The Stash

The stash is almost as important a part of knitting as gauge. (And we all always check gauge, right?)

Below are a few shots of my stash/wool room. When both sons moved out several years ago, their old room became my own private stash storage.

Here is one corner. The north row is lined with tubs that I really must organize. Most of the bags but not all, is shetland roving, with a little polypay, jacob, llama and alpaca thrown in. I really need to get the tubs stacked up better, although most of them are two high. The tubs along that wall are mostly full of roving, although I know some have yarn as well. My knitting model, Gertrude presides over that area.

The opposite corner is a bit more organized. The rack has some odds and ends, as well as a multitude of fingering and lace weight cones. I could knit for years just off those cones. Next the the stacked tubs shown here, I also have a tub of some hand-spun odd skeins and another of lace yarn.
Why so much stash? Well, every knitter need a stash. In my case it was enhanced by the fact that I used to work at a local yarn shop that closed, re-opened and closed again. Each time, my stash was greatly enhanced by the clearance sales. Need I also state that very little of that part-time check ever left the store? I am also a sucker for a fiber festival. And, well, I just want to plea that I get crazy when wool fumes are around.

And when all else fails, and I find I can't escape a yarn store, I always can buy a skein or two of sock yarn. It is a well know fact that sock yarn does not count toward the stash.

Here is one of my two tubs of sock yarn.
Oh yeah, I just remembered, I also have a file cabinet drawer (14 X 28 inches) full of sock yarn as well. No wonder I have 5 pair in progress!