Yarn Mountain

About a week ago, I came home happily clutching my bag full of yarn from my last trip to... wherever it was, there was a deal I just couldn't pass it up....I realized that I actually had no where put it.  Yarn Mountain appeared to be above capacity!  What a mess!  I did not take a before picture, it was just too scary to commemorate with a photograph. I did spend around and hour and a half cutting off WIP's, balling yarn and generally organizing.   Yarn Mountain is now all neat-ish and not quite embarrassing (aside from the messy bookshelf beside it!)

When I took the photo I realized I may have a problem.  Especially when there was still another pic to be taken:

For honesty's sake, I'll admit that there are still a few bags/cubbies that have yarn stashed in them, but I won't bore you with those.  My yarn stash is ridiculous, and I have been inspired.
Took a walk through the city with the family and found a construction site that had crochet flowers lining the surrounding fence.  Yay! Yarn Bombing!  Love it.

I made a mini pledge to myself that I will spend the summer getting better at crocheting.  I want to feel confident that I can do a difficult pattern, and be able to "whip things up" without stress.  Further inspiration came when I read this article over on Crochet Spot.  Perfect!  I love the idea of making small projects throughout the summer and storing them up, I have a lot of extended family  out of state and I would love to be able to send Xmas gifts to them.  So, I have been crocheting like crazy!
Two top secret small projects off on an adventure, elusive too, they haven't even been photographed!  I got the new Ana Paula Rimoli book Amigurumi Toy Box and have completed two projects from it, my favorite, for my little buddy way up North, who has named him Mr. Fock:

He's wonky, but I love him.

And a teeny cake for Shorty's BFF's birthday:

Sunday I sat on my mom's patio with a big skein of sorta ugly cotton yarn and made her a pair of slippers.

Came home and made a coaster for my desk, with same sorta ugly yarn.  Seems not as ugly on the coaster, don't you think?  Or maybe I'm just getting used to it and getting attached....

I'm going to work my way through Yarn Mountain and make something, even if its a coaster, every single day.  By the time I make that pile of yarn smaller I hope to be able to feel justified in buying that higher end yarn, for now, I've got a lot of cotton and acrylic to work with.  I see a lot of Amigurumi and potholders in my future....