Life of the Lintee Bean

I confess – I’ve accumulated an ENORMOUS amount of yarn.  I had taken pictures of my stash back in February – I must have at least two (maybe even three) times as much yarn now.

Among the yarn I’ve collected – a large box of yarn my mother sent me when my aunt Esther B. went into assisted living.

Box of yarn from Aunt Esther B.

So, the “stash busting” began with a phone call from my mother.  A woman (who I don’t know) had asked my Aunt Esther B. if she’d like to make a baby blanket for this woman to give as a gift at a baby shower.  Aunt Esther replied that she didn’t think she did.  Mom asked if I’d like to.  My initial thought was “No, of course not!  Why would I want to make a baby blanket for someone I don’t know to give to someone else I don’t know?”

But then I realized – HEY!  This is an opportunity to get rid of some of that yarn I don’t know what to do with!  I just CAN’T throw out yarn.  I can’t!  It’d be fiber blasphemy of some sort.

I’d already used some of the yarn received from Aunt Esther B. for a sweater for Aunt Esther B.  Now I can use more! 

I hadn’t even finished the first baby blanket when Mom emailed me asking if I’d make another one for her to give as a gift.  Sure!  I was able to make FOUR baby blankets out of the box of yarn, using only a little yarn from my other stash, and now I have only about 1.5 skeins left over.

Stash-busting baby blankie #1

Stash-busting baby blankie #2

Stash-busting baby blankie 3

Stash-busting baby blankie #4

I made a necklace for a coworker’s birthday.

Rose necklace for Veronica

A great friend (and coworker) had a birthday today – and I made her a shrug.

Merril's birthday bolero

My AMAZING cleaning lady/friend Sam asked if I’d “fix” her friend’s bracelet.  She liked some of the beads on it – but not all.  Here’s what I came up with.  I used four of the original beads, and the rest came from my stash. 

"Fixed" bracelet using some of the original beads, some from my stash

That’s not all I’ve been up to… I made myself some things as well (of course!)

Fancy-pants trellis scarf made of metallic/boucle yarn

A second attempt at a shrug I’d made a year ago.  Not perfect, but better than the shrugly shrug I made the first time!  Progress!

Second attempt at the "shrug springs eternal"

Before I added the ribbons, I used some little “in-line links” for a closure.

Little "in-line links"