In my last post, I wrote about why I choose to make the things I do. This time, I want to explore the part that yarn plays in generating ideas for a new project.
My stash has developed over time. Originally it was stored in a loose colour order and was full of leftover balls of yarn, gifted skeins, abandoned projects and those impulse purchases that simply couldn’t be left in the shop. As my business has evolved, from crochet design into weaving and now spinning my own yarn, my stash cupboard has changed too.
These days I organise everything by weight rather than colour. Much of the yarn I use is aran or double knit, while the yarn I spin myself usually comes out somewhere around double knit or worsted weight. I do, however, have a weakness for sock yarn. Those beautiful indie-dyed skeins and irresistible gradient cakes seem to find their way home with me far more often than I intend!
Organising my stash this way means that when an idea starts to form, I can reach straight for the right weight of yarn to sample with. The colour is less important than the structure and feel of the yarn for those first crochet samples. When weaving, I also tend to keep the warp to a consistent weight, while enjoying a little more freedom to experiment with different textures in the weft.
Since learning to spin, I have become something of a yarn snob. I spend a long time reading fibre content labels at shows and in yarn shops, looking for yarns with a higher proportion of natural fibres. They may cost a little more, but I find them a joy to work with.
More often than not, it is the fibre itself that suggests the project. A basket of wool or alpaca immediately makes me think of cosy shawls, wraps or throws for winter evenings, while bamboo, linen or cotton seem to call out for lighter designs such as picnic blankets or airy summer cover-ups. Sometimes I don’t choose the project at all – the yarn quietly chooses it for me.
If you’re as fascinated by fibres as I am, you might enjoy my weekly Tuesday “Focus on Fibre” posts on Instagram and Facebook. There is always something new to discover about the materials we love to work with.
What fibre do you find impossible to resist? Whatever fibre you choose, I hope it brings you as much inspiration as it brings me.
Happy crafting,
Sue
Pearson Handmade 