Got Yarn?

Want more? Go to eBay and search seller name "squeegiep" (yup. really.). The listing has begun!!

The Great Stash Excision Event of 2008 is over. It was much easier than I expected. Everyone was amazingly supportive of my little yarn habit, and eagerly waiting for the part where they got to toss the "go" pile on personal quests. It was so wonderful after to watch everyone sift through and choose yarn. Not at all painful, and today I just feel so clean, if tired. When I look at the eBay pile I get kinda queasy, but by this afternoon, when some is listed, I'll feel better. First I need to make piles and lots and things. There's a lot of Cascade 220, single skeins, many colors. And a lot of Valley Yarns single balls, or partial balls. I think I am going to make up a few Valley Yarns Samplers, so if anyone is unfamiliar with the yarns they can play a little and see what some of them are like. And there's amazingly small amounts of novelty yarn, as the last time we did this Girl was pretty forceful about the novelty yarn taking a long walk. There will be some full bags of cotton. I kept all of the Noro. Exempted were cashmere, the Bohus kits, class samples and designs, and anything for book 2.
Here's how the evening went. After some chatting and wine sipping and chip munching (Rue makes a lovely spinach and artichoke dip, and Mary-Alice's pineapple salsa makes my heart sing. Then there was Katy and Traci's cheese and crackers - rice crackers even - and amazing hummus, which was the richest creamiest hummus on earth) Dena came to me, eyes alight with anticipation, and said "It's time!" We turned to confront the stack of yarn piled behind me. This is, by the way, not all of my yarn.
Mr. Wonderful stopped a bit short, and I felt like something was missing, so after this was sorted Dena and I went downstairs and found 3 more big bins and a lot of cones. I did not get pictures of them. I just needed to be DONE.It was just like that show, Clean Sweep? Where there's three piles, keep, go and maybe? Same concept. We had runners taking yarn from in front of me and placing new yarn for me to decide about. All I had to do was sit and be rational and not develop or remember intense emotional attachments to this or that skein or cone (example: first yarn I ever bought at Webs? Still here, on cones, intact). Things moved fairly quickly. I had made a deal with myself before that if I could not remember the yarn, or could not remember my PLAN for the yarn, it had to go. This was easier than i expected it to be. I will never really have the time to knit ALL of this into what I want it to be.
So let it go, let someone else enjoy it. And maybe watch blogs to see what people do with it - that would be awesome. I was making decisions pretty quickly and harshly. Not a lot of room for changing my mind, as Rue had set a 5 second limit - if no decision was forthcoming in 5 seconds, it went into the maybe pile.I believe in teaching by example. Watchful Girl got a good taste of self-discipline and control here, I hope. Maybe she'll never have a stash of anything this large to purge; that would be the real lesson!Sock much? This is the tip of the sock iceberg. Most of it is going. Some is partial balls, leftovers. And there's a LOT of it. Then came the fun part:
Sample Knitters Have At It...
and without even any bloody battles!! I was so proud.
Favorite picture: "Whatchoogot?" I can just hear it.It was easier with people and food and wine.
and the assistance of the amazing labeling Dena!! We sorted the "keep" while everyone rolled around in the "sell". This morning, however, I am confronted with this. Sell. Sort, organize, photograph, list, sell.It didn't look so bad, until I rounded the corner...and saw what was behind the couch. My week is already over. This is gonna be it. List, photograph, sort, organize. I'll post a link when it's all up. I got rid of way more than I expected to. Which of course means only one thing.

I need more yarn.

(I also need a labeler). Now, in the realm of oddities and non-knitting content, I just remember this last night. Every once in a while they throw me a curve that I am not sure how to handle. Last week I found this in a next box.It's not uncommon in the first year of lay to see some insane looking things. But thing is, none of these hens is a first-year layer. These are old ladies, seasoned hens, who should be laying things that do NOT look like suppositories...and...well...what's IN there?We have to know. I mean, don't we?? I had to...White. Just...white with a little smudge of yolk. Chickens are a never ending source of amusement around here. of course, it doesn't take much to amuse me. Maybe more baby pictures tomorrow. They're beginning to feather, getting pushy and big and bright-eyed. Personalities are emerging. But more about those silly birds tomorrow. I hear eBay calling me. Loudly. Screaming even.