The Joy of Yarn: Your Stash Solution for Curating, Organizing and Using Your Yarn―with 10 Knitting Patterns

by Marie Greene

Say Goodbye to Your Yarn Stash Woes ― Forever

Every knitter knows the innate joy of purchasing yarn, and many also know the stress and shame that comes with an out-of-control stash. No longer! Let bestselling author, designer and educator Marie Greene change your outlook on buying, organizing and using your yarn for good. With this tried-and-true guide, you’ll rediscover the joy in your stash―no yarn diets necessary!―as you learn to find inspiration in the yarn you already have, shop for skeins you’ll actually use and organize it all for maximum creativity.

Best of all, Marie has designed 10 brand-new patterns to help you use your existing yarn in exciting ways, so you can work through your stash with ease and continue to curate your yarn collection with purpose. Use the color wheel to whip up creative combos in the Color Theory Socks or Shawl. Make leftovers look intentional with the Block Party Beanie or Pullover, or double your strands for double the fun in the Marled Stripe Mittens or Mini Mohair Cowl. Soon you’ll not only have a satisfying stash system that is clear, tidy and inspirational, but an assortment of gorgeous knitted projects to remind you how truly joyful yarn can be.

Genres: Knitting, Crafts, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love knitting, and I love yarn...and I'm not quite to the point of being overwhelmed by my stash. I already keep a knitting journal and a spreadsheet of what I own. I am inspired to organize my stash better, with some intriguing new methods, and to stop leaning on yardage and learn what weight measurements mean for different yarns.

One thing I found a bit odd was that Greene never mentioned purchasing yarn for a particular pattern as a shopping method. Maybe, as a pattern designer, she doesn't shop that way, but I often do. It is especially helpful for quantities! I am also thinking of evaluating how much I knit in a year and laying that over the size of my stash. I (hopefully) have decades left to knit, but I still want to think of what is reasonable for me to have.

The knitting patterns were quite inventive for a book of this type. They're not your average one-skein wonders. Greene teaches how to choose colors via color theory, working with multiple strands, and other techniques for using yarn more creatively. I feel like I learned a bit more about yarn, substitutions, and how to put surprising things together.

I am in full Christmas-gift-making mode right now, but I look forward to overhauling my yarn stash in the new year and thinking of where I'd like my knitting life to take me in projects to come.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded up to 4–The Joy of Yarn by Marie Greene would be a great book for a less experienced knitter or someone who is clueless about organizing their yarn stash. She discusses a variety of ways to organize and utilize your yarn and includes ten patterns. I’ve been using Ravelry’s Stash feature for years to keep track of my yarn which I organized by color. I did pick up a few tips but am glad I borrowed the book from my local library rather than adding it to my knitting collection.

[Savannah (forest_reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most knitters or crocheters, I have more yarn than I know what to do with. And it can get overwhelming pretty fast. So I was thrilled when I discovered The Joy of Yarn.

First of all, this book is gorgeous to look at. The pictures of yarn are bright and cheery, and there are some beautifully laid-out patterns at the end. The pages are all simple and well organized, and I like being able to flip back and easily find a section I want to reread.

There are some great tips in this book about destashing your yarn and being more mindful about the yarn you buy. I particularly love the sections on cataloging your yarn using spreadsheets and tips for how to make your stash more beautiful and usable. Marie Greene's tips make sense and are backed by many knitters who have taken organizing courses from her.

Overall, this is a great book for fiber artists who need some organization help, or even for knitters who want some fun stash-busting projects. I'm very glad I came across this book!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Content: 4
Inspiration/Value: 4
Overall: 4

Thank you, Page Street Publishing, for the review copy!

[JL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took this book out of the library for inspiration on destashing. She has a few helpful suggestions I'll probably use, but I found that I am already really organized with my enormous stash.

I credit a great deal of that organization to my use of the online site Ravelry.com. I found it interesting that Greene never once referred to the site, a social media, pattern- and yarn-selling, and database site. I was a fairly early adopter, and thanks to my library and database background, I even volunteered for a time to act as a volunteer editor.

Greene does talk about creating a spreadsheet of one's stash, and yes, I annually create a spreadsheet of my stash from my Ravelry stash page, which also enables me to enter pictures of the yarn, and to use the site's search features to search patterns & yarn on the site (and in my Ravelry library & stash pages) and match them in my queue of upcoming projects.

This book may be very useful to new knitters and stashers, Luddites, and perhaps people who may have a problem or political objection to Ravelry or its founders. And Greene has her own business and stahs management practice to promote. I have no problem with that. I'd just like to point out that there are quite a number of avenues and systems out there for fiber enthusiasts to manage their stash and their craft. (I found it interesting that Greene didn't posit the question to readers whether they cared to buy yarn on a project basis or to amass a stash. Years ago, when I taught my sister to knit, we discussed the pros and cons of each practice at length, and she decided to stick to buying yarn on a project basis.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the second half with the patterns.


The idea of dumping all my stash on the bed and then sorting by colour terrified me! Not for me at all.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

some good tips, on sorting and letting go of yarn.
but she is a little repetitive on somethings.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I picked it up at my local library today and read it cover to cover in half a day. It is laid out in a very easy to read and understandable format. A lot of wisdom is contained in this little book! Several months ago I down-sized my stash to yarns I could see myself actually using. (I had grown from crocheting household items to knitting my own garments.) And this book is inspiring me to think about curating a more intentional stash, as well as purchasing more intentionally in the future.

This book includes examples of using your stash by using the color wheel/color theory as a starting point. Also, there are several stash busting projects that make the color choices look intentional. I believe there are a total of 10 stash busting patterns included in this book. This is a good little resource. I enjoyed this book so much that I am actually thinking about purchasing a hard copy of this book to start my own knitting/fiber arts related library!

[Sarahb. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book full of practical advice on how to organize, manage and use your yarn stash. It includes tips and step by step instructions for how to begin the sometimes-overwhelming process of sorting, storing, and caring for your yarn. Marie Greene writes with wit and whimsy as she guides us through the yarn evaluation process. At the end of the book she includes patterns for using small amounts of yarn or mixing skeins to create wearable works of art. A Joy of Yarn is a joy to read:)

[June Baer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the ideas in the book. It gave me options in curating my yarn stash. It also helped to give myself permission to get rid of the yarn I don't like knitting with but feel guilty about not using. I found some of the ideas in the patterns interesting but as I knit animals and outfits for them the actual patterns were not anything I was interested in. I did like the idea of double knitting some of the smaller weights in my stash.

[Amberle · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all you knitters and fibre crafters out there with some degree of stash, I recommend this book. An easy read with some practical solutions to organizing and using your stash. The book includes some simple knitting patterns as well. I thought she had some great ideas in here about one's overwhelming stash. Recommend!

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because I have already done some of the steps they listed (been there done that). This is an EXCELLENT book for people with yarn stashes they want to organize!!!!

[Dain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the author's concepts of "shopping from your own stash" and figuring out how much real estate your stash is taking up original/new-to- me concepts and the book as a whole quite helpful & enjoyable to read.

[Jojobooks Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!
Only thing missing is the whole added disaster of handspun yarn! Terrific book. Full of so many great ideas! Cool patterns too

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I just need to find a good time to organize my stash... 🤔🧶

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book on how to organize your yarn stash with practical advice.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could give 3.5. It's good information, just not new information to me.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't recommend purchasing. Nothing really new or different in her approach to stash management.

[Danielle Mccoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great help with organizing your yarn stash.

[Julie Bozza]

And 10 days later, my yarn stash is curated, organised, and beginning to be used. Which was certainly a refreshing experience!

[Lori Desrosiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

nothing I didn't know but definitely a handy book to have on hand to go through regularly. I came away with a couple of ideas I'll implement.

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 1/3 of the book is useful.

[Jane Wilder-OConnor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent for learning about yarn organization

The author provides solid information on organizing and storing yarn. Love the projects for using up small amounts of yarn. I originally borrowed this from my library and liked it so well, I purchased it.

[Rebecca M. Boman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read with great ideas!

Who doesn’t need this book? This helped me in discovering and allowing me to decide what I keep. Mind expanding to know I didn’t have to keep it all! Great questions and prompts to fine tune my stash, use it more and be happy again.