July 2, 2023:
My years of acquiring yarn, knitting every day, and even working in a yarn shop are memories now. At the age of 76, a widow for nearly 5 years, with both of my children thriving in Colorado and Virginia, I live alone. Not really alone... After all, I have 10 year old Sammy, my Tonkinese cat who keeps life interesting/somewhat chaotic. I also have my co-housing community. I live in a small, energy-efficient home at Prairie Hill, Iowa City's Ecovillage, along with about 4 dozen other Prairie Hill folks, ranging in age from 8 to 80. We live on 8 acres of land on which we are restoring Iowa prairie grasses, and are cultivating gardens and orchards.
Knitting has taken a backseat to many other interests and to my own adaptations to life in 2023. I will sort through my stash of yarns, knitting patterns, and books about knitting. As I have begun decluttering my home of appliances, furniture, clothes, books, and gadgets, I have not regretted "letting go of stuff". Instead, I feel better, more optimistic and energetic. For me, it is a way to see more clearly, feel lighter and more content, and to have less anxiety and worries.
Now, to the stash:
The yarns that I like to knit are in a particular range of sizes. I am most comfortable with yarns in Sport/DK, Worsted, and Heavy Worsted weights. Laceweight is definitely not my thing, nor is Bulky or Extra Bulky. I prefer to knit with needles in the range of 4 to 10. These parameters will guide my decisions to Keep, Give*, Sell, or Toss. Then, I will have a reasonably manageable stash! (Opportunities to give yarn: local charities, local senior center)
