For the yarn-a-holics out there...

[angelwing]

(wasn't sure if this should go in ot or here, but since it's yarn, why not?)

Lily Chin's Top 10 Ways to Hide the Stash

1. Tape a bag of yarn to the underside of all the chairs - who'll know???

2. Put a slipcover over a bag of yarn, stick it on the couch, call it a pillow.

3. Remove the cushions of the couch, stuff with yarn instead.

4. There are narrow books that don't reach all the way to the back of the bookshelf. That dead space behind such books is good for several skeins.

5. Do you wear ALL your shoes at the same time? No, stick a skein of yarn in each unworn shoe (boots are great for this very reason).

6. Everyone has clothes in the closet that are never, ever worn. Sew up the bottoms of the garments, insert yarn. Do not forget to sew up bottoms of sleeves. There's enough in each sleeve for more than a bag's worth.

7. Never cook, only order take-out or go to restaurants. You've now got the whole oven!

8. Look to the china cabinet. That large soup turrine? Maybe a bag. Large teapot? A few balls. Covered dish? The same.

9. The freezer is advantageous for fuzzies such as angora or mohair. Make sure to place in plastic bag first. This is known as the high-fiber diet!

10. Get a really large box and fill it up with lots and lots of yarn. Put a tablecloth over it. Voila, instant dresser (but you can't get your feet underneath it).

[Dee Bee]

Thanks, angelwing!

I wish my mom were still alive to read this. She'd probably be nodding her head and noting the ones she hadn't tried herself!

--Diane

[alicia-w]

I guess I now qualify as a yarnaholic.... While cleaning out my closet, I found about 100 skeins of yard. Now that my daughter is expecting, I can knit more baby blankets! Yea!

[GrimReaper]

OMG I just saw this...... and now I don't feel so bad..... I gave three huge garbage bags full of yarn in a closet on the top self. I learned to crochet a couple of years ago, and went MAD for it. I have the "never ending" Christmas Blanket. It's a big joke, I just keep it going, it is the sizo of TWO king size beds, done in Wal-Mart Antique christmas multi-color yarn. Every year I go in Wal-Mart at Christmas and buy ALL of the yarn in that color, and spend the rest of the year using it up!!!

[angelwing]

On the flip-side, it's a list of REASONS (not excuses, mind you) for buying yarn:

a.. It is a patriotic duty to support cotton farmers, textile mills, yarn
factories, and yarn shops.

a.. "Oh, it's not for me! I'm buying it for a friend!"

a.. It's on sale.

a.. I need extra weight in the trunk of my car for traction on snowy, icy
roads. This is important, even in Florida and Southern California, as you
never know when the weather will change.

a.. It's non-fattening.

a.. Like dust, it's good for protecting previously empty spaces in the
house.

a.. Because it's there.

a.. It's much cheaper to cover the floor with yarn than new carpeting.

a.. The devil made me do it.

a.. It's the only remotely artistic thing I have ever done.

a.. I can't live without it.

a.. I have new shelves for yarn storage.

a.. It will go with some I bought last year.

a.. It's so pretty, and I'll use it some day.

a.. I want my daughter to have a proper inheritance.

a.. Without yarn, I would have nothing to do with my crochet hooks and
knitting needles.

a.. It does not promote tooth decay.

a.. It calms the nerves, gratifies the soul and makes one feel good.

a.. If I don't buy it now, I may never see it again.

a.. A large stash is the sign of a creative mind.

a.. I owe myself a reward for that half-pound I lost last month

[streetsoldier]

My wife made herself a HEAVY woolen winter coat out of black, grey and light purple yarn; it took her about a month, and cost far less than anything she could have bought.

At the same time, an online friend is making me a WW II Winterhilferin ("Winter Helper", i.e. home-made) heather-grey woolen balaclava (open-face hood) with dickie for my WW II collection...it's taking some time, because the knit is VERY small and tight.