More learning - can my brain take it?

I know, there aren't any pictures.  Get over it.   But my brain is bursting with insight and learning and I just have to get this down in writing and out of my head - just to confirm that what I think is an epiphany really is as ground-breaking as I think it is.  There hasn't been much knitting this week anyways.

I am learning so much in Ysolda's class, I can hardly take it.  I'm learning a lot about myself as a knitter and why my projects don't always work out how I hope they will.  OK, Epiphany - what was it again? Oh, yeah - STOP BUYING SWEATER QUANTITIES OF YARN.  Huh?  But I want to knit a sweater, aren't I going to need a sweater's quantity of wool?  Well, yes I will  - eventually.  BUT don't buy a whole mess of yarn without knowing how that yarn will behave.

1) Don't buy yarn "on spec" - that is, with no project in mind.  Just because it's pretty or on sale, that doesn't mean I will find a suitable pattern for it.  In fact, if a sweater's quantity of yarn is on sale, or closeout - there is probably a reason for it.  Even if it's a lovely yarn that's going away forever  -  don't buy it.  It will just live in my stash forever.   How much yarn is just sitting in my stash because it was on sale/closeout and I had to have it because it would never be available again?   How much of it have I actually found a purpose for?  That's right - one.  The Mirasol Coltani - which made a very nice cardigan even though I knit it way too short and it really needed bust darts after all was said and done but I refused to go back and fix it because I were sick of knitting it.  So even though I used it, I still ended up with a sweater that I don't like.

I haven't gone completely zealous - I can still buy single skeins of beautiful yarn that can become accessories.  I mean - come on.  That's okay for single skeins of sock yarn - that can always become socks or a shawl,  but not sweater quantity. (I'm not going completely cold turkey here people).

2) Even if I have a pattern in mind  - don't buy a sweater's quantity all at once.  Especially when  substituting yarn.  I won't know how that substitute yarn behaves until I swatch.  Buy one skein.  Swatch.  Even if the fiber content and weight is similar to the yarn called for in the pattern, it is important to swatch.  I've had to abandon a number of yarns because I couldn't get gauge with them for the pattern I wanted to knit or if I did - it just wasn't the right fabric for that sweater.

That Damn Cathay.  One of my first impulse purchases.  Debbie Bliss Cathay - bought on closeout from Elann.  A lovely silk and cotton blend.  All and all a very nice yarn.  Do you think I can find a single project for it?  Of course not.  Even patterns written for that yarn - I can't get gauge.  Or if I do get gauge, the fabric is not at all what I want.  I finally found a pattern last year that is sort-of working.  I think I knit on it for a week and then abandoned it because I didn't even like the pattern.  The final product was nice, but it was BORING to knit.  It's destined for the frog pond.  I think I will need to get that yarn out of my life.

3) What if I want to use the yarn the pattern is written for?  Still - buy a skein and swatch.  Make sure you like it.  If you do - THEN buy the sweater's quantity.  Case in point - my current purchase of Shelter for Stowe.  I started swatching and am not loving it.  Let me rephrase that.  I like the yarn, I like the pattern.  I just don't think I like the density of the stitch pattern knit at the gauge suggested.  I think it will require some MATH to figure out.  I think I need much more information from Ysolda's class before tackling that - or maybe it's destined for something else.  Ooh - maybe a throw!

Now these three items may seem like common sense - after all, it is.  But this is EXACTLY why I've been having trouble with sweaters.  I am supposedly a fairly bright individual - HOW DID I NOT FIGURE THIS OUT SOONER?

And how much sweater quantity yarn did I just buy?  Some random Merino from Elann - in brown of all colors.  I don't even wear brown.  Not sure what wackiness took over there.  And the Pricey SHELTER.  I'm pretty sure I will find a use for the SHELTER.  Don't know if it is going to be the Stowe pattern or not.  I do love that sweater, but the stitch pattern - not so much.  May need to do some tinkering there.  I am getting ahead of myself.

It's time to really go through the stash and see what sweater quantities I have that I love and even if I don't find something right away - I'd be OK with that.  If it's good yarn, I hope I will eventually find something for it.  Other stuff -  I think it is time to part ways.  Looks like I'm in for a big de-stashing.