This year I am determined to shrink down my stash of yarn. While my stash isn’t as large as those of many of my peers (you know who you are!) there are far too many orphan skeins to suit me. So, I came up with a system.
I start with one orphan skein. Next, I pull any partial skeins with the same label. These yarns generally were used together in a previous project. The next step is to grab partial skeins that are the same fiber and weight (fingering, dk, worsted, etc.) and compatible colors. Once I am happy that the yarns can be combined, they get tossed into a project bag. As of today, I have four bags.
To find a suitable pattern, I start by adding up the total yardage in each bag (a digital scale helps with this step.) This number will tell me what kind of garment or accessory is possible. For example, a pair of socks requires about 400 yards, a shawl around 800 and a sweater 1200 or more.
Now the tricky part: finding a pattern. I am a big fan of Ravelry’s advanced search tool. Using the tool, I can build a search using the parameters of the yarns in the project bag. One additional parameter I choose is number of colors. I search for a project with two or more colors. No matter how many different colors of yarn I have, I can always alter the pattern to accommodate more colors.
As of today, I have four stash-busting projects, bagged up and in the queue.
in air-conditioned rooms.)
What’s in your yarn stash, and what can you make of it? I challenge you to come up with something unexpected.
Daily Fiber 
Oh that’s an interesting method! Just this week I’ve been filtering for DK patterns with six or more colours for exactly this reason. Though *last* week I ordered yarn for two new projects. But I bought it with birthday money so somehow it feels more justified?
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I believe that one doesn’t need to justify buying supplies that fuel one’s creativity.
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You are absolutely correct, a very timely reminder 😊
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What a great idea!
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This looks to be an interesting project! I wonder what we shall see. Socks could be a lot of fun here, or a Dr. Who scarf. My MIL knits up all her leftover sock yarn into blankets – she has a huge one, done in strips, on her bed. I think you knit and attach the strips as you go.
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What a great way to create projects from stash!
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Glad you like it. I will report on how well it works for me over the rest of the year.
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That is a great plan! Very clever use of your orphan skeins 🙂
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Thank you. It’s going well so far.
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