Right now I have 4900 yards remaining in my stash which, given that I started at 7500 yards (2 months ago) isn't bad. I actually think I might have neglected to add in about 1000 yards initially (because I bought extra yarn for the Decalage scarf and then ripped back the KNUS sweater), but even if I was accurate with my original count, 2600 yards is 2 and half sweaters worth of yarn. I'm making progress.
One of the larger yardages in my stash has been Quince and Co Tern (fingering-weight silk and wool blend) in the Barnacle colourway. I used some of it to knit this cowl shawl in the fall, on my way to my grandmother's funeral as it happens. Even if that experience did undercut my enjoyment of the wool, I never liked the colour. I thought it would be more grey, less green. I have been putting off using it, complaining about how it just doesn't excite me, whereupon one of my work friends suggested that I try to return it.
Um, I bought it, online from Quince, in October 2014. It did not occur to me that a return would be feasible. But the yarn was still in the hanks, with the labels, in perfect condition (having been well-stored). Furthermore, I love Quince yarn (though Tern isn't my fave) and I'd use a credit very easily. So I emailed them and they responded immediately advising that I could indeed send it back. Of course, Quince yarn is so affordable that the credit will be a mere $28.50 US (and I spent 10 bucks to return the yarn). But this means I can put it towards a more practical yarn purchase at some point in the future. The best thing of all is that I'm down 660 yards AND I don't have to knit with a yarn I'm never going to enjoy.
On the topic of stash-busting, I've been thinking a lot about Felicia's stash-less philosophy. One of her emerging perspectives is that, if you make a sweater (for example) that you will NEVER wear (sound like someone you know?), the most sustainable way to manage the issue is to rip it back and restash the yarn. My way, to date, has been to give the sweater away. Then I don't have to deconstruct something that's taken 100 plus hours to make and I get to be generous. But Felicia has a point. It's not the least wasteful methodology. It's also not the cheapest. Scott thinks that this argument is crazy. He likens it to tearing down
your large house to make it smaller when you don't need as much space
anymore.
On the flip side, it's boring to knit with the same yarn 3-plus times. Ask the yarn-end stash-buster how she knows. There's something to be said for variety - and what it teaches one. How would I know how yarn works if I only knit with the same fiber till I perfected, to my own mind, the end result. Did I mention that ripping that shit out is PAINFUL. Furthermore, way to increase the stash numbers endlessly! Am I really ruining the world by choosing not to unknit what I've made? I mean, if I want to be sustainable (and I do), should I not buy myself a sheep (even if it lives remotely) and make all of my yarn, from scratch?
I'm not being rhetorical here. I really don't know the answer. So I'm looking for feedback.
Do you often unknit the projects you've made to reuse the yarn? Does it totally stress you out? Do you routinely return unused hanks for credit (or do you get complacent and leave it in the stash)? Do you resent knitting 18 hats for puppies when you have miles of 40 yards ends to contend with. Am I overthinking this? Please, let's talk.
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I've done it, but I would prefer, like you, to find someone happy to wear what I've knit instead. Honestly, I may change my ways as I adjust to a retirement budget, but in the last few years, at least, working too many hours with knitting time at a premium, I've even been known to send handknit sweaters I made myself (but ended up not wearing much) to a thrift shop--let someone else recycle it however, either by ripping it for the yarn or styling it more happily than I was able to. And so, yes, maybe I think you're overthinking it a bit -- isn't there already too much guilt? Aren't we already trying our best? Isn't the knitting supposed to be an antidote to stress, not a cause of it? just saying. . .
ReplyDeleteYou're so right! I mean, I make my own hand soap (not to be "crunchy" so much as to be "supa cool"). Don't I get a pass on ripping out sweaters that took a month to knit :-) Mind you, I can see the point in this if the yarn is really precious (either irreplaceable or exceedingly expensive). Mind you - is any sweater's-worth of yarn that irreplaceable or expensive? Just unkniting the 80% done KNUS sweater almost threw me over the edge. I so appreciate your perspective!
DeleteMy advice is to avoid going over the edge. Period.
DeleteBut I'm so down with going over the edge! :-)
DeleteI have been following Felicia's Stash Less since it started, and I think her reasoning for ribbing and reknitting stems from her very strict acquisition rules: Namely, a very small budget to accomplish a year's worth of knitting and sewing. Her philosophy seemed to be about making do with what she had, so if she wanted a new sweater and didn't want to spend any of her precious budget on materials, she needed to figure out something else.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I like best about Felicia's "system" is that it's about creating and curating a stash that works for you — whatever that is. For her, it was about using what was on hand and acquiring less (and making those few acquisitions really count). If your goal is to de-stash, then of course ripping something and putting that yarn back in your stash makes no sense! And that's totally fine.
All of which is to say, I think giving unwanted hand-knits away is perfectly fine! You have a different approach/set of parameters — run with them :)
What a thoughtful comment Angela! I agree that her objective seems to be to save money (she does say that she likes stash) but I feel her moving towards that ultra sustainable model. Mind you, you're so right - she's not prescriptive in any way. It's not like she suggests that we all behave a certain way. I guess there's some part of me that wants to get austere. I mean, it's a really, really small part of myself, but still!
DeleteGenerally speaking if I'm not happy with something, I give it away. But it doesn't bother me to rip back and fix something that looks gross. I don't feel a huge obligation to frog and re-knit, though, as my sisters are happy recipients of handknits. :)
ReplyDeleteGood to know I'm not the only one! And I am getting better at ripping out dozens of rows when and it the need strikes (though I try to realize it sooner to save on the pain!)
ReplyDeleteI've pretty much had all kinds of failure so far, so I think there's a different solution for each one :-). Say you make a nice sweater, and it doesn't fit you, but it looks smashing on someone else (preferably someone you like) - give it away! No painful ripping for you, no boring re-knit, and a very happy person. But say you make something reprehensible, which would only fit a sick walrus - then ripping is the obvious solution. I'd like to add a caveat here about really loving the yarn, and the color, otherwise you should give it to someone else to knit, like a beginning but poor knitter, who'll get to feel sustainable and happy while you feel lightened up.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole, if ripping is needed, study the problem long and hard before you throw yourself on it and rip out the whole thing - chances are that you can rip a lot less than you think and get a perfectly acceptable solution. Which might not be what you thought of originally, but still end up making you happy. Sometimes just redoing the neckband has given me a wearable item from what looked originally like a total dog..
Ripping back garments is akin to sticking pins in your eyes. Not remotely fun. My mum loves to do it so occasionally I'll get her to do one, but then you've got to knit the blasted yarn again. I can't! I tried and I can't! I'm very fortunate though to have knitty friends who will happily take yarn off my hands and put it into service. And then swap me a favour at a later date. That, to me is a much better solution!
ReplyDelete