A Tour of the Bedroom

Ever have one of those uh-oh moments? I just had one today. It had to do with the meanie greenie vest I've been working on. Seems I knit 13 inches of it before I realized I had made a terrible mistake. Shoot, I should have recognized, when I tried it on the other night, that it was a bit tight there, just under the bust. But no, the tightness, I figured, was excessive glamour! How could there be a problem?

The stitch pattern, which is a four-row repeat is basically a row of knit, a row of knit two together, a row of knitting and purling in the same stitch all the way across to build the stitches back to the original number, and then a purl row (this is when working flat...in the round is different.)

Well, wouldn't you know, I forgot one half of a round of the 'knit in front and back of the stitches across' and ended up with one half the number of stitches on the front side of the garment. It didn't hit me until I got home from Girlfriend's school today when I got a good look at it in the light. Shoot. I knew something was wrong and didn't even look up. I'm sure a girl could use this "mistake" and create a push-up bra effect that is enchanting as all get out, but if I'm going to do that sort of thing, I'll make sure George Clooney is coming over for cocktails the first day I wear it.

So the thing is back to where I was about five rows above the last time you saw it. I've worked furiously on it this afternoon, and even though when I tink back I make it a point not to put the item down until I've gotten back to the Point of Frog, I need a break.

This is what I just did: I took pictures of some of the master bedroom part of the stash (there's way way more in my closet) and I am going to try to figure out how I should repackage it all once I remove it from its current placement. I don't have any kind of method, I don't keep lists, and wool and cotton co-mingle. (Maybe you all could offer some ideas--other than laying it all out and doing a yarn angel?)

This represents about half of the stash, and this is how it is currently cataloged:

Under the Bedside Table

We've got Wool-Ease, Cotton-Ease, Frog Tree, and Don't-Know. We've got a bag of pink-ish stuff that I'm not sure will ever be used. There's green here. There's blue. There's burgundy. I'd say this is the part of the stash voted Most Likely to Be Sent Away Some Day.

Under the Bed

I'm almost embarrassed about these three bags because I swear, I open them up at least three times a week and I can't tell you for sure what's there. Well, I admit there is something I can recall: There are about five skeins of this stuff called KnitPicks Crayon that is so awful if the stuff attended high school it'd be voted "Worst Hair-Do."

Next to the Chair
A more active pile. This basket contains yarn that is top of mind. We're talking some Karabella Picnic I bought from kpixie, five skeins of Koigu, and two of the yarn cakes I just wound (the Hill Country Yarns stuff). There's also the brown Blue Sky Alpacas I am making that skirt out of, and a few other goodies. I'd say this would be voted "Most Likely to Succeed."

Next to the Desk

Originally meant to hold sock yarn only, this poor centuries-old Library desk is probably wondering what the heck happened. Anyway, I gave up on the dream because I couldn't fit all my sock yarn in it. The basket there on the bottom is quite large and holds about 15 pounds of assorted yarns and a few items waiting to be frogged. Among them: Lips by Martin Storey. (Don't ask.)

Outside the Bathroom

The fact that it's outside the bathroom doesn't mean much. I will say this; however, there are about three bags of yarn in there I will never touch, never no how, no way. One of the bags holds 20 skeins of brown acrylic/wool blend sport weight yarn. I can tell you that I bought the stuff about two years ago from someone I called a "sucker" when I scored all 20 balls for about 25 bucks.

But I will tell you this: She had the last laugh...and is probably still sparkling with glee.

Comments

[Michele]

You're very brave, showing us all those private areas! Seriously, you could sell any of this on ebay, I think...

[Vickery]

I like the sock yarn shelf (area) best!

[jillian]

I love stash pictures, so Thanks!!

The stuff you'll never use - sell it babee! Why keep track of it? When I organized my stash last January I found that it helped to remember what was there and actively find a match to patterns. I had accumulated so fast I forgot some of what was in there.

Of course, maybe I'm just more anal than you :)

[Lynae]

Holycrapthatsalottayarn.

But, I probably have about the same amount. My plan is to do the "clean sweep" thing and make a keep pile, donate pile, and an "I don't know" pile to be revisited later.

I too like the sock yarn area!

[bungalowmum]

Wendy~
You make me feel great about my stash. It's really not as big as I thought it was.

Love all the yarn in the antique desk....It makes me want to buy that snippet of your house, so I can have a few minutes a day by your pretty sock yarns. Colors are so magical together!

[Stephanie]

What a great stash! I agree with the clean sweep style of organization. I enjoyed sightseeing around LA but didn't make it to a LYS so my stash didn't grow!

[Kessa]

You have yarn at the most interesting places. lol. Maybe u can destash the yarns.

[elizabeth]

It's all so photogenic and lovely. I now have mine all consolidated in my assigned space. Except for active WIPs, of course. But the discrete caches around the house method has a lot going for it.

[Kathy]

Wow - my entire stash is about equal to what you keep under the bed. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing :-P

[Scout]

I have this stash area next to my knitting space where I think I lost my watch in the past week. Instead of looking for it? I just bought new watch! It's a cute new pink Timex. How bad is that?

[Cheri]

I'm with Kathy in the amount of my stash. You have some lovely lovely yarn and I've gotten some ideas of where I can stash my yarn (I do have some kidsilk haze living in the freezer, but the husband knows about that and the fact that otherwise it may be moth food before I get around to knitting it.

[Sorcha]

I keep my stash sort of sorted. I use clear boxes for easy perusal. All wool in one box (go ahead and laugh at the 'one') of similar weight or compatable color. Another box (stop laughing) of another fiber or weight. Small amounts go into ziplock bags then into the larger boxes. No I am NOT anal. But the best sorting advice I ever received was simply this. If I don't like it, get rid of it. Hand it off to a new knitter, give it to a charity knitting group, sell it on Ebay, drop it off at a Goodwill center. Anything is better than hanging onto a fiber that will never be used. And life is too short to be worrying about yarn. Oh yes, bad yarn makes interesting stuffing for floor pillows, dog pillows, soft stuffed dolls. One last piece of advice is this: fondle everything. Isn't that what yarn is for?

[Erica]

OK, you've inspired me to get off my butt and do my FYS pictures. Thing is, I can't really photograph most of my stash where it lives b/c, sadly, most of it is relegated to the attic.

BTW, I thought of you on Sunday. Had to take T1 to the ped (thought she had strep; she didn't), and I'd swear someone in that office reads your blog. The office that's open on Sunday is in a brand-new location, and the lobby has big ole Knit and Tonic-colored dots on the walls!

[Sherry]

Oh Wendy, I am so envious of all that lovely yarn! I don't worry about organizing because all my yarn fits into a white box from Ikea. I once went to a LYS where the people were hanging yarn balls strung onto string from the ceiling. If things get really bad you could always do that . . .

And your house is so pretty. Even your baskets are pretty.

[alice]

I do not believe this. If this was a competition I would be a non-starter. And what is all this about LYS's?? Over here (UK, Buckinghamshire), there is not one LYS listed in my Yellow Pages. Even the huge department stores just turn their backs. It's not fair, I have to get my stuff online but I literally dream about going to an LYS and being surrounded by these little bundles of hope & promise!! And you LA lot, you have it coming out of your ears.....

[alice]

PS: Forgot to say, that error you made, you think it's crazy you didn't notice it at the time? Yesterday I was knitting a pullover on circulars, having only just put down my socks-in-progress. Wholly unnoticed by myself I picked up the spare double-pointed teeny tiny sock needle and started knitting on that, instead of the other end of the circular. Still didn't notice. Knitted all 103 stitches, went to pull the stitches along the needle and a whole pile of them came off the end. And in my other hand, a completely empty circular. Good grief. Hope you feel better now.........

[Siow Chin]

My stash is all over the place in the flat as well although it is much, much smaller. Some are even hidden in my office. I do keep an excel spreadsheet and I save a copy at work, so that when I really miss my yarn, I can simply open the file and 'see' them.

[knitteriam]

Definitely time to re-org that yarn. Selling it on e-bay or donating any of it that can be given to a group doing "warming" project is always good. Dulaan project would be a good one for those basic wool blends you don't want anymore. You'll find something! Just think of all the space you'll have for yarn you really LOVE if you clean out the "other" lesser yarns! Also consider getting some cedar or lavendar involved to keep creatures away. Love it lots,though!

[Kelly]

Wow quite a stash! I like the desk looks like a great place for stashing yarn.

[Lisa]

If you feel like donating any of that "I will never touch it" yarn I will be happy to take it off your hands. Just think how much useable yarn you could buy if your corners and cubbies went stuffed up with that stuff!!

[Laurence]

Wow, it's so well organized. And I adore the desk too, I need to get myself one of those. I'm sure my essay writing would go much better on beautiful wood surrounded by sock yarn. Much better than IKEA white pseudo wood.
I also accept donations if you feel like doing a spring clean-up!

[Kaity]

Holy Crap, Wendy.

[Kyra]

I would definitely get all the wools into some plastic. I use those plastic zipper bags you get when you buy new pillow cases or bedspreads. When I run out of them, I buy those new huge ziploc bags in the XXL size. Spacebags are another alternative, but I haven't tried them, too worried about compressing my treasures. I store everything but my sock yarn in a storage closet in my basement.

[Ariane]

Good gawd, thats a ton of yarn. And certain family members thought mine was bad! Wait till I show them YOURS:o)

I just recently confined my statsh to ONE comforter zipper bag, and it's only half full!

Sad I know, very sad:o(

[Michelle from New Brunswick]

Well your bedroom is pretty close to the size of my entire stash. :) Can't wait to see the closet. I lived in a small apartment last year and my stash was overflowing everywhere. I had to buy a house so I could buy more ...seriously I had to find some way to manage it so I used my ball winder and swift and made every ball/skein/hank the same size and shape (well close to), bought some clear plastic containers with the drawers (you know the ones with wheels) and stored them all in thoses. not only did I have a place to put them ... but because they were compact and consistent I could now store more and increase my stash size :D