A Yarn Yarn

Once you tell people you volunteer at a knit’n’natter group they offer you yarn.

As one of mother’s sayings was “Refuse nothing but blows”, I find it hard not to accept.

But, between me and other kind donors there was, until recently, so much yarn in LDNorthEast’s attic that it was a fire hazard (although if a fire got up there the building would be pretty much done for, but that’s an argument for another day).

And, to be truthful, there was far more than our group of seven ladies and three volunteers could ever use.   

There was a lot in thicknesses and colours that they’d never use.  There were also some really weird chunky, shaggy and nobbly stuff that is really hard to work with.

I put a call out to some friends who I knew might be able to take some, and four replied in the affirmative.

This Tuesday morning I took Ferretfingers up into the loft and he helped bring down the equivalent of four Ikea big blue bags full.  On Wednesday morning Thunderthighs came and carried down several boxes, two big bags and a sack of stuffing (there’s a surplus of that too).

We brought them home and the yarn has been sorted into:-

A pillowcase full of bright coloured double knit for Mrs Leftfoot’s mum, who is in a care home and occupies her time knitting scarves.

A bin-bag of chunky, aran and double knit in darker colours for a WI friend who knits blankets for 

The People’s Kitchen.

A super large heavyweight carrier bag of the weird and thin stuff for the Birdfood lady who knits items to sell and raise funds for a school in Africa.

A bin-bag of variously coloured double knit, both full balls and oddments for Kentishlady who is helping set up a knit’n’natter group in Byker (she’s also taking the stuffing as they're talking about cuddly toys)

Small bags of yellow, white and pink which I will sneak back in as the ladies will use them for Easter chicks, bunnies, snowmen and babies’ hats.

I took the opportunity to clear some stuff I’ll never use out of my yarn stash and replace it with stuff that I know I will.  Fester’s mother was also a needlewoman and I inherited her yarn stash, some of which I still have.  I almost always have a project or three in mind, and sometimes even get around to doing them if nothing else gets in the way.

At bed time I commented “I’ve spent almost all of today sorting yarn.”

“Don’t you mean wool?”

“No, it isn’t all wool, there’s acrylic, cotton … all wool is yarn but not all yarn is wool.”

“Me mother had 2 ply, 3 ply, 4ply and double knit.”

“Still do … mind you double knit these days is more like 4 ply in my mum’s day … what they call aran is just a bit thicker than the old double knit … Oh Lord!  Listen to me.  Don’t I sound old?”

“No” he said reassuringly “you just sound as if you’ve been around a while.”