Having moved a lot in my 42 years I say if you don't love it, have not used it in a while or just kinda like it: THROW IT AWAY or donate.

All of my older sweaters were very 90s style and when I realized that I was never, ever, ever going to wear them again, I got rid of them. The sweaters that were nice, were worn out. Now, I don't keep anything I don't like. Even if it's new. I just donate it to charity because there is no point in my keeping things I won't wear.

I took the buttons (to keep them) off of an aran-style cardigan I tried to copy from a J. Crew catalog years ago, before dropping it at the thrift store. It probably got tossed out. I would love to have it back so I could felt it.
Another sweater I didn't like, I threw into the washer to shrink it and then took the buttons (possibly the same ones as the previous throw away sweater) off. I cut the felted results into pieces that my 5 year old could practice sewing buttons onto, and another piece became a french press cozy to keep my coffee warm on cool mornings when camping.
Oh, and I just remembered. A few months ago I threw away a perfectly wonderful, fitted just right to my friend's foot, out of yarn suited to her exactly, finished pair of socks....ACCIDENTALLY. Yes, really. They were in a paper bag in my car, and I just threw it all in a dumpster without looking inside. The socks were so lightweight that I just thought the bag was empty. Yup, those socks are in a landfill somewhere. It makes me nauseous everytime I think about it. Hopefully some rodent has made a home in them.

I've thrown stuff out. I didn't REALLY want to but I new I should.

I have totally chucked out knitting, if it was crappy.

That bracelet is so cool! Maybe it's stretched out but I maintain it's cooler than anything I've made. ;-)

I have thrown...and it is liberating not to be held hostage by something you absolutely hate.

I'm with most of the other commenters -- if it's horrible yarn, throw it out and enjoy the freedom! Why not use the storage space for something you really love? If it's recyclable, donate it to someone who can use it.

Maybe you could try felting the things you don't like, and completely transform them, say into flowers that can be sewn onto a felted bag, or some other kind of decoration (or potholders). Of course, this doesn't solve the packing problem....

I have even donated unfinished knitting projects hoping that someone will finish them---or at least use the yarn! :-)

In the case of crappy yarn, pitch. Far far away. Get help if necessary. In the case of good yarn.... give it to someone that would frog it and would appreciate having the yarn. I would. You can send me any frogworthy knits of nice yarn! :)

I don't think I'd ever actually throw something out, although I would GIVE it away...let them throw it out, I couldn't bear to!

Kiss it goodbye! buh-BYE! It's nice to start fresh instead of carrying around the stuff you've Moved Beyond. I feel a twinge over the Anouk but you know best. xox Kay

I have to say that i have no regrets in throwing out things i have knit. (well, i donate them to the needy). I have so far donated the very first sweater i knit, (it was HIDEOUS), the second sweater i knit, (just wasn't pleased with the fit) and the first sweater I knit for my husband ( didn't like the way it turned out) Rather than live with the guilt and reminder of failure, I prefer to think that someone out there is warm and cozy from something i knit. Also, then there is more room in my closet for things i do love that i have knit.

I've tossed, but only recently, and it took over 20 years to finally concede. It felt good!!

THat stinks.. I have frogged, but not tossed. I say do it if its just going to stay in storage. What a fun bracelet though...

That's the problem with sentimentality -- we end up with gobs of "stuff" that we keep "just because". If you're not a recycler of yarn -- could you donate the items to knitters who would recycle the yarn? If it's a matter of crappy yarn, just pitch it. Purge! Purge! Purge!

I have thrown away handknits, and while it's painful (some more than others!), I figure it's better to make the space in the closet for new knits than to hang on to old ones. If it makes it easier, you can always donate to charity--it still gets it out of the house, but there's a chance somebody will appreciate it. You never know!

Just last week I threw out something I knit. It was a huge unfinished mohair wrap knit in fisherman's rib. The color was too bright, the yarn was not beautiful, and it had already sat around my house for a year. I tried not to look as I put it into the kitchen trash..

Unlike everyone else - I think I am having a heart attack about throwing something hand-knit away. That is just so so sad.

Can you - give it away instead - like, maybe to a homeless shelter or something? I know, that takes extra time, so you should probably just ignore that suggestion, and get over to that trash can immediately, close your eyes, toss it, and never think about it again.

But eeeeek!

Toss it! You have my permission! Its not like it can compost and turn into something magical; you are not going to love it any more when you open the box when you are unpacking. Be brave! Get rid of all you can!

I haven't thrown anything away, but lord knows I have one thing I should (made mostly because it was the simplest top ever and I thought it would be a nice first top to knit, but I have far too much boobage to wear such a thing). I just have to get up the courage to do so.

Chuck it. Cathartic. Shedding of old life, regaining new life. It's liberating :)

1er commentaire! J'ai donné tous les pulls que j'ai tricotés (ou jetés s'ils étaient vraiment ratés) sauf une dizaine que je garde encore. Et oui, j'ai déménagé plusieurs fois!

If it's offensive enough to want to throw it away, ditch it. I'm a relatively new knitter so I haven't actually thrown anything away that I've knit, but I'm considering it.

I give everything away, which lets me keep the deluded notion that it's not going to waste, and that someone else will want it for something.

I recently moved back to the States from the UK, and yes, I threw out knitting--two pairs of fuzzyfeet that I wore for only one winter, but constantly.

I had such problems getting back, as the luggage allowances were greater going out than heading back to the states, so I ended up throwing out a whole pile of clothes at the hotel the night before I left, too!

I've only been knitting seriously for about a year, so Me Now probably couldn't...but...I dabbled in ceramics for a few years. At first, I couldn't throw out anything, no matter how space-sucking or crappy. That changed, though, after a while, as I'm sure it will with knitting. If you don't love it, you know you'll never use it or recycle it: chuck it guilt-free. It's liberating!

PS--My first comment on your blog, wow, how exciting..I've read it for a while though, and am fan of your patterns...just so you know, in case you needed an ego-boost...

i say chuck it. it sounds like you'd never wear if you did keep it, and since recycling isn't an option -- what other choice do you have?

we've been kicking around the idea of moving too and i'm going thru a bit of what you describe. it's good to be forced to clean up and get tidy -- there's no reason to tote around all the crap we stow away for decades!

I confess, I have thrown out things that I have knit. I always feel a bit ashamed when I do this, since I know the yarn could be recycled. But if I am throwing it out, it is probably because the yarn was gross. Sometimes you need to just chuck it and live life as if the offending piece never existed.