Spring is finally (and officially) here! It’s time to bask in the extended sunlight, to enjoy the delicate harmonies of chirping songbirds, and most importantly, it’s time to start spring cleaning! In case you were wondering, yes, that includes cleaning out your yarn stash! I know for some of you, the thought of trying to organize your stash is a daunting, down-right beastly task. The good news is, is that it doesn’t have to be! A couple days ago we asked a few of our fabulous Facebook fans to share some of their best tricks and tips for yarn stash storage, and they had tons of creative ideas. Together, we can all get organized!
21 Tips for Yarn Stash Storage
- Keep your yarn organized by storing it in big scrap booking boxes.
- Use the nylon mesh netting that onions come in to store yarn.
- Stash your yarn in clear labeled totes, separated by color. Contrasting colors can go together, e.g., yellows and browns in one tote, black and reds in one, blues and pinks in another, etc).
- Use plastic bags to group together similar color yarn and store them in large, 35-gallon totes (like Rubbermaid). Keep any leftover yarn or scraps together in another tote, to be used for a future projects or repairs.
- Keep current projects organized by storing them in separate mesh bags (or produce bags) inside a larger basket.
- Sort by yarn type (wool, sock, cotton, etc.) and then place them in clear vacuum-sealed bags.
- To stay organized without sacrificing style, try keeping yarn stored in a woven basket. For smaller supplies and books, use a wooden keepsake box.
- Keep WIPs (works in progress) in reusable grocery totes for easy access.
- If any of your stash yarn was bought for a specific project, staple a hard copy of the pattern onto the yarn label. This way, you’ll remember why you bought the yarn.
- Clear plastic salad boxes are great for storing yarn – they stack well, are transparent, and can easily fit underneath the bed
Don’t you love these ideas? For even more inspiration, don’t miss the other 11 great organizational tips on AllFreeKnitting. You’ll find neat tricks for storing double pointed needles, crochet hooks, and more. If that’s not enough to get you excited, we also have plenty of free knitting patterns that will help you get organized. Check out a few of our favorite patterns below:
Kable Felted Needle Case – Aside from being an easy pattern to work with, this roll up case is compact and easy to store. Finally you’ll be able to keep your straight knitting needles organized and ready for use when you need them.
Zippered Pouch Tutorial – This quick and versatile project is perfect for keeping small odds and ends organized. Better yet, it’s also a great excuse to use up some of your leftover yarn!
Which tip is your favorite? Do you have any additional tips to share?
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I found these nice little divided totes, they were labled as wine totes. The six compartments are just the right size to tuck a skien yarn in. It is a easy way to keep all the things you need for a project in one place and ready to go. Because of the flat bottom and straight sides they fit on the shelf side ways so you can stack them and still see what is inside.
I make items of tatting, smocking, and Irish crochet. If you need help or an item, contact Donna Kelly
My favorite way to keep yarn visible, clean, and dust free is to use hanging sweater storage bags with clear zippered fronts. They usually have 8 shelves and can hold about 8 skeins of yarn each. I currently have 3 of them in a closet as well as a smaller hanging shoe storage bag with 10 shelves and a clear zippered front for crochet thread, trims, etc. I keep my crochet hooks in a picnic utensil/napkin carrier that I bought for a dollar. Small hooks in the 3 sections for utensils and long flexible afghan hooks in the napkin section. My 12 and 14 inch hooks I have in a pretty vase along with rulers and a pinwheel for decoration. My crochet magazines are stored in 3-ring binders and loose patterns are in a portable file box with hanging folders.
I use the Rubbermaid clear containers with lids to keep my yarn dust free. My yarn is separated by brand and weight or put into a separate container for a certain project. Love the idea of putting in a copy of the pattern with it. The patterns I download and print from the net are put into a notebook separated with dividers.
I sew quite a bit and have lovely scraps of fabric that I have made zippered bags that hold my yarn, needles and patterns. I store these bags in big baskets and just grab one and I start knitting that project. I never get bored and find that I finish projects much faster and it’s fun to open a bag and surprise myself with whatever is inside.