Does this include your yarn stash?

If so, here are some ideas on how you can organize your stash for the new year. This way, you’ll know where your supplies are and not waste precious crafting minutes (or hours) looking for what you need.

Clear, plastic storage units are always popular and a good way to store and organize your stash so you can see what you have. With lids on, these boxes keep out dust and dirt, and possibly pets and kids.

Plus, you can easily see your yarn inside without having to open anything.

They come in a range of sizes and stack well. They work great for natural fibers as well as artificial ones, but if you store wool in them, consider adding cedar chips, cedar balls, lavender sachets, etc. — things to keep the moths away.

You can also make use of a hanging unit. These come in canvas as well as plastic and if you’re short of space, you can store one of these in your closet, which won’t take up a lot of room.

Again, you can easily see what you have without having to dig through boxes or a chest (my current dilemma).

With either of these storage options, you can organize in a few ways:

* By color

* By fiber content

* By weight

* By animal vs. artificial

The good thing about organizing is that you can do it however you want, in whatever way works best for you. So how about it? Are you organizing your yarn stash today to get a fresh start on the new year?

Images: Rubbermaid and Bed Bath & Beyond

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Unlike previous years, I didn’t ask for yarn as a gift this Christmas. For one, I really do have a lot of yarn (it takes quite a lot of guts to admit that!), yarn that I probably won’t use all up in 2009.

Right now, I’m trying to see how I’m going to approach 2009 as far as being crafty. I want to try some new things; I want to use yarn I already own…and not just to make more room for new yarn.

Pictured is part of my stash (I’ll discuss proper storage for yarn another time), so as you can see, I’m pretty well-stocked. Did you get more yarn for Christmas? And if so, did you need it?

Image: © D. Sandeen

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

Here’s one of my most favorite book cases. It’s GREAT for storing yarn and stashes:

We found it at a garage sale. For FREE! The lady who owned it reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally hated it. (I didn’t ask why).

On the second shelf, I have a heap of yarn in wire baskets from a retired freezer.

They came from another garage sale.

They are good in that I can see the yarns and colors, but tend to latch onto one another and launch themselves at me if I pull on one of them without anchoring the others. erg. There’s nothing like yarn erupting when you least expect it.

Of course, the small dog ,who has mastered the art of extortion (I bite your arm off if you take this ball of yarn away from me without a piece of cat food…. grrrrrrrr) just loves it when yarn (and books) start ricocheting around the studio.

Yarn games! wheeeeeeeeeee!

The rest of the boxes, baskets and suitcases are full of workshop projects, new designs, paperwork and of course:

Yarn.

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay

Post from: Hankering for Yarn