In my effort to make more this year, I’ve been trying to understand why it was hard for me to get stuff done the last couple years, and I think that one of the reasons was simply that I don’t know what I have, and where it is. Not very good for an organised crafterbrain!
This is especially true for my yarn projects, I would get excited about a new project I saw online, then get frustrated quickly because I didn’t know if I had the right yarn to even get started, and digging through my stash was annoying.
Because I am pretty visual I had always organised my yarn by colour, but I had an epiphany in February, and realised that I should really be organising it by yarn weight! After all, that’s pretty much the most important consideration when choosing yarn for a pattern – having the right weight – to make sure you get results close to the pattern.
So I spent a couple of torturous days going through all my yarn, and not only arranging them by weight, but writing everything down.
Now when I come across a pattern I want to make, I can quickly check to see if I have the right weight and amount of yarn. This helps with spending too, instead of buying first, I check my stash first, because it’s now very easy to see what I have.
That coupled with also knowing what needles and hooks I have on hand is really helping me to get more done (okay, who am I kidding, it’s helping me to get more projects started!)
I’ll share my needle and hook inventory in another post soon.
Here’s a closer look at the inventory page in my crafter’s bullet journal.
It’s a pretty simple table. The headings are Name, Weight, Needle Size, Length & Weight per skein, # of skeins, Total length, Colourway, Potential Project.
I added that last column as a way to quickly see if something in my stash is already earmarked for something.
Over the weekend I came across a really good deal on yarn (50 cents a skein!), so my stash grew some more. It’s the lovely pile in the photo higher up. Now I can add these in to my inventory, and compare with my list of projects I want to do,to see if I will be casting on something new soon!
How do you keep track of your yarn stash or other supplies?
What a great idea. I wonder how I could do this…..wanders off to ponder.
Let me know if you need any tips! 🙂
I never can pass up a good yarn sale!
My stash is proof lol!!
Yeah, that sale was too good to be true. I am usually scandalised by the full price of yarn lol
I love these notes. You are a magic archivist. I see the beauty in this. I paint many palm trees and buy different greens from different brands because they all have that something something that cannot be replicated.
I understand this so well. I’d buy yarn in every shade of blue if I could. And also paints lol
I LOVE the idea of doing this and will pass it on to my Mom
She is the knitter between us, and I know she has had the same problem!
Oh cool! Feel free to ask any questions once she starts
This is wonderful. I had a moment of “Oh my Goddess!” when I read this…I need to do this! I have so much stuff – planning supplies, art supplies, fabric and yes, yarn, that I don’t know what is where or if it’s even still good. And since I’m in a mood to KonMari my whole house, this inventory idea might just be the way to start!
This is kinda my jam, lol I’m not saying that my entire stash is well organised, but I do my best. I realised a few years ago, that if I didn’t know what I had, I wouldn’t actually make the things I love. It’s been a process! I love Marie Kondo too. Have you seen my Purge & Organise e-book? http://www.theorganisedcrafterbrain.com/downloads/purge-organise-e-book/