An estimated 14.2 tons of yarn are sold annually in the US. . By the look of my workspace, I have more than my share of the global market. I tend to collect yarn with a project in mind but, the fact is, I routinely forget what I bought the yarn for. I loved the color, I couldn’t resist the squish factor, it was on sale….
To add to the problem, my ADD kicks in and I impulsively use parts of my stash for odd projects that only require a small portion of the batch I have. Now I have a half-used color with no band and no idea how much is left.
If you are reading this, it is likely that you are knee-deep in tangled yarn too. Welcome, your secret is safe with me. If we had to calculate the money we’ve spent on the yarn and the space that it is taking up and the time we spend detangling the mess, well we would probably have enough to say, buy an alpaca!
Here is what I did to tame the disaster that was my stash.
In an effort to reduce the clutter and be more productive, I had to find a solution to the stash I had. I found that the by-product was a more enjoyable experience all around.
Sort
I started the organization by separating by fiber content or Type. Animal fibers like wool, alpaca, and mohair were piled separately from the plant fibers like cotton and bamboo. Synthetic fibers were also separated.
TYPE is one of the most important sorting methods and should be done in every case. You would not want to make a sweater using wool and cotton, even if the colors are magic together. Practically, the wool would respond and drape differently, not to mention what would happen in the wash.
Next, I sorted the Type piles by weight. I was pretty sure that I would not use a bulky weight in the same project as a lacy-type yarn. (there are exceptions, of course)
Once the weights were sorted, I sorted those groups by color. In some cases, I could see that I had enough yarn for a specific project. Those bundles were each put in a clear bag with a blank card or paper tucked inside. We will come back to that a little later. You will also want to inventory your yarn stash by Type.
(I use the Project Packet Slips from the Stash Buster Bundle, but any index card will do).
Again, I could see that some of the colors would clash and I wouldn’t want to combine them in one project. I used a COLOR WHEEL to find the colors that were complementary and grouped them together. (How I combine winning colors). I am able to combine colors to create to build a yarn combination that yields enough yardage for a larger project, ie. a striped cowl. I place the combinations in a bag and include a Project Packet.
Lastly, there was a lot of yarn that I just didn’t think I could ever use. It may surprise you to see just how impulsively we buy yarn. We are seduced by the hot deal or the hot trend or the hot weather (dreaming of sweater weather) You might be able to find innovative ways to salvage this yarn. Some ideas include making a variety of pom-poms for gift bags, use novelty yarns as trims to add a bit of color. Even scratchy yarns can be used as scrubbers. We just need to stretch our imaginations here. My favorite use of odds and ends is amigurumi and their accessories.
For yarn that is beyond your best imagination or is a tangled mess or terribly dated, we must be brutal. GET RID OF IT. You are never gonna use it and if you do, you will probably never wear it or deem it nice enough to gift. Too scratchy, too tacky, too whatever. Maybe the yarn is great, but the color – not so much. You can donate it to local schools, and senior centers, or sell it online. I find it’s best to just give it away since listing items online would require more of my time and attention. The time I could be knitting.
Okay, you have sorted and reduced your stash, now what? You are probably sitting on piles of yarn and your tendency is going to be to just toss it back in a giant bin and forget this whole project. Don’t do it. Go get a drink and put on some tunes. We are doing this.
(Feeling overwhelmed? I have a checklist to make this much easier)
Contain
This is probably the most challenging step. Depending on how much yarn you have, you will need quite a few containers. We have all used big bins and bags for our stash in the past, but what does it do to keep us organized? Not much, or you wouldn’t still be here 🙂
The reason big bins don’t work is that we put the wrong things in the bins. We toss too much into bins and wind up with a tangled mess every time we dig in to search for the perfect yarn.
Bags are the same. We load them up and forget about them and what we had in mind for that yarn.
Here is what I suggest instead…
As you are sorting, take note of the amount, the colors, and possible inspirations, (take care not to get sidetracked looking at patterns here) a simple note: this could be a hat, enough yarn for a scarf, etc.
Now you would find a container large enough to hold every subcategory. For instance, a mystery yarn with less than 200 yards could be placed in a ziplock back with the index card that says HAT. Now, say you have a group of complimentary colors in amounts that are too few for a sweater but you really think they would make a great striped shawl….contain it and label it!
Soft clear containers like plastic ziplocks are best for small projects.
Larger projects in bins with each group sorted together and separated and labeled.
Now we have piles of bags and it’s not cute. Let’s deal with that…
Here are some suggestions for hiding the addiction:
- Old chest of drawers
- In pretty bins on bookshelves
- Filing cabinet
- Baskets
- Under the bed storage
The Secret Sauce
Remember the notes we made while we were sorting? This is where they come in handy. Use the sorting printable as a master list. Tuck it inside of the main container. A copy can be made to keep in a file. So you don’t have dig through every bin to know exactly where your project package is.
This is the key to making your stash manageable and a breeze to find exactly what you need when you need it!
That brings us to the best part:
Use It!
What do you think? Was this helpful? Let me know on @eotw_alpaca
Need more inspiration? 10 ways to use scrap yarn and Do’s and Don’t of Yarn Substitutions
Tag your finished projects with #woollybobbin #eotw_alpaca
Interested in a little more? Check out the Stash Buster Bundle
YOU’LL GET THIS:
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- MASTER LIST INVENTORY PRINTABLE
- PROJECT PACKAGE SLIPS
- PROJECT MANAGER/TRACKER
- COLOR CHART PRINTABLE
- YARN TRACKER
- AND BONUSES ON TOP OF BONUSES!