What do you do when you have yarn that you don't want anymore, but has been listed for sale on Ravelry for eons and nobody has bought it? New yarn, yarn that you bought with the best intentions, but for whatever reason it's just not doin' it for you anymore.
I have a number of skeins like this - either leftovers from a project, sock yarns bought on a whim, or yarn for some crazy half-cocked idea I had for something that never came to fruition.
Whatever they are for, they are weighing me down and I need to do something about them. I have put an updated destash on Ravelry, but I am wondering if there's something else I can do with them.
I have considered donating them, but the types of places that take donations of yarn generally don't want non-machine washable yarn, and honestly I'm loathe to see most of it go anywhere that it won't be appreciated for what it is.
I am considering having a contest of sorts and give some away as prizes, but I can't quite figure out what kind - and honestly, depending on what I was doing - keeping track of it all seems overwhelming - I'm way too busy right now to add something else to my to-do list.
Maybe do a registry at Heifer and everyone who donates goes in for a drawing for prizes? That's not a bad one...but do people donate this time of year or if I'm going to do that do I save it for the holidays and run it through the fall up to Christmas?
I feel like the unwanted yarn is baggage right now, I'm ready to move onto to a new phase in my knitting (I'm really liking the idea of buying when I want to cast on more and more) and this is old yarn with old ideas and old vibes and I want it to find a new home.
What do you do with yarn like this? Any grand words of wisdom you can share with me?
And not related at all - a picture of Pixie watching for me out the front window:
Can you spy her there in the bottom right?
i can't see her! but i believe you.
as to your extra yarn-our knitting guild takes donations and then has an auction to generate revenue for operating the guild, and for charity work.
Posted by: pattie | April 13, 2012 at 05:13 PM
In case you can ship to >EU there are a few skeins I'd love to buy from you:-) (lovely stuff you have)I'll send PM via Ravelry as well....
Posted by: A-L | April 14, 2012 at 02:24 AM
Haha... I see her little face peering out at you. But if you hadn't mentioned where she was I probably wouldn't have...
If you're really ready to let the yarn go you could look at yarnstorming on Ravelry. They take suggestions of needy persons or groups and yarn donations, and then send the one to the other (yarn to knitter rather than the other way around of course). There are some groups who ask for washable for charity work, but there are also knitters going through difficult times emotionally and financially who get stormed.
http://www.ravelry.com/groups/yarn-storming
Posted by: KathleenC | April 14, 2012 at 05:35 PM
Love this photo! And now that you've pointed me in the right direction I see little Pixie!
No thoughts on the yarn dilemma but I do understand where you're coming from.
Posted by: Susan | April 16, 2012 at 07:32 PM
Do you have 4-H group in your area or a weaver's guild?
I know in our area, we have a 4-H fiber arts club where the kids, knit, spin, sew, weave, etc.
The kids are always happy to get yarn.
A weaving guild might be able to use it for something.
Just a couple of ideas.
Posted by: Deb Winslow | April 17, 2012 at 05:46 PM
It's funny you should ask this, as I've been wondering the same thing lately. I just can't take on the project of selling what I've got that I don't want, but I would like it to have an appreciative home. Our local weaver's guild does seem like a good idea...
Posted by: Jocelyn | April 17, 2012 at 08:14 PM
I've given mine to Interim House in Philly before. You know them, no?
http://www.interimhouse.org/
http://mcduf.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Heather | April 18, 2012 at 07:57 PM