If I were building my yarn stash today, here’s what I’d do different

If I were building my yarn stash today, there's a few things I'd do differently. Here's the mistakes I've made building my yarn stash and what I'd do different if I were building it today.

[findingmyway]

Thank you so much for your videos! I am starting to crochet more and it is helpful to know other people's DOs and DON'Ts.

[beverlypatzke]

This is a good practice for everything….quilting, art supplies, etc.

[Tfwcrochet]

The advice about googling a yarn to see how it looks in other lighting is so good. I have been fooled way too many times ordering yarn online!

[lorriehutson]

Hi I've been crocheting for a year now. And I really wish I had found you sooner! You are so right about learning what you like to crochet. I want to learn how to do amigurumi but I realize that I crochet when I'm watching tv or at a car show, not where I can read instructions/ a pattern and make sense of it.
So for now, I'm putting that on the back burner and working on what is bringing me joy!

[shaykayraycrochet]

You've definitely already voiced most of my do-over wishes, but probably the biggest mistake that I made was the yarn weight issue. I stocked up on tons of worsted weight acrylic because it goes on sale the most and at the best prices and has the most variety (it seems). However, I have found that I love making wearables that drape and aren't too heavy for me to enjoy wearing in the south, so I wish I had bought only DK and fine/sport weight yarns, especially for anything acrylic. Also, I would prefer to have mostly cotton blends and bamboo yarns with only fine weight acrylics and that they would all be machine washable or dry cleanable. I don't mind laying items flat for drying, but I just know that I will not wear the items if I know that hand-washing is in my future. I also know now that I love cakes, but I don't love striped wearables, so more of my stash would be filled with gradual fading ombre yarns and cotton king style cakes. I also wish I had known how heavy some items will get when crocheted vs. in the ball and when to use a lacier stitch and larger hook to help with that issue, but that's more about other do-over wishes not necessarily related to building the stash itself. I have lots of those. Hugs & blessings💜💜💜

[LJernegan]

I am taking up knitting again after a hiatus. I just bought yarn for a project. I then sat down and watched dozens of stash busting videos to avoid buying everything. My scrapbooking hobby became a scrapbook supply buying hobby so easily.

[Lisbeth_]

First of all, I love that hat! Great color for you!
I love the idea of looking up yarn colors in your browser; lighting can and does make such a difference!

[slowcrochet]

So many good thoughts here, Shannon! I don't think I would go back in time because I appreciate the lessons learned, but I would want my younger self to know that not all acrylic softens up in the wash - so if it's too scratchy to enjoy working with, it may end up being too scratchy to enjoy the project. This craft is more about the joy in the making than the finished items, so everything that ties into the process really matters. Love seeing you back, my friend!

[crochetyourwaytoday]

Great discussion starter! Your thoughtful approach to your craft is refreshing. İf I could go back I would not get sucked into mystery bags/boxes. Since Facebook marketplace is local and I can inspect the yarn, I would still use it to experiment on different yarn. However, quarantine isn't discussed very much on the YarnTube streets. Having some best practices introducing any yarn to my stash, and storing it safely would have helped me be better prepared for storing natural yarns. Thanks for your thoughts on this topic.

[yarra]

Tip for washing yarn in skeins: Put them in a nylon stocking and tie a knot between every ball of yarn. Then you wash it according to the lable.

[mishellegarrett]

I have a curated yarn stash based on preferred colors. Although I have other colors that I don't prefer or even dislike, most of which have been given to me, I don't buy colors I don't like. Even at clearance sales I pick and choose the colors. The one color I don't buy is pinks, Barbie pink, bubblegum pink, oh and especially neon pink. In fact I don't get neon colors at all. The actually cause me headaches. The pinks I'll buy will be mauve, dusty pinks and Victorian rose colors. I'm not a fan of most oranges but I've surprised myself with discoveries of some that as you would say "spoke to me". I've been crocheting over 30 yrs so I've had time to curate. I appreciate your channel and I hope we'll get to see what ya make.

[eleventhcaptain]

"yarn desert" is exactly what it feels like living in my area, the only yarn store around is overpriced because they don't focus on it and the options are so little. I bought most of my yarn online and fell into the habbit of buying without knowing well what i was going to do with it, it was just pretty and on sale. great video, i started destashing and thinking more, thank you for the information

[yarra]

I never felt drawn to building a yarn stash as a beginner, in fact I was rather judgemental towards people who did. I often looked at the pictures of peoples stashes and yarn hauls and thought them greedy, gluttonous and obnoxious. I was however a student at the time and I didn't have the money nor the space to stash anything. I bought yarn based on project and I only allowed myself one project at the time.

Looking back I judged stashers very harshly, too harshly. Granted there are gluttons out there, but I have come to see after 15 years of knitting, over time you develop a stash eventhough you aren't activity building one.

By having my strickt rules of only buy when I wanted to start a new project, and limiting myself to one project at any given time, I had to make choices.

I also got to try out a lot of different yarn and knitting needles and slowly I started to develop a feeling for what I liked and didn't like. What worked good what didn't work. Slowly over the years I have found my preferences and favourite brands, yarns, fibers, weights. And when you finish a project you always have yarn left. Sometimes you start a project and find out it's not gonna work. Slowly that adds up, and you build a functional library of yarns you like to work with.

[sweetmomentsbyjessie]

Really great tips, Shannon! If I was restarting my yarn stash, I wouldn’t buy a lot of yarn just because it was on clearance. I did that so much when I first started crocheting and I now have a lot of yarn that I will never use or don’t have enough to make a bigger project. Thank you for sharing! 🙂

[EE_Lopez]

I needed this video like a year ago but just found it now. So I learned the hard way and I’m still learning. I thought I needed every color big twist acrylic yarn because I didn’t know about the different textures, weights, and yardage per project.

[apotter]

Hi Shannon, Excellent video because it speaks to me. I crochet a lot of donation items along with things for friends and family so I use all the “mistake Yarn” into granny donation blankets.Like you, I have decided to only buy yarn for a specific project and no more sale buying for no reason. Who thought so much goes into buying yarn. It has been such a learning process😂.

[sylviabryant]

Your advice is well received, I am 67 years old and self taught myself to crochet 10 years ago. I still have yarn that I will never use and no one to donate it to. I crochet blankets exclusively for homeless shelters and veteran's homes in my small town in Texas.

[MaryIannacone]

I do have a lot of stash. But I regret buying cheap yarn. I will tell myself I’m creating a work of art! Plus I like to support my LYS. 😊

[estefanamanrique]

Thank you for the subject... I have been thinking of that lately, since I just find I was too optimistic about a sock yarn brand that reacts badly to washing/wearing. It pills a lot and the garment looks old after only 2 washes, since the yarn is labeled as "superwash"... So, if I had to build my stash again, I would definitely give a good try to a yarn before getting a lot of it only because color and price are good for me. Lately, I discovered few other yarn brands that react way better than this one. I really like your videos, you have interesting topics. Thank you for sharing your crafting with us!

[francesdurietz]

A very good talk Shannon I only have yarns that I want for making items for charity and the highest yarn is a low 4 weight at the most .I like to also make special items as gifts and I go to my yarn stash first .Mine has built up over the last 30 years or so.