If you read my ‘Cotton vs Wool‘ post from Day 11, you’ll know I LOVE yarn and try to use the best yarn I can depending upon what I’m making. I have a wide variety of yarn in my stash and keep adding more. I’m very lucky that our local wool shop is pretty well stocked with cotton and acrylic as well as the occasional sheep wool blend.
I’ve also bought from plant fibre yarns. These feel amazing and I love the lore over the attributes different natural yarns have, for example, nettle is supposed to have protective properties. However, because they’re hand spun, there’s some inconsistencies in its width and I’ve not found it the easiest to use for amigurumi – shawls are better. the other issue I’ve found with natural fibres is that they ‘bind’ together quickly so frogging can mean ending up with a ball of fibres as it unwinds. I have plans to make a ‘Sorrowful Jones’ doll to link with my short story in ‘My Wandering Uterus’ and given the mystical origin of Sorrowful, I’m planning on using natural fibres in her costume.
Acrylic yarn is great because it’s relatively cheap and comes in such a variety of colours. It’s a running joke at Beagle HQ that I’ve got every shade of green but I’m sure I need more.
One issue I have with all my yarn is storage. We bought a storage unit from Ikea and I naively thought my stash would fit in the boxes but was quickly proven wrong so I now use those storage boxes to hold my DK yarns. My coloured cotton is in another box, while the craft cotton for making soap bags is kept with my dolls accessories. The Aran wool is in a large box which is bursting at the edges (I really need to get on with the assorted hats and blankets I’ve promised myself I’ll make!), and the natural fibre yarns are in a small paper bag. I’m definitely a yarn hoarder and keep telling myself that I have enough but am always on the lookout for something new. Perhaps I just need more storage?
Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see more of my makes. I’m always open to Commissions, just or have a look in my Shop to see some of my other makes.