Help me decide what to keep.

[Emm-Kaye]

While unpacking boxes from moving, I've found tons of crafting stuff...most of which I haven't used in I don't remember how long!
I'll post here with the type of items found, and if you can suggest a use for it, I won't toss it!
Otherwise, ...deep breath... it goes in the trash!

Wow..feeling victorious and faint at the same time!  

[Emm-Kaye]

First is...

Yarn. I have about 6 BIG boxes of yarn.
Different colors, types, quantities.
Most of my yarn stash is too little of any one type/color/brand to do a real project with, but enough to consider keeping.

Let me know if you think it should be kept or *shudder* tossed...  

[Emm-Kaye]

btw...when I say BIG boxes, I mean they hold about 20+ skeins each...
that's a LOT of yarn.
Some are partial skeins, some were bought for a project that was never started and / or finished.
A lot of them were given to me by people who thought I could 'use' them.  

[Felina75]

You could always give some items to Goodwill.

Oh if it's yarn, I could never get rid of yarn. But if you have to, try selling it in a garage sale or on eBay.

I'd crochet or knit it all up as scrap projects (blankets, shawls, hats, scarves and so on) and give away the finished product before I'd throw it away.  

[Emm-Kaye]

Felina75

You could always give some items to Goodwill.

Oh if it's yarn, I could never get rid of yarn. But if you have to, try selling it in a garage sale or on eBay.

I'd crochet or knit it all up as scrap projects (blankets, shawls, hats, scarves and so on) and give away the finished product before I'd throw it away.

I actually started a throw with some of it, and could definitely just keep going until it's a blanket 'of many colors' or something...
I hate the thought of getting rid of any of it, but there's sooooo much of it that it's almost overwhelming.  

[Felina75]

Emm-Kaye

Felina75

You could always give some items to Goodwill.

Oh if it's yarn, I could never get rid of yarn. But if you have to, try selling it in a garage sale or on eBay.

I'd crochet or knit it all up as scrap projects (blankets, shawls, hats, scarves and so on) and give away the finished product before I'd throw it away.

I actually started a throw with some of it, and could definitely just keep going until it's a blanket 'of many colors' or something...
I hate the thought of getting rid of any of it, but there's sooooo much of it that it's almost overwhelming.

I could never have too much yarn. When times get hard and I can't buy any I just go looking through my stash and pick out some to work with.  

[Emm-Kaye]

The yarn I'll keep, since I really can't bring myself to throw it away.

Next is:
I have an entire overflowing bookshelf of pattern books - crochet books & magazines, cross stitch patterns, knitting books & patterns, beading books & patterns, weaving books, spinning books, macrame books, etc., etc., etc...
This is just what's HERE - I also have at least one full box of books still in storage...
Plus one huge box (about 3 feet tall & 2 1/2 feet wide) FULL of sewing patterns (some are from my grandmother, some were my mother's, & some mine, most have been used at least once, but some have never been used).

I can't bring myself to throw any of this away, but I really don't need this much stuff, and honestly won't ever use most of it.
I think I'll do a little research and see if there's any other crafters around who might be interested in a pattern 'exchange' or something...  

[Emm-Kaye]

Started knitting a jacket from some of the yarn in my stash.

It's going to be a kimono-type jacket, which is knitted in one piece.
I'm kind of making it up as I go, using a couple of patterns I found online as reference.
Once I have more than 5" done, I'll start posting pictures.  

[Emm-Kaye]

Well, obviously, I had no idea just how big a size 15 knitting needle would make a project. I saw them (at WalMart, of all places), and didn't have any that big, so bought them.
I cast on 119 stitches thinking it would make for a nice, loose, 'swingy' back for my jacket.
I now have about 40 rows done (almost 1 entire skein), and I do believe that 119 stitches is going to be big enough around for the whole thing!
Good thing I was knitting it in one piece anyway...lol.
Once it's long enough, I'll have to figure out the sleeves.
Maybe just divide it, put the 'front' parts on a stitch holder, & cast on enough for the sleeves, then rejoin once sleeves are big enough...hmmmm.  

[Entervixen]

Emm-Kaye

The yarn I'll keep, since I really can't bring myself to throw it away.

Next is:
I have an entire overflowing bookshelf of pattern books - crochet books & magazines, cross stitch patterns, knitting books & patterns, beading books & patterns, weaving books, spinning books, macrame books, etc., etc., etc...
This is just what's HERE - I also have at least one full box of books still in storage...
Plus one huge box (about 3 feet tall & 2 1/2 feet wide) FULL of sewing patterns (some are from my grandmother, some were my mother's, & some mine, most have been used at least once, but some have never been used).

I can't bring myself to throw any of this away, but I really don't need this much stuff, and honestly won't ever use most of it.
I think I'll do a little research and see if there's any other crafters around who might be interested in a pattern 'exchange' or something...

For the pattern books, it would take a while but you'd probably want to at least flip through and first sort into two piles; stuff you want to make, and stuff you are no longer interested in. Once that's through, try looking at the patterns you decided you liked enough to keep the books they are contained in, and try to think of how soonish you might get to it. Something you love that you want to start right away? keep. Something you like, but you're not sure if you really want to do it or when you'd actually get around to it? Consider getting rid of it. You might want to keep an eye out for anything too dated. Some patterns are timeless, some aren't. Anything that would look out of place if you wore it outside tomorrow (granted it's the proper weather conditions for the item) you would probably be better off offloading. Gained or lost too much weight to make a particular project book viable for patterns? Get rid of it. Bought a bunch of books when you discovered a particular type of crafting you're no longer interested in (like, say, you found out about amigurumi and bought a bunch of pattern books with those in it, and haven't touched them in years) get rid of them. Like I said, it will take a while to go through the books this way, but it should cut down at least a little bit. As for the sewing patterns, I'd probably keep them since they're hand me downs. If you want to get rid of them, though, look around and see if there is anything you can donate them to, like a textiles museum or something. You never know, someone may be willing to take the older stuff off your hands.  

[Entervixen]

Also, check online for errata for the knitting books. Books with too many corrections should probably be tossed, a pattern is no good if it's unreadable, and as far as I'm concerned there is a definite limit to the amount of after market corrections that are okay.  

[Emm-Kaye]

entervixen

For the pattern books, it would take a while but you'd probably want to at least flip through and first sort into two piles.

That's about what I've been doing - going through them to see what patterns there are. I haven't been putting them into piles - that's a great idea!

Some of the crochet ones are really old, like from the 40's & '50's, and while some of the patterns are very pretty, or lacy, or whatever, I really can't see myself even attempting to crochet a bedspread out of crochet thread.
First, crochet drives me nuts. I keep trying it, thinking I can learn to make it fun...for me, it's not. I have to concentrate on it too hard. My granny squares (I've been told this is supposedly the easiest crochet pattern to learn) are egg shaped.
Second, I would go blind working with such small thread/hook for such a large project. Some are done in blocks, or pieces, or strips & put together, some are done as one gigantic doily. Either blindness, or be smothered in it...depending on how big it got.
Third, I would die of old age - TWICE - before I would finish even one project this big. I know me. I'd get some of it done, then put it away to 'work on later' and never pick it back up.  

[Entervixen]

Emm-Kaye

entervixen

For the pattern books, it would take a while but you'd probably want to at least flip through and first sort into two piles.

That's about what I've been doing - going through them to see what patterns there are. I haven't been putting them into piles - that's a great idea!

Some of the crochet ones are really old, like from the 40's & '50's, and while some of the patterns are very pretty, or lacy, or whatever, I really can't see myself even attempting to crochet a bedspread out of crochet thread.
First, crochet drives me nuts. I keep trying it, thinking I can learn to make it fun...for me, it's not. I have to concentrate on it too hard. My granny squares (I've been told this is supposedly the easiest crochet pattern to learn) are egg shaped.
Second, I would go blind working with such small thread/hook for such a large project. Some are done in blocks, or pieces, or strips & put together, some are done as one gigantic doily. Either blindness, or be smothered in it...depending on how big it got.
Third, I would die of old age - TWICE - before I would finish even one project this big. I know me. I'd get some of it done, then put it away to 'work on later' and never pick it back up.

The older ones you might want to consider ebaying. There is a market for vintage and antique pattern books (even I've been bitten by that bug, though with vintage knitting, not crochet). Those might sell well either on their own or bundled into one convenient package, because there are still people looking for them. The others you don't want, though, you might be better off giving to a used bookstore or something. Check Ebay to see what demand is like, because you never know, though.  

[LavenderPaw]

Emm-Kaye

I would keep the yarn.
Just cause if you get rid of it you may in the future find something you want to make and not have that yarn color you need! Or you could even trade your yarn with someone else or sell it. :]

The patterns, I would go through and make a pile of ones you don't really use or have interest in and maybe like you said find someone to exchange them too and stuff like that. Then just keep what your interested in. ^__^

I have random craft stuff I don't use that I'm trying to find a new home for. And a couple crochet books. A few random charms and jewelry making colored beading string. So hopefully i'll be able to find them a new home. xD  

[Emm-Kaye]

I've used up 1 of the 4 skeins I had for the jacket I'm knitting...never having used needles this big (size 15) requires adjusting the pattern as I go.
I think I'll only do about 10 more rows before I start the sleeves.