Show me how you store yarn, WIPs, FO

[Glover_Girls]

I'm a disorganized mess! Since I've picked up knitting (after a long break) my stuff is scattered here and there. I've got a couple of storage footstools that are collecting things, totebags with stuff in them, and baskets here and there. I'd love to see what you do with your yarn and items. I'd really like to be able to display the yarn sort of like a yarn store does so I can see what I have.

Share pics and ideas, please!

[flapjack]

Hmm. 90% of my stash is in an unsealed vacuum storage bag. The rest is in a tote bag, a basket, stuffed under the sofa and added to the carrier bag I brought my last Get Knitted haul home in I'm a classy kind of bird like that.
I am, however, going shopping for storage for yarn and fabrics next week.

[Miss Information]

I don't know for sure, but can you find any ideas on flikr's craft room pool?

You may have to search a while, there's tons of pictures, but you may see some ideas there.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/craftrooms/pool/

I've seen on Mission organization some wall hanging shoe organizers being used as yarn storage. You'd need to mount the rails onto the walls, then the shoe storage unit goes on the rails.

[dillonandmarasmom]

Helen's stash sounds like mine. The vacuum bag was sealed at one time, but I keep opening it to grab this or that (it was given by my mom for my wool).

I have many bags (more than I'd liek to admit) stuffed into IKEA storage cube shelves, and several rice and silk-lined baskets as well. I also use a giant wicker chest (about 4' x 3' x 24 inches deep) that is filled with bags, a crate, and some boxes of various yarns. Oh, and I have a plastic 3-drawer thingy with current projects.

Too. Much. Yarn.

[Glover_Girls]

Soulds like we have similar storage methods! Perhaps I just need to reorganize. Maybe I'll make one cube yarn and the othe patterns and needles and accessories. I have a Billy Bookcase from Ikea and I've been eying the CD insert as a place to stash yarn (I'm not sure where the dvds would go). I live in a small apartment with limited storage. It's not really that many CDs though......hehehe

Thanks for the support that I'm not the only one with stuff stashed everywhere.

[Glover_Girls]

Originally Posted by Miss Information

I don't know for sure, but can you find any ideas on flikr's craft room pool?

You may have to search a while, there's tons of pictures, but you may see some ideas there.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/craftrooms/pool/

I've seen on Mission organization some wall hanging shoe organizers being used as yarn storage. You'd need to mount the rails onto the walls, then the shoe storage unit goes on the rails.

Thanks for the link to the craftrooms. If only I had a room to designate as a craft room....maybe some day. But one thing I did get out of looking at those pictures is what I don't want, and that's a bunch of plastic drawer thingys loaded with yarn. I'm feeling much better about my storage cubes which look much less cluttered in my small space. I'm actually in the process of looking for a new bureau (my 40 year old one finally is falling apart) so I have been thinking of getting a larger one and using a smaller second bureau as yarn storage if/when I need it. My stash isn't that big....YET!

[HoneyTree]

I've thought of using a dresser before, too. Any other mamas do that?

So if you display your yarn, how do you keep it from getting dusty in the weeks or months (or longer!) that it might sit there before you use it?

I've got the unattractive, big, clear Rubbermade container for the majority of my yarn with two market baskets for WIPs. A few years ago, dh bought me a very fancy Lantern Moon needle case that has thus far held all my needles and notions. (Are they called notions in knitting?)

[monkaha]

Store? What is this "store" you speak of? Here, WIPs are left anywhere flat-ottoman, counter, shelf.

I have 2 footstools that have removable tops for storage inside them. One is my knitting one, with stitchmarkers, random recently used yarn, my Denise set and other random needles. Most other yarn is downstairs in a shoe holder, one of the plastic over the door ones with pockets.

[flapjack]

OK, I'm taking this as a challenge. I have an unused corner of my house which is 3ft wide, 1ft deep and about 5 ft deep, and that's going to be my storage for yarn. AND it's going to be purty (it's in my porch.) WHo's with me?
And in answer to the next question, yes, it's smaller than my vacuum bag...

[Indigo73]

Here is what mine looked like this summer. Now there is a big pile in front of it (it was moved to a corner which makes it easy to pile up). The pile is poly bags and boxes from coops. One of these Sundays I need to bite the bullet and find the other totes and reorganize. I have probably 2 more red tops totes worth of wips and yarn.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/myindigodreams/859280936

[kimberlychapman]

Behold my toddler-proof-ish knitting storage:

http://kimberlychapman.com/crafts/knit-yarnstorage.html

It's actually changed a bit since those photos, but is basically the same.

Soon she'll grow that last inch and be able to reach. Given the choice of reorganizing my knitting or stunting her growth, would I be a horrible parent to stop feeding her?

[flapjack]

Swaddling boards on walls. It's the only way

[dillonandmarasmom]

Originally Posted by flapjack

OK, I'm taking this as a challenge. I have an unused corner of my house which is 3ft wide, 1ft deep and about 5 ft deep, and that's going to be my storage for yarn. AND it's going to be purty (it's in my porch.) WHo's with me?
And in answer to the next question, yes, it's smaller than my vacuum bag...

I'm with you Helen! I have an identical space in my bedroom that is begging for a pretty little group of cubicals with baskets of yarn...

[kimberlychapman]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Swaddling boards on walls. It's the only way

LOL, some of the mothers in my playgroup and I have been considering the pros and cons of Velcro wallpaper along with matching Velcro suits for our kiddies. The number of time outs in the last week or two as they've all simultaneously discovered hitting and throwing toys they don't want to share has been RIDICULOUS. My daughter and one of her friends have started deliberately provoking time outs so they can go into the time out spot together and play there...and then they fight 30 seconds after they start playing.

I wonder if I could knit some toddler restraints.

[rootzdawta]

I certainly don't have as much yarn as a lot of other folks . . . but I store my yarn in this http://www.sterilite.com/ProductDeta...ection=Storage with a wicker basket on top for WIPs and a binder for patterns.

Here's a picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21438135@N07/2289093390/

[feminist~mama]

I was reading on Ravelry about yarn storage a couple days ago and came across a post in which a woman explained that she was using a system called gravity. She went on the explain that she would open the door to the storage area and put yarn in there and that it rather sorted itself out.

Funny folks, those yarn people!

I have a similar system-

No really, I use a dresser. Except that it's full, so I also have some bags on the floor around it. And there's a couple boxes too.

I've decided that I need a new system because my yarn would be happier if I could see it. So I'm rolling that around in my head.

For WIP I use plastic bags with zippers that sheet sets come in. I was pleased with them for a while in that I can see into them, but I'm discovering that they rip and are generally too large for what I want to carry with me, but too small to say, hold all the yarn and the project itself.

Plus, I hate the plastic-crinkle-in-my-bag sound.

So I thought about getting the cloth "WIP" bag, but then I can't see through it.

[Glover_Girls]

I loved reading all the replies to my post!

Originally Posted by flapjack

OK, I'm taking this as a challenge. I have an unused corner of my house which is 3ft wide, 1ft deep and about 5 ft deep, and that's going to be my storage for yarn. AND it's going to be purty (it's in my porch.) WHo's with me?

I'm IN! I'm going to reorganize my storage cubes. I did just put in an order at Pattern Works AND Knitpicks over the weekend which included a couple of organizing/storage things - a knitting bag that's a backpack (really neat!) with lots of pockets and a Hippo shaped storage zippy thing for smaller notions (there was a frog, dolphin, and something else). I've still got my eye on the Billy Bookcase and removing the cds from their cubicals. I don't have a ton of yarn but I'd like to put the yarn I'm going to be using for the next few projects (as motivation) up there. So hopefully they won't have a chance to get dusty!

I stash my WIPs in a totebag. I can't really leave my knitting out as I have 2 cats who LOVE to play with yarn! It's an accident waiting to happen!

Sounds like there are several of us who want to take on the task of tackling storage and organization. Should we formalize it and start a challenge and share ideas and post before and after pics?

[monkaha]

Originally Posted by kimberlychapman

Soon she'll grow that last inch and be able to reach. Given the choice of reorganizing my knitting or stunting her growth, would I be a horrible parent to stop feeding her?

Nah. You'll save money on yarn, food and clothes! Win-win!