Dekvenga Made Me Do It, But My Couch Says It All

Dekvenga, My Invisible Friend, Lounging on That Which Contains My Darkest Secrets

My invisible friend, Dekvenga (Deck-venge-uhh), is driving me crazy. She's served as my council since I was nine years old, and rarely has she ever steered me in the wrong direction. She's been with me through my crushes on Han Solo (Star Wars) and Simon LeBon (Duran Duran), and she even endured graduate school and the dozens of workshops where I eventually churned out an over-intellectualized-now-permanently-shelved novel. (And she's watched me move through all these phases without even one eyeroll. Then again, she is invisible, so who can say?) Dekvenga knows how I work and what works for me; however, when she thinks she knows what I "should" do but feels that I'm moving too slowly, she can get downright annoying.

This blog is partly the result of one of those things.

I've wanted "to blog" for about a year now, and I made the mistake of mentioning this notion to Dekvenga back when "the blog" was merely a germ within my imagination. She jumped all over the idea and then bit into it and asked, "when?" with such frequency that I began to wonder whether or not she had a bit of a terrier in her.

I might live in Chicago and have a splash of hot pink in my hair, but I don't really consider myself cosmopolitan. Most of my leisure time (r)evolves around yarn. . . and it takes a heap of talent to turn yarn into something glamourous and gossip worthy.

Then I thought about the couch I bought earlier this year--and I realized it was time to unleash a deep, dark secret: I didn't buy the couch just because it's pretty. . . I bought it because of what it might hide.

Beneath that pretty green-blue pool of plump cushions is a wonderful big "bonus:" space.

Regard! Here's the dirty little secret under my couch cushions:

That's right: my couch holds most of my yarn stash.

Under each cushion (including those on the two ottomans) is a deep, sealed-bottom bin where I keep my stash well-organized and clean.

I have heaps of chunky, chenille and boucle (left)

. . . and more lash and novelty yarns (right) than many craft stores carry.

But wait, there's more:



Despite all my couch's storage space, I still need to stash under my bed and in the one built-in bookcase in my teeny-tiny studio apartment.

Here (left), you'll find all my wool, acrylic and scrap yarns. The tins and bins on the top shelf hold notions, various knitting needles, pom pon makers and all the safety eyes and noses for my amigurumi creations.

. . . and, in case you were wondering, yes, those four conical things atop the case are giant bobbins of chenille weaving yarns that I use to make plushies.

Because I want to keep all my yarns clean and untangled, I've become "basket crazy." There might be a method to my madness, but, after all is said and done, it is the madness that feeds my stash.

I have so many unfinished projects (promised to many near and dear friends) and Works In Progress (WIPs) that I could nearly weep:

A Family Photo: all My WIPs in One Location

The Skull Scarf I Promised (and continue to promise) Bob, My Ex--

I Started This Before He Became My Ex

So, what does all this mean?

While sitting and crocheting on my couch with Dekvenga this past week (as we chatted yet again about erecting a blog), I began to ponder what my stash might look like in another five years. I freaked, and then I realized that I am the only one who controls my stash's destiny. Before I begin to bust my stash by becoming a yarnifactor (i.e., one person's overflowing yarn bins is another yarn-lover's new treasure), I want to try and work through all those skeins I adopted and brought into my home.

This blog will document my progress (and, likely, stumbles) as I bust my ass to get through my stash. I will not rush, and I will not churn out crap just so say that I've knocked out another skein.

Where will I begin? Right here, with a few of my current WIPS:

The First WIPs to Watch

Curious to know what these things are or what they might become? If you answered, "yes" (and I hope you did), then subscribe to my site--or, at least, stop by every so often--and see what I'm pulling off my hook and needles.

Also, here's another reason to stay tuned: I hope to post a free pattern every so often!

Okay, I need to put away my stash and get cracking! Wish me luck!

In Yarny Goodness,
Christina