thinking about it the other way around: building up a yarn stash

Dear users, dear designers,
Krea-Tina suggested a yarn-stash-building project in another thread.
How would you handle something like that, or how do you handle it?
Here are some elements I imagine for building up a yarn stash:
- yarn gifts
- online orders in large bulk packages
- planned offline purchases
- spontaneous yarn that jumps into your cart
- strategic purchases so there’s always some of every desired color on hand.
- project-based shopping
- fairs / events with yarn sales

What have I forgotten?

Where do you store your yarn?

I keep finding that I have the wrong yarn at home for the projects I’m currently thinking about.
Which is actually great, because it gives me a perfect excuse to buy more yarn ^^
Today I ordered some more, since I picked up some super-cute cozy yarn on Friday and I love it so much that I absolutely have to make something else with it.

Storing it, however, is proving a bit tricky. The bed storage compartment I’m using for it is almost at the point of overflowing ;-)
I’ll have to rearrange things soon. 

I store my yarn—which I buy exclusively online—decoratively in my DIY fruit crate wall in the living room.

Since there’s no more impulse yarn shopping in stores, the space issue has been resolved.

Oh yes, this is the perfect thread for me. That “Yarn Empress” thing seems a bit dubious to me, though :-)
So, in my opinion, the most important thing when building up a yarn stash is that you never want to find yourself sitting at home, an idea taking shape, but unfortunately not having the right yarn on hand. You simply have to be prepared for situations like that.
My yarn stash is slowly getting a bit disorganized, but there’s still room.
It’s also a terrible thought for me when, for example, I see beautiful yarn somewhere but can’t buy it because I’m on a yarn diet. As a substitute, I’d probably stuff myself with chocolate. I’d much rather stuff my yarn stash with yarn. So you see, yarn is healthy!

“Yarn diet” — that’s a brilliant term!
I’m not a fan of diets, so I stuff myself with chocolate and cram yarn into every bit of space I can find.

Since I’m slowly but surely running out of space, I’m already sorting through the yarn I’m not going to use anymore. I’d like to donate that to the kindergarten.

I only ever buy yarn for projects. Even for projects that are floating around in my head and that I’ll start someday. After all, it wouldn’t do if I finally had time for them and then didn’t have the yarn.
And then there’s my “free-shipping yarn.”
Do you know that too — when you’ve reached a certain amount, you don’t have to pay shipping? It would be such a waste not to top it up with yarn; that makes it free yarn, because I’d have had to pay it anyway...

Ooh ooh ... good topic ;-)

First, there’s the online yarn from my favorite supplier: I keep ordering so I make sure to get the "good customer discount"^^

Then there’s this: "  ....Honey, I’m just quickly driving over to Jeitler, I just need a little something^^ "  - luckily, when I talk about little things, nobody believes it’s really just a little thing, because I’m a very welcome customer there. I brought home the last little something in the family van.

Bobbins are another topic too: there are such beautiful color gradients that I just can’t say no, even though I mean to - they were already dubbed "NO I DEFINITELY AM NOT BUYING THOSE BOBBINS" and now they’re sitting in my illuminated display cabinet, looking at me longingly.

And since I always want to be prepared for anything, I naturally have different weights and types and colors.... 

It really gets bad with the accessories. My box, one of those metal cases with lots of drawers - my husband has one like that half empty in the workshop for his screws, mine is closed because it’s overflowing. I’m just going to buy another one.

Sharp tongues in the family claim that, judging by my stock, "yarn shortages" or "yarn rationing" will probably be declared soon, and Mom has already taken precautions and built up a hamster stash.

Unfortunately, I never get yarn as gifts - they all refuse. And my birthday and Christmas are coming, and it really would be heavenly to open such a big package and have these cheerful, colorful, cuddly balls of yarn jump out at me and whisper in my ear: all yours ;-)

“Yarn rationing” is a good one. You crochet and crochet, and the yarn just doesn’t seem to get any less. Pretty soon you’re running out of space.
And just like that, today of all days, I caught myself buying yarn again, even though I don’t have any idea yet what for. But you never know. Yarn doesn’t “go bad,” after all.
I simply can’t resist this gradient cake yarn. I have lots of projects buzzing around in my head.

Winter will be here in no time, and I still need a whole bunch of crochet shawls for that.

I'm bumping this up, since the Wool Kaiser / Wool Diet ends this evening, then you can go shopping again. :-)

Yeah, I know that “shipping-cost yarn” very well too. You just have to take it home. ;-)
And I’m in a similar boat as you guys. Most of the time, I don’t have the right yarn on hand for a specific project that’s been floating around in my head, or I’m missing a single skein.

When I think about how my yarn addiction only started (again) a year ago, I’m amazed at how quickly my yarn stash has grown. And I’ve used up a ton of it! If this keeps up at the same pace, I won’t be able to use it all up in this lifetime. In any case, it’s an amazing feeling to always have enough yarn on hand. :-)

Haha… “postage yarn”—exactly…

In my case, I also enjoy spinning and dyeing. My “postage yarn” consists of undyed skeins or spinning fibers.

Oh, and one of my spinning class students opened a wonderfully well-stocked needlework shop here a few years ago; we became friends and now collaborate a bit. So I’m often at her shop too… sigh, what else can I say…
Regards, Caro

I’m still waiting for a Bobbel delivery and I’m already sooo nervous :)

Most of the time, I only buy when I actually need something... But then I buy way more than I need, because you don’t want to risk running out of a certain type :D
And once you’re at it, you might as well grab a few other colors too...

I usually order large quantities online because I just never have enough color options in-store... I order Bobbel via Facebook :) I’ve seen Bobbel at the local yarn shop too, but they’re incredibly expensive!
If I just need 1–2 skeins now and then, I buy them in-store... I can usually find something there that’s pretty close to what I’m looking for...