Top Ten Tuesday: You Know You Want It Edition, AKA Free to a Good Home

Well, there is still no definite location or time line decided yet, but it is definite that we will be moving. In preparation for what ought to be a really "fun" time (selling a house and moving with a 2 year-old, a newborn and two dogs), I am trying to declutter all areas of my house. This includes my stash. For the non-knitters who read this blog, your "stash" is your collection of yarn. The stash is an almost living creature. It starts small, but slowly (or, in some cases, not so slowly) grows until it becomes so big that you have to part with some of it. As stashes go, I think mine is pretty modest. A lot of it is leftover yarn (leftover from a completed project). There are a few impulse buys in there--yarns I thought I would use, but never did. I'm much better now. I find the project first and THEN buy the yarn. And, well, as most of you know, most of my stash is made up of ... acrylic. Yes, I know it is a dirty word in some knitting circles. But it's machine-washable and usually inexpensive and it comes in so many varieties. But enough of my excuses for my stash--as I mentioned I'm decluttering all parts of my life including my stash. I have 4 grocery bags of yarn that I am getting rid of--all yarns that I loved as a newbie knitter, but no longer see myself using anytime in the foreseeable future. I thought about just dumping it all in one of the donation barrels for Warm Up America. I think it's a great thing and I've always meant to knit some squares, but I've never gotten around to it. Anyway, before I go dump my lovely yarns on the unsuspecting charitable knitters of the world, I thought I would showcase it here in case any of my blog friends want to take a walk on the wild side of crazy acrylic (or polyester) yarn. Maybe you know some children who need some yarn to learn to knit with. Maybe you know some little girls who would love some flashy scarfs or hats. Or maybe you're just feeling wild and crazy and want to make a different kind of knit. Anyway, here we go. This week's Top Ten Tuesday:

Top Ten Reasons You Want My Destash (Free to a Good Home)

10. Lion Brand Homespun: "A richly textured yarn designed for afghans, throws and your favorite fashions." 98% Acrylic/2% Polyester. Bulky weight. Machine washable and dryable. A full skein is 185 yards. All but two of these are partials.

9. Bernat Softee Baby "Lemon Sparkle". 90% "Gentle Soft" Acrylic/10% Acetate. Sport/DK weight. Gauge: 22 stitches x 30 rows = 4 inches on Size 6 needles. Machine washable and dryable. 8. Yummy charcoal gray goodness. Bernat Soft Boucle "Grey Shades." 98% Gentle Soft Acrylic/ 2% Polyester. Machine washable and dryable. Gauge: 15 stitches x 22 rows = 4 inches on size 10 needles.

7. Bernat Matrix is a "Light" ladder yarn. 62% Nylon/ 38% Polyester. Machine washable and dryable. 140 yards. Gauge: 24 stitches x 34 rows = 4 inches on size 6 needles.

Lion Moonlight Mohair (partial skein). 35% Mohair/ 30% Acrylic/ 25% Cotton/ 10% Metallic. Gauge: 12 stitches x 18 rows = 4 inches on size 10.5 needles.

6. Patons Divine (approximately 4 skeins in Good Earth [actually a dark brown, not the gray that it appears in this photo], 1 skein Orangina, 1 skein Floral Fantasy). Bulky weight. 79.5% Acrylic/ 18% Mohair/ 2.5% Polyester. Gauge: 12 stitches x 16 rows = 4 inches on size 8 needles. 142 yards.

5. Lots more Patons Divine (partial skeins) as well as some full skeins (1 skein Shrimp, 1 skein Coconut Ice?, 1 skein Folliage) of it's generic twin: Darice Mo' Hair. 130 yards.

4. Yes, that's Lion Fun Fur! (2 skeins Raspberry, 2 skeins Red, 2 skeins Violet, and lots of partials). "An easy-to-use novelty 'eyelash' yarn. Use for entire projects, for trim or combine with other yarns." 100% Polyester. Machine washable and dryable. Gauge: 16 stitches x 20 rows = 4 inches on size 10.5 needles. 64 yards.

3. More "novelty yarn."

Dessert by Darice in "Lime." 100% Polyester. 57 yards. Gauge: 13 stitches x 14 rows = 4 inches on size 7 needles.

Fringy by Darice in "Rainbow Mix." Eyelash. 100% Polyester. 55 yards. Gauge: 16 stitches x 20 rows = 4 inches on size 7 needles.

Flutter by Darice. 100% Polyester. 56 yards. Gauge: 18 stitches x 26 rows = 4 inches on 4mm needles.

2. Look at all that fun novelty yarn. It's every little girl's dream to have tacky hand-knit goodies that only these yarns could produce!

1. It would really humor me to know that someone was using and, hopefully, loving these poor yarns that I am deeming unworthy of moving. Yet, I'm still a little sad to part with them.

Anyway, I hope my destashing has brought a smile to your face. If it has also brought out a yearning for acrylic, polyester or "novelty," then please let me know via the comments or an e-mail (ehstoneATyahooDOTcom). I will contact you to get your mailing address. I will hold on to the yarn for a week or so and then it goes to the unsuspecting folks who are knitting for Warm Up America.

Hope you are all having a terrific Tuesday!