Does souvenir yarn count as stash?

Sock yarn supposedly doesn’t count as stash, yet mysteriously does take up room in one’s luggage.

Despite my … efforts (I would say “best efforts” but I’d be lying a little bit), my stash reduction program is not going quite as smashingly as I would have liked. Things are being knitted from stash, yes, but I’ve been replacing that yarn almost as fast as I knit something, which is not the idea of a stash reduction.

Some people buy t-shirts as souvenirs, some people buy pencils (some people buy pencils for their mothers), and some people (by which I mean fiber enthusiasts) buy yarn as souvenirs. Above is one such souvenir skein, Fibra Natura’s Yummy sock yarn in Lagoon. Yarndex calls it a laceweight, but Ravelry lists it as a light fingering, and I’m inclined to agree with Ravelry. Nice, soft, smooshy, in pretty variegated greens (I don’t have as much green yarn as one might think, given that it’s my favorite color). I have no idea what I’ll knit with it, but it will look pretty sitting on my shelf until I decide.

Manos del Uruguay Wool Classica in a pretty purple color that is shot through with a light golden color. The lovely story behind this brand of yarn is that in 1968, a group of women came together to promote social and economic development in rural areas of Uruguay (paraphrased from the company’s website). I also have no idea what this will turn into eventually, but it sure is pretty.

This is true souvenir yarn, as it’s dyed by a woman in Frederick, Maryland, where I was staying. It’s Shalimar Yarns Honey worsted in Saffron. I think this will end up being a cowl, maybe a scarf, as there’s a generous 250 yards in the skein. I bought this yarn, as well as the Manos and Fibra Natura, at Eleganza Yarns in downtown Frederick. It was an awesome store, filled to the brim on both stories with a wide variety of gorgeous yarns. I believe the owner is also the woman who dyes the Shalimar yarns, though I can’t remember exactly.

This is Yarn Love’s Charlotte Bronte Aran in the Bella colorway. I picked this up at the Capitol Hill branch of Stitch DC. I think this will end up being a cowl. I never really thought much about wearing cowls, because I do live in Florida, but they apparently come in handy in cooler weather climates, as I saw a woman wearing a cowl-like object over her nose and mouth as we were walking around cold, windy D.C. Then again, I never thought I’d wear hand-knit socks while in Florida, and, well.

This is not souvenir yarn. This is “I have no excuse to buy it except that it’s pretty!” yarn. It’s Gherkin’s Bucket SmartLuxe Fingering in Green Amber. And IT IS SO PRETTY. Deep golds and light ambers mixed with shots of forest greens.

Also not souvenir yarn, but pretty Malabrigo Sock in Lettuce. Destined to become a pair of Cookie A’s Hedera socks.

I am almost finished with my Hiphopomatomus socks, so that’s progress in the right direction for the stash reduction program. I just need to cut up my credit cards.