Two things have conspired  to force me to get a headstart on my Christmas knitting this year.  The first is my self imposed ‘yarn diet’.  As of August 2009, I’m not allowing myself to buy any new yarn before January 2010.  The idea being, of course, that I get creative and use up the varied and interesting collection of yarns in my stash.

The second is the fact that I’m on an unpaid leave of absence from my job this year.  Those drawer fulls of yarn are a perfect opportunity to create thoughtful gifts, while trimming back the Christmas budget.  A challenge that I’ve been enjoying even more than I expected to!

To date, I’ve knit 2 pairs of fingerless gloves, 2 slouchy hats and 2 pairs of slippers for family members. Since I have quite a collection of ‘one ball wonders’ in my stash, I’ve also knit a bag full of hats, mitts and scarves for donation to our local Youth Emergency Shelter.

It’s been great fun to pick up a ball of stashed yarn and let my needles and imagination decide what it will become - a truly liberating and creative process.

A few more pairs of mitts and some dishcloths and my Christmas knitting will be complete.

Maybe then I can start daydreaming about colour choices for the Slanting Gretel Tee I want to knit , with newly purchased yarn, once 2010 rolls around and my yarn diet is over.

stash knitting

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