If you’ve been knitting for a while, you know how easy it is to build up a stash that feels like a lot of yarn, but it doesn’t feel like you have usable quantities of yarn.
I want to work primarily from my stash in 2026. The stash journey started with my Otaheite Cardigan. I was inspired by the stripes in the sample to create stripes of my own using what I could find in my stash.
With this goal in mind, I’ve started viewing my stash more holistically. Rather than seeing separate groups of yarn, I now consider the whole collection as ingredients I can blend to create projects that are greater than the sum of their parts.
To make these combinations work well, I’ve gathered a few tips that can help when combining different yarns into one project:
Create the Weight
- Combine lace or fingering-weight yarns with others to achieve a specific weight, add texture, or create a marled color effect.
Combine Textures
- Pair a matte yarn with one that has a sheen or add a metallic/sparkly yarn, or add a textured novelty yarn.
Stay Consistent
- Carry a single lace-weight wool, mohair, or lurex strand throughout your project to tie different colors/textures together.
Mix Properties
- Combine a soft yarn with a strong one for durability, or a fuzzy yarn with a smooth one for interest.
If these ideas have you looking at your stash a little differently, you’re already doing the most important work: seeing possibility instead of limitation.
In my upcoming Otaheite Cardigan class, we’ll take this a step further and turn those possibilities into a project you can knit with confidence.
Save your spot and start knitting more from your stash.
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