Stashing!

[Melissa_W Moderator]

If you read my blog, a recent post has a few pictures from my Sunday-evening-stash-organization party (in place of a book club party which was post-poned due to nasty weather).  I didn't quite realize how much yarn I accumulated until I had it all spread out on the floor.  Fabric, too, because I hit up the local Hancock Fabrics when it went out of business due to bankruptcy. 

I almost needed a bigger sheet.  I found 6 skeins of Cascade Pastaza (a 50/50 wool/llama blend) in blue that I didn't realize I had and managed to save a skein of Noro Kureyon that one of the cats had turned into a nightmare two years ago (I stuffed it in a bag because it was too painful to deal with at the time).

But I did get everything organized, all the loose skeins sorted by yarn manufacturer, and back into the closet.  I keep my stash in a plastic organizer with drawers, needles and tools in the top drawer, the next three down are brimming with yarn.  I have a new addiction to sock yarn (even when I'm not making socks) and realized I've probably single-handedly kept the Dale of Norway company in business because of all the baby things I make.

So where does everyone keep their yarn stash?  Closet?  Drawers?  All over the house (mine was kind of all over the house because I'd stored several purchases of yarn in the nightstand)?

[Sunltcloud]

Some of my yarn, the cheaper kind that I use for afghans that I donate, is stored in a 32 gallon garbage can in my spare room. I also keep three drawers in a bookcase in the living room filled with sock and baby yarn. Two drawers are organized, the third one is filled with projects, loose yarn, leftover yarn etc. Some angora, wool, mod yarns are in separate plastic bags on a shelf in my spare room closet, waiting to be made into Christmas presents or shower gifts. Of course some yarn is always sitting on my coffee table so I can look at it. It seems I need to look at yarn a lot before it becomes something. The right color? Right feel? Yarn karma?

Now that I have started to knit with "below zero" needles (0 to 00000), I have started a whole new storage system in twelve by twelve flat plastic containers that are three inches high. I keep yarn, needles, and a few patterns in the containers. They are just right for the spools of yarn I bought online and a few balls of crochet yarn from Michaels. I haven't decided yet if I want to organize this by manufacturer or color or both. Knitting for fashion dolls is a bit tedious and I have to be careful not to overdo the yarn shopping until I know that I can handle the extra eye strain.

But.......this weekend I am going to the famed Stitches West Convention at the Santa Clara Convention Center (California Bay Area) hoping for some extra special buys and some clever ideas for storage. And I'm looking forward to visiting the Mother Bear Project Booth (just heard of it for the first time). I think knitting bears for HIV/AIDS affected children in emerging nations is a great idea and a good way to get rid of leftover worsted weight yarn. I love going for my walk in the morning with a relatively small and fast project on my mind. I imagine design, color, pattern and then, as soon as I get home, I tear through all my orderly stashed yarns and make a big mess. I guess it doesn't take much to make me happy.

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pedsphleb wrote:

If you read my blog, a recent post has a few pictures from my Sunday-evening-stash-organization party (in place of a book club party which was post-poned due to nasty weather).  I didn't quite realize how much yarn I accumulated until I had it all spread out on the floor.  Fabric, too, because I hit up the local Hancock Fabrics when it went out of business due to bankruptcy. 

I almost needed a bigger sheet.  I found 6 skeins of Cascade Pastaza (a 50/50 wool/llama blend) in blue that I didn't realize I had and managed to save a skein of Noro Kureyon that one of the cats had turned into a nightmare two years ago (I stuffed it in a bag because it was too painful to deal with at the time).

But I did get everything organized, all the loose skeins sorted by yarn manufacturer, and back into the closet.  I keep my stash in a plastic organizer with drawers, needles and tools in the top drawer, the next three down are brimming with yarn.  I have a new addiction to sock yarn (even when I'm not making socks) and realized I've probably single-handedly kept the Dale of Norway company in business because of all the baby things I make.

So where does everyone keep their yarn stash?  Closet?  Drawers?  All over the house (mine was kind of all over the house because I'd stored several purchases of yarn in the nightstand)?

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[Sunltcloud]

Melissa,

I just looked at the pictures on your blog. Love the coffee table. Looks like it is on wheels like mine. I have a big coffee table that used to have a huge enclosed area underneath. I took the doors off and added wheels. Now I can see what I have stashed and when I vacuum I just push the whole table out of the way. I think I mentioned on Ilana's lit. club page that my coffee table is the footprint of my soul. It is always filled up with projects, books, yarn, maps etc. Judging from the amount of yarn you organized you have more than one project going too. I think those cubby holes under the table top are good for stashing things.

[Melissa_W Moderator]

Stitches West!  I'm soooo jealous.  Have tons of fun!  I think Ravelry is doing some sort of passport game (get a card, visit all the booths, get stamps, bring the card back and get entered to win prizes).  I've read about the Mother Bear Project and I think that's a really wonderful endeavor.

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Sunltcloud wrote:

But.......this weekend I am going to the famed Stitches West Convention at the Santa Clara Convention Center (California Bay Area) hoping for some extra special buys and some clever ideas for storage. And I'm looking forward to visiting the Mother Bear Project Booth (just heard of it for the first time). I think knitting bears for HIV/AIDS affected children in emerging nations is a great idea and a good way to get rid of leftover worsted weight yarn. I love going for my walk in the morning with a relatively small and fast project on my mind. I imagine design, color, pattern and then, as soon as I get home, I tear through all my orderly stashed yarns and make a big mess. I guess it doesn't take much to make me happy.

[Melissa_W Moderator]

Nope, it doesn't have wheels but it does sit on feet.  The cats really like to lay on top of it (go figure).

I think I have start-itis (phrase coined by the Yarn Harlot to describe the compulsion to start new knitting projects before any others are complete; leads to a build up of UFOs - unfinished objects).

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Sunltcloud wrote:

Melissa,

I just looked at the pictures on your blog. Love the coffee table. Looks like it is on wheels like mine. I have a big coffee table that used to have a huge enclosed area underneath. I took the doors off and added wheels. Now I can see what I have stashed and when I vacuum I just push the whole table out of the way. I think I mentioned on Ilana's lit. club page that my coffee table is the footprint of my soul. It is always filled up with projects, books, yarn, maps etc. Judging from the amount of yarn you organized you have more than one project going too. I think those cubby holes under the table top are good for stashing things.

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[Sunltcloud]

You're making me laugh In preparation for Stitches West I looked through my stash to see what I need. I think I need somebody to stop me from starting new projects before old ones are finished. I found three bear sweaters that I had begun before I started to knit for fashion dolls.  And I thought about the me-sweater I started before that. It is dark blue and must be worked on during daylight hours.

A long time ago I had the same problem with embroidery. One Christmas I had started so many projects that only half of them got finished. After a year I finally finished the ones that were done except for blocking. And in a desperate desire for a clean slate I gave some unfinished ones including the yarn to Good Will. Along with unfinished rug-hook projects. Accumulated yardage went to a group of quilters and afghan yarn went to a seniors group. Then I started to collect all over.

I have an addiction-prone nature and though I realize it, sometimes I just don't stop when I think  I should. I can sit half the night knitting, knowing full well that the next day my back will hurt. Hey, I love color. I love yarn. I love imagining finished projects. They just don't finish themselves when I get tired of working on them.

pedsphleb wrote:

Nope, it doesn't have wheels but it does sit on feet.  The cats really like to lay on top of it (go figure).

I think I have start-itis (phrase coined by the Yarn Harlot to describe the compulsion to start new knitting projects before any others are complete; leads to a build up of UFOs - unfinished objects).

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Sunltcloud wrote:

Melissa,

I just looked at the pictures on your blog. Love the coffee table. Looks like it is on wheels like mine. I have a big coffee table that used to have a huge enclosed area underneath. I took the doors off and added wheels. Now I can see what I have stashed and when I vacuum I just push the whole table out of the way. I think I mentioned on Ilana's lit. club page that my coffee table is the footprint of my soul. It is always filled up with projects, books, yarn, maps etc. Judging from the amount of yarn you organized you have more than one project going too. I think those cubby holes under the table top are good for stashing things.

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[Sunltcloud]

Stitches West was fabulous. Imagine your favorite yarnshop times 160. This was my first time and I spent five hours walking, touching, shopping (well, a little shopping). I was really scared that I would spend too much money. So I bought only some Soysilk fiber in a hot pink for the fashion dolls; from "Socks that Rock" I bought hand-dyed, variegated merino sock yarn with the wonderful color name of "Carbon Dating," and to satisfy my other love, books,  I bought Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off. I filled Ravelry's Passport with all 24 stamps, and most of all, I bought the teddy bear pattern from the Mother Bear Project and promised to make several bears.

I also watched all sorts of demonstrations, saw some beautiful Russian knitted lace, great shawls, socks, crazy mod outfits and much more. At one point I had to laugh out loud. There was a Canadian Vendor with the name of "Philosopher's Wool" with subdued colors, catering to men. Beautiful sweaters. This reminded me of a conversation I once had with a male book club member about the fact that more women belong to book clubs than men. This gentleman said that men don't like the name "book club" but if you call it "Philosophers' Café they would join. He belonged to a "Philosophers' Cafe."

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pedsphleb wrote:

Stitches West!  I'm soooo jealous.  Have tons of fun!  I think Ravelry is doing some sort of passport game (get a card, visit all the booths, get stamps, bring the card back and get entered to win prizes).  I've read about the Mother Bear Project and I think that's a really wonderful endeavor.

[Melissa_W Moderator]

Sounds like you had a great day.

I like the idea of the Philosopher's Cafe.

[GinMarie]

Hi, I just went on the Mother Bear Project site.  I've sent for a pattern for knitting a bear.  Since I live in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota I can work on my bear at one of the meeting places for this project.  I'm very excited to be a part of this.  Thanks for posting this site.  GinMarie

[Sunltcloud]

Hi GinMarie,

I'm so happy about the Mother Bear Project. I got my pattern at the Stitches West Convention a few days ago at their booth. I wish I could just bring my finished ones to a meeting place, that would save on shipping charges from California to Minnesota. I plan on making quite a few of them and that gets expensive because we also have to add three dollars to every bear for the shipping charges to Africa. (I'm one of those "older women" who live on a fixed income and I "unfixed" my budget for the next month at the Knitting Convention.)

I finished my first bear yesterday. The pattern is very easy to follow and I have already laid out the color scheme for the next one. Then I took a picture of all the projects I have begun since last week and made up my mind to at least finish the second sock. I worked on it today while I was reading a website that offers free sock patterns. Though I normally knit doll and teddy bear clothes I wanted to see if I can still do socks without getting irritated with myself. It's been a long time since I learned how to knit socks but just from looking at the patterns not too much has changed except that I use double pointed needles (bamboo) and some people now use two circular needles. This interests me and I'll have to try it sometime.

Good luck with your knitting class and the Mother Bear project.

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GinMarie wrote:

Hi, I just went on the Mother Bear Project site.  I've sent for a pattern for knitting a bear.  Since I live in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota I can work on my bear at one of the meeting places for this project.  I'm very excited to be a part of this.  Thanks for posting this site.  GinMarie

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[cheryllove]

Wel,

I don't really have a stash yet..... I haven't learned how to just buy yarn for yarn sake!  Everything I buy has to have a pattern - so I have about 4 WIP and each one is in the shopping bag that I bought them in!  I have no idea what type of storaging system I need....

cheryl

[Sunltcloud]

Hi Cheryl,

Nice to see some activity on the board. I guess we are all very busy doing instead of posting. Consider yourself fortunate that you don't have a stash yet, and no storage problem. I just came back from the store with two more yarns (a soysilk for knitting something for a fashion doll). I have several projects started but all of them stay on the sidelines for now. I have committed myself to knit 100 teddybears for the Mother Bear Project. They send them to Africa for HIV/AIDS infected children. Today I finished number 56. So, until I am done with 100 I promised myself not to knit anything else - I only broke my promise once, with a scarf made of bamboo splash yarn. I love the feel. - Anyway, just wanted to say hello and "good knitting."

Gisela

http://purlingantonia.blogspot.com

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cheryllove wrote:

Wel,

I don't really have a stash yet..... I haven't learned how to just buy yarn for yarn sake!  Everything I buy has to have a pattern - so I have about 4 WIP and each one is in the shopping bag that I bought them in!  I have no idea what type of storaging system I need....

cheryl

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[Regric]

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cheryllove wrote:

Wel,

I don't really have a stash yet..... I haven't learned how to just buy yarn for yarn sake!  Everything I buy has to have a pattern - so I have about 4 WIP and each one is in the shopping bag that I bought them in!  I have no idea what type of storaging system I need....

cheryl

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You will learn, Grasshopper, that sometimes the yarn just has to go home with you and it will jump up and down when it finds a project.

My stash is stashed in two big rubbermaid-ish totes, gaggles of plastic bags, laying around on my guest bedroom's bed...in the van in a tote bag (for when I'm stuck in traffic)...anywhere the cats are not, that's where yarn is.



oh, and RAVELRY ROCKS!!!

Message Edited by Regric on 07-09-2008 03:01 PM

[Melissa_W Moderator]

That is very true

Regric wrote:

...anywhere the cats are not, that's where yarn is.



oh, and RAVELRY ROCKS!!!

Message Edited by Regric on 07-09-2008 03:01 PM

[chana56]

This isn't exactly on topic, more of a sub-topic of the thread.....

Just received my Mother Bear patterns!  I'm planning a Mother Bear evening, where all the knitters and crocheters around will gather for the event, and we'll see how many bears we can get done.  One of the local clubs/pubs has agreed to donate space / tables / refreshments, and I'm making the rounds of all the yarn shops to get donations of extra yarn, and polyfil.  (I'll publicize all the donations, of course, and give table space to the shops to sell their wares as well.) 

I realize I'll have to charge a small entrance fee - which will cover shipping expenses. 

Lots of planning still to do - but now that I have the patterns I can start finalizing the details.  Amy from the Mother Bear Project wrote that they have not yet received any bears from Israel, ours will be the first.  This is so exciting! 

[Melissa_W Moderator]

That's a wonderful thing you're doing, Chana - and tons of fun, too!

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chana56 wrote:

This isn't exactly on topic, more of a sub-topic of the thread.....

Just received my Mother Bear patterns!  I'm planning a Mother Bear evening, where all the knitters and crocheters around will gather for the event, and we'll see how many bears we can get done.  One of the local clubs/pubs has agreed to donate space / tables / refreshments, and I'm making the rounds of all the yarn shops to get donations of extra yarn, and polyfil.  (I'll publicize all the donations, of course, and give table space to the shops to sell their wares as well.) 

I realize I'll have to charge a small entrance fee - which will cover shipping expenses. 

Lots of planning still to do - but now that I have the patterns I can start finalizing the details.  Amy from the Mother Bear Project wrote that they have not yet received any bears from Israel, ours will be the first.  This is so exciting! 

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[Sunltcloud]

Hi Chana56,

Wonderful project. I wish you lots of luck and great success with your event. Let us know how you are doing.

I recently finished knitting 100 Bears and had a "small event" with the members of my writing club. I brought all the bears in to be sponsored, since I can't afford to spend 300 dollars on postage to Africa. Through most of the time I knitted the bears I wrote a blog and posted the photographs of all my bears. If you want to take a look at it:

http://purlingantonia.blogspot.com

I admire Amy for initiating this project and keeping us going. And I admire all the knitters and crocheters for the energy and love that is spread with these caring offerings in the face of such endless need.