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Organizing Your Stash for Knitting

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stash scarfThis is probably going to be the first of two posts about organization, because organizing your stash in a way that will encourage you to use it is slightly different, to my mind anyway, than organizing it for more long-term storage.

This kind of organization is meant to be inspirational, so that you’ll see different yarns together and just want to grab them and start working with them. It’s the kind of organization that gets those balls out of your stash and onto your needles.

Exactly how you go about organizing your stash for use will depend a bit on what and how much you have, what you’re planning to make with it — if you have any ideas so far — and your knitting style. stash busting

For instance I’m working on a giant blanket so I have a big bag full of little odd balls (and some larger balls that I don’t think I’ll use for other projects) so I can just grab that or pull out a couple of balls at random when I want to work on the project.

Some of my stash is organized by color, so I might be inspired to put two fibers with different texture but a similar color together (I’m working on a light blue scarf that’s alternating mohair and a ribbon yarn right now; I’ll show you more when it’s done). Some of my stash is arranged by fiber — all my cotton yarn is together, and all my Cascade 220 — or weight (sock yarn) so if I want to work on a project using those kinds of yarns its easy to find what I need.

You might have a couple of projects in mind already just from looking through your yarn (if you don’t, most of the next couple of weeks will be devoted to giving you ideas) so you should set those yarns aside. Put them in a pretty basket or bowl somewhere you’ll see them often. Hear them calling to you.

Or just make a basket or bowl full of a bunch of yarns you like. They don’t have to “go together” or make any sense other than the fact that you like them. Spend some time looking at them and thinking about them.

And get ready to knit.

Have you started (or finished?) any projects from your stash lately? I’d love to hear what you’ve been working on. After that scarf, I’m thinking hard about a multicolored linen stitch bag.

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Comments

  1. I have just learned to knit but I hsve been crocheting for years. I was wondering if there is a pattern that uses both crocheting and knitting. It would use up ny stssh faster too.

  3. My stash is organized by type (dish cloth cotton, sock, etc), then grouped by color family (warm, cool, neutral). That works best for comparing color combinations for me. I’ve been knitting stuffed hearts for a Valentine display and for gifts, in between knitting a sweater for my dog.

Have you read?

Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.” 

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them. 

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits. 

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves. 

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit. 

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy. 

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]