Yarn Leftovers or “Free Yarn”

I’ve been knitting and crocheting for so many years that even I have a hard time remembering how long it’s been. Almost as long as that, I’ve been addicted to owning as much yarn as I can. I can’t stand to throw or even give it away when I have some leftover yarn from a project. First of all, I grew up in an era where you just didn’t throw things away. “Just put it away, you’ll be able to use that for something else one of these days”, I vividly remember hearing my mother say. Even my grandmother would tell me, “Waste not, want not.” And secondly, lots and lots of items can be made out of even the smallest of balls of yarn. (Especially with Amigurumi so popular now.) Or they can be combined with other balls to make something bigger.

So speaking of this, I’ve started another baby afghan in “leftover” yarn. I got all of this yarn out of the stash that I inherited from my sister when she passed away several years ago. Most of her stash was odds and ends that she had saved plus more odd skeins that she picked up at yard sales. She had a LOT. (I still had her beat, though! ) I’ve made several afghans out of her yarn by combining different colors. Thank goodness most of her yarn was the same type of yarn, even though it was different brands, because this hasn’t made much difference in the finished projects.

I LOVE it when I can take “free” yarn and make a useful or whimsical item from it. I’m always on the lookout for books, articles, or whatever that give you these kinds of ideas. Recently in one of my newsletters from Talking Crochet, was a link to a place that had just this kind of information. I thought I would pass it along on my blog to whomever would find it interesting.  

http://knittingcrochet.suite101.com/article.cfm/using_up_your_yarn_stash

Happy knitting and crocheting everyone!

Monday Morning MeMe

Here we go again!

September 1st Questions:

1. If you mixed up the letters in the name of your blog, what new name would you come up with? (Anagram fun website – http://wordsmith.org/anagram/) Now take your favorite anagram and tell us what sort of blog it might be based on that title.

Afar Sand Stretch is the anagram that I picked out of the many many that Wordsmith listed. It reminds me of a beach far, far away from the hectic life we live now. I can imagine living on this stretch of beach and blogging about my life there. The early morning walk along the beach while I drink my tea, watching the sea gulls flying around, and the waves lapping around my bare feet as I walk as close to the water as I dare. Wow, this is a place I would like to be right now!

2. What three sounds do you love? Okay, now tell us WHY you love these sounds.

1. A baby’s laugh. Need I explain that one?  I can’t help but laugh along, even if I’m in a not-so- good mood.

2. Crickets chirping in the dead silence of the night. This reminds me of the time that my sister and I would spend some of our summer down on the farm with my aunt when we were young. It was SO dark at night in the country you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face when the lights went out. The windows were open because it was summer and there was no air conditioning. (Imagine that!) The only sound you heard, which was almost deafening, was the sounds of the crickets singing their songs. It lulled me off to a peaceful night of sleep. Now when hubby and I sit outside in the swing in the evening, I hear the crickets over the sounds of dogs barking and the traffic going by. It always reminds me of those nights so long, long ago.

3. The gentle sound of rain falling. Especially early in the morning while I’m still in bed. I wake to that sound, and it sounds like all is well with the world. Very peaceful. I like to sit in the sunroom with it’s metal roof when it’s raining ever so gently like that. I sit and knit on my current project, listening to the rain. Ahhh, If only time could stand still for a day!

3. What is it about you that makes everyone want to know you? Wait, you’re not done yet. Now tell us WHY that one particular thing? What makes that element of yourself so special? (Come on, don’t be shy. This is your opportunity to write about something positive about yourself).

Well the first thing that comes to mind is my smile. When I was in high school and everybody was writing in everybody else’s yearbook, the one thing that a lot of the kids wrote in my yearbook was, “Always keep your smile”, or something similar relating to my smile. As I’ve lived my life, people comment on how “happy” I always seem to be, or that I’ve always got a smile for everyone. (It’s amazing how you can change someone’s attitude with a smile.) I LIKE to be happy and I like to smile. I think some people envy that. Have you noticed how some people NEVER smile? I’ve worked with a lot of people during the 21 years I’ve been at Wal-Mart and I’ve noticed that. I think it’s sooooo sad.  I can’t imagine living every day not smiling!

4. What is the oldest thing you own? What is the newest?

When I was very young, (for sure I was grade-school age), my Mom made my sister and me a little purse out of huck toweling fabric. (This is a fabric that has little loops on the right side so you can embroider a design on it with colored embroidery floss.) It was black material and made with a drawstring in the top of it. She made the drawstring using more floss and a method of making a rope using a spool with four nails hammered into the edge of the spool. This spool weaving has been around for a long time. Anyway, I LOVED that little purse and I still have mine. I don’t know if Sis still has hers or not. I’ll have to ask her sometime.

That’s not really the oldest thing I own. I have a lot of things that I inherited from my Mom and Aunt when they passed away. I’m sure some of the doilies, crochet hooks, pictures, and even the chest of drawers and side table are all older than I am, but the little purse is the oldest thing of mine that I own. The newest thing is the blender that I bought myself just a week or so ago.

Well, again, that was fun. Gee, some of these memories I haven’t thought about in a long time. Can’t wait until next Mon. Hope you enjoyed reading about my memories.