How Much Sock Yarn!?

Ravelry is a many splendoured thing. I love it. Sometimes, however, it provides you with information that is...well, horrifying.

This evening, in my ongoing quest to deal with my knitting funk, I was browsing my stash. My sock weight yarns, specifically, and on the filtering drop down menu that I have 90 items in the "fingering" category and five items in the "light fingering" category. See? Horrifying.

31 of these are partially used, meaning I have 64 unused sock weight yarns in my stash. Ok. That is alarming, but I can just about live with it. Although, having realised this, you will not catch me buying sock yarn any time soon.

Talking the horror through with my Partner In Crime, we concluded that I do not want to sell or otherwise dispose of my yarn. There may be a ball or two I could part with, but on the whole I bought it because I love it, and I want to keep it. However, it is the part balls which are causing me the most stress.

I have, in the past, knitted stripy socks out of leftover sock yarn, but this situation is really far beyond that which can be dealt with by stripy socks. Maybe by some stripy or other types of multi-yarn socks, but that will not get rid of 31 part balls of yarn. At least, not quickly. I wondered about what I could weave with left over sock yarn, but have so far not come up with anything. I contemplated some form of sock yarn blanket, but I have started these before and always lose interest. I do not know. Answers on a postcard (or in the comments...)!

However, I do have a short term plan.

First, I am going to have a handknitted sock cull. Some are very old and becoming rather disreputable. Others I never really liked, or fit poorly. These can be dispatched in some way or another.

Second, I am going to keep the luxury socks separately to the every day socks. A pair of socks in a cashmere blend will never go in shoes, but that means I need to keep them where I will find them on a cold winter's day when I want to curl up on the sofa, watch movies and drink hot chocolate. So they will go into the same drawer as my pyjamas.

Between these two actions I will create a situation where I will a) have fewer handknitted socks b) only have handknitted socks that fit nicely and I like, c) be clear on what sort of socks are available for different situations and as a result d) be able to clearly see what I have and where any socky gaps are and e) be able to fit any new socks into my drawer.

On the whole, I am unsure that this is a brilliant plan, it will not solve the problem of the part balls, but it will at least help provide a route for the other 64 items to move from yarn to garment. I also hope it will provide some inspiration to help with this whole knitting funk side of things.

As for the part balls... watch this space. I need to come up with something!