“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Hello there! This is The Yarnist. The daily newsletter that makes you love knitting the same way Marie Kondo loves to "Tidy Up".
Here's what we've got for you today...
- Knitspiration: Putting every yarn in its place
- Stitchionary: A little bobble from Estonia
- Pattern Pick: This square shawl is an Estonian gem
- PLUS: Yarn barn, 1980s lace, and more
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When you buy using them, you support our work here at The Yarnist, as we get a small commission.
Knitspiration
🧺 5 Clever Yarn Storage Ideas
In the past we talked about how to declutter your yarn stash.
Now that we have only the yarn that, as Marie Kondo says, "Spark's Joy," we can start getting everything organized.
We're not going to create some crazy labeling system (although having a label maker is really useful) or divvy things up into a ton of categories.
In fact we're going to split things up into only 5 categories, and one clever storage solution for each.
So let's jump in!
Category: Projects
Why are we starting by organizing by project instead of by yarn weight or color?
Because chances are you mainly buy yarn for specific projects.
Even if you don't have something specific in mind, if you bought more than 2 skeins you plan to use them all in the same project.
Sure you could buy bins for every project, but those can take up a lot of space.
Compression bags allow you to store all of the yarn for your project together and then use a vacuum (or these roll up ones) to remove the air. Very useful for traveling as well.
They're a lot cheaper than bins and extremely compact!
Category: Unassigned Yarn
Ok so maybe you don't have a project in mind for ALL the yarn in your stash. Perhaps you found a great deal or even inherited some from a knitting friend.
In that case organizing yarn by weight (and maybe color) makes a lot of sense.
You're going to want a solution that will keep the yarn safe from the elements, and make it easy to see what you've got.
We've got just the thing...
This might seem obvious, but there are a few characteristics you'll want from good storage bins.
First, they should be clear, so you can easily see what's inside.
Second, they should be stackable, especially if you have a lot of yarn. This will make it a lot easier to store.
Third, they should have lids that seal tight so moisture and bugs have no chance to get in.
Category: Single Skeins
We've all done it.
Picked up a beautiful skein of yarn at the store and fallen in love with the color and softness.
We don't know what we'll do with just one skein of Madeline Tosh Twist Light in Electric Rainbow, we just know it had to come home with us!
You may also have some left over skeins from a project that used less yarn than expected.
When that happens we need a place to put them where they are easy to see and get to.
A hanging shoe organizer is a great way to house those one or two skeins of orphaned yarn.
They're usually mesh or clear, so you can display all of those beautiful colors with pride.
And they hold the perfect amount of yarn until you find the right one-skein project.
Category: Yarn Scraps
It almost never happens that we have the exact right amount of yarn for a project.
Usually we're left over with a few yards that we just don't know what to do with.
These bits of yarn are great for intarsia, or filling in toys, and a even making pom-poms.
So how do we store them?
Sure you could just put mini yarn balls and scraps in zip-loc bags, but what's the fun in that?
Storing everything by color is a great idea here, and putting it all on display using glass jars makes it pretty too!
Category: Current Project
I like to have a nice big project next to where I sit while watching TV.
Having it stored in a large tote like this one, where I can also store extra needles and notions makes life a lot easier.
Keeps everything nice and tidy!
And I can grab everything and go to my local knit night at moments notice.
BONUS TIP
Making your yarn last
Pests and moisture are the enemy of a lot of yarn, especially wool.
To ensure you don't end up with a skein of Swiss cheese merino, invest in some cedar planks, sachets, or balls (like these). Bugs hate the smell of cedar oil so they will stay away from your precious babies. They also don't like lavender.
And it's a good idea to throw in some silica gel packets (like these) to soak up any excess moisture. Yarn is great at absorbing moisture, which means it can mildew and mold if it can't get rid of it.
Conclusion
So there you have it.
There's a lot of ways to store yarn, but these are some of our favorites.
But what do you think?
What clever solutions do you have for storing and organizing your stash?
Hit reply and share your experience with us!
We'd love to hear your feedback. 😊
Daily Stitch
The Estonian Nupp Stitch
This week we're continuing our exploration of knitting stitch techniques with clusters.
One of the oldest examples of a cluster comes from Estonia.
Known for its gorgeous lace shawls, nupps are a staple of Estonian lace knitting. They are said to have been added to handknits to prove they were not made by a machine.
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Pattern Pick
Estonian Square Shawl by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence
If you want to explore Estonian knitting, including nupps, this is the project for you.
Once knit, this gorgeous square shawl can be worn so many ways.
Its interesting lace pattern is easily remembered, while the border is picked up at the end and knit in the round.
The beautiful result will see you through many seasons.
Knits & Giggles
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