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This is an excerpt from Jane's monthly feature in Inside Crochet. The feature is sponsored by Wool Warehouse and can be found in issue 188
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One Person's Trash is Another's Treasure
Minimalism has been at the forefront of interior design for at least the last decade, with streamlined furniture and fittings and very little fuss at the heart of the aesthetic. Being a natural magpie and ever up for a second-hand bargain, it goes without saying that my home is far from minimal and that I have things stuffed into almost every spare bit of space possible, despite my recent efforts to declutter! Although pairing down is a good idea, especially if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your surroundings, minimalism doesn’t always allow you to let your personality shine and I am much more in favour of homes that are filled with treasured items and personal collections. I have never been one for trends when it comes to my own home and am not in the habit of redecorating, so I am pleased to have recently discovered that minimalism is no longer a hot topic and that instead, the key to an up to date home is pretty much what we already have, with trends now extolling the virtues of interiors that are cozy, ‘lived in’ and full of an intentional (but not manicured) mix of pieces, including second hand and antique furniture, mismatched items and the ‘untidiness of real life’. Hurrah! We live in a small bungalow in North London and love our home despite its tiddly size. We moved here over twenty years ago, and I would describe its style as cosy, comfortable and a tad quirky. We have so many things that have been given to us by others or handed down as heirlooms, such as my Great Grandmother’s crochet blankets that I mentioned last month and dining room chairs that were carved by Andy’s Great Grandfather who was a master craftsman. We have created lots of areas in our home that act as a showcase for our cherished family keepsakes, items we have found on our travels, unusual things I couldn’t resist when shopping and quite a lot of things that I am sure other people would consider to be whimsical junk, but we love it! |
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Think of it as a Collection
Humans are clearly wired to collect things, and we all have our preferences as to what that collection might be. My parent’s generation collected cigarette cards, stamps and Matchbox cars and, as a child of the 70s, it was stickers and novelty erasers that had me and my friends in a tizzy! I went through a phase of collecting decorative ceramic thimbles that had absolutely no real purpose and needed constant dusting, but I loved them and hankered after a display shelf with little windows for each thimble. My brother collected key rings and had a huge collection that were hung on pins under his wooden bunk bed and Andy has a thing for fridge magnets collected on our holidays – the more kitsch they are, the better!
I, of course, have a modest (!) yarn collection, so I was so pleased to see that one of the things that kept cropping up when I was researching interior trends is that ‘curated collections’ are a must in 2026 and that displaying them in full view in your home is now de rigueur! This got me thinking about the way us crocheters think about our yarn hoards as I often hear people refer to their yarn stashes in a negative way. They worry about the amount of yarn they have, the space it takes up, the expense of it all and so on, and yet, as any true collector (of things that have absolutely no purpose whatsoever, such as ceramic thimbles) will tell you, none of this has any relevance to the collection itself, because it is the act of collecting that brings the joy.
I have skeins of yarn that remind me of days out at yarn shows with friends, trips to mills and holidays. I know for sure that some of the hand dyed yarns will look better left in their perfectly twisted state rather than knitted or crocheted and I also know that I already have more yarn than I will ever manage or intend to use in a project.
I have met so many people who are embarrassed of their yarn collection. They refer to its size in the negative saying they really must use something from their stash before they can purchase more or that they really need a stash busting project and therefore dare not take any more yarn home. You don’t hear other collectors talk in this way. For example, you wouldn’t expect a wine collector to tell you that their husband has suggested they have too much, or that they must head home and drink some quickly so that no one sees just how much they have. Instead, if you visited their home, you would find that they have built a mini cellar under their kitchen floor and will gladly take you on a guided tour, so long as you promise not to drink a single drop!
Now, I am not saying that you should buy yarn simply for the sake of it, especially given today’s economic and environmental concerns, but what I think we should all do is embrace our collections and stop feeling bad about it. Make peace with your stash, be proud of it and put it on display in your home – after all you have the perfect excuse as it’s fashionable!
If you really do want to get rid of some of your stash there are plenty of places you can send your yarn to if you no longer want it. The charity Knit For Peace takes yarn, needles and accessories and you could also consider donating to local old people’s homes and
charity blanket making groups, which are often linked to churches or charities.
https://www.knitforpeace.org.uk
Humans are clearly wired to collect things, and we all have our preferences as to what that collection might be. My parent’s generation collected cigarette cards, stamps and Matchbox cars and, as a child of the 70s, it was stickers and novelty erasers that had me and my friends in a tizzy! I went through a phase of collecting decorative ceramic thimbles that had absolutely no real purpose and needed constant dusting, but I loved them and hankered after a display shelf with little windows for each thimble. My brother collected key rings and had a huge collection that were hung on pins under his wooden bunk bed and Andy has a thing for fridge magnets collected on our holidays – the more kitsch they are, the better!
I, of course, have a modest (!) yarn collection, so I was so pleased to see that one of the things that kept cropping up when I was researching interior trends is that ‘curated collections’ are a must in 2026 and that displaying them in full view in your home is now de rigueur! This got me thinking about the way us crocheters think about our yarn hoards as I often hear people refer to their yarn stashes in a negative way. They worry about the amount of yarn they have, the space it takes up, the expense of it all and so on, and yet, as any true collector (of things that have absolutely no purpose whatsoever, such as ceramic thimbles) will tell you, none of this has any relevance to the collection itself, because it is the act of collecting that brings the joy.
I have skeins of yarn that remind me of days out at yarn shows with friends, trips to mills and holidays. I know for sure that some of the hand dyed yarns will look better left in their perfectly twisted state rather than knitted or crocheted and I also know that I already have more yarn than I will ever manage or intend to use in a project.
I have met so many people who are embarrassed of their yarn collection. They refer to its size in the negative saying they really must use something from their stash before they can purchase more or that they really need a stash busting project and therefore dare not take any more yarn home. You don’t hear other collectors talk in this way. For example, you wouldn’t expect a wine collector to tell you that their husband has suggested they have too much, or that they must head home and drink some quickly so that no one sees just how much they have. Instead, if you visited their home, you would find that they have built a mini cellar under their kitchen floor and will gladly take you on a guided tour, so long as you promise not to drink a single drop!
Now, I am not saying that you should buy yarn simply for the sake of it, especially given today’s economic and environmental concerns, but what I think we should all do is embrace our collections and stop feeling bad about it. Make peace with your stash, be proud of it and put it on display in your home – after all you have the perfect excuse as it’s fashionable!
If you really do want to get rid of some of your stash there are plenty of places you can send your yarn to if you no longer want it. The charity Knit For Peace takes yarn, needles and accessories and you could also consider donating to local old people’s homes and
charity blanket making groups, which are often linked to churches or charities.
https://www.knitforpeace.org.uk
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