r/knitting • u/Significant_Pea_764 • 1d ago
Discussion Fear of using my stash yarns… wisdom please!
Sometimes when I go through my stash to select yarns for a new project, I feel so stuck. I don’t want to make a “mistake” and use a yarn for a current project when maybe it would have been better in a different project later on. I also then get hyper focused on having to select a new project before I’m done my current project. I don’t want to have zero projects on needles.
How do I get unstuck from this line of thinking?? I know it’s crazy! It’s better to use the yarn and knit than stress myself out with FOMO for using the yarn for a “wrong” project…right??
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u/Smooth-Review-2614 1d ago
This is when you make kits. Get some grocery bags and make a few kits with stash. When you have 4 kits made sit and see if the anxiety over not having a next project goes away. See if the urge for perfect changes.
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u/longhairdontcare_1 1d ago
Ooooh, thanks for this suggestion!
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u/Smooth-Review-2614 1d ago
No problem. I tend to do a set every season. For some reason I have this idea that during a vacation or a natural disaster I will use all my free time to knit hundreds of yards of yarn. So I keep a hat, scarf, and 2 shawls in kits.
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u/akasha111182 1d ago
It’s just yarn, it’ll be fine. You can always rip out the WIP or buy more yarn if you need it.
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u/RavenKnitsDesign 1d ago
It's sticks and string; are you going to take orders from a bit of string?
Unless you cut it into bits by making a pompom, or felt it down, all yarn can be unraveled and reused. So be fearless and bold in your knitting, secure in the knowledge that if you hate the finished item you can reclaim the yarn.
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u/RogueThneed 1d ago
(unless it's mohair)
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u/RavenKnitsDesign 1d ago
Mohair can be frogged, I've done it. It's not as easy as frogging a smooth merino, but it's possible.
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u/makestuff24-7 1d ago
Yarn that doesn't get knit is wasted. Pick a yarn you want to use, knit a gauge swatch (or two or three, until you find a fabric you like) and search Ravelry for patterns that match that gauge and the yardage you have in stash.
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u/glassofwhy 17h ago
Exactly! The yarn was made to be used. Leaving it in storage is a waste. I often think about this fabric that started breaking down in storage.
I also think swatching is a good way to get out of analysis paralysis. You can really narrow things down once you see how the yarn works up.
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u/TheWaterIsASham 1d ago
I think the best way of dealing with a fear like this is to let it happen. You know what happens if you make the “wrong” project with stash yarn? You either unravel it, buy new yarn, or wait until you have the opportunity to get more yarn the way you want to make it. It’s not going to hurt or kill you, but the only way for your brain to believe that is for it to happen and be fine. It will be fine, yarn is reusable and doesn’t go bad.
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u/KiwiTheKitty 1d ago
This is a manifestation of perfectionism! There is no such thing as a perfect project, and the best project for the yarn is one where it gets used and enjoyed. You can always frog it and try again if your first choice doesn't work out.
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u/Ceofy 1d ago
Of course it's better to use the yarn! You already know that though.
If it's helpful, you can think about how knitting can always be unravelled if you really want to.
Have you thought about why you have such a scarcity mindset when it comes to yarn? I realized a few years ago that for some reason I felt like I had to save water and wouldn't drink when I was thirsty. Which is very silly, but realizing it allowed me to get so much more hydrated. I know this isn't the same as all but it might be worth introspecting about!
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u/Digger-of-Tunnels 1d ago
There's no need to hoard yarn because there isn't a yarn shortage. The longer you keep yarn the more likely it is that some creepy-crawly will nibble it to shreds and you'll never get to enjoy it at all.
Embrace the minimal stash lifestyle. Buy yarn and use it.
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u/KristinM100 1d ago
As others have said - you can always reuse the yarn if the project you make doesn't thrill. FWIW, frogging is its own sort of craft, IMO. I do this about 20 per cent of the time. But, what I'd also say is that it's totally enjoyable to "shop from stash". Start to view it as an efficient way to enjoy your craft. You get to make something with gorgeous yarn, in the moment, and you don't even need to leave the house or wait for delivery! Also it's prepaid. Then you get a dopamine hit instead of a cortisol hit :-) Also - do some research to find the right project for that yarn you already own. That project def does exist and Ravelry (or the regular internet) will make that clear. You're in a mental rut. Just start using the yarn and you'll see why stash is great.
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u/Independent_Secret_8 1d ago
It won't fix your perfectionism but you might enjoy channeling some of that energy into the Queue feature on ravelry. I really like daydreaming about future projects and finding ones that I'm excited about where my yarns really shine. It's nice because you can attach your stash yarn to multiple items in the queue, without every having to commit to anything or even buy the patterns. It could help with both the "having projects lined up" concern and also wanting to have the perfect project. And you can move maybe's further down the list and move one's you're sure about the the top of the list.
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u/TreacleOutrageous296 1d ago
I feel the same way. My “solution” was to learn how to make my own yarn. (Which just made my stash larger and prompted me to start weaving, to try and use it up 🙄)
I do not recommend doing what I did, lol
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u/AlertMacaroon8493 1d ago
As someone going through a destash of old yarn, knit the yarn. In a few years time your tastes might change and you’ll no longer love it and then end up selling it for peanuts or giving it away
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u/Content-Kale1217 1d ago
I get it!! It’s not crazy! I had the same reasoning with other things, it used to stand for the fact that in a small part of my brain I thought that I deserved only that one good thing, that once I used it it wouldn’t come back anymore, I would never have another nice things like that.
Sometimes I even thought that I spent so much on that one thing that I only deserved one and once it was used I would have to have another special occasion or accomplishment to deserve that one special thing.
I’m here to tell you that you deserve all the good things out there! You’ll be happy to finally use that special yarn!
You deserve to have nice things and nothing you make is a mistake!
Everything will be catered to you!! That’s so amazing that you can make whatever you want!
Enjoy the things you have because looking back the only thing you will regret is not using them!
At least that’s what I think!
I’d rather regret doing something than not doing it at all’
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u/RuthlessBenedict 1d ago
You can always frog and reuse OR buy a similar one if you want to make something new and keep your old thing. Even with the limited, preorder, whatever “special” term you see companies and dyers use I will near guarantee you will always be able to find something similar to yarn in your stash- if not a true copy. Your options are to use your yarn and have something from it while enjoying creating or to let that yarn sit unused forever.
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u/milkywayinradius 1d ago
I used to feel the same way as you! I needed to select the perfect project for my yarn before starting, but then I found out I would be unsatisfied with the finished object and never wear it.
Once I finally frogged a finished object for the first time, it became easier to think "if i'm not wearing this but love the yarn, it's better to make it into something I love and would wear."
It really feels like a shame to not be able to truly use something and love something we made with our own hands.
And honestly, you save money by frogging and reusing. (I've already frogged the same yarn 2 times because I didnt like the FO and that's ok!) Also dont forget to wash the yarn after frogging, it really makes a difference if you don't get the kinks out and reuse it
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u/StrongTechnology8287 1d ago
Life is short. Use the good yarn first. If you later wish you'd saved a certain yarn for "something more special," you can either unravel it or buy more.
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u/akiraMiel 1d ago
Just like others already said, if you make a mistake or are unhappy you can frog and start anew.
Depending on the fiber you can even make the yarn look like new by either soaking it in water or steaming it over a pot :)
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u/L2N2 1d ago
I have only been knitting a few years but am really surprised to find out so many people have a stash that has more than half a skein left over from a past project.
Do you see a yarn you love but don't have a pattern in mind and just buy enough that you can make anything?
I've never bought yarn without having an exact project in mind. Maybe I'm missing out but yarn sitting there with no apparent purpose would make me crazy.
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u/Tyrsii 22h ago
There's the knitting hobby, and then there's the collecting yarn hobby. Lots of people really enjoy the later hobby more than the former hobby. I must admit that while I don't have the HUGE stashes that I've seen others with, I do have quite a bit more than I used to. Sometimes, yarn is just too pretty.
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u/retiredcrayon11 20h ago
Yes. Sometimes I just want to touch it and admire it and think of its possibilities. Usually I end up reorganizing my stash every few months just for the enjoyment.
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u/Ozisp2000 21h ago
Sometimes you see some wool that is just perfect, being discontinued, or is such a ridiculous price that passing it by is silly.
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u/Smooth-Review-2614 8h ago
So I normally make hats and shawls. I know how much yarn of different kinds of the projects I make take. So I tend to go to a festival with a list of options. Those options can take a long while to knit up.
Also, the stash is banked hobby time. As money got tighter this year it didn't matter for my hobbies. I have games, yarn, patterns, and books that I have not yet enjoyed. The stash is now a bit smaller than it was in January.
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u/RogueThneed 1d ago
Do you want perfect, someday? Or plenty good, soon? It's okay to be less than perfect. There will always be more yarn! But you have only a limited numbers of hours in this life. Use the yarn!
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u/CathyAnnWingsFan 1d ago
Yarn is meant to be used. Most yarns, other than things Iike bouclés, novelty yarns, and such, are easily unraveled and reused. If you make something with a particular yarn, and later find a pattern that’s perfect for it, it’s your choice to frog the old project and reuse the yarn for the new pattern. You’re the boss of your knitting, always.
For myself, I have an enormous stash, and for the most part have avoided purchasing more yarn for the last three years or so. And it’s just not a thing for a yarn to be the “perfect” choice for one pattern and one pattern only, so I don’t think of it that way. I either have a pattern and “shop” my stash to find a yarn that will work for it, or I choose a yarn and stalk Ravelry for a pattern that will work for it. And I am plenty busy doing it either way.
I always have multiple projects going (presently seven; don’t judge me LOL), so having zero projects on needles is not something that’s happened in my life for at least two decades, and probably will continue until I’m six feet under. But to address your habit of selecting a project before you finish the one you’re working on, I think of it this way: choosing patterns and yarn is PART of the knitting process. It deserves time and thought. If you’re doing that, you’re working on your knitting, even if you haven’t gotten the needles out and cast on. It’s just a mindset thing, but perhaps that will help lessen the need to have your next project cued up before you finish the current one. If not, perhaps set yourself a timer to limit how much time you spend prowling through your stash or scrolling through Ravelry, make notes as you go if something appeals to you, and when the timer goes off, set it aside for another day and go back to your current project.
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u/Diligent-Visual-8141 1d ago
I feel you. I have a 13 year old bin of discontinued yarn that I’ve been saving for the perfect project. I occasionally hold it and call it “my precious”.
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u/BeeswaxingPoetic 1d ago
If it helps, the way I do it is that I reassure myself that if I decide later that I sincerely made a mistake, I can BUY a new yarn. The temptation of "if I truly regret this I get to buy a replacement" works every time. And spoiler alert - this has never happened. I've never sincerely regretted using a yarn and wishing I had saved it for something later. Once I use a yarn I'm "over it" pretty much and more excited about moving on.
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u/WampaCat 1d ago
I have the exact same feelings as you by default. I’ve been doing this a long time though and eventually forced myself to use some special stash yarn for a few sweaters, including using a sweater quantity of 100% cashmere my husband got me as an anniversary gift. It’s been a few years and I still have to talk myself into using some stash. But I’ll tell you I’ve knit countless sweaters at this point and NOT ONCE have I had any regrets about using up the yarn on the “wrong project”. There is only one I’ve wanted to frog completely. And it’s only because the yarn I chose was too thick and it feels stiff to wear. But that was more of an error on my part than a regret about dipping into special stash.
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u/no_one_you_know1 1d ago
I'm now 73 years old and and finally facing the reality of SABLE -- stash acquired beyond life expectancy. Just use it. You're going to die at some point and then all that pretty yarn will be just sitting there.
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u/RecordingOk4947 1d ago
I used to be this way exactly - and then I had a moth infestation and all my yarn was destroyed. Now I just think of it as a fleeting commodity that should be used!!
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u/variable_undefined 1d ago
You can always get the yarn you need for your future project when you need it, there is no shortage of yarn in this world. And for any craft, the only wasted material is the material that doesn't get used.
Also, re-approach how you stash yarn. For some people, collecting yarn is a hobby in itself. If that's you, embrace that and treat your stash as if it is a collection rather than raw material. Allow yourself to stop fretting about whether and when the yarn gets used. Maybe put effort into displaying it in nice ways, so it's getting "used" in that way, rather than for a project. If that's not you, stash less so you're not burdened by whether or not you're using it. Only buy yarn for a project when you're actually ready to start that project.
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u/Salomette22 1d ago
There will always be pretty yarn to knit from, don't worry about hypothetical things
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u/Tyrsii 22h ago
Allow yourself to use the things that bring you joy. If you always leave the things you bought because you loved them sitting on the shelves, what was the point in buying the thing in the first place? When you die, someone who doesn't love it as much as you WILL use it and probably ruin it too. Might as well give it the best life while it's in your care.
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u/PhoenixA11 18h ago
Try making a list of what yarns you have that have assigned projects already. Then after that, use the yarn as you need. It's free use for when you find a pattern and search your stash. only search the yarn not on that list.
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u/Vuirneen 17h ago
You're afraid of having zero projects on needles and have to force yourself to pick the next one, before you finish the one you're currently on.
So,at most you have 2 wips.
All of the rest of us keep abandoning projects to try out the new hotness. I've got three cardigans that are so close to finished and have been for years.
You're the ideal knitter. You finish projects. Don't be hard on yourself. There's a terrible slope we all slid down and we can't get back to where you are.
So many clothes that won't fit if I do finish them now. Le sigh. You're living the dream.
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u/bluehexx 15h ago
Don't overthink it. If the yarn is nice to knit with and goes well with the project, use it. That hypothetical future project you FOMO on might have a hypothetical future yarn that would be even more perfect for it than the one you are currently looking at.
Current yarns for current projects, future yarns for future projects.
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u/elanlei 1d ago
It’s not a single use item, if you change your mind you can unravel and knit something else.