It's time to deal with that yarn stash!! My links: Website: www.elvneedlew... Instagram: / elvneedleworks Ravelry: www.ravelry.co... Discord Server: / discord
I just went through all of my yarn this morning and reorganized it. I definitely have a lot of yarn. I have been crocheting for fifty years, so imagine my stash. I have committed to using the yarn that I have this year.
I learned how to crochet basic stitches when I was about 8, but I didn't really keep up with it consistently. I'd pull it out of the memory banks for baby shower gifts, etc, but I didn't really pick it back up consistently until I was 21 during the pandemic. I needed something to keep my hands and mind occupied during isolation. I now have three 66L/70Qt containers filled with yarn 😅Definitely going to be reorganizing them soon
To be honest here, im in serious trouble with too much yarn in my small craft room 😳. These are all excellent suggestions that others have failed to mention imo. Love the humor as i will forever remember the finger pointing n looks, hehehe! 😅
Great tips. I have been crocheting for 3 years and soon realised that my stash could outlive me. I now buy for projects only I’d I don’t have the yarn needed and once the project is done, the remainder gets made into a hat immediately so not to go back on stash. I make top down hats with the scraps as you can use alternating colours as you run out on yarn. Thanks for the video.
Helix stripe hats are great for using up little scraps. I started sorting my wool stash and I'm trying to use all the small balls of sock yarn in a scrap shawl. I haven't tackled the acrylic stash yet but that's next. Trying to not buy yarn this year, my one exception is if I need to make a baby blanket that would be neutral or boy colors since my daughter loves bright and crazy
Hello, my name is Sharon and I am a yarnaholic…. (They say the first step is admitting to yourself that you have the problem . New sub today and I am hoping you show us some ways you bust your stash. Love your sense of humor and very relatable screen persona!
I did something similar a few months ago. I have all my actual and to be finished projects readily available with hooks/needles ready with them. I am a project starter, I love trying out things. I create lots of fails, and store them for a while in case the fancy strikes. But if the fancy don't strike or I feel all excited seeing it, I frog it, and use the yarn to make magic yarnballs, which I have a project blanket. This way, Fails become Wins! Then I have some general sort of yarn types, but not projects, and they area just stored somewhere not in the way. I also have made a choice to complete my projects before allowing myself to buy more yarn! And I rotate between my to be finish projects as it gives the illusion that I "start new projects".
The yarn I don't like will be made into hats for charity. I have a food scale. I weigh my yarn, take note of said weight, and convert to yards/meters. Each ball of yard has a tag with their corresponding info. I'm making a spreadsheet of said yarn. I find a pattern I have, sort via quantity. This will let me know what I have available. My plan this year is to have a low/no spend year on yarn.
My current process is similar. 80% of the yarn I buy is for a specific project/plan. I'll put it in a bag with the printed pattern or a note to remind me what my plan was. The stuff I buy because it's pretty or I wanted to inspire myself with a "mystery bag" that inspired nothing, goes into plastic totes based on either content (cotton, wool, etc.) or by the hook size I would use. The last bin/basket is for scrap yarns sorted by hook size I would use. This is so I can do any kind of scrap project without thinking too much. Sometimes I decide that I have no interest in the project anymore, and I will donate the yarn to thrift stores that are specific to yarns and arts. You can also reach out to local schools. In my area, the middle school has a "Makerspace" class that is always looking for yarn, and a local community college has a Fiber Arts Club that is also looking for yarn.
‘The Tangle’ 🤣🤣 New subscriber, love your energy through the screen, fur babies and anything crochet related 😬. Best wishes from a chilly North Yorkshire U.K. ✌️💜🇬🇧
i love your vibe, i want to make youtube videos so bad and i feel like when i watch creators like you i feel even more motivated to actually just film, edit and post! Keep going- i can't wait to see your subscriber count go up, and one day 100k! Also the "...you WILL finish the project." is very relatable haha
I really should go through my collection of yarns. Great idea. I avoid keeping sock yarn scraps by using it until it’s all gone - currently working on pair 3. I’ve split the remainder of the yarn into two balls so the sock will kind of match. I’ll be glad to see the back of this yarn once the second sock is done though. Tip for you, I never get tangles in my headphone cord. I wrap it around my fingers in a figure 8 pattern then put it in a pocket in that shape. Learning that trick was a revelation. I can just fish it out, grab one end and drop it into a satisfying straight line. String theory in practice.
This is exactly what I do when going through my stash, except I got a cake winder to help keep everything neat and more easily organized/stacked. It also helps me decide what is scrap sized and what is worth adding to the potential projects. I also have a cheap cubby organizer, one of those pieces of furniture that uses the cloth drawers that was really popular for a while, which allows me to show off the neatly organized stuff, put In Progress projects all in one 'drawer', and have a 'drawer' for all my scraps for whatever I end up wanting to use them for when the time comes. In the end, it's organized chaos with no Tangle Monster's for a good long while and means I need to overhaul my stash less often.
About 5 years ago I put together about a half of a 30 gallon trash bag away to someone who did lots of charity knitting. A few years ago I started getting Mary Maxim Mystery boxes. I have too much yarn. I have finished working on a few large projects. I want to work on small projects that I have in kits. Those are non acrylic but natural and pricey. I have lots of acrylic too. It is time to decide what yarn should live in someone elses home.
My problem is resisting thrift store buys. I recently found someone's stash of that ribbon yarn people made scarves from about 20 years ago. Lovely colors + sequences. No way I was making a scarf but what to do. I found on RUclips a video for using up scraps and making a basket/tote. So - I did. All gone. One problem - don't use it for a tote as it snags on everything. So I use it to store a lovely, knit blanket, on the floor in my living room, where it sparkles with joy every morning. Done!
In my stash, each different lot of yarn goes in its own ziplock bag of appropriate size to keep it clean and untangled. If there are part balls I weigh them and include this info on a scrap of paper tucked in the bag facing out, so I know exactly how much of that yarn I have without having to open the bag. Less than hat quantity goes into 'odd ball' bags that I can raid for toys, colourwork, holding live stitches, waste cast ons, trying new techniques etc. Thank you for the affirmation, I WILL finish my projects 😊
I’m a knitter and until now have stored yarn purely by colour. But I’ve recently taken up crochet and I’ve realised that just won’t work. So I’m going to recategorise by yarn type and put some packs together of some projects I want to start
Oh hunny you dont have a yarn hoarding issue! I HAVE a hoarding issue!! I have 3 trunks of yarn...as in 1800-1900 trunk chests they used for travel, slammed full. Very large, lg, and med size chest. Then have a 3 set stacking, collapsable “foot stool’-like bins(? Not sure what to call it?). One that’s hold approx same amt as xl chest, next is prob between the lg and m size chests, the last one - actually footstool size (lg footstool), holds prob close to 4 jumbo Caron skein and 4 lg baby yarn skeins. Have 8 - 60-80 ish storage totes. 2 ikea zip-close storage, 1 lg laundry basket. A 8x2,1 am -Med box, 7 shelf bookcase, and 5-6 large-xxl totes with yarn and/or wips. Mind you these are all full!!! THATS a hoarding issue...you just have a storage efficiency issue!! Lol
btw if you have a few wools in your stash - but those are stored for longer: Make sure to put them in a sturdy ziplock type and add the moth poison cards. No not the "repellents" or lavender cushions or essential oil cedar thingies - that is not enough. Plastic containers must be airtight, those underbed rollers often have ventilation holes. Or the bags where you can suck out the air with the vaccum cleaner. The bags should be thicker material (moths can get through normal plastic bags just fine). the bags or containers must w/o any venting holes, or holes and if there is a lid or zip - it must be tight. Sometimes bedding or pillows are sold in those pouches with zippers those can work if there is no gap at the end of the zipper. The moths come in through the windows (or if you buy vinted). And although they might not find much food in your stash - (but it would be such a shame to lose the alpaca) - you maybe have woven garments with wool. Blends (30 - 50 % wool, 50 % acryl) are not safe from moths either. Or wool carpets. Or wool coats. Not to forget the warm wool inside or soles of winter boots. (Don't forget those). I have an old knitted sweater and the polyacryl content must be 30 - 50 % - but the moths liked it just fine.
I'm a knitter. But when you cut that tangle, my heart about stopped. That would be something I would spend a Friday evening untangling because I have no life. I digress. My yarn is sorted in to totes: 5 for fingering/sock weight yarns, 1 for acrylic worsted, 2 for all others. That's not including the 30 or so skeins/hanks that haven't made it to the yarn vault yet. (yes, I'm looking at you, you underbed storage I thought was a temporary fix!) It's a goal of mine to get my stash/WIPs under control so I can use it more effectively. My granddaughters love hand knitted items, as do my grandsons. I love handknit socks. And my oldest son is getting married in the fall, so I'm making my DIL a wedding shawl with yarn I already have.
I really loved watching this video! It just had the opposite effect on me and made me want to get even more yarn 😂. I really like the first wip you showed, the scarf. I’d love to know where the pattern is from!
My stash is LARGE. I have about 8-10 thirty-gallon tubs full of yarn in the basement (already sorted out). I have 6 of the under-the-bed storage containers filled mostly with sock yarn). I have 4 of the 3 drawer crafting containers that have 3 drawers in it with mostly acrylic. I have 2 other large bins in my closet with some of my nicer yarns (cashmere, silk, wool, alpaca, etc.). I only have a couple projects I am working on. I knit and crochet so I always have something I am working on.
i mainly sort by amout then color since i keep using the same colors over and over again allmost all my projects are about 50 percent black yarn or more so that got its own storage container then came the things that are about a sweater quantity and then anything i can make at leats half a hat out of and everything less than 100m is a scrap
All my yarn and projects are relatively sorted (need to go through and get rid of the unusable scraps), my problem is finishing said projects before starting a new one. Like, I've got two granny square blankets, a moss stitch shawl, and two different toddler size sweaters going.
You can do it!! I do a lot of different types of crafts so one of the things that helped me was only doing one “genre” of project at once - one knitting project, one crochet project, one quilting, etc. AND/OR one short term project (days/weeks of work), one medium term project (1-2 months), and one long term (year+). Those shorter term projects help a lot with getting the satisfaction of starting/finishing a project and helps me get through the bigger ones like blankets or sweaters. It can also help if I make an effort to spend one hour a week on EVERY active project. That way they’re all approaching completion, and if I’m really not enjoying one, I pull it apart.
No scrap is unusable. You can even use a footlong piece I a project. Why don't you take your scraps and make a magic ball? Then use them in a scrappy project!
Strips of pantyhose (old) can be used as a slip cover to secure yarn balls. And learning the technique to form balls that have a center pull. there are winding gadgets and I think they are not that expensive. Not sure if they work for the smaller balls. Else ziploc bags would work for the smaller balls to keep them tidy.
One advice when considering whether to keep the old supplies, or how much effort to put into selling (instead of donating it). _The money was already paid, it is not a LOSS to give it away, even IF you would need a bit of it in the future. (and realistically most of the stuff will sit unused in 10 - 15 years, only a few materials would actually be used _eventually._ A person with an apartment, but even in a house is NOT a good storage place or hub for unused / stored resources for "just in case it is needed". And you can always buy yarn again (and often at low costs if you buy from goodwill). But even buying new (occasionally) would be better. Unless the material is really valuable and expensive - and then - why are you not doing something with it ? The costs (time ! but also the proportional rent of your apartment, the loss of storage room) is usually higher then buying new yarn every few years when you REALLY would make that ONE project. (Or the fews - the storage is always larger than would will be realistically used the next years). You can afford to give it all away or most of it, replacement is not hard to come buy and it often can be even for little money (when you buy what someone else finally got rid off). Keeping things moving and keeping resources being used and available. I am guilty as the next crafter for shopping sprees for beautiful materials and future project. And crafting is a lot more work than is buying ;) Good will and second hand shops etc. are a HUB to bring resources back into USE. they can assemble various items (same colours and qualities, thickness). So it will be a blessing for the next crafter - and she or he hopefully will not hoard the material but acutally use it. It is dead weight / unused resources. if it sits unused in your crafts room
Just a suggestion. Try picking one or two WIPs at a time. One easy one and one that requires more concentration. Now that you have yarn sorted you could easily (?) finish that scrappy afghan. Use some of those smaller balls for making squares for Warm Up America.
Hi, I admired your short with the brown hexagon patchwork. - Question do you have experience with HIGH QUALITY acrylic wool for sweaters (things that get a lot of wear - would also apply to blankets if they are not purely decorative.) _Is there such a thing as quality acrylic yarn that is sold to knitters ?_ The regular cheap ! acrylic is not worth investing the labour for things that get more wear. I mean it is O.K. for decorative items like animals that are only sitting in the shelf - at least the moths will not get them. Also O.K. for baby clothes as it is soft, can be thrown into the wash, and is not used for a long time anyway. I never considerd industrially produced knitted garments either (unless it is a blend, wool or cotton with 30 % acryl is O.K.). But 100 % ?? and for hand knitting ? - what about pilling and about static ? I read in a knit blog that the crafter (she had beautifuly projects and used high quality yarns natural fibers) had found a GOOD acrylic yarn (100 %) and acutally liked it. But unfortunately I cannot find that info anymore. It looks like you have some experience with acrylic. (80 - 100 %).
I’m allergic to sheep’s wool, so I primarily use synthetic yarn since that’s what’s more available to me. I find that crochet, on average, pills less that knit pieces. I crochet quite a bit more than I knit, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I personally really like Joann’s “Big Twist” for a worsted/aran weight acrylic yarn. I find it’s softer than most acrylics, and does well over time in the washer/dryer. I did just complete my first knit vest with it so I’ll know in a few months how well it hold up there. (It’s been great in knit hats and crochet blankets so far!) I also really liked Lion Brand’s “Feels Like Alpaca” yarn, a DK acrylic/polyester/nylon blend. I haven’t seen how it holds up over time, but it’s honestly impressive. I did a whole blog post about it! Currently I’m being defeated by trying to find a good sock yarn. Acrylic is awful for socks!! I’ve been making a scarf using Cascade Cotton Sox (cotton/nylon) and it’s working up beautifully, so I’ll probably try that next for socks.
I started a blanket with dazzleaire yarn... cant find the color to finish my almost 40 year old WIP! Cant frog it... if you know anything about dazzleaire yarn! 😅 ohhhhh myyyyyyy. The TANGLE!!! 😮 I am in the process of using my scraps for a scrappy color sophies universe pattern! Im using both variegated and solids. Most fibers are acrylic but some are questionable, so.... i will just handwash it! I would LOVE to see videos with ideas on how to use scraps!😊
I would donate. Or sell it in bulk for someone that crafts for money and that has more space. OR if the yarn is valuable and there is a bit more of it selling it online but with an example how the yarn could be used (if combined with other materials - often there is not enough for a full project). As for back-up (before getting rid of it) I would always wind a bit of yarn on a small piece of cardboard (2 slits on either side fix the beginning and end of the thread). That is handy if you ever have to mend (also for bought sweaters). Or the first row of the ribbing is distressed and could do with reinforcement. And it is good to have a lot of colours (but only small quantities, so on a cardboard). Then there are granny squares (in tasteful colours), one could even sell packages, but with an example. Here is it what it could look like. buy some yarn in xx quality and thickness as basic yarn - I used xx here. And for detail you can get my mix of yarns - for relatively little money. The effort likely will only make sense if the yarn is valuable or you have more of it - but not enough for a full project. Then showing a 2-colour brioche or a tweed, or a tasteful arrangement of stripes (easy to knit, only one colour at a time).
6:24 TANGLED yarn ! You definitely NEED a winding machine (20 - 50 USD), invest in a good one, it will last for your life (or go for medium price range and read the reviews). When you have used up more than half of a skein (wound in an industrial plant) they often get very loose, instable - I can see that, the large orange skein for instance. Manually (with the machine) wound center pull skeins are much better behaved during storage than balls. Unless it is a very slick yarn (silk, viscose, ...) a center pull will be stable, no more securing needed. the "cakes" look different than those that are sold in shops. It is like a small, low cake, the top is a bit . A ball of yarn will always be in danger of unravelling. Be sure NOT to use a thin (or any other) rubber band to secure it. Those disintegrate over time, if they only get dry and break it is only the tangle. But it is worse if the rubber gets sticky. The (intensely coloured) mess will be over your yarn. Often a red or orange that can leave spots. Pantyhose and cut off rounds of material (loops - from the legs) are good elastic bands. And they do NOT change their form nor do they bleed colour (I would however wash new ones, especially the dark ones). Cut of the rounds at least 1 inch wide (2,5 cm) then stretch them. Width shrinks the loop gets longer, and the edges roll up a bit, so no fray at all. And no, they will not get any running stitches. Not if the whole edge is cut off. btw if a pantyhose is not long enough you can cut if off and make it into a leggings. even only cutting off the toe part will be enough (depends of the foot is formed, if there is a knitted heel). That is a good solution if you want to be warm under a jeans or pants. and you wear socks with it. Washing is no problem they will roll up a tiny bit at the edge, but it would only be visible if you wear it under other tights. And even then it would not be a problem (like scratching or anything like that).
I sold off enough yarn and projects to purchase a decent yarn winder, and a yard sale kitchen scale and I wind, weight, and store accordingly. Instead of aggravating already aggravated wrist and thumb tendons that are needed for YARNING, I use the winder and my limbs thank me for it….
I sooo like …going to your own yarn shop before going elsewhere, love that and you’re perfectly right. Thank you 🥰👍🧶🧶🧶🧶
Like going on a shopping trip to the attic, or cupboard or wherever you hide/store your yarn
**Blank stare and suddenly I talk with a robotic voice** I WILL finish my projects!
Brilliant 😂...
😂
how much I identify with that stare and Dalek voice, hahaha.... how relatable:)
I just went through all of my yarn this morning and reorganized it. I definitely have a lot of yarn. I have been crocheting for fifty years, so imagine my stash. I have committed to using the yarn that I have this year.
Loved how practical this was, thank you! Yes please to scrap project videos x
I learned how to crochet basic stitches when I was about 8, but I didn't really keep up with it consistently. I'd pull it out of the memory banks for baby shower gifts, etc, but I didn't really pick it back up consistently until I was 21 during the pandemic. I needed something to keep my hands and mind occupied during isolation. I now have three 66L/70Qt containers filled with yarn 😅Definitely going to be reorganizing them soon
To be honest here, im in serious trouble with too much yarn in my small craft room 😳. These are all excellent suggestions that others have failed to mention imo. Love the humor as i will forever remember the finger pointing n looks, hehehe! 😅
Would totally love to see a video on scrap busting projects!!! ❤
Great tips. I have been crocheting for 3 years and soon realised that my stash could outlive me. I now buy for projects only I’d I don’t have the yarn needed and once the project is done, the remainder gets made into a hat immediately so not to go back on stash. I make top down hats with the scraps as you can use alternating colours as you run out on yarn. Thanks for the video.
This video is so full of good information on how to organize it. And you did it in an example on how to do it. Great video
Helix stripe hats are great for using up little scraps. I started sorting my wool stash and I'm trying to use all the small balls of sock yarn in a scrap shawl. I haven't tackled the acrylic stash yet but that's next. Trying to not buy yarn this year, my one exception is if I need to make a baby blanket that would be neutral or boy colors since my daughter loves bright and crazy
Hello, my name is Sharon and I am a yarnaholic…. (They say the first step is admitting to yourself that you have the problem . New sub today and I am hoping you show us some ways you bust your stash. Love your sense of humor and very relatable screen persona!
I did something similar a few months ago. I have all my actual and to be finished projects readily available with hooks/needles ready with them. I am a project starter, I love trying out things. I create lots of fails, and store them for a while in case the fancy strikes. But if the fancy don't strike or I feel all excited seeing it, I frog it, and use the yarn to make magic yarnballs, which I have a project blanket. This way, Fails become Wins!
Then I have some general sort of yarn types, but not projects, and they area just stored somewhere not in the way.
I also have made a choice to complete my projects before allowing myself to buy more yarn!
And I rotate between my to be finish projects as it gives the illusion that I "start new projects".
New subscriber.
That tangle was epic!
Thanks for all the suggestions especially about shopping at home first.
The yarn I don't like will be made into hats for charity.
I have a food scale. I weigh my yarn, take note of said weight, and convert to yards/meters. Each ball of yard has a tag with their corresponding info.
I'm making a spreadsheet of said yarn. I find a pattern I have, sort via quantity. This will let me know what I have available. My plan this year is to have a low/no spend year on yarn.
Wanna be my new BFF?
My current process is similar. 80% of the yarn I buy is for a specific project/plan. I'll put it in a bag with the printed pattern or a note to remind me what my plan was. The stuff I buy because it's pretty or I wanted to inspire myself with a "mystery bag" that inspired nothing, goes into plastic totes based on either content (cotton, wool, etc.) or by the hook size I would use. The last bin/basket is for scrap yarns sorted by hook size I would use. This is so I can do any kind of scrap project without thinking too much. Sometimes I decide that I have no interest in the project anymore, and I will donate the yarn to thrift stores that are specific to yarns and arts. You can also reach out to local schools. In my area, the middle school has a "Makerspace" class that is always looking for yarn, and a local community college has a Fiber Arts Club that is also looking for yarn.
‘The Tangle’ 🤣🤣 New subscriber, love your energy through the screen, fur babies and anything crochet related 😬. Best wishes from a chilly North Yorkshire U.K. ✌️💜🇬🇧
i love your vibe, i want to make youtube videos so bad and i feel like when i watch creators like you i feel even more motivated to actually just film, edit and post! Keep going- i can't wait to see your subscriber count go up, and one day 100k! Also the "...you WILL finish the project." is very relatable haha
I really should go through my collection of yarns. Great idea. I avoid keeping sock yarn scraps by using it until it’s all gone - currently working on pair 3. I’ve split the remainder of the yarn into two balls so the sock will kind of match. I’ll be glad to see the back of this yarn once the second sock is done though. Tip for you, I never get tangles in my headphone cord. I wrap it around my fingers in a figure 8 pattern then put it in a pocket in that shape. Learning that trick was a revelation. I can just fish it out, grab one end and drop it into a satisfying straight line. String theory in practice.
This is exactly what I do when going through my stash, except I got a cake winder to help keep everything neat and more easily organized/stacked. It also helps me decide what is scrap sized and what is worth adding to the potential projects. I also have a cheap cubby organizer, one of those pieces of furniture that uses the cloth drawers that was really popular for a while, which allows me to show off the neatly organized stuff, put In Progress projects all in one 'drawer', and have a 'drawer' for all my scraps for whatever I end up wanting to use them for when the time comes. In the end, it's organized chaos with no Tangle Monster's for a good long while and means I need to overhaul my stash less often.
About 5 years ago I put together about a half of a 30 gallon trash bag away to someone who did lots of charity knitting. A few years ago I started getting Mary Maxim Mystery boxes. I have too much yarn. I have finished working on a few large projects. I want to work on small projects that I have in kits. Those are non acrylic but natural and pricey. I have lots of acrylic too. It is time to decide what yarn should live in someone elses home.
Thank you! I am always buying yarn! I think maybe I have an issue but I just love it 😂
My problem is resisting thrift store buys. I recently found someone's stash of that ribbon yarn people made scarves from about 20 years ago. Lovely colors + sequences. No way I was making a scarf but what to do. I found on RUclips a video for using up scraps and making a basket/tote. So - I did. All gone. One problem - don't use it for a tote as it snags on everything. So I use it to store a lovely, knit blanket, on the floor in my living room, where it sparkles with joy every morning. Done!
Points at you n says you will finish it! 😂😂 im dying in lol's!
Hi I'm a Yarnaholic, I just ordered more yarn today and I'm three projects behind that new project.
Me too...and I don't need no steenkin 12 step program thank you very much! Hahahaha 😂😂😂😂😂
In my stash, each different lot of yarn goes in its own ziplock bag of appropriate size to keep it clean and untangled. If there are part balls I weigh them and include this info on a scrap of paper tucked in the bag facing out, so I know exactly how much of that yarn I have without having to open the bag. Less than hat quantity goes into 'odd ball' bags that I can raid for toys, colourwork, holding live stitches, waste cast ons, trying new techniques etc. Thank you for the affirmation, I WILL finish my projects 😊
yeah. I have 9 64 gallon totes full to the brim of yarn sorted by color. This video made sense to me. thank you!
I’m a knitter and until now have stored yarn purely by colour. But I’ve recently taken up crochet and I’ve realised that just won’t work. So I’m going to recategorise by yarn type and put some packs together of some projects I want to start
Oh hunny you dont have a yarn hoarding issue! I HAVE a hoarding issue!! I have 3 trunks of yarn...as in 1800-1900 trunk chests they used for travel, slammed full. Very large, lg, and med size chest. Then have a 3 set stacking, collapsable “foot stool’-like bins(? Not sure what to call it?). One that’s hold approx same amt as xl chest, next is prob between the lg and m size chests, the last one - actually footstool size (lg footstool), holds prob close to 4 jumbo Caron skein and 4 lg baby yarn skeins. Have 8 - 60-80 ish storage totes. 2 ikea zip-close storage, 1 lg laundry basket. A 8x2,1 am -Med box, 7 shelf bookcase, and 5-6 large-xxl totes with yarn and/or wips. Mind you these are all full!!!
THATS a hoarding issue...you just have a storage efficiency issue!! Lol
btw if you have a few wools in your stash - but those are stored for longer: Make sure to put them in a sturdy ziplock type and add the moth poison cards. No not the "repellents" or lavender cushions or essential oil cedar thingies - that is not enough. Plastic containers must be airtight, those underbed rollers often have ventilation holes. Or the bags where you can suck out the air with the vaccum cleaner. The bags should be thicker material (moths can get through normal plastic bags just fine). the bags or containers must w/o any venting holes, or holes and if there is a lid or zip - it must be tight.
Sometimes bedding or pillows are sold in those pouches with zippers those can work if there is no gap at the end of the zipper.
The moths come in through the windows (or if you buy vinted). And although they might not find much food in your stash - (but it would be such a shame to lose the alpaca) - you maybe have woven garments with wool. Blends (30 - 50 % wool, 50 % acryl) are not safe from moths either. Or wool carpets. Or wool coats. Not to forget the warm wool inside or soles of winter boots. (Don't forget those).
I have an old knitted sweater and the polyacryl content must be 30 - 50 % - but the moths liked it just fine.
I'm a knitter. But when you cut that tangle, my heart about stopped. That would be something I would spend a Friday evening untangling because I have no life. I digress. My yarn is sorted in to totes: 5 for fingering/sock weight yarns, 1 for acrylic worsted, 2 for all others. That's not including the 30 or so skeins/hanks that haven't made it to the yarn vault yet. (yes, I'm looking at you, you underbed storage I thought was a temporary fix!) It's a goal of mine to get my stash/WIPs under control so I can use it more effectively. My granddaughters love hand knitted items, as do my grandsons. I love handknit socks. And my oldest son is getting married in the fall, so I'm making my DIL a wedding shawl with yarn I already have.
I really loved watching this video! It just had the opposite effect on me and made me want to get even more yarn 😂.
I really like the first wip you showed, the scarf. I’d love to know where the pattern is from!
Oh no! Stay strong!!
The scarf is A Purrfect Scare Halloween Scarf by Lisa Hannan Fox
My stash is LARGE. I have about 8-10 thirty-gallon tubs full of yarn in the basement (already sorted out). I have 6 of the under-the-bed storage containers filled mostly with sock yarn). I have 4 of the 3 drawer crafting containers that have 3 drawers in it with mostly acrylic. I have 2 other large bins in my closet with some of my nicer yarns (cashmere, silk, wool, alpaca, etc.). I only have a couple projects I am working on. I knit and crochet so I always have something I am working on.
Omg jealous. Me soon. I LOVE TO knit and can't wait to get crochet down.
If you feel like it, you should show off all your yarn and post it on here!
I have 3 words, a number and an abbreviation for you: Stanwood 10oz yarn winder . GAME CHANGER. Easier to store and so much fun!
i mainly sort by amout then color since i keep using the same colors over and over again allmost all my projects are about 50 percent black yarn or more so that got its own storage container then came the things that are about a sweater quantity and then anything i can make at leats half a hat out of and everything less than 100m is a scrap
All my yarn and projects are relatively sorted (need to go through and get rid of the unusable scraps), my problem is finishing said projects before starting a new one. Like, I've got two granny square blankets, a moss stitch shawl, and two different toddler size sweaters going.
You can do it!! I do a lot of different types of crafts so one of the things that helped me was only doing one “genre” of project at once - one knitting project, one crochet project, one quilting, etc. AND/OR one short term project (days/weeks of work), one medium term project (1-2 months), and one long term (year+). Those shorter term projects help a lot with getting the satisfaction of starting/finishing a project and helps me get through the bigger ones like blankets or sweaters.
It can also help if I make an effort to spend one hour a week on EVERY active project. That way they’re all approaching completion, and if I’m really not enjoying one, I pull it apart.
No scrap is unusable. You can even use a footlong piece I a project. Why don't you take your scraps and make a magic ball? Then use them in a scrappy project!
Look up center pull yarn ball, super easy to do!
Strips of pantyhose (old) can be used as a slip cover to secure yarn balls. And learning the technique to form balls that have a center pull. there are winding gadgets and I think they are not that expensive. Not sure if they work for the smaller balls. Else ziploc bags would work for the smaller balls to keep them tidy.
I just make myself a giant yarn ball so I was immediately curious what your yarn problem was 😂
My mum always continued to wind the ball over the top of 3 fingers with each batch of winds, so that when the yarn wind relaxed it wasn't stretched.
That’s a fantastic tip!
One advice when considering whether to keep the old supplies, or how much effort to put into selling (instead of donating it). _The money was already paid, it is not a LOSS to give it away, even IF you would need a bit of it in the future. (and realistically most of the stuff will sit unused in 10 - 15 years, only a few materials would actually be used _eventually._ A person with an apartment, but even in a house is NOT a good storage place or hub for unused / stored resources for "just in case it is needed".
And you can always buy yarn again (and often at low costs if you buy from goodwill). But even buying new (occasionally) would be better. Unless the material is really valuable and expensive - and then - why are you not doing something with it ?
The costs (time ! but also the proportional rent of your apartment, the loss of storage room) is usually higher then buying new yarn every few years when you REALLY would make that ONE project. (Or the fews - the storage is always larger than would will be realistically used the next years).
You can afford to give it all away or most of it, replacement is not hard to come buy and it often can be even for little money (when you buy what someone else finally got rid off).
Keeping things moving and keeping resources being used and available.
I am guilty as the next crafter for shopping sprees for beautiful materials and future project. And crafting is a lot more work than is buying ;)
Good will and second hand shops etc. are a HUB to bring resources back into USE. they can assemble various items (same colours and qualities, thickness). So it will be a blessing for the next crafter - and she or he hopefully will not hoard the material but acutally use it. It is dead weight / unused resources. if it sits unused in your crafts room
Just a suggestion. Try picking one or two WIPs at a time. One easy one and one that requires more concentration. Now that you have yarn sorted you could easily (?) finish that scrappy afghan. Use some of those smaller balls for making squares for Warm Up America.
Love the blanket behind you. Would love to know where you got the pattern.
That is Mandala Madness by Helen Shrimpton!
New subscriber. I WILL FINISH MY PROJECTS 🤣🤣🤣
Hi, I admired your short with the brown hexagon patchwork. - Question do you have experience with HIGH QUALITY acrylic wool for sweaters (things that get a lot of wear - would also apply to blankets if they are not purely decorative.) _Is there such a thing as quality acrylic yarn that is sold to knitters ?_
The regular cheap ! acrylic is not worth investing the labour for things that get more wear. I mean it is O.K. for decorative items like animals that are only sitting in the shelf - at least the moths will not get them.
Also O.K. for baby clothes as it is soft, can be thrown into the wash, and is not used for a long time anyway.
I never considerd industrially produced knitted garments either (unless it is a blend, wool or cotton with 30 % acryl is O.K.).
But 100 % ?? and for hand knitting ? - what about pilling and about static ?
I read in a knit blog that the crafter (she had beautifuly projects and used high quality yarns natural fibers) had found a GOOD acrylic yarn (100 %) and acutally liked it. But unfortunately I cannot find that info anymore.
It looks like you have some experience with acrylic. (80 - 100 %).
I’m allergic to sheep’s wool, so I primarily use synthetic yarn since that’s what’s more available to me. I find that crochet, on average, pills less that knit pieces. I crochet quite a bit more than I knit, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
I personally really like Joann’s “Big Twist” for a worsted/aran weight acrylic yarn. I find it’s softer than most acrylics, and does well over time in the washer/dryer. I did just complete my first knit vest with it so I’ll know in a few months how well it hold up there. (It’s been great in knit hats and crochet blankets so far!)
I also really liked Lion Brand’s “Feels Like Alpaca” yarn, a DK acrylic/polyester/nylon blend. I haven’t seen how it holds up over time, but it’s honestly impressive. I did a whole blog post about it!
Currently I’m being defeated by trying to find a good sock yarn. Acrylic is awful for socks!! I’ve been making a scarf using Cascade Cotton Sox (cotton/nylon) and it’s working up beautifully, so I’ll probably try that next for socks.
Thank you so much for your tips❣❣
I started a blanket with dazzleaire yarn... cant find the color to finish my almost 40 year old WIP! Cant frog it... if you know anything about dazzleaire yarn! 😅 ohhhhh myyyyyyy. The TANGLE!!! 😮 I am in the process of using my scraps for a scrappy color sophies universe pattern! Im using both variegated and solids. Most fibers are acrylic but some are questionable, so.... i will just handwash it! I would LOVE to see videos with ideas on how to use scraps!😊
All awesome ideas!
I enjoyed watching
i started crocheting a week ago and i already started hoarding yarn, i guess thats a part of the deal 😂
😅😊
I would donate. Or sell it in bulk for someone that crafts for money and that has more space. OR if the yarn is valuable and there is a bit more of it selling it online but with an example how the yarn could be used (if combined with other materials - often there is not enough for a full project).
As for back-up (before getting rid of it) I would always wind a bit of yarn on a small piece of cardboard (2 slits on either side fix the beginning and end of the thread). That is handy if you ever have to mend (also for bought sweaters).
Or the first row of the ribbing is distressed and could do with reinforcement.
And it is good to have a lot of colours (but only small quantities, so on a cardboard).
Then there are granny squares (in tasteful colours), one could even sell packages, but with an example. Here is it what it could look like. buy some yarn in xx quality and thickness as basic yarn - I used xx here. And for detail you can get my mix of yarns - for relatively little money. The effort likely will only make sense if the yarn is valuable or you have more of it - but not enough for a full project. Then showing a 2-colour brioche or a tweed, or a tasteful arrangement of stripes (easy to knit, only one colour at a time).
Random question, what is the pattern name for the blanket behind you. It is gorgeous!
That is Mandala Madness by Helen Shrimpton!
Most helpful! Thanks!
6:24 TANGLED yarn ! You definitely NEED a winding machine (20 - 50 USD), invest in a good one, it will last for your life (or go for medium price range and read the reviews). When you have used up more than half of a skein (wound in an industrial plant) they often get very loose, instable - I can see that, the large orange skein for instance. Manually (with the machine) wound center pull skeins are much better behaved during storage than balls. Unless it is a very slick yarn (silk, viscose, ...) a center pull will be stable, no more securing needed. the "cakes" look different than those that are sold in shops. It is like a small, low cake, the top is a bit . A ball of yarn will always be in danger of unravelling. Be sure NOT to use a thin (or any other) rubber band to secure it.
Those disintegrate over time, if they only get dry and break it is only the tangle. But it is worse if the rubber gets sticky. The (intensely coloured) mess will be over your yarn. Often a red or orange that can leave spots.
Pantyhose and cut off rounds of material (loops - from the legs) are good elastic bands. And they do NOT change their form nor do they bleed colour (I would however wash new ones, especially the dark ones).
Cut of the rounds at least 1 inch wide (2,5 cm) then stretch them. Width shrinks the loop gets longer, and the edges roll up a bit, so no fray at all. And no, they will not get any running stitches. Not if the whole edge is cut off.
btw if a pantyhose is not long enough you can cut if off and make it into a leggings. even only cutting off the toe part will be enough (depends of the foot is formed, if there is a knitted heel). That is a good solution if you want to be warm under a jeans or pants. and you wear socks with it.
Washing is no problem they will roll up a tiny bit at the edge, but it would only be visible if you wear it under other tights. And even then it would not be a problem (like scratching or anything like that).
Ugh I’ve only been seriously into crochet the last 2 years. I have so much more yarn than what you put on your couch. 😩
I sold off enough yarn and projects to purchase a decent yarn winder, and a yard sale kitchen scale and I wind, weight, and store accordingly. Instead of aggravating already aggravated wrist and thumb tendons that are needed for YARNING, I use the winder and my limbs thank me for it….
Shout out to the stolen CTA map, a true Chicagoan!
Gorgeous ❤❤❤❤❤
I am 82 and can't buy enough yarn. I run out of yarn. I give all my projects to anyone who needs or will use them
No such think as "too much yarn"!
I don't have this problem.. I do one project at a time..!!..
I bow to you! I have startitis!
I am now competing with my husband. He buys a book. I buy a ball. We are both losing this battle to downsize at 70.
I will finish OR FROG my projects…