In Which the Pirate Prepares for a Stash Explosion.

In a recent conversation with the Knitting Ninja on IRC, we were discussing future projects. I mentioned that I wanted to knit a bunch of babypants, but that I was going to hold off on buying the yarn for them until I’d worked through some of my current stash. The Ninja, who apparently knows me too well, pointed out that my stash contains “all that sock yarn!” (Currently eight pairs of socks’ worth, except one of those balls of yarn is going to be fingerless glove-convertible mittens, not socks. That’s not a lot, really. Is it?)

Then I said the following words:

“Sock yarn almost doesn’t count as stash.”

That, right there, is a dangerous dangerous statement. Sock yarn almost doesn’t count because the yarn is always purchased with a purpose. But if sock yarn doesn’t count as stash, then I’m open to buy all kinds of other yarns, aren’t I? So far, I’ve been able to limit myself to just the yarn that fits inside my picnic basket, a perfect container for a yarn stash. It’s lined in a pleasingly plaid fabric. It’s deep enough to hold lots of yarn, but not so deep that I lose any. It has a top section, originally meant to hold cups and silverware, that is great for needles and other notions. And it closes with two brass latches, to keep out any curious and prying paws. I don’t have a cat yet, but one day I will! The most convenient part is that although we do picnic, we never used the basket, because it doesn’t fit on the back of a motorcycle very well, and that’s how our picnics start out. So I’ve never had to empty out my yarn to put food in the basket.

Currently, the basket is holding:

• Four skeins of Noro Kureyon, two each of colorways 147 and 158, for a stripy scarf inspired by the Child’s Rainbow Scarf in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts.
• The aforementioned silk-cashmere coppery-brown laceweight, which I discovered is actually more of a cobweb-weight, for the Lead or Follow lace scarf.
• Two balls of Patricia Roberts’ Lambswool in Charcoal, one of which will be a pair of armwarmers for myself. The other, I don’t know yet.
• Two balls of Rowan Felted Tweed in colorway 148 (purple), for armwarmers of my own design and a Shedir hat from the breast cancer issue of Knitty.
• One ball of Jo Sharp Silk Road DK Tweed, colorway 409 Night, which needs a twin before Pirate-Husband can knit a hat of it. (Yes, this is a contagious hobby. I’m teaching him to knit.)
• 50g each of Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair in colorway 202 and “No Boundaries” in bright green (gifts from a Secret Swap).
• Enough leftover Manos del Uruguay in various colors to make a felted bag.

Then the sock yarn:

• Meilenweit Fun and Stripes 621 will be fingerless gloves with flip-top mittens.
• Another 100g of Plymouth Sockotta, colorway 14, for the Mermaid Gloves to match the Pomatomus socks.
• Regia Canadian Color 4742 will be another pair of Jaywalkers.
• Meilenweit Magico 2530 will be socks.
• Meilenweit Colortweed 1006, more socks.
• Two balls of Trekking XXL in colorways 90 and 66, more socks. Perhaps Monkey.
• One skein of Schaefer Anne in green-purple-and-blue, yet more socks.

And I’m sure I won’t be able to knit through all of that in time for my trip to WEBS in June. The inevitable will happen. My stash will explode. It’s time to think about a second basket.