Finally Getting my stash and projects organized

[crochettreasures]

Well sort of . With my son laid up from surgery - I have finally found some time to actually clean my house - dust, etc. LOL. In the midst of this - boy oh boy did I find projects/yarn patterns stashed just about everywhere - especially behind my couch. Its now time to sort and organize. I have baskets - zip lock bags and totes. Lets see how far I can get on this by the end of the afternoon.

 

Anyone else feel as unorganized as I do?? Just curious

Any suggestions for organizing? I think I need 1 full room dedicated to all things "crafty"

[Alosha]

I think the only thing organized around here is my crocheting & needlework supplies. Rest of the place is a disaster, lol! Over the past year, I have bought several of those plastic chest of drawers on wheels. A couple have 3 deep drawers that hold more yarn that you would think. I also have one that has drawers with 3 different depths. The top narrow one is perfect for hooks, needles, & other accessories. I have a book shelf just for my patterns, mags, & reference books. If you try to do it all at once it can get a bit overwhelming:)

Alosha

[new2me]

I am new to crochet, so my stuff was mainly concentrated in one area of my living room (but in separate shopping bags). I decided to go to a local Storables and see what I could come up with. I ended up buying a large laundry basket into which I managed to fit all the yarn, hooks etc. I have my yarns grouped together in gallon sized ziploc bags (in a manner that makes sense to only me, lol). The yarns look kind of cute in that basket and the basket itself is attractive enough that I don't feel the need to cover it. I leave some of my recent projects on top which also looks cute.

 

Now, let's hope it all stays this neat and organized, lol.

[ncmurray512]

I just bought a 30gallon tote for my yarn and it doesn't all fit. :sad I keep my hooks and yarn needles in a pencil pouch to keep my kids out. I have half finished projects everywhere. All over my couch, tucked away here and there in cabinets and stacked everywhere. I agree with Alosha, my crocheting stuff is the only stuff orgainized(or half orgainized in my case)..and the house is a disaster!! lol

Natalie

[carrieanne]

Oh, ME! I work alot, then get home and cook, clean, ect, so when I have some FREE time, LOL, all I want to do is crochet, NOT organize. But, it seriously needs to be need.

[Jewels]

wow, good for you Dawn!! Yes, one room for all the yarn joys would be awesome. Once your things are organized you will know all the effort was worth it!!

[LifeSmiles]

I'm with you on the disorganized feeling, Dawn. I moved my stash from a corner of the living room to a bureau in the "office" (after my fiance moved in), and stuff is *still* in baskets and bags and lying madly about. If you have any tips, let me know!

[divaborn]

About a month ago, I couldn't take the stash anymore so I catalogued EVERYTHING!!!! From books to hooks, type of yarn, brand, color, quantity, etc., and put it all in a binder...can I tell you I can't find the binder now? So much for organization!!!!!

[evelyn]

YARN YARN EVERYWHERE!!! IF IT GOT ORGANIZED I WOULD NEVER FIND ANYTHING

[Plo0t]

Just about the only thing I use for organizing is a small, flexible pencil case to hold all of my hooks.

 

Other than that, all of my yarn or WIP's that I'm taking a break from, go in a large plastic bin. The projects I AM working on sit next to me on my bed in a big messy pile.

 

I'm so not organized.

[MarvieN]

We're pretty short on space in this house (apartment) but I've found ways to hide my stash in plain sight lol. I love thrift shops and flea markets, so I've managed to pick up several great baskets that serve as yarn storage and cat napping places (they're covered baskets) as well as decorative items. I've also got a huge wicker trunk in the bedroom that holds an amazing amount of yarn *g*

 

Recently, we aquired a dresser which I stuck in a closet (after donating three HUGE bags of clothes that no longer fit hubby or myself) and that now holds spinning stuff, beading stuff, thread crochet stuff, fabric scraps for purse linings and such, sewing supplies, and even a bit of yarn. Oh, and lots of misc. crafty stuff.

 

Hooks, stitch markers, measuring tape and various little things I need to have handy while crocheting are stored in a great old sewing box I picked up at the thrift shop, on the table next to the couch. Hooks in use are kept in a candle holder on the table, as well as my scissors. Needles and such are in a crocheted pin cushion, also on the table. The table is a bedside table with drawers, which hold various crafting things I'm either using or plan to use soon, office supplies, and extra cords and such that go to the laptop.

 

I have a pretty basket that holds WIPs that sits on the floor beside the couch.

 

Leftover bits of yarn live in a drawer of the entertainment center, along with elastics to make scrunchies.

 

Patterns and magazines have a shelf of their own.

 

Hmmm, I think that covers it lol. Sounds more organized than it really is, but most of it is at least out of sight.

[FelixLake]

When my 3 children all moved out last year I took over the biggest bedroom (next to the Master) and made it my sewing/computer room. It's a wonderful place to retreat to. It goes between states of organized and disorganized. It just depends on what project(s) I'm working on at the time. Since I quilt as well as crochet I needed a way to store fabric as well as yarn.

 

I put my fabric on a utility shelf in the room and the yarn is in the closet. I purchased the hanging sweater organizers and the yarn fits perfectly in them. I can see the colors and can organize by type of yarn. If you're concerned about dust you can find the ones that have a zipper closer. It's worked wonderful for me.

 

I have a book shelf, seperate from the fabic that keeps my books and patterns. I use the magazine holders and organize them by quilting/crochet/general crafts. It make it a little easier to find patterns when I need them.

[goldi316]

I'm already starting to panic - fall has begun , and soon I will have to clear the areas where my floor plants spend their winters! Once the night-time temps start dropping consistently below 45 (hopefully not too soon ), they will have to be brought back into the house, and the area where they usually reside is LOADED with my yarn overflow. :eek

 

There isn't a room in this house that doesn't have yarn and related crafty stuff stashed in every available nook and cranny, and my few tiny closets are full to bursting. I even sleep with bags of yarn stacked along one half of my bed, lol! I had managed to scrape enough money together to buy one of those rolling underbed storage units and loaded that up immediately - and it didn't even make a dent in the living room's overflow! I'm thinking about trying to get a second one, though getting these things in and out are a bit of a struggle thanks to the cramped quarters. I have done my best to avoid storing any of it in the basement (it's nasty down there), but I'm going to have little choice soon. I need to clean up a few large plastic crates I had in the garage to use for yarn storage, and come up with some creative ideas for keeping everything handy yet out of the way - will have to be VERY creative, as I'm even shorter on money than I am space!

 

Sigh! On top of all that, I'm ALSO short on time. This season is traditionally the most busy time for me at work, right on through the new year, even without disaster fallouts to deal with. Too bad that doesn't translate into a lot more money for my pocket, but we're getting squeezed hard this year especially. What little time I have left is spent trying to recover from the added stress, and crocheting takes top billing over cleaning and organizing as a rule. Imagine that!

 

I've learned to love my mutant dust bunnies. Wish I could hire some help - I'm soooo overwhelmed!

 

Divaborn - thanks for the laugh! While I haven't managed to catalog my huge craft holdings (yet - a girl can still dream!), I can definitely relate to your dilemma! And, from reading the replies to this thread so far, I can also see that I'm not alone in my DIS-organization! :lol

[Burgandy]

I have no idea what the show was called, but there is a needlework show that comes on PBS sometimes, and the way the lady has her yarn is genious! A huge wine rack with her skeins instead of bottles lines the wall. I keep looking at goodwill for a large one but haven't struck gold yet. It looks kinda cool and it is out of the way. Just an idea!

[bythehook]

AHA! I knew I'm not the only one who sleeps with her crocheting.

Just about the only thing I use for organizing is a small, flexible pencil case to hold all of my hooks.

 

Other than that, all of my yarn or WIP's that I'm taking a break from, go in a large plastic bin. The projects I AM working on sit next to me on my bed in a big messy pile.

 

I'm so not organized.

[Stacey]

Getting everything organized is so satisfying--if only I could manage to keep it that way!

[dhaunae]

FelixLake, you sound just like me *lol* I recently picked up two of those hanging sweater organizers from Lillian Vernon (I work for the parent company so I get them for next to nothing) and I LOVE them for my yarn! Sadly I'm about to overflow those though and am going to have to get another Where did I get all this yarn?? I also have a separate bookshelf for craft books/magazines, with magazine holders for the mags and notebooks with plastic page protectors for printed out patterns and the tearsheet patterns from yarn companies, separated out by crafts. One shelf of the bookshelf also holds my beads and supplies for beading.

[Mel2nsluvsCrochet]

Well, I feel lost with all my crochet hooks up in boxes in storage in Canada. I know that I have a entire large box from U-Haul with yarn and patterns and odds and ends that are crochet-related. I am supposed to go up there tomorrow (Sunday) to retrieve them and clear out the rest of my boxes that were literally THROWN into storage by my ex-landlord. Now, I will be completely unorganized for about a couple of weeks.

[Hooker1967]

I clean out the peanut butter jars -Great because you can screw the top on and it's a see through jar. I use them for my buttons ,Wiggly eyes etc.

[mama4ray]

I have a 30 gallon tote that holds my yarn. I also bought a plastic shoe container kinda like a rectagular tupperware thing to store my hooks and small WIP like all the millions of granny squares. I also keep a small book in there I call my crochet bible called "All about crochet". I throw all my needles and yarn scraps in there too. I also bought a binder that I keep all my patterns in that I print off or make. Then my books get put on the bookcase top row. I have a big dufflr bag that I put all completed projects in that are not going to be put to use immediately too. I love to be organized LOL! I'm so anal with my yarn I even have to roll it into perfect little balls before I use it. I'm weird I know. If I lived near ya I would help you organize though. Good luck sweety!

[JennyBunny]

Organized? About the most organised I get is to have some largeish clear plastic totes that I put the yarn and the pattern I intend to use the yarn for together. I have most of my patterns/magazines grouped by title in one cardboard box, and all my hooks in one carrier. Duluthtrading.com has some neat organizers that fit in large plastic bucket containers that I'm eyeing for more storage options...

[cjansen]

I have mostly free totes with different projects in them. My large cross stitch projects actually have their own basket that sits near the lap stand I use. I have, sadly, 15 -- 18gal clear plastic totes in the attic. with yarn. when one or two get full I buy a couple more and rearrange the colors so it tries to be organized. Someday I'll be completely clear and organized!

[Elle]

We have a two-room apartment and, granted, it's gigantic (2000 sq. ft) for a two-room apartment, it's still just two rooms, but I have my stuff everywhere you look. I have my stash in the very short hallway between the two rooms behind a curtain so you don't actually see the bags and boxes even though they're not in a closet or anything. My WIPs are all over the place, though. Some are in small boxes between the arm of the couch and the wall, others are in my end tables (they have doors and are like cabinets). A bunch of projects are in the bedroom closet.

Day before yesterday I had a brainstorm, and I'm going to put it into action this coming week. We have an olympic sized pool here, and we go through a LOT of chlorine because of it. We buy the chlorine in 30 gallon buckets that are about 2.5 feet tall and almost 2 feet across. They have lids on them. I took four of these buckets and hosed them out really well to make sure there was no more chlorine residue in them, and I'm going to take fabric and elastic and make "skirts" to go around them to hide the bucket, and I'm going to cover the lids with a contact paper in a color to match the fabric. This way, I can keep my WIPs and other things I don't want hanging around out in the open in the buckets, and with the lids on them we can use them like TV tables. This way I can have my WIPs readily availablel but don't have to worry about them getting damaged by being moved or having a cat cuddle up in them, and it will help to keep the living room a LOT neater!

Elle

[mamabear10]

Organization? Not sure I'd glamorize it by calling it that, but I just bought my second 18 gallon tote. Sounds fine so far? I already have three under the bed totes full and the bottom dresser drawer full of yarn and three medium-sized walmart sacks full..and more coming in the week. :hook

 

For WIPs I'm using a basket til I can find a tote I like. I hope that's soon, as yarn likes to snag on the basket. For my hooks, scissors, pompom makers, needles and row counters, I am using a vinyl zippered pouch. I still need a good spot for my knitting looms..they're such an awkward shape, they don't fit anywhere very well. I suppose this critter called 'organization' is a WIP too:lol

[LegalWoman17]

The only thing organized about my yarn is . . it's organized in my mind. And that's it.

 

And yes, I sleep with yarn on my bed. There's always some WIP at the foot of the bed, or half used skeins of yarn. <sigh>