Shopping my own Stash for Last-Minute Gifts

At times I feel ambivalent towards my stash.  I know I'm not the only one.  Sure, there are probably some knitters who buy and stash yarn freely and love every skein.  On the other end of the spectrum, that rare bird must also exist:  the knitter who only buys what she/he needs for the current project.  I believe most of us fall into that category of wobbling between the desire to buy more yarn, and the desire to knit the stash down.  In reality, the second desire is actually motivated by the first, and vice versa.  There's the rub:  it's a never ending cycle, a treadmill of knitting enjoyment!

However when it comes to knitting up last minute Christmas gifts, I feel great appreciation for that collection of single-skein impulse purchases.  This week I've been shopping my own stash for hat-worthy yarn.  The process does result in some creative clutter:

I approve of the blurriness of this photo!

But it also brings about some happy results:

Just a preview, more details to come when
they are washed and blocked for FO Friday.

I'm finding a few patterns particularly helpful as I match up those beautiful but random skeins to my gift list:

1)  If you happen to have access to a copy of Last-Minute Knitted Gifts (a book that really lives up to it's title), you can create a hat for just about anyone with the Kim's Hats pattern.
2)  Brooklyn Tweed's Turn A Square Hat is a free pattern and is wonderful for using up those bits of self-striping yarn along with a solid color.
3) And here goes some shameless self-promotion:  Another freebie I'm using for gifts is my own Falling Leaves Hat pattern.  I wrote it for Malabrigo yarn, but any worsted weight will do, and it's a fun knit.

I'm off to clean up my creative clutter, but I'll be back here soon with some more gift ideas.

Meanwhile, if you would like more last-minute knitting ideas, please visit Tami's Amis WIP Wednesday party!