Build your stash relatively inexpensively

...or How to knit with better yarn than you otherwise might have done.

or, How to support your habit.

A big portion of my stash has not been acquired in the conventional way (walk into the yarn shop & buy). I can't often afford a sweater-quantity of Dream in Color, or Malabrigo Merino. I do have a few tricks that help me to knit with the fiber I want to, while shaving something off of the cost.

1. Purchase yarn from or trade yarn with knitters on Ravelry who have changed their mind about a purchase or have excess yarn.
2. Purchase yarn on ebay from shops like Cucumberpatch UK, ColourmartUK, Catnip yarns, Yarnbow, & Arpat_yarn store for Addi Turbo needles...
3. Purchase or trade for yarn on Etsy.
   



4. Ask for yarn as a gift! Act nonplussed when people question these requests.
5. (With a smile in your heart) purchase nice quality yarns that have been donated at the thrift shop. It's rare, but it does happen. Yarn may benefit by overdyeing. In my own unique value-system, thrifted yarn might be a good thing, while shiny new acrylic yarn is most likely not a good thing.




6. If a member of your local fiber guild has an estate sale, or there is mention of a weaver or knitter liquidating their stash, you've struck gold. Arrive early. Bring cash & be ready to spend it.
   
   
   
7. Wine & dine the local fiber community. joke!
8. If you're a pretty accomplished knitter, offer to knit models for the LYS, or test knit on Ravelry in trade for yarn.




9. To state the obvious, shop sales.
10. Frog & reknit. Yarn may benefit by overdyeing.
11. Deconstruct high quality* sweaters from the thrift shop. A Niddy Noddy comes in handy in this case for calculating yardage. One pass around equals 1 yard. Yarn may benefit by overdyeing.

*cashmere, cashmere & silk blend, Shetland or merino wool fiber.

Be selective. Some of these practices should be undertaken in moderation or you'll lose all sense of proportion.

I told you I'm a scavenger!