Yarn Diets

I follow quite a few knitting forums and the knotty subject of yarn stashes comes up regularly.  Some crafters have amazing stashes and some crafters have stashes similar to my own.  Mine is not amazing.  I can divide my yarn stash into two -- the ugly bit which is made up of small balls of left-overs (too numerous to count) and the lovely bit which is specific yarns to make several jumpers and about a dozen lace items. 
My lovely stash is not an issue.  I'm happy to have the yarn.  Some of the laceweight is much prettier in hanks so it may never be knitted but I like how it looks.  The jumpers quantities will get knitted.
My problem is the ugly stash.  A yarn diet won't cure it because I don't like the odds and ends so I won't knit them.  I'm not a lover of stashbuster blankets (although our customers have made some gorgeious ones) -- my left-overs are too bitty to create anything beautiful.
The answer is -- bin them! 
I hear a collective gasp across the yarn community. 
These bits, which I have held on to for years, just take up space and block creativity because I feel that I can't buy more yarn to add to my lovely yarn stash as I have old yarn which night work and could be used.
 It won't work and it won't be used.
It prevents me using my lovely stash because I should use the ugly stash.
 I need to spring-clean!
So my advice (which I may or may not follow) is to clear out your stash of any yarn that is just sitting there because you had half a ball left over from another project and you really don't want to use again.  There might be some in there which could be useful for mending but darning doesn't take much yarn.  Take it to a community group or charity shop and leave it there.  Once the ugly yarn is out of your stash, you feel able to tackle the lovely stuff.  You might decide to buy more yarn or use up the stash you've got but you won't feel suffocated by the bits that you don't want.
If you need any further persuasion just think about some lucky person wandering into the charity shop or community group who will find exactly what they want because,  like beauty, ugly is in the eye of the beholder.

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