How do you organize your yarn stash and keep track of which yarns you own or use for a particular project? Do you have a system? Or do you just tie a piece of the relevant yarn around the yarn band and chuck it into a drawer never to be found again?
My “yarn organization” used to look like this:
A whole bunch of yarn ball bands with lengths of yarn tied around them to help me keep track of what each yarn was. I could show you my first rudimentary efforts at cataloguing them, but I am too embarrassed, frankly.
Once I started designing in earnest, I needed a better way to organize my yarn stash. This is what it looks like now:
Each yarn is attached to a page, by brand, and labelled with the Shade Number and the Shade Name. All these luscious strands of yarn (and a few of my pattern ideas) now live in these two files (with many more to follow):
The Lion and the Elephant pictured above are from my book, Amamani Puzzle Balls (also available as an Electronic Download
). The pile of squares is from the Block a Week CAL 2014, and the wavy goodness under the Lion is a WIP that I am calling Lazy Waves (the pattern for which can now be found HERE).
Things You Will Need:
- Lever Arch File
- Mod Podge
- Paintbrush
- Heart Punch
- Template (for printed sheets)
Optional
- Laminator and Lamination pouches (like this Purple Cows Hot and Cold Laminator
)
I wanted my pretty yarn to have a pretty home, so I started off by covering a Lever Arch file with fabric and Mod Podge
I used Shweshwe, which is a traditional South African fabric. The fabric is very stiff and it is often called the denim, or tartan, of South Africa.
I used it because I love the designs, but more importantly, because my mom gave me these pieces of Shweshwe and when I miss her (South Africa is so far away!!), I just look at the bookshelf where the files live and I feel a tiny bit better.
Just look at that beautiful fabric!
Once my files were covered, I printed out some of these templates. I stuck a ball band at the top of each page (some brands needed more than one page, because I have so many shades)…
…and then laminated the pages. This is not strictly necessary. If you print the template out on cardstock, you should be fine. But I like myself some laminating!
I made sure that the care instructions were visible. For some brands, like the Stylecraft above, I had to cut the ball band into segments.
Then I took a Heart Punch
Oooh…hearts…and of course my mind was running away with possible uses for the cut-out hearts. And as I write this, I remember that I had actually wanted to take the hearts with to South Africa when we went to visit. They would have made a perfect addition to my sister’s confetti. Blast!
When that was done, I took my ball bands and noted down the Shade Number and Shade Name of each colour.
At first I attached the yarn by just looping it through the hole, like so:
Isn’t that just scrumptious? Unfortunately, all those dangly bits of yarn were very annoying…
…so I took my crochet hook and turned them into shorter, more manageable chains.
I cannot tell you how useful it is to have all my yarns “listed” like this. Whenever I need to reference a yarn I can just open my “catalogue” and flip through until I find it.
No more running around the house rummaging in all sorts of drawers and bags and coat pockets to find a wayward yarn-band and it’s corresponding piece of yarn.
While I was going through the photos for this post, I stumbled upon this one of Kettle the (grumpy) Cat giving me the evil eye. Yes, I fit the stereotype. I own a cat!
Debbie Pribele has made another version of the Yarn Stash Organizer. You can find that HERE.
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CraftyMomJo says
This is such an awesometastic idea! I’ve been trying to get my yarn organized and I have only ONE closet with limited availability of excess space. .. its in my bedroom & its our clothes closet.
Dedri Uys says
You are very disciplined to only have one cupboard full of yarn! Have you thought about keeping your yarn in plastic boxes under the bed? Really Useful boxes are great and the can stack too. I have a bunch of them under my bed.
Donesia says
This is a creative idea! How long did it take to do the laminating?
Dedri Uys says
Donesia, I do a few pages every 6 months and it takes me about an hour to laminate and add all the scraps I have amassed over the previous six months.
Playin' Hooky says
Thank you for sharing your wonderful method of organizing yarn and projects.! I will be using this from now on. I found some time ago that documenting a project with a photo of the finished product is helpful, as well. My mother-in-law took photos of all her crocheted and knitted items before giving them away.
Dedri – Your beautifully written tutorials, your color choices and your beautiful work have been inspiring me for quite a while. Thank you for sharing so generously.
Jodi says
Very nice! Found on Pinterest. Wonderful way to do it. I have my design book and it is overflowing with samples on post cards. This is a much more organized way. I guess I will be re-organizing my samples. Great job.
Dedri Uys says
I’m glad you like it, Jodi. I love being able to touch the yarn samples when I am trying to decide what to use.
Judy says
Your system is amazing. A few questions: do you have a place where you keep track of how many skeins (full and partial) you have of each yarn so you know how much you have before you start a new project? And when you use up that yarn, do you remove it from the book, or do you keep it as a color reference? And if you keep it, how do you indicate that you’re “out of stock” and need to purchase more if you choose it for a future project?
I have been keeping a computer file of the names/colors/amounts of yarns I have. When I use a skein, I change the count in my computer file. But my computer file isn’t visually appealing as yours is, although I suppose I could add photos of the yarns. But I like the hands-on nature of your file. Thank you so much for sharing.
Dedri Uys says
Hi Judy. I use it more as a guide/reference for what I have used before and to decide what I want to use next. I don’t have a ‘stash’. What I mean by that is that I usually have one ball of each colour and when I decide to make something I buy what I need. I don’t have the space to keep multiple balls of each colour. Ravelry is amazing for recording how much you have, I just don’t like using photos as a tool for choosing colours as they appear different on different screens, and I cannot touch them. So I use both systems.
Crystal says
I love this organizing system! Could I please share this on my blog and also adapt it a little?
Dedri Uys says
You are welcome to share it, Crystal. Looking forward to seeing your twist on it.
Pat says
My little girl, Madam, has the same look. I think it is a trick of the colouring. She is as gentle and careful as can be. Very shy, but very loving. And loves all my sewing, crafting stuff to bits. Loves using the computer. Yes, she uses it. She will step on the mouse area or keyboard to make it do things when she wants or she will walk carefully around the keyboard without touching a thing. All depending on how playful she is feeling at the time.
Or maybe I am in self denial and she is manipulating me to pat her lots. :-)
Pops de Milk says
This is brilliant! And I love that you include the actual yarn label too, SO handy. I definitely need this in my life because I am quite embarrassed about my current organisation method :S
Lee says
thank you! I somehow seem to have missed this post– what a wonderful way to organize your yarn and coordinate your colors for a project!
Cindy says
Here’s what I do. http://fitterknitter.livejournal.com/tag/rollodex
Dedri Uys says
Cindy, that is a wonderful idea.
Phyllis Clish says
I love your idea and plan on making a book like this. My question is what kind of pen do you use on the laminated pages or do you write on the page before the laminating process. Thank you and thank you for all your great ideas.
Dedri Uys says
Hi Phyllis. I use a permanent fineliner (Staedtler). I did use Sharpies once, but they wiped off :(
Lisa says
This is such an amazing idea! I like the idea of opening up a binder with the information on each project right there. My stuff is all over the place just as you said you used to have it. Thank you for the tip!
Lisa :)
Jen says
Omg I LOVE THIS! I’ve just been stapling small samples onto receipts and its not a great system. What you’ve got going on is perfect! Thank you so much for this!
Debbie says
One could also pin a gauge swatch to the page.
Dedri Uys says
That is a brilliant idea, Debbie :)
Carol Slabinski says
Your idea is the answer to a prayer!! TNX so very much for your stroke of genius!
Denise V. says
I too love your idea… I think I may tweak it a bit…and actually include in ea box the number of skeins I have and the brand of yarn… and maybe a “copy” of the band, so that it can be stored away “whole”.
thanks for the assistance!
Dane says
c’ est une très belle idée, mais assez long a faire je pense, avec tout le stock que j’ ai il me faudrait beaucoup de classeurs, tu as beaucoup de patience me semble t’ il tout a ton honneur bravo de beaux coloris bonne journée
Virginia Burrow says
Dedri, this is so cool – thank you!!
Tamknitting says
Thank you very much for sharing this fantastic idea!!
Tamknitting says
Thank you very much for sharing this fantastic idea!