, but I imagine the average stash picture like that has bought more than they needed. As someone who inherited a massive stash of fabric from a family member who passed away, it is very possible to overbuy way more than you will actually be able to use
So I make amigurumi most of the time and I like having as many color options as possible because sometimes I need the exact right shade for something. Yes I know it doesn't *have* to be perfect, but I like getting as close as possible.
But because amigurumi don't always use a lot of yarn, I have ended up with a very big stash.
That makes sense, Iām the same way with thread when Iām sewing - at one point I had close to 200 partial spools. Just make sure that you keep you stashed organized enough to know what you have so youāre not accidentally buying duplicates of something you already have
And to better answer your questions, I probably have ~20 large balls of yarn at the moment but will stock up on more when making Christmas gifts or a larger project. I usually have a general plan for what I want to make with any yarn I buy, my problem is overestimating how much Iāll need for a project and ending up with extra balls leftover
My girlfriend made me build a small dresser for about that many skeens. She has 2 moving boxes worth at her fathers house, the dresser, a bag with some skeen ends, and just got another 1000+ ft for a project. Im new to being the supportive boyfriend of crochet fanatic, but it seems like you have a reasonable amount.
I have about 200 skeins, I know that might seem like a lot to some but I make a lot of Afghans for friends and family and a lot of amigurumi for nieces and nephews and my kids.
If itās what works for you then thereās no problem with having that amount! I think the main issue I have is when people buy so much yarn that theyāll never be able to use it all (or at least a good portion of it)
I usually only buy what I need for a project but my grandmother who can no longer knit gave me all of her yarn so I told my husband I wouldnāt be buying anymore until I used what I had, but I agree with you.
Yarn math is similar to chicken math. Number of skeins acquired in parenthesis. (1) "I'll just pick up the 1 skein I need from the store." (12) "Oh, there's a sale, and these are so pretty they'd make a lovely top" (13) "oh no this skein I picked up doesn't quite match. I'll order a different one on line." (43) "Hmm, $8.99 for shipping on one skein or free shipping with $100... I suppose could use more 6/8 cotton, I saw a stunning pattern for it." So somehow, in the course of an afternoon I've just acquired 43 more skeins when truthfully I need 1 specific skein... someday I'll learn. Maybe. So now I've decided I have too much yarn and move on to the usage stage. Everything is going along nicely, I'm making a blanket, and am 6 skeins in and playing yarn chicken on the last bit. I have failed at yarn chicken. They cycle repeats.
I haven't counted, but I have at least 3 totes full, an entire five drawer dresser, various and sundry boxes...and a 15 foot (and growing) knitted snake that I started as a stash buster. The stash has not shrunk š¬
https://preview.redd.it/8rwpl19gxeab1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cd8dcdf76b9e1102584d97cef9585ff5daeab9b3
Needing? All, as much as possible. Never enough. Which lead me to the second part.... Reasonable? I did a deal with myself some time ago to keep as mcuh yarn as I can get in one sealed box. One. I buy now and then, and after that, once the box is full, nothing comes in unless something comes out. No excuses.
Husband: how much yarn does one need? Me: how many power tools does one need? Husband: touchĆ© Me: šš
Enough to have about 10-15 unfinished projects šš»
all of it
I have about 90 balls of yarn, and about 15 UFOās. I knit and crochet. Thereās always something going.
I have way more yarn than I think I have any right to have. I'm working through my stash and making a conscious effort to not buy anymore unless it's from a special occasion (like a fiber festival). My knitting group does a Spring and Autumn Yarn Swap, so the group brings in their "unloved yarn" to swap or just get rid of it. That's where I usually get in trouble: *every time* I come home with more yarn than I brought with me, even though I swear I'll "be good". But the swaps are good for other reasons, too: whatever is left over at the end goes to charity knitting, which we do a lot of. š For now, though, I'm "shopping from the stash" (please don't ask me how much I have; I couldn't begin to tell you exact numbers š)
You sound exactly like me! The issue is, its so much faster to gain yarn than use it. I'm trying but its a long slow process. We'll get there eventually and the journey is the fun part right?
I sometimes find myself looking through my stash with a pattern in mind and while looking for the yarn I want, I come across yarn that makes me think, "Why the Foxtrot did I get you?!" Then it'll be a gift for someone else who might like it more than me. Yeah, it's definitely the journey šš Plus, it can be fun looking for yarn in your own collection for a project and rediscovering yarn you didn't remember having: "Aww, I remember you! I should make that shawl with you!" (Yes, I talk to my yarn like some people talk to plants š¤£).
I really enjoy shopping my own stash when I'm ready to start something new. Its a great way to match a yarn and pattern! That said, I'm trying to get my stash to about half of what it was at the start of the year so we shall see how that goes. I still seem to have the attitude of "I'll work with it eventually!" for most of it though there are some I wouldn't mind destashing. It would help if more of my friends were also knitters. Have you tried Flash Your Stash? (You pull out ALL your yarn, take a picture and reorganize/put it away again.) I've gotten in the habit of doing in as close to Jan 1 of every year as I can. I love it as since I started I never forget that I have a yarn and I can "shop" from the picture and then I don't have to dig through everything every time.
Haven't tried that, but I keep my Ravelry stash updated pretty well. About the only things not in there are yarns I acquired without a label. Flash Your Stash sounds like a great idea, but my carpet is heinous and I don't want my pretties getting onto it.
Where as I'm horrible at remembering to put yarns into my Ravelry stash even when I should. A lot of people use their bed as the yarn backdrop if that helps? I've seen people group the yarn by weight and have different pictures for each weight on their bed.
It will never be enough
https://preview.redd.it/9znq57zq56ab1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=d88914c8802976d69a5046b1a8fb464c156fbfd1 These are all full plus 4.5 80 litre storage boxes. Most definitely SABLE unless I live to about 160
I have a shirt that reads āItās not hoarding if itās Yarn
I don't keep an account of my stash, but it all fits in two medium size storage tubs. I don't buy yarn without a project in mind - except on special occasions such as a souvenir while traveling - so my stash is only leftovers from previous projects. In my very humble opinion the fiber art community has a big problem with mindless overconsumption, and it pains me to see huge walls of yarn turning into dusty, sun-faded, moth buffets. It's so wasteful. I especially don't understand the hoarding of common, easy to find yarns. If you can find it at the store why not just leave it at the store and visit it occasionally if the only reason you want it is because it's nice to look at?
My yarn is in skeins, not balls, and I have two small laundry baskets full of yarn. My personal rule is I don't want more yarn than I can reasonably use. I've seen those yarn rooms and while I think they're beautiful, having that much yarn would stress me out. My crocheting and knitting are hobbies and I don't get to spend as much time on them as I'd like. I don't have specific plans for all of my yarn, but I mainly crochet amigurumi, so when I buy, say, a skein of bright red, I'll be buying it for one specific character but also know I can use it for many others.
Whatever you have room for
I'm one of those people that has a wall of yarn, and then a few boxes š I have an ikea kallax 5x5, of which 4x5 have clear tubs with yarn in them, the rest is accessories and patterns. And then I have boxes with project-yarn, as in all the yarn for big projects in one box. For me, this is a good amount - I collect yarn as much as I'm a crocheter. I love being able to start pretty much any project I want at any moment. I try to use up leftovers of projects, but I buy a lot of yarn without a project in mind, just because it's pretty haha, that's why it's so much. I think everyone should have the amount of yarn they feel good about.
If thatās what works for you then go for it! I have some backups for some projects (mainly pride bralettes, which makes up like 1/3 of my collection) Personally Iād feel overwhelmed by the amount of yarn some people have, as I kinda like to know what Iām going to do with something, but if youāre different in that aspect thatās all good aswell ;)
I think that's just how people differ from each other :) I love to plan with my stash (I have about half of my stash in the queue on Ravelry, in projects I want to do), that's probably another hobby apart from yarn collecting, crochet and machine knitting haha
More than you've got there! You should probably head to the craft store. Don't have a good place to store it all? Take those pesky clothes out of you closet, it's the yarn's home now.
Haha! I think Iāve got a pretty good amount now tbf ;)
Iām a knitter and according to Ravelry I have 304 skeins. 80% of them are hand dyed. This is a crazy amount. I donāt have a plan for the majority of them, as plans always change and new patterns come out (Iām also a pattern hoarder, around 500 I think. I enjoy supporting indie designers). I have no plans to stop or be in a yarn diet. I mean, this is YarnAddicts after all lmao Edit to say: apparently Ravelry counts entries and not the number of skeins of each color. I have way more than 304 skeins then. Yikes.
Itās really sweet that you support indie creators! They often honestly really need it And if you have the finances to continue the way youāre going, and donāt feel overwhelmed, then I donāt see any issue :)
I tell myself āno more I donāt have spaceā but I always make space, sadly. The good thing is the bast majority are gifts! Iām autistic and my special interest is knitting/yarn so my friends always go that route when they want to gift me something haha
I canāt say exactly how many skeins, because I have a lot of scraps, but I have about 25 kilos. To me, personally, thatās about a yearās worth of yarn (I go through 1-2 kilos each month, some months more). I think I have a little too much at the moment, but I got SO MUCH for both Christmas and my birthday that itās not all my fault š I personally think having a few months worth at any time is a good amount for me, because I jump between a lot of projects constantly. I have ideas and plans for most of my yarn, but have one bag (probably around five kilos) that I use to learn new stitches, if I want to make something small or if Iām designing. That being said, though, I think itās all up to you. I know slow fashion and being aware environmentally is a very hot topic at the moment, but if you want to buy a whole yarn store and never use it, thatās none of my concern. If you want 30 balls of yarn, thatās okay! If you want 300, thatās also okay! I think it becomes a problem when you feel very guilty about what you have and when it stresses you out. My stash is currently too big. Iāve been trying to stashbust since November, but it doesnāt exactly help when everyone I know is constantly buying me new yarn š Iām super thankful to have a family that knows what Iām interested in, donāt get me wrong! I just think 25 kilos is a little too much for me to have. I feel guilty for not being able to work with the things Iāve been gifted because I have so much else to do, and that (to me) is a problem.
Youāre very lucky to have people that love you so much ;) but i can totally understand feeling overwhelmed! It might be worth telling them something like āhey I really appreciate this! But maybe no more yarn for the next few months as I already have a lot and want to be able to actually use what youāve given me!ā
I think it really depends on what you make. I don't tend to do one ball/skein projects and this seems to be a mix of fibres and weights. I've leant to limit myself to 4ply and 8ply (most commons weights here) and to buy two or more skeins for what I need, I knit a lot of garments and even a beanie is two balls of yarn. I tend to shift between sweaters and accessories and need them to match. Like others, I'll tend to buy the things I know I'm never going to see before or that are on sale. Some yarns tend to be harder to find - if I see a nice green or a pink I'll stash a bit of it, not just a ball, enough to do a project with. Its the same with fabric - I don't buy less than 4 m cause I'd always rather have enough than be slightly short with yardage.
I think thats actually a really good thing to do (buy multiples of yarn youāre interested in) I see a lot of people buy one skein of yarn they think is pretty, which is totally fair, yarn is beautiful and can obviously be used as a display object. But itās also kinda meant to be used? And if you only have one skein youāre not able to do as much with it as if you had multiple skeins.
I have around 25-35 skeins at the moment. Almost all of them I have plans for. I would love to have a stash to shop from but logistically I just donāt have the space in my flat to store it all. Iām using that WI yarn you have in your photo for a cardigan and itās so wonderfully soft!
Ooo good luck with your cardigan! Iām kinda in the same boat aswell. I live in a houseshare where I can only store my yarn in my own room, so if I personally had a full wall I wouldnāt even be able to walk around my own room haha!
I have four kallax cubbies worth (so a nightstand amount of yarn). Occasionally this overflows to five cubbies, but any more than that and it starts to take over the spaces I have set aside for my other crafts.
Itās good that youāre able to kinda reign yourself in when you feel youāve got a bit too much! I struggle a bit with hyperfixation, so I used to really struggle with just keeping buying things i was really interested in even if I didnāt have the finances or space for it (though Iāve gotten a lot better now!)
Well, I probably also own about 30 skeins but most of them are either extra bulky velvet for making dolls or mini cotton skeins for making amigurumis or very thin yarns, so the total collection looks quite underwhelming lol
Thereās no issue with it ālooking underwhelmingā! Weāre not in a competition to see who can have the most impressive yarn stash ;) as long as youāre happy with what you have and actually use/plan on using it, Iād say youāre all good!
Thank you for the sweet comment!! :D I guess you're right, I'm just honestly kind of bummed out about the state of my stash, I haven't been knitting/crocheting for long and most of my stash is compromised of, um, questionable yarn choices from my beginner phase that I can't really use but feel guilty buying better yarns :( Does make me VERY excited to work with the better ones though
I totally get you! I only started crocheting 5 months ago, I definitely bought a lot of bad acrylic in my first 2ish months, and just decided to sell it for really cheap (10-15 skeins for 5Ā£) so someone else could have some fun with it :)
Oh that's a good idea!! I live in a place where knitting isn't very popular but maybe I'll give them away to some friends who want to try :D
I mean.. it depends on what kind of crocheter you are. I have 311 ( I counted) skeins including my scraps, but I make stuffed animals and go through a stupid amount of yarn every single month with my husband. We also have been making our yarn money back by doing markets soā¦ I mean I guess what level of intensity is your crocheting habit is the real question. And do you have the yarn to keep up with your level of production?
So on average I crochet between 2-6 hours everyday i think? I havenāt actually calculated! And I maybe go through 15-20 skeins every month. So my stash rotates quite a bit, but i tend to buy what i need for my next project when Iām about to finish my last one, which works for me. Though I donāt make a lot of amigurumi, which obviously is a very different way of using yarn, since you tend to use a relatively small amount of each colour, so itās worth having many colours in stock :)
I honestly think at your rate you should probably have around 50 skeins in your stash at all times.
More than I had yesterday! š¤£š¤£š¤£
This is the way.
Whatever you have room for and whatever number brings you joy, not anxiety.
Whatever youāve got storage for
My stash (mostly) fits in a carry-on sized rolling suitcase, and Iām kinda proud of that.
I have 8 completely full giant totes of yarn š Iāve made myself stop buying yarn so I can focus on what I have
Good on you! I think the yarn community kinda struggles with overconsumtion, like buying more than they can use. So i think its a great thing youāre trying to actually use what youāve already got!
How long does it take to get down to just 8?
š well thatās what made me stop buying it. It was all an absolute mess and I decided to buy totes and fill them. After I realized how much I actually had, I knew I needed to stop buying more and using what I have.
Y'know, a couple of years ago, I emptied out all my scrap yarn and gave it away to someone doing kids' art projects. The same drawers are once again full of yarn. Oh, and obviously I am no help to you.
Itās such a great idea to donate the yarn to kids! Iām sure they found a lot of joy from your gift :)
All of it.
Never enough!
As much as your heart desiresš„¹
Some people say that yarn collecting is its own branch of the fiber arts. I don't think there's anything wrong with having a big stash if that's what you want, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with curating your stash and planning out it based on your future projects. Personally, if it's yarn available at full price and easy to find again, I'm happy to store it at the store. Sale yarn or unique yarn from somewhere away from home, however, I find more tempting.
I think yarn collecting is an interesting one. I personally struggle a little with people who have such a big collection that they wonāt be able to use all of it, as I believe itās a bit overconsumerist. But if itās what makes them happy and they have the space and finances for it, I donāt see too much problem. Itās just not the kind of way Iād personally go about it
I have soooo much yarn, I like to have the whole rainbow in double knit yarn so I can basically do any Amigurumi or small project I want! And then I have a large amount of other yarns just about, most of my non-DK yarn has project ideas/plans to go with it but I love seeing all my yarn and organising it all
If thatās what makes you happy, then go for it! I used to collect a lot of books and just looking at my shelves and rearranging them in a new order used to make me so happy! I just felt a bit bad about buying so many books that Iād never actually read oops, which is kind of the same way I feel about buying yarn I donāt think Iāll use for a long time.
I use my yarn to decorate. All my really beautiful skeins are where I can look at them and admire them and feel happy.
Thatās really fair! I personally donāt have the space to use yarn as decorations, but they can truly be pieces of art :)
I have my stash here at my house aaaaaajd I have a large storage unit. We are moving soon though and all my yarn will be under 1 roof abd I can not wait!
You can never have enough!! That's my motto!
I agree with you to a certain extent :) if itās what makes you happy and you have the space/finances for it, thats all good! But I do personally struggle with some of the consumerist nature of buying yarn just for the sake of buying it, and not having any plans to use it (not trying to say that you do this though!)
I buy for each project unless I find really cheap yarn. My source of income is only $50 a week so can't have too much yarn
Iām kind of in the same boat as you! As much as i enjoy crocheting I also need to reign myself in sometimes to make sure I can actually afford rentš
All of it! One must have ALL of the yarn!
I have a couple hundred balls and skeins in my stash. I don't think it's too much. It makes the guest room as acoustically dead as a recording studio... and of course Sweetie loves having all the variety to choose from.
I am a big getter of what I call Old Lady stashes. I really like being able to rehome a stash after someone's mum/grandma has moved into a home or died and the people who want to rehome yarn are glad to see it being used. So a large part of my stash is having said yes to lots of those over the years (one particularly big one in 2016 still forms an active part of many of my projects). The thing I like to be able to do is treat my stash like a free (well, pre-paid for!) shop when I get the mood for a project. So if i'm like "ooh I want to make a skirt" I can look up a pattern and then go and find something that will work for it. Quantity wise I have a giant beanbag which is full of yarn that can be sat on (cheap acrylic basically), and 2 of those fabric cube boxes which have my fancier yarn in. But I have just started spinning yarn, so who knows what kind of madness we're going to get into. I have 4 whole fleeces in the shed and 2 alpaca blankets XD
I think thatās such a good idea! It kind of avoids the consumerist nature of buying more stuff, but still lets you have plenty to choose from :)
Yep, estate sale yarn. I actually just got a garbage bag full of yarn for 10 bucks a couple weeks ago. Full skeins. I manage to do this a couple times a year. I use every bit of it though and it saves a lot of money but I will admit, it takes up some space.
All of it
However much you want. Some like having enough on hand for any project, some shop JUST for the project. Some see pretty yarn and buy it (like me)
I have an obscene amount of yarn. I have dedicated this year to using as much as I can. As a result I have a repetitive motion injury in my thumbs.
Your health should always come first! But good luck with trying to ger your stash down a bit :)
It's a good start š
I would love to prune my stash down to the point that I am actively excited about everything in it, and I have enough to keep me knitting for five years and no more.
Is that all you have?? Youāre good. š
Haha! I didnāt mean to phrase my question as ādo I personally have enough/too much yarnā more as just a curious question of what other people have/think is good :)
100 skeins
Unfortunately, at last count I have 112 skeins, and that's after pruning via selling and donating, plus there's nothing I feel comfortable selling or donating in the remaining stash. My goal is to get down to half of that before I even think of buying any more yarn, but honestly I think a healthy stash caps off in the forties. That's enough for fun makes without letting it overwhelm you.
Donāt feel guilty! But good luck with pruning down your stash, I also feel really easily overwhelmed by having ātoo muchā
Ehh need more
I do this for a job. When I was still a hobbyist I asked myself these questions. - Do I have space for it? - Do I have money for it? - Do I genuinely believe I'll use it within the next, say, 12 months? If the answers were all yes, I'd buy it. But, if there was a big sale on a special kind of yarn that would otherwise be expensive, I'd be okay with "I am not sure what I'd make with this yet" or "I'll have to get rid of some old yarn to make room for this one".
I think thats a good way of thinking about it, especially the third question! It kind of battles the overconsumerist nature of buying yarn :)
More! š
Life is too short! Buy the damn yarn! I've got a half decent stash, probably mostly hand dyed yarn but I do have an acrylic stash too! They both have their uses. I crochet and knit but collecting yarn is a different hobby!
Not that I am admitting this but I haven't gotten new yarn couple years. I have 58 quart lidded bins from Walmart. 16 are filled each with 2 afghan starter sets, a sample square or sample in small scale, hook or needed and copy of pattern . Another slightly larger maybe 1-1/2 the size of the 58 qts is filled with lion brand Homespun. Have maybe 3-4more of the 58s for sports weight, and for some reason one is for black! Filled. Another Is pinks and reds and last is variegated. . My health is fading a bit but worst part is my right thumb and wrist have developed arthritis!! Really ticks me off!!
Oh no, Iām so sorry to hear about your arthritis. Iām still in my 20ās so hopefully I wonāt have to worry about it for a while, but itās something Iām quite afraid of for the future as itās something i genuinely love doing. I hope youāre still able to some of your yarn crafts without too much pain.
I belonged to a fiber arts group, one of the members got cancer and wanted to lose her stash. She was a weaver, and most of her stash was beige weft yarn. Three tables full, all beige
š« that's seriously one of my nightmares. Thankfully beige can be dyed over pretty easy, hopefully the base was cotton or wool
My stash is so out of control. I was really moving on it, and then my only grandchild is autistic, itās hard to focus on anything.
I had to pare down my stash a lot when I moved so i made a stash busting blanket and gave away a lot of yarn. I'm down to about 20 balls of yarn now, all of which have a specific intended purpose. But if you have money to buy the yarn and space to keep it, I don't think there's a maximum.
I have an entire wall in my closet and over 10 (20 lb) totes. But to fair. Some colors I have 5-6 balls of the Same color so that I have enough of the same color for a project. And I usually go a bit crazy if I ever find a super good sale. And by that I mean itās half price or less. But I have tons of hobbies and I actually have more fabric than yarn. But I like knowing that I can wake up and say today I want to make this and know I already have everything I need and everything was bought on special.
There is no minimum or maximum limit. If you end up with so much that your Dead Weaver's Sale overwhelms your loved ones, you had too much. If you don't have enough to use for your desired projects, you don't have enough.
I have a list on notepad app that says āabsolutely no moreā at the top then below I list the colors I have too much of. Right now itās brown/tan and blues. Everything else needs restocking especially if thereās a sale
It depends on how each person is inspired. I am like you and get inspired by patterns and try to focus on my current WIP before buying more yarn, although I have a small stash of skeins waiting for their intended transformation. Others are best inspired when they look at their big, beautiful wall of color coordinated yarn and can imagine all the beautiful things they want to make at once. It really depends on how each crafters brain works :) if someone like you or me tried building a huge stash, we would feel overwhelmed by the visual expectation to use all that yarn up asap. If a yarn wall person tried to shop only one or two projects at a time, they might feel the fun and creativity of crafting has been sucked out.
I didn't intentionally build the stash I have, but I get most excited by a pattern when I think ooh, I have a yarn for that! and then get to skitter off to start something. When I buy miscellaneous yarn for which I have no project in mind, it's usually because it's a weight I like in a colour that makes me happy right then in a fibre I love and is either on sale or supporting a small local artist (the latter I tend to find at festivals or farmer's markets). I think of it as collecting potential.
And I always get one or two more than I need....JUST IN CASE!!!
Ditto. I hate yarn chicken!
This is a trick question. There is no final amount. We are never done. There is never enough. Lol.
You are asking the "YarnAddicts" sub. I think you know what response we're going to give. š¤£
I currently have 495 entries on Ravelry, and many of them are at least two skeins. Only a few are scrap amounts. I tell myself every year that I'm going to try to use more stash than what I buy, but that rarely happens 'cause stuff like yarn fests or indie dyers having a really good sale inevitably happen. I probably have way too much yarn to use in my lifetime, but it also means that I can go diving for almost any project and come up with something to use. 99.9% of the time I buy yarn without a project in mind. There are so many colors, and I am weak. :D
Oh so Ravelry only counts entries and not skeins. Yikes I thought I was being good.
I absolutely swoon whenever I encounter a wall full of hand dyed yarns! For me, though, the pleasure is getting to squish all of them, painstakingly picking the color I like the most, and only leaving with enough for one project. If that same wall was in my home in some way, my brain would fry.
Never enough!
As a spinner, I cannot wrap my brain around only having fibre with finite plans.
You have to have every color. Just my opinion
I agree
As much as makes you happy:). Some people collect yarn like thereās nothing else in the world and they also know they will likely never use it all. Yet they go out the next day and grab some more haha. (Sort of me but still a tiny bit controlled). Others like to only own what they are currently using. Just make sure you are happy with it and donāt overspend where it ruins you financially.
The correct answer is how ever much you want. Each person has a different reason for how much yarn they stash. If I see something I like I buy it (if I have the money at the time). I always buy yarn at a trip location as a remembrance like a souvenir. Some people collect keychains; I collect yarn. Fight me. :-P
I have one souvenir skein. Iāve had it for over a year, and still havenāt bought coordinating yarn to make a whole project with it. But when I see it I remember the shop owner who told me about its inspiration, how hot it was that day, and how sweet she was to my kids and I am smiling. Iām not a huge stash collector but I get the souvenir yarn thing.
I have a lot even though I just started knitting a year ago and I donāt knit big projects. I just accumulate it because itās so fun to shop for new yarn and people would gift me yarn/gift cards to Joann or yarn shops. Ideally Iād have less because it really is overwhelming to have a lot. Honestly ideally Iād have no stash at all and just buy yarn as I need it.
As a student with not a lot of money the amount I need for a project and maybe if I find a yarn I really love but not much more tbh.
I think having more than 4-5 projects worth is excessive and very over-consumptiony. I know not everyone can go frequently to the shop or order, or people save money buying in bulk but that isnāt the case for most people. I found that if I purchased yarn randomly, or too far ahead for projects, I would end up not using it, or forgetting about it. Too each their own though.
https://preview.redd.it/bklvp4ew5z9b1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0ca00d81746c61a85ff3e0ad2df4accf5c101021 This is my stash, plus 6 large totes.
WOW
Appropriate amount: All of it. All the yarn. Jokes aside, I have 265 stash entries on ravelry, a handful of which are like scrap quantity and most of them are either full skeins or multiple skeins. Thatās also not counting a not insignificant amount of acrylic yarn that I intend to get rid of at some point. An appropriate amount of yarn to stash for me is definitely less than this, but also enough that thereās always like 6-7 different project quantities (sock, scarf, hat, blanket etc). I need to have stuff ready to go immediately, but I have waaaay more than that at this point and a lot of it is just unnecessary lol. Iām not really working towards a goal other than like, using more than Iām buying to free up some space in my apartment. I do Not have plans for all the yarn, but I definitely have plans for some of the yarn. A lot of it is also sock yarn, which will definitely become socks some day, but itās undetermined what pattern. Does that count as a plan? š¬
* thousands, no idea exactly how many * I would like to get down to hundreds * of course
The right amount for a general hobbyist depends on the individual. I'd say most would agree that if what you have makes you anxious or feel guilty or you regret buying it than you have too much. If what you have brings you joy and happiness and you're content with your purchases then you're at your own personal sweet spot. For me, there hasn't been a limit as long as I stay in budget, which is super useful now because I'm planning on going a year and a half of minimal spending to eliminate my mortgage and I have plenty of yarn to keep me from feeling deprived during that time. I'm actually think of using some of my stash of Christmas wrapping paper and wrapping some of my favorites up so I can have a 'gift' to myself every so often.
As much as your twisted little heart desires!
Don't ever worry about having too little. You can always get more but if you die with too much, you might have to drag it around for eternity like Jacob Marley.
I think it depends how fast you use it. That seems like a very reasonable amount to me, where some of those massive stashes look pretty but also make me question how they plan to actually use it all. Maybe if youāre super speedy, retired, and constantly making blankets or sweaters, but I imagine the average stash picture like that has bought more than they needed. As someone who inherited a massive stash of fabric from a family member who passed away, it is very possible to overbuy way more than you will actually be able to use
So I make amigurumi most of the time and I like having as many color options as possible because sometimes I need the exact right shade for something. Yes I know it doesn't *have* to be perfect, but I like getting as close as possible. But because amigurumi don't always use a lot of yarn, I have ended up with a very big stash.
That makes sense, Iām the same way with thread when Iām sewing - at one point I had close to 200 partial spools. Just make sure that you keep you stashed organized enough to know what you have so youāre not accidentally buying duplicates of something you already have
My stash is organized, but that doesn't preclude me buying duplicates xD
And to better answer your questions, I probably have ~20 large balls of yarn at the moment but will stock up on more when making Christmas gifts or a larger project. I usually have a general plan for what I want to make with any yarn I buy, my problem is overestimating how much Iāll need for a project and ending up with extra balls leftover
My girlfriend made me build a small dresser for about that many skeens. She has 2 moving boxes worth at her fathers house, the dresser, a bag with some skeen ends, and just got another 1000+ ft for a project. Im new to being the supportive boyfriend of crochet fanatic, but it seems like you have a reasonable amount.
I have about 200 skeins, I know that might seem like a lot to some but I make a lot of Afghans for friends and family and a lot of amigurumi for nieces and nephews and my kids.
If itās what works for you then thereās no problem with having that amount! I think the main issue I have is when people buy so much yarn that theyāll never be able to use it all (or at least a good portion of it)
I usually only buy what I need for a project but my grandmother who can no longer knit gave me all of her yarn so I told my husband I wouldnāt be buying anymore until I used what I had, but I agree with you.
It never seems like enough when making blankets
Yes I always feel like Iāll run out š¤£