Week 6: My Life as a SABLE-er

Ask any crafter and they will tell you about their stash. Whether it’s yarn, fabric or beads, we crafters can never turn down a sale, clearance or otherwise. I was riding the train recently when a woman commented on the yarn I was using (the old stuff from White Rose). I explained I was trying to use up my stash and she told me she’d been accused of SABLE – Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy. There is finally a phrase that describes my problem.

The only way to change this state of being is to make a public declaration. My name is Andrea and I am a SABLE-er. I have yarn stashed in the basement and the bedroom, in bags, in drawers and in baskets. Our physical space – I’ve dragged my poor husband into this – has been taken over by yarn, patterns, notions, completed pieces, work-in-progress and conceptualized projects. I have so many patterns I can never find what I’m looking for or have any hope of using them all.

The good news is I’m working towards a change. Since I started this Square-A-Day challenge I’ve used up at least seven balls of yarn and (only) bought three. I’ve filed the patterns by category and recycled the duplicates. Baby steps.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Snowmaggedon. Snowpocalypse. The Perfect Snorm. (That last one was mine. By the way, is anyone else grossed out by the term “Arctic Discharge?”) Cold air plunging from the north combined with a low pressure system from the south to drop more snow than we’ve seen since Toronto’s Mayor Mel Lastman called in the army in January 1999. Where I live, we received 40 cm (15.75″) but there were parts of the U.S. where people were stranded under more than three feet of snow. There were countless accidents, babies were born on the side of the road and at least 15 people died.

The Weather Channel named this storm Nemo. Why name a storm? “To better communicate the threat and the timing of the significant impacts that accompany these events. The fact is, a storm with a name is easier to follow, which will mean fewer surprises and more preparation.” So, you name a destructive winter storm after an adorable clown fish from a Pixar film? Congratulations for piling hate on a cartoon character.

It’s too bad the Weather Channel decided to name any winter storm, considering many U.S. property insurance policies carry named-storm clauses, resulting in a deductible between 2% and 5% higher. Policies define “Named Storm Occurrence” as: “All loss or damage occurring during a period of 72 consecutive hours which is caused by or results from a storm or weather disturbance which is named by the national Weather Service or any other recognized meteorological authority…” Whether the Weather Channel is a “recognized meteorological authority” is the debate at hand.

THE SQUARES – WEEK 6

Squares one through four are various attempts to use up the White Rose yarn. I’m determined to get rid of this stash so my apologies for the repetition in colour. Square six is another variation of the little square pattern. I tend to stick to a pattern I like until I’m sick of it. I’ve named this one “Staircase” because I like to think there’s always a way out of a situation. Maybe the Staircase squares will make the difference in a child’s life and give them a way out.

Square five is a combo of acrylic and eyelash yarn, which ends up looking and feeling just like a teddy bear. Square seven is a chunky stashbuster. And the hat goes with the 35 squares I’ve finished. KAS tries to give a hat with every blanket distributed.

Square Count: 42
Blankets: 1
Hats: 2

The snow is melting slowly. Enjoy the sunshine!