photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Bless her heart,

she gave me a couple more

of the fab wire baskets

that she made a few years ago.

Here’s one of the

new ones,

sitting on the

shelf that lives

on my knitting machine

table.

When I was

busy admiring

the new baskets,

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I realized how  much

I love using baskets

for organizing studio

stuff, and that I have

baskets by the dozens.

(There’s another one of

Chloe’s baskets in this

pic, too)

So, I started taking

photos of some of

the baskets in

my studio,

and before long

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I had taken

almost 50 photos….

I won’t bore you

with photos of

all the studio

baskets, but

there are a few

baskets that are

dear to my heart…..

The blue wicker basket

is an old one that I bought

when I was a teenager. I painted a sheet of masonite with a homage to oriental carpets, and wired it to the top and used the basket as a table. Now, it holds a huge whopper of a melon basket that I found at a garage sale this summer. They are both great for yarn storage.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I thought that I would

also include a pic

of Ms Kitty examining

a couple baskets

that I have just recently

made.

I posted a tutorial

on how to spool knit

the basket that is full

of spool knitters.

The crocheted basket is made

with yarn that I spun from

paper streamers from the Blue Man Group show last month.

Baskets are one of the most ancient ways of organizing the stuff of our lives.  They are also a wonderful way of expressing creativity, because every handmade basket is, by it’s very nature, completely unique.

Do you have any favorite baskets?

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

I really like to put all the bits and pieces of each project all together, into one bag or other organizing container.

There can be a problem in doing this, if the bag or box is made from cloth or wood or other opaque materials.

I really NEED to be able to SEE what I have in the bag.

That’s why I absolutely adore this handy dandy little project bag from FoxyKnit Online Knitting co.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I love being able to see what I have filed in there! It may seem like a small thing, but, believe me, being able to see the project and tools is a life enhancer of the first order!

Being a dyed in the wool recycler and upcycler makes me look at packaging with an eye to creative adaptive re-use – so, when pillowcases come out of the plastic zippered bag, a project is popped into that bag in the same instant!

My daughter-in-law bought some fine and fancy shampoo and hair goodies that came in a spiffy bag. She knew I’d love it, and indeed I do- it’s the perfect size for a small loom and tools as well as yarn.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Another great organizer? We save those excellent clear plastic boxes that salad comes in. They are PERFECT for storing yarn, embroidery floss, roving, and small tools!

Because of those salad boxes, I have started looking at clear plastic containers in a new way.

I had a great big ‘aha/upcycyling’ moment the other day…..

My son had bought something hardware-ish that came in the ubiquitous cursed clamshell packaging.  He tossed the clamshell into the recycling box, where I cast eyes on it.

I saw it as a ’see through mini suitcase’, and not as a despised piece of over-packaging. A lot of technology went into making the clamshell, and it has snap open and shut closures that make it quite secure.

It is now happily re-incarnated as a fine and useful see through container for several upcoming projects.

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Albert Einstein said that being creative means looking at the world and seeing it in new ways.

Yay, Albert! You got that one right!

So, what creative adaptive re-use, re-use, recycle and upcycle have you been doing to organize your stash?

Do tell!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

I want to be able to get at my yarn and tools quickly and  easily, but keep them away from mischevious cats and small wicked dogs (yarnaholic animal companions are a pain in the skein!).

I am blessed with a large studio that we heat with a wood burning stove in winter and big south facing windows.

This is great, but oh so dusty, so I can’t have my yarn displayed openly.

Having a big studio means we have a tiny bedroom. That’s mostly okay, as I spend my waking hours in the studio, and don’t need much room to sleep- )

BUT that also means storage in the bedroom is just about non existant. erg.

So, when closet organizing popped up from Martha Stewart’s website, I went to have a look.

Her expensive options are totally out of the question for us, but the cheapest option looks kind of useful…..

here’s the link:  closet makeover

Do you have some good ways of organizing your stash?

and yes, I know – give away give away give away……  I’m working on it!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Even though I don’t have time to get to it, I still like to know what’s where.   I bought some of these thingies a few years back [for some wooden boxes that I've since given away]:

I took the bolts out and measured half way up the box

and 2 inches (5 cm) in from each side.

Then, I drew around the posts on the back of the lable thingie and poked holes with a sharpish file.

(Couldn’t find my awl… now what was I saying about getting organized? erg)

I pushed the posts of the label holder into the holes, and miracle of miracles, they held! Kewl! So I folded a little  piece of paper to fit it and wrote vaguely what is in the box.

I figured if I was going to do one…. I may as well do them all…

I think I just had a ‘Martha Moment’.

It was VERY satisfying!

Now, I wonder where I put my awl?

 Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay

Post from: Hankering for Yarn