Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Are you a yarn snob?

I don't really like to use that term, Yarn Snob, because it just sounds bad. I'm not trying to alienate anyone either. But if you detest acrylic then you will want to click out of this post now. Right now. And I don't want that, I'd hate to see you go. Well, maybe just hang around for a minute to find out why?

My husband's aunt used to knit and crochet like the wind. She would make samples for the LYS. We still use a beautiful blanket she made for Hubster years ago. In fact, she made dozens of the cutest baby booties as the shower favor for my baby shower. For some reason (grin) she has always loved me. Hugs the daylights out of me and packs a lipsticked kiss on me every time I see her. I must be like she daughter she never had or something. Aunt Rita has been cleaning out her house lately. Her husband died this past summer, and now her son and daughter-in-law are going to be moving in with her. She has also had problems with her hands and isn't able to knit or crochet anymore. (Pausing for a moment of silence) She has been gifting me with all of her stash. Yup. Loads. And loads more on top of that! There is no way one human being could possible knit up this much yarn if all they did was knit constantly!

There have been some interesting finds; quite a bit of Swa Laine, which looks like a mini i-cord instead of plied yarn strands. And some Lite-Lopi. But the majority of it is Acrylic. Lots of Red Heart and Caron Simply Soft. I can hear the mouse clicks now. Come back soon, will you please?

So in honor of Aunt Rita and her stash I will be holding yarn giveaways on a regular basis in the hopes of reclaiming our guest room (my craft room) before anyone visits and needs to use it! Details yet to be determined, but stay tuned!

9 comments:

Nina said...

Acrylic.. Hmm.. At least it makes for good toys, as it can be machine washed. :)

Unknown said...

Well, every yarn does have its purpose :) I tend to use acrylics for people I know are not willing to hand wash or dry clean something I make for them. That was so kind of her to gift her stash to you!

Ariel said...

Lucky you!!!

I'm using acrylic right now for a baby sweater. I can't guarantee that the new mom will have any time to worry about washing it.

Zaneta @ Runner's Luck said...

haha, your aunt rita sounds lovely! :) and so does acrylic yarn ;) I love making amigurumis out of caron simply soft! :)

Heather at Mad Rose Creations said...

How nice that Aunt Rita is passing her stash along to you. I always keep a few skeins of acrylic around just to be on the safe side. I have used it to make scrubbies for the kitchen. Or to teach someone to crochet or knit. I have even used a skein of it as a decoy for the wee ones so they leave my other yarn alone. So acrylic definitely has it's benefits. But I'll admit I have become a yarn snob to a certain degree (blush)

Elizabeth said...

I just got a great stash too. What to do with all the fine weight yarn is my question!

Sue said...

I dont mind knitting with some acrylic, although I have never tried the Red Heart. I guess it depends what colors they are in, nice greens and blues and yellow are always a favourite here, lol! How nice that your aunt loves you enough to gift all her treasured yarn to you. I cant imagine what it would be like if I couldnt knit anymore.

Unknown said...

yay for acrylic! i'm about to embark upon a giant blanket drive, and will need all the strips i'm collecting to be made out of acrylic, so i'm in for whatever giveaways you may be hosting!

i've been working my way through some acrylic from the 70's i was recently gifted, and find that once an item is knitted up and run through the washer/dryer once, it softens right up - yarn snobs be damned!

Alison said...

What a sweet post, and what a nice way to share the love!
I've been divesting myself of my embarrassingly large stash lately by donating to the art programs at our local schools. They LOVE it, and I love thinking about my "st/trash" being their treasure—fun projects being made from my yarn with those little fingers—makes me happy.