In honour of the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009 I have decided to set myself a challenge (with a few modifications of course). I love natural fibre. In fact, I love natural fibre so much, I have tons of it. Fleece, roving, top, yarn, noils, caps, bells, skeins, balls. I have silk, quiviet, cotton, soya, hemp, flax, angora, cashmere, buffalo, camel, alpaca, llama, and way too many sheep breed samples to even list.

Last summer I attended Fibre Week, with Lucy Neatby as our guest speaker. And one of Lucy's comments has stuck with me. "... if you truly want to make your stitches happy (and contented) you must absolutely use up your yarn. Buying yarn and then banishing it into the bowels of your Rubbermaid totes in back of the closet, is definitely not the way to go"'.

I stand accused.

And so I am taking up the challenge (with modifications of course).

This year, (three months in - and only nine months to go) I will work on using up my fibres and yarns. The fibre I already have. The fibre that is languishing in the totes, and boxes, and baggies .... oh those evil little 50 grams of sample smack that every vendor dangles from baskets . 

"Oh come on now... you know you want it..."

Okay...  so now for the modifications.

Swaps and barters are okay. And I am okay with restrained tool and accessory enhancement (I have just purchased a set of addi  turbo lace needles, and I defy anyone to tell me knitting lace is just as easy without them).

And, I am going to cut myself some slack at the few (3 actually)  "fibre weekends" I  plan to attend this year. But this supports my local producer friends. And I promise to view the wares with a  discriminating eye. I will not shop with gay abandon.

And books ... well second hand books must by okay (I have a substantial in store credit). And before I hit the online bookseller, I will visit my local library website.

Let the destash begin...