Crocheting My Stash

Yes, this is still a knitting blog even though I am talking about crochet. I am a terrible crocheter, but I have always been attracted to granny squares. They have that classic crochet appearance. People who are bold with color can make some stunning pieces.

I decided to use my easy center-pull ball stash to practice making them. I can do crochet stitches, but I have a hard time reading patterns and putting it all together. I crocheted along with a YouTube video to make these squares. Hopefully muscle memory will kick in soon. I don't love the colors, but I have high hopes for the final motif.

This post isn't about crocheting. I wanted to talk about some of my yarn stash habits. I don't like to keep a large stash, which is probably different from the majority of knitters. I rarely buy yarn just because it looks nice or because I may be able to make something beautiful with it. I like to have a project in mind with every purchase. Sometimes I will create a tiny stash because I buy yarn for a new project before I finish the current one. This bad practice encourages unfinished objects. Try to avoid.

It's hard to avoid a small stash of leftovers. I can't think of a time when I had a project that magically used every inch of yarn. Some leftovers are perfect for embroidery or other embellishments. I also use them to experiment with color and stitches before I am ready to do true swatching. 

Do you like to keep a large stash? How do you use your leftovers?