Version 3.7a improved yarn club

Mavis,

I have the solution for you. You need 12 fun gift bags. In 6 of them put pattern and yarn for new projects. In 6 put UFOs with their associated patterns. Then you pull one new bag each time you finish a project not knowing if you'll be getting a UFO or a new project. Allow your children to put the projects in the bags so you won't even know which project is going where. Or if you are feeling really energetic move the quantity to 18 bags with 9 of each. Or maybe you'd want 6 socks, 6 sweaters, and 6 scarfs and you can have some UFO and some not depending on what's in the pile to be done.

Then only allow yourself two open projects at any one time. That way as you finish one you can grab another. That way if you get said 6' son's sweater in July you can just do other projects until Sept/Oct when it starts to get a little cooler and you can handle said project's weight on your lap.

I've thought about doing this, but when I realized I didn't have much sock yarn in my stash and I only have two projects on my needles (current socks and lacy shawl that I can only work on in non-interruptibility situations); I realized this wouldn't work. So my solution to wanting to be in a sock club is telling myself I can order new yarn whenever I complete two pairs of socks.

Ok, so should I confess to everyone that I ordered yarn today because I did finish two pairs of socks this past week and I really wanted to try knitting socks in a heavier weight yarn (sports) versus using two strands of yarn to achieve a heavier sock. I also ordered a sock blocker to see what they are like and if they would make the sock looker nicer for photographing so it showcases the design better.

And for those thinking about their yarn stashes I really like Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's thoughts on this from her book "Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting", which I listened to on audio while traveling on my last trip. She basically said a stash is a personal choice and that only you can tell when your stash is too large. If you stash overwhelms you and you can't chose what to knit because there is way to many possibilities, that your stash is too large.

-Myrtle