Stashing

I am working on diminishing my yarn stash, the process of which I call stashing, knitting and crocheting projects that use up both the left-over full skeins and the little bits. Mostly, I enjoy making hats, scarves, gloves and blankets (some of this summer's stashing is shown in the accompanying photo). I give all the finished products away, to family, when they cannot think of a reason not to need another hat, set of gloves, or scarf fast enough to avoid my gifting, as well as to a local homeless facility. A couple years back, I provided that organization with 6 brand-new, large handmade afghans and specified that they be given to residents who are on the streets during the winter. When I was told they would be sold in their shop to bring in revenue to help with operating costs, I clarified that was NOT my intent, so I would not donate afghans in the future.

Yesterday, an email from one of my many craft sites offered the pattern for a hand-knit “key cozy.” It’s actually a covering for the fat part of the key, the part the fingers hold onto when inserting/ removing the key from keyholes. Not only can I not imagine why anyone would need, want, or use a hand-knit key cozy, but that use of silly bits of yarn goes too far even for me. If I have that small a bit of left-over yarn, I’m going to toss it!

There has to be a line beyond which hoarding yarn should not go, and I believe I’ve finally found it. My family members are safe: there will be NO hand-knit key cozies arriving in the mail ... this year. I may have to make one just to see why anyone would take the time to make even one and then publish the pattern so others can make them, too. After all, if you are wearing gloves and the key has gloves, it'll be impossible to hold onto the key, which defeats the purpose of the hand-knit key cozy ... unless I'm missing something.

Yeah, this is how it begins.