Organized Knitting Club

Systems that work!

2008-04-21T14:26:00.001-07:00

This month our readers from Ravelry showcased some tool storage systems that work for them. Some of the solutions that you see below are very inexpensive. The most important thing that we must remember when trying to keep our tools organized is that everything needs to have a home. The way to keep organized from this point forward is to make sure that everything that comes into the house has a home before you bring it in.

Suzanne show used how she decorated empty toliet paper and paper towel dowel with fabric and inserted these into an unused kitchen utensil holder.

Mary loves her Jordana Paige Knitting Needle Storage Box. This box is a cute little storage for straight needles and it conveniently has a inventory and needle conversion chart on the back.

A less expensive alternative is to find a wine box for sale at a local Big Lots or Hobby Lobby. Michael's Craft Store might also carry some wine boxes.

Another straight needle option is using one of those many extra vases that we have stored in our cabinets. Karen shared her picture with us.
If you have found some interesting methods of storage share them on your blog and leave a link here so that we can visit. You never know - one of the contributors here may highlight your blog in an upcoming article.

Organized Space - Really Cleaning

2008-04-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

I just ran a cashmere sweater through the washing machine. It's fine. You may ask why I would take such a risk? The answer - Spring cleaning.

Protecting your wool and woolens is a prime objective for knitters. One fact that I came across was that clean woolen items don't attract moths as readily. Moths go for body sweat and dirt. Eeeugh! So one of my Spring cleaning resolutions is to wash all my woolens. Doing them all by hand, given the time and space that I have, might mean not finishing until next Spring! I decided to experiment with a sweater that had already been victimized by moths. I put the sweater into a mesh lingerie bag, added a little Eucalan and washed it in the machine on a delicate/knits cycle with a warm wash/cold rinse cycle.

It survived! It's fine and laid out flat to dry. Got to go - more sweaters to wash!

How Do You Organize Your Tools?

2008-04-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

There are many, many different ways to organize your tools. My scrapbooking stuff is nicely stored in Creative Memory totes, and my stamping stuff is stashed away in a Crop In Style tote that I paid a pretty penny for about 5 years ago.

At the moment the needles that I use most often are in a needle roll that I sewed a year ago. My other needles, however, are kind of stuck here and there in skeins of yarn that I have in the shelf next to my bed. My circulars don't really have a home. They are resting peacefully on some yarn that I have in a basket next to my bed.

So, my question for our readers is how do you organize your tools?

One lucky poster will be interviewed for next Monday's article and will be entered into a raffle for a $25 gift card for the Container Store.

$25 Container Store Gift Card Giveaway!!

2008-04-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

During the month of April 5 readers will be highlighted in interviews for the 5 topics that we feature here on the Organized Knitters Club. To receive a chance at an interview you have to comment to our columnist's challenges. One lucky reader will be chosen for the 5 topics, and those readers will receive the chance to win the $25 gift card to the Container Store.

Organizing photos

2008-04-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

You’ve got them still in the envelopes from when you picked them up at CVS or Costco or they came in the mail. Stuck in a drawer. Piled in the craft boxes or a shoebox. You’ve got Christmas 1995, your parents’ wedding photos, and last September’s first day of school photos all in one pile. And you keep putting off scrapbooking because you can’t find the photos you want. This week, let’s talk about getting those photos organized.

(First, a disclaimer, I am a Creative Memories Consultant, so the physical system I use is a Creative Memories product, it is one of my favorite CM products, and though I guess I am biased, it is one of the best photo organizers I’ve come across. Now that being said, the actual process of organizing is generic no matter where you put your photos, so let’s begin.)

How are you going to organize your photos? Decide what works best for you and put your photos in your chosen order as you go through them.

Chronologically – in order of time (years, age, school year, etc.)

By subject – kids, family, vacations, holidays, hobbies, school

A combination of these – summer vacations over multiple years, for example

Now let’s go through your photos

Throw out the bad shots – heads cut off, too dark, too light, what is that? Some people even throw out the photos that they now don’t even remember who is in the photo

Generic photos for artsy reasons – beach, butterflies, sky – separate pile, only if you think you will use them in your album or for craft projects or something! Otherwise, sort them with the others and/or throw them out

Sort any related memorabilia with your photos – tickets, programs, notes, etc.

When you go back to your photos, whether just to look at them or put them in an album or scrapbook, you want to remember the story behind them. Use dividers with the basics of your journaling – who, what, when, where, why – and what was going on, how did you feel, did you all have fun, why was this event significant? I recommend a piece of acid-free, lignin-free paper so as not to damage your pictures.

The organizer I use, as mentioned is a Creative Memories PowerSort box, it’s a huge box that holds about 2400 photos in 12 mini-boxes, and comes with dividers. I use a different mini-box for each year, child, and occasion. Shop around, find a photosorting box that suits your needs and styles, but consider the following points.

Photosafe – an acid free box, preferably dark so photos aren’t affected by sun/light
Has a top – keep out dust
Wide enough for your photos (at least 6”)
Is a box – not a bag – so that your photos won’t get bent up and can remain organized after all the work you’ve done
Some folks want to use shoeboxes to recycle, but I encourage you to purchase a box specifically for your photos. Shoeboxes are not photo-safe and some are not wide enough for your photos, they will end up bent or don’t stay straight.

Using the box of your choice, file your photos in the categories and order you’ve chosen. Be sure to label them; many photo boxes come with index card style dividers so you can label “2007 – summer”, “Wedding”, “School” etc. and be able to find your photos. I would also have an “extras” divider – after you’ve put photos from a section into your photo album or scrapbook, place the ones you didn’t use here. When kids need photos for a school project, or you want a random photo, look here first, knowing these are extras.

It’s the little things that need to be de-cluttered that always get set aside. But here’s a little task that you can do bit-by-bit while watching TV or on a quiet afternoon. You can even get the family involved to recall some of your favorite memories!

Upcoming Projects - A Plan

2008-04-10T10:45:00.001-07:00

As Suzanne noted in her post this week, the urge to start a new project is addictive and with the change of seasons (today is a gorgeous spring day in Northern California), often irresistible! Since my first post was all about our WiPs and keeping their numbers under control, how do we reconcile our yearning to cast on with our desire to avoid chaos? I believe the answer is easier than we think. It's all about knitting with a purpose.

Again, I recognize that there are many knitters out there who believe that their craft thrives best without boundaries, but for me, my creativity flourishes within the confines of one simple guideline. That is - I always try to identify the purpose of my knitting before I start a new project.

This purpose can be as specific as a birthday sweater for my sister, Christmas gloves for a close friend or as random as a new cozy for my iPhone. It doesn't really matter. It's more important that I know whose hands the knitted object will end up in and, roughly, when.

Although I do love knitting for the sake of knitting, knowing that I will have a unique gift for someone I care about when I finish, gets me through the stretches of endless stockinette stitch that many projects require. It also encourages me to try to new techniques and look for patterns I might not normally gravitate towards.

Last summer, for example, I was dying to knit cables. I had a new book on cabling and they all just looked so gorgeous. I was tempted by a pattern for a cabled throw, but I was worried that such a big commitment might not hold my interest. Then I came across a pattern for a cabled scarf and hat set. It hardly ever gets cold enough where we live to bundle up to that extent, so I knew it was out for me. But one of my friends is a skier and her birthday was just a few months away, so I spent a couple of weeks in June knitting up wooly ski wear. When my friend's birthday rolled around, I could avoid my usual last minute dash to the florist shop. I had a beautiful handmade gift up my sleeve. After that, I was on a roll. I chose a lace shawl made of musk ox next (a gift for another friend whose birthday was not until January) and then I started on a hat for my son for Christmas.

I often hear knitters talk about techniques they want to try (entrelac or knitting with 2 circulars, for example) or a brand new yarn they just have to have and I am no different. But before I indulge, I always try to keep the end result in mind. If I am burning with desire to knit a cabled mug cozy (which I am, by the way), I will come up with a reason to knit it. My mother-in-law would probably like a set, or my sister, or how about I start small and just make one as a thank you gift to the mom who drives my daughter to dance class? No occasion is too insignificant and it is never too early to get going on knitted gifts.

I guarantee you that, if I had jumped in with both feet into the cabled throw pattern I saw in my new book, it would be at the bottom of my pile of WiPs today. With no compelling reason to finish it, I just know that it would always get pushed aside with plenty more "inspirations" to keep it company.

Next week, I'll be reviewing my favorite product for storing WiPs!

Spring Cleaning from Start to Finish

2008-04-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

The arrival of Spring can herald an upsurge in energy as the cold recedes and the days grow longer. For knitters, this can mean the urge to cast on some new projects. But before you rush to begin, stop and take a look at what you already have.

Having enough space for all our knitting yarns, accessories, and books is an issue for almost all of us. Spring cleaning can be an opportunity to re-evaluate how much you have and how much you need; what projects should be finished and what projects can be abandoned; what you’re knitting; and why you’re knitting it.

I find the excitement of starting a new project is addictive, and I keep wanting to do more. So I have more on-going projects than I can really handle. I decided that for my knitterly Spring cleaning, I would attempt to spend more time finishing or working on current projects, and not start anything major.

The first step was to go through my WIPs (which I had done for the February challenge) and prioritize them: what needed to be done first, what projects would follow, what projects could wait, and which small projects I could put by the computer to work on as I wait for stuff to upload or as I read posts. I also actually identified several projects that I either frogged or discarded, which was very liberating. I finally recognized that I didn’t have to work on something I didn’t like, and I didn’t need to keep every scrap of yarn that came into my possession.

Once the projects were identified, I could then organize their ‘space’ – how they were to be stored. I put my WIPs in plastic bags and hung them on a metal storage rack in plain view with easy access because then I find it easier to keep myself focused on what I need to work on first and to find what I need. By not having them stored all over, I also recovered a lot of ‘lost’ space.

My outstanding “to-be-finished’ project is an Aran sweater I started in August. I designed it and it is a commissioned piece that was supposed to be an Anniversary gift. So I have set aside a couple of hours a day to work on it, in an attempt to finish it by the end of the month. I also wanted to finish a shrug that needed to be sewn up – so last night I started seaming it up, but I sewed the wrong edges together – so my message here is – don’t rush and take a good look at what you’re working on.

Don’t let the term ‘Spring cleaning’ get you down. Remember, you like to knit. You can do this is small increments. You don’t have to sit down and finish everything all at once. Do what you can, and congratulate yourself for doing it!

What are your goals for April Spring Cleaning? Are you knitting? Finishing? Organizing? Frogging? What is it that you feel you need to do?

Bagsmith Knitting Pattern Bag

2008-04-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

The product review for this month is something that I've seen in action, and since I tend to throw stuff in a bag at a whim to go off to my knitting meetings and sometimes fail to bring an important tool, I thought this product appropriate for temporary storage of tools and patterns, as well as semi long-term storage.

Here is the write up on the Bagsmith Knitting Pattern Bag.

It has a variety of pockets that can store all of your knitting tools, as well as a wide range of projects. The bag is 12" wide x 12" high with a 8" gusset. So, it's big enough to hold projects ranging from a baby sweater to an afghan! The metal legs and thick canvas construction make it sturdy enough to stand freely next to your chair. But it easily folds up, and it is so light, that you can quickly carry it into another room, to soccer practice or even take it with you when you travel. There are two clear zippered pockets on the outside, and on the inside there are 6 clear pockets, 4 smaller canvas pockets for notions, and 4 canvas pockets that are vertically designed for storage of needles, scissors and other tools. Includes a removable strap that attaches with metal clips.

This particular item is available through KnitPicks for $29.99 and comes in black and white.

If you have one of these won't you leave your opinion of the item in the comments section?

Organized Space - Spring Cleaning

2008-04-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

In a phrase:

"SPACE BAGS"

This is a large space bag holding two sets of sheets (maybe three), some towels and pillowcases.

Try it with yarn.

P.S. This is a great way to store yarn, keep it visible, and protect it from dust and moths.

Suzanne

Spring Cleaning for WiPs

2008-04-02T18:27:00.001-07:00

Hello Knitters and Organizers!

My name is Julie and I am, if not quite compulsive, then at least a very enthusiastic organizer. It's a biological trait, I guess, as my 13-year old daughter wouldn't think of going to bed without first writing herself a to do list for the next day. My 16-year old son? He has my husband's genes. Anyway, I am an at-home mom who used to own a yarn store. For the month of April, I will be writing about ideas for keeping patterns and projects under control. Here goes...

I'll start off today by talking about spring cleaning for WiPs (works in progress). What are we knitters to do with the heap of unfinished projects languishing in our knitting bag(s)?

For me, organization in this area comes in the form of a 3-step process:

1. To gain control over your WiPs, feel free to treat them the same way you would treat an excess of anything - by applying one of the golden principles of organizing to the problem. That is, if you haven't used it / thought about it for 6 months or more, out it goes. Now, before you start tossing half-knit cashmere blankets in the trash, think about how lucky we are (we are?) as knitters to be able to frog. In no other craft that I can think of at the moment can you completely undo (rip out) your entire project and return the ingredients to their original state. I'd feel a lot more guilty getting rid of a partially assembled fabric quilt, than unraveling a long-buried incomplete wool sweater. So, dive into that pile and if, upon seeing any projects in progress you are tempted to utter the words, "Oh, I forgot all about this one!" start frogging.

2. Next, look at the projects that remain and decide if you really even want to knit them anymore. It's happened to all of us, and for me, it's often hard to admit. What looks great in the photo, does not necessarily translate well to the needles, and the fact that the project is still on your needles is probably a bad sign. You feel guilty and you ask yourself - why did I spend so much time on this project when I don't even really like: the yarn, the project, the person I was going to give it to and so on. Because you are a knitter and you must knit whether you are enthralled with the project or not. But now you have a better project that makes you happier and takes the place of the old one. Go ahead and frog the old WiP.

3. And finally, there are the projects whose completion depends on a component that's missing: a button, an explanation of a tricky technique, the recipient's measurements, etc. For this situation, I have no advice but to tell you to make a list of what's needed and get it done. It will take you 2 minutes to order a pretty button online, 5 minutes to find a diagram or video showing you how to put in a zipper and about 10 minutes to call your cousin and ask her to whip out a tape measure.

As for the WiPs that are left, you now have permission to adore them all and to be excited about finding the time to work on them. Your hard work and courage with the steps above has paid off in 1) more usable yarn 2) more physical space in your knitting area and 3) more mental space, uncluttered by regret.

After all, we deserve to feel relaxed and inspired when we think about our craft - not guilty and overburdened. The cloud of "to dos" hangs over plenty of other areas of our lives. Knitting doesn't have to be one of them. Besides, if your pile of WiPs contains only lovely, intriguing projects for which you have all of the necessary materials, that in itself is motivation for keeping them active.

Next week: WiP overload prevention - how to plan our projects and manage our queues!

Monday's Toolbox - Spring Cleaning!

2008-03-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived, and it's time to make things fresh, accessible, and definitely, to purge. So, this month I want you to go through the tools and supplies that you have for all your craft type projects. Include knitting and sewing. Even scrapbooking supplies would be a great thing to organize and streamline this month.

Have you had a chance to organize your tools yet? Do you know if you have duplicates? Maybe you need to buy a few extra supplies to round out what you already have. Are there tools that you can donate or set aside for swapping projects? Depending on how much 'stuff' you have this could end up being a big project. You might have the tendency to get overwhelmed and not complete any purging or organization this month as far as your tools and supplies go! We can't let that happen, though. So, first things first: Set up a plan to work through your tools and supplies a little at a time. You absolutely do not have to have a big chunk of time to work on this project. You just need to organize your time so that it does get done this month.

1. Use a calendar, such as the one above, and designate specific days for specific small projects. Maybe on Monday you want to tackle organizing your straight needles. Wednesday could be for organizing and purging of your circulars or other types of supples.
2. Mark down your plan of attack. You could even keep track of how much time each little project took you to complete.

Next week we'll review a product that will help you supply those tools and supplies. Is there a particular set of tools or supplies that you need help organizing? Leave a comment here.

Happy Spring!

2008-03-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

I'm on vacation this week - spring break with the kids. See you next week!

Make Youself Comfortable

2008-03-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

From what I've been reading, most knitters have a spot in a corner with a chair or a place on the couch where they sit and knit. The questions of the day is: Are you comfortable?

Does whatever you're sitting in give you enough support? Is there an ottoman or stool you can use to put your feet up on? Would the addition of a pillow behind your back or on the footrest make you more comfortable? A plain-colored lap blanket can help you keep warm and also make it easier to see what you're knitting - when you look down at your knitting, it should stand out from a plain background (don't use a dark lap blanket and knit something black!).

What about your lighting. Is the light strong enough and 'daylight' adjusted? The reason Ott lights are so good is because they give a full-spectrum light and clarifies and illuminates without glare or color distortion. The Reveal lightbulbs also work quite well. Make sure the lamp is positioned so that the light falls on your work, not in your eyes of on the arm of the couch. I recently realized that when I knit lace and used my Ott light, I made fewer errors (you know, the missed yarn-overs, or miscounted stitches...). Just being able to see my work more clearly make a huge difference.

It is nice to have a table or, set of shelves nearby on which or in which you can store a few necessary supplies for whatever you're working on. And you also have a place to put the mandatory liquid refreshment and chocolate.

Knitting should be a relaxing experience, and the more comfortable you are, the more relaxing it should be, so make your knitting space as welcoming as possible.

Let Ravelry help you with your stash organization

2008-03-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

Your notebook in Ravelry is a great way to help you keep track of your stash. I wish I could say I take full advantage of it myself, but I promise I have great intentions.

For me, the barrier is in the photo taking. I wish there were stock photos of yarn available that would magically link to the entry. Barring that, in order for the stash area in my notebook to show the beauty of all my yarn, I must take photos. The up side is that it forces me to actually handle each ball of yarn (or at least one of each color in each yarn). And the enormity of the task might help me realize the enormity of my stash.

I asked on Ravelry for input from people who have taken the time to create a full record of their stash in their notebook on Ravelry. I wanted to know how it's been helpful. It's clear from the responses that having a stash inventory at the ready is helpful in making decisions about potential projects. (Note to self: just think, no more pawing through bins of yarn.) A respondent named fiberfreak said that checking her stash inventory on Ravelry gives her a reality check when she's got a hankering to buy yarn. My bank account would appreciate that.

As Christy pointed out in the Ravelry thread, it's easy to make your stash available for trade or sale on Ravelry, which can be a great way to reduce your stash if you're ready to part with some yarn.

One way I foresee using my stash inventory in my notebook is for ease in shopping. When I go to my local LYS, they have a computer with an internet connection running and they let me peek at my Ravelry notebook. Once my inventory is complete, I'll be able to see exactly what I have (same goes for needles), so that I have a better idea of what I need to buy. Alternatively, I can print out my stash when it's viewed as a list and I'll see all the pertinent details in terms of quantity and colors. Then I can just pop the printout into my bag.

You can also easily export your stash to an Excel spreadsheet via the stash page on Ravelry. At the moment, I'm not sure why I'd want to do that, but perhaps one of you can clue me in.

If you're like me and the prospect of inventorying your stash (and especially taking all those pictures) is daunting, do what the folks in the Ravelry thread recommend: break the project down into little bits. Enter a half dozen or a dozen yarns at a time. It's not an all-or-nothing proposition.

Of course, that advice applies to any organizing project. Or most projects or daunting tasks in your life. Break it down into small steps and do just one step at at time.

I'm inspired to really use the wonderful tool that is the Ravelry notebook. I don't know where I'll find the time to upload everything, but it's been something I've wanted to do for some time. If I do a little bit each day, it'll be done before I know it.

Darning/Tapestry Needles

2008-03-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

''Chibi'' Darning Needle Set 3/pkg

As I was seaming up the picot bodice hem on my Split Neckline Cap Sleeve Tee last night, I reaffirmed, to myself, the concept that it really does pay to spend a little extra sometimes. Let's face it, at some point in your work, you're going to have to weave in some ends. Might as well make it as pleasant and easy as possible.

One wouldn't really think that something as simple as a darning needle would be a big deal, but after having tried out a few different brands and materials, I've settled on the Clover Chibi brand of darning/tapestry needles.

The Chibi has a solid, smooth feel with a large eye hole that is easy to thread. The tips are just the right balance of point and blunt, so as not to stab a gushing hole in your finger but sharp enough to puncture through most knit/woven fabrics with ease. Packaged in a really, cute and cool storage/carry case, you have your choice of straight (darning) or bent needles (tapestry) needles in an assorted gauges and lengths so you can weave-in/repair practically any yarn weight.

Additionally, I prefer metal needles to plastic in that they are much more durable. Plastic needles tend to warp over time and who hasn't placed one of them in your teeth and gnawed on it a bit...now you got a chewed up plastic needle that snags. :: sigh ::

Binders !

2008-03-21T09:01:00.001-07:00

How much paper comes into your house and you feel like you should keep it, but hmmm.... where to keep it all? Binders are the office supply wonder. I know many of you have mentioned using binders to keep knitting/crochet patterns and ball bands and other craft related stuff. Let's talk about using them for all that household paper.

What we're going to keep in binders is long-term stuff. In being organized, I don't believe in making things so daunting that you can't keep up with it, so we're not going to put the coupon that expires next week in a binder. We have several binders in our kitchen/family/office space. The main binder is the catch-all, I have labeled it "STUFF". Emergency and babysitter information is up front. There are 2 kinds of dividers in it - monthly and ABCs. Under the monthly tabs, we file those things that need to be done on a timely basis - annual check-ups, regular dentist appointments, car maintenance, birthday/anniversary lists. Everything else goes under the ABC tabs. Carry-out menus are in a plastic sleeve under "C", as are delivery menus under "D". The plumbing and heating people are under "P" and "H" respectively. Consignment shops list (torn from the Yellow Pages) is under "C". Spas, museum/science center/zoo membership information, trash collection schedule, organization members phone lists. You get the idea - all those pieces of information you need to hold onto, but in a way that's easily accessible when you need it. And to keep it simple - I use plastic sleeves to slide most of this into, because looking for that 3-hole punch might be just enough to keep you from filing that paper away.

We also have a Christmas binder (gift lists, card list, menu, count-down to Christmas to-do list, favorite recipes), a school binder (class list, school schedules, school info), and a "interesting things from magazines" binder.

Do you use binders to organize your household? If so, what've you got filed in there? Or are you going to start one today?

March Madness - In Baby Steps

2008-03-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

So, you started this month out with many plans and then suddenly it was almost the end of the month!! What is the saying? Fail to plan - plan to fail? Something like that. So, we have 12 days left in the month. Let's see if we can't tackle one organizing project a day. Remember the projects don't need to be big projects. Your project could be as small as organizing your utensil drawer in the kitchen or getting rid of the pile of junk mail that is sitting on your counter.

A few weeks ago Frances mentioned making To-Do lists. In the last few weeks I've made several To-Do lists the day before I wanted to get these things done. It worked wonders for making sure that I work on at least one organizing project during the day. An example of organizing a small area is part of my desk. If I showed you my whole desk you would faint, but here is the before and after -

This section of my desk has been this way for yeeeeaaaars! I can't tell you how many.

I moved my knitting books to my desk and purchased a few little baskets from the local 99 cent store. The binders are used to keep my clipped knitting patterns that I find in magazines and online. I also have a binder there for saved articles from Family Handyman. Everything is so much handier. I love it!

What small area in your house are you going to work on today?

Enquiring Minds Need To Know...

2008-03-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

ORGANIZED SPACE - by Suzanne

As I type, there are 621 members of Organized Knitting on Ravelry. That's a lot of lurkers. I get this mental picture of masses of people peering into a window...well, I have a question for all of you.

Have you just read the posts, or have any of them motivated you to make any changes? If so, what? And if not, why? (I don't want to hear that you're lazy, or whatever, but I do want to know if we're missing something - like some valuable information that you need and aren't getting)

Post a comment.

My query for today's Organized Space posting is: Do you have a space set up for your knitting? What is it like? How well does it work for you?

UFOs

2008-03-18T05:29:00.001-07:00

Ravelry has the delightful category for projects known as "hibernating." We all have them. I know I have plenty of them...the projects that somehow lost their allure for me. Typically, they're the ones that have became difficult or annoying to knit. Or the season changed and the project became inappropriate. (Somehow, working on a wool sweater in July in St. Louis just isn't attractive.)

So what becomes of these Unfinished Objects? For me, it depends. If a project has become so unpalatable that I know I'll never get back it, I'll frog it. That decision might be sped up if I want to use the yarn for something else.

But if I think I'm going to actually start knitting a project again, it goes into one of two places. For the ones just taking a nap, they'll languish in their project bags, waiting for me to pick them up again. The ones that are truly hibernating are moved into my Kangaroom purse/yarn organizer, which hangs in the closet. (Note that the picture is from Kangaroom's website, it's not a picture of my own organizer, which is difficult for me to photograph in the depths of the closet). Occasionally, but not very often, I dig around in there and see what's waiting for me. It's cheaper than satisfying my itch for something different by going to the yarn store!

How about you? How do you store your UFOs? At what point do you retire them?

Hittin’ the road!

2008-03-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

{I've been away. Last weekend, I went out of town for my sorority conference, hence the topic here. In the midst of packing, I prepared this blog... then forgot to post it. Sorry!}

Your heading out of town, got your clothes packed and travel plans confirmed…. don’t forget your yarn! But what should you bring to work on? Consider these points when picking the project to work on.

Space & time - When and where will you be crocheting/knitting? Will you have time only while in transit (car, train, plane) or when you actually get to your destination (going camping vs. hanging out at your sisters for the long weekend)? The when and where helps to narrow down the project choices. If you only will have small space to work (in your airplane seat), then this may not be the trip to work on that king-size afghan. But it may be a great time to work on your afghan squares. Choose your project based on your space and time.

Minding the stitches – I crochet when I am in conference meetings, so I like “mindless” projects for these trips, think baby blanket, basic scarf. For a weekend at the beach I can pay attention to a pattern. Choose your pattern based on how much you can pay attention to it. When you pick out your pattern, if its from a book, make a working copy to take with you. This relieves you of the weight of carrying a book and eliminates the chance that you’ll leave your book back at the hotel.

Materials checklist – Reread the pattern, especially if this is a brand new project, be sure to read it before you pack up and leave the house. Check if there’s a hook/needle change somewhere in the pattern, do you need stitch markers or yarn needle? And of course, make sure you have the hook/needle you need. (Yes, this comes from the experience of having to buy a hook while on vacation so I could work on my project).

Now get your project bag and pack everything in. Have a great trip!

The Ultimate Blog Party

2008-03-13T15:34:00.001-07:00

I am so late in posting this!! Too busy organizing, I suppose. Anyway, if you get the chance, please run over to 5 Minutes for Mom and check out all the prizes that you can win via the Ultimate Blog Party. To create a little more traffic to this site I've sponsored a $25 Amazon.com gift certificate, but there are so many other prizes out there you can win. A sample of the other prizes that are of interest to me are -

71 - $40 credit towards a new design by RS Designs
36 - Marketing for Entrepeneurs provided by Lis Garret
59 - $25 Cash provided by Lori

Hurry, though!! The party ends tomorrow!

Pattern Database

2008-03-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

So, you want to store you patterns on your own computer, huh? This may seen like a novel idea when first it pops into your head, but if you don't have an organized bone in you you will end up with a lot of patterns that you won't be able to find when you need them. Ideally, you would back up your saved information regularly because we all know that our computers can be rather fickle at times, and before we know it all our hard work and saved information can go right down the tubes.

Bookmarked Sites
Many bookmark the patterns that they find on the internet. The danger in doing this is sites disappear or pages are moved by people all the time. Plus, out of site out of mind. The solution for this is to either save the pattern page on your computer by following this path -

File> Save Page As

"File" will be in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. Then the entire page will be saved on to your computer with an extension of .html. Some sites, especially personal sites, will have their code protected so that when you go back to view the page from your computer you'll see a blank screen, but this doesn't happen often. Just in case, though, be sure to open the file from your computer to make sure it saved the page as viewed. Here is a sample of the folders that you can create to organize your patterns on your computer.

The other thing you can do is print the pattern directly from the site, but to save yourself from printing the extras you can highlight only the pattern information and clicking on 'selection' in the Print Range box.

Another useful tool is the PDF Creator, which you'll see in the box for my designated printer. This is extremely useful if you design your own patterns and would like to create a .pdf out of a Word document.

Creative Space

2008-03-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

by Suzanne, Organized Space

Last week I presented some basic Feng Shui principles with regard to the energy flow in a room – how ‘inharmonious’ placements and clutter impede the flow of positive energy (also referred to as Chi).

What is only too true is that the same principle applies to our ability to think creatively and to be able to start and finish tasks or projects.

My main point here is that we all have creative impulses, but they can be blocked by clutter. Clearing away a physical impediment can allow you the freedom to bring these creative, energizing impulses to the surface, and, more importantly, to actually bring them to fruition.

Clutter (the accumulation of unused stuff) gets in the way. It is your past preventing you from moving forward or doing new things. Think about it. You get a great idea that you want to implement, but what happens? You can’t find the tools and supplies you need. You don’t have the space available to do the work. All because of clutter. FlyLady says, “You can’t organize clutter.” You have to remove the clutter to allow yourself to move forward.

When I organized my stash, I displaced a significant amount of clutter that I am now working to remove. As I go, I find that not everything is clutter, which is comforting, but now I have to find a place for what I want to keep. What struck me is that this is an on-going process. As I move towards something new and finish with something else, I need to keep assessing what to keep and what to give up. This is why there is no one perfect organizing system - you don't keep doing the same things.

So, you need to prepare your physical space to allow yourself the mental space to be creative.

Destashing

2008-03-11T10:51:00.001-07:00

The Organized Knitting Club is all about organizing our knitting stuff...and I specifically concern myself with yarn. I'm a professional organizer, and the first thing clients and I usually do together is declutter. It's a rare client indeed who doesn't have extra stuff she's willing to part with to make life a little more organized.

So I challenge you to take a critical look at your stash. Do you have some balls of yarn that have been languishing? Do you ever pick up some yarn and put it right back down because you don't like the way it feels? Is there a color or two in there you just can't figure out what to do with? Perhaps you've started knitting with a certain yarn, then frogged it because you didn't like the way it knitted up. There's no reason you should keep this yarn. Lighten the load and donate it. (Incidentally, this is the same advice I give clients when it comes to clearing out their closets...if a garment doesn't make you feel fabulous, consider parting with it.) In an earlier post, I mentioned a worthy group, Interim House, who will gratefully accept your yarn donations.

Weeding out is one way to destash. Another is to make a commitment to using your stash, rather than buying new yarn. Personally, I think this is easier said than done (I get really excited by patterns sometimes), but it's a worthy endeavor. It helps your pocketbook, saves you space, helps you keep things neat and organized. For advice and encouragement on this journey, there are several Ravelry groups that can help (and I'm sure this is just a small sampling of what's out there):

Stash Knit Down 2008

Stash Busters!

Stash for Cash

Sock Stash Elimination Campaign

A third option is to swap yarn. If you have a yarn you no longer love (or perhaps never did), you might lucky enough to swap it for something you'd adore. It's a "one woman's trash is another woman's treasure" kind of thing. There are many swap groups on Ravelry. Just search the groups using the term "swap" and you'll see all the kinds of swaps available.

Flylady, the homespun guru of decluttering and creating habits, says "You can't organize clutter." If your stash is cluttered with yarn you'll never use, declutter it and then you can organize the stuff that deserves a place in your home.

Ways to Organize Your Small Accessories

2008-03-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

There are several ways to neatly organize your small accessories like stitch markers.

Since I have to be able to easily see my stitch marker inventory, I opted to use Wilton Wedding Favor Tin Kits which feature a clear lid. Each kit includes labels that can be used to denote the particulars of your accessory such as diameter of the hoop, i.e. fits up to US10. I backed each tin with magnetic tape and display them on a magnetic board by size.

Another option would be to use the Cropper Hopper embellishment boxes and storage cases.

These small see-thru embellishment boxes and can be easily labeled and organized using the corresponding embellishment box organizer.

March 30-day Challenge

2008-03-06T10:31:00.001-08:00

Okay!! It’s time to think about our March Challenge!

Your mission, should you decide to take it, is to organize as many areas as you can this month. They don’t have to be big areas. Example - Spice Cabinet. Tackling a bunch of small areas will make a BIG difference in your life. Maybe you will only be able to do four, but the point is you WILL do something and it will make your life so much easier. These areas that you organize can be anywhere in your house or on your property and do not have to pertain to a craft. Organize your tool shed, your storage shed, your utensil drawer in your kitchen, or something as simple as the pencil caddy on your desk.

Make sure to take before and after pics!! Mucho importante! Prizes for the challenge will be announced in a few days.

February Challenge Winners

2008-03-06T10:17:00.000-08:00

This week I get to announce the February Challenge winners. We had some great organization going on last month and it truly inspired many people to tackle their spaces. Congrats, ladies, on winning the prizes and on organizing your space!!

1st Prize - Cindy (rusmilen)**

1-Hour Organizing Consult by Janine

2nd Prize - Angela (CelticFrog)

Knitter’s Almanac donated by Lynne (Durango)

3rd Prize - Suzanne OwlKnits

Project Bag donated by Carmen (Dulcedosa)

4th Prize - Andrea

Stitch Markers donated by Zelphia

5th Prize - Bonnie (BonnieRed)

Hi-light Straight Needles

Here are pics from our first place winner's 30-day Challenge

**The names in parenthesis are their Ravelry ID's

Go with the Flow

2008-03-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese discipline involving the proper alignment and use of space, sort of. The most basic tenant of Feng Shui is to align your living space with the earth's flow of energy (trust me, it's more complex than that, but you get the idea). When the energy flow is unimpeded, then there are more positive influences at work.

We all react positively or negatively to the space we are in. Our responses can be based on the size of the space, the dominant coloring, the lighting, the furnishings, the amount of clutter or mess, among other things.

As we saw in the before and after pictures posted for the February challenge, the reduction of clutter and the establishment of order makes you happier and opens the door to your ability to create.

As an interesting experiment, I would like you to go into a room or area of your house and just stand there for a minute. Look around at the way the furniture is arranged, and the colors and textures used in that space, and at the presence or absence of clutter. Then imagine what you would do to improve it. How would you rearrange furniture for easier access to the space, to enhance communication (if more than one person uses the space), and would you change the colors or textures to change the mood of the space?

Enquiring minds need to know...

Measuring the oddball yarns

2008-03-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of having an organized stash is that you can find (and use) yarn that's leftover from other projects. But what do you do if part of the ball has been used? How can you tell how much is left in the ball?

One higher-tech answer is to use some sort of meter that you'd thread the yarn on the way to a ball winder. By the time you finished re-winding the yarn, you'd know just how much yarn you had to work with.

Such a meter is sold through some knitting catalogs and I was tempted to buy one, though I balked at the $50 price tag. I mentioned it to Rachel, a wonderful employee of my local LYS, Knitorious, and she told me that she had purchased one, but that she learned that it was actually designed to measure fishing wire. That's okay, except that it actually damaged the yarn. She even offered to give me hers, but I declined, for obvious reasons. I don't want to damage my yarn.

But there's hope. Rachel told me about a website for a DIY yardage counter. Check it out. It doesn't look too hard to do. When I have some time and the help of my handy friend Sally, I'm going to make one. And I'll report back here.

I was mentioning this to a knitting friend, who pointed out another solution, one much more low-tech and apparently something people who sew know all about. Just measure the distance from the tip of your nose to the tip of your outstretched fingers when your arm is held all the way out to your side. Then, hold your yarn between your thumb and forefinger on your right hand and hold it at your nose with your other hand. Stretch out your right hand (as you did when you made the initial measurement), letting the yarn glide through the fingers of your left hand. Repeat. See how many times you can do that with your ball of yarn and add it all together.

The Perfect Knitting Bag?

2008-03-03T19:30:00.000-08:00

Look what I found at Target!

Je vous presente, Le Target Merona Work Tote.
Ain't she fine? She's got all the features I've been looking for in a knitting bag, i.e. leather like exterior, nickel feet, sturdy handles, stands up by itself, and edge bumpers. The interior is quite roomy and I like the compartments. BONUS! It only cost me $29.99! YES! I haven't been able to find her online and there was only one on the shelf at the store.

February 30-day Challenge Participants

2008-02-28T19:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, here's the post. If you participated in the February 30-day Organizational Challenge please add the link of the direct post describing your before and after photos for the challenge.

Project Gauge

2008-02-27T23:54:00.000-08:00

To continue the topic of gauges I've put together a nice little chart for you to use when cataloging your gauge swatches. It seems that all kinds of things can be done with swatches, but for those of us that may tend to knit several of the same items or even knit different items using the same yarn, it is a good idea to catalog your gauge swatches so that you are not swatching redundantly. My absolutely favorite yarn to knit with is Lamb's Pride Bulky. I have felted many bags with this yarn, and I love the thickness of the felt and the shine of the yarn. I also like to use KnitPicks Wool of the Andes.

You can put your swatch into a ziplock bag and attach it to the page. Slip the entire thing into a page protector and keep your Gauge record in a 3-ring binder for further reference. If you can think of something else that I could include on this record just leave a comment and I'll be sure to update the page.

Space, Time, and Project Management

2008-02-26T21:33:00.000-08:00

Change isn't easy. I've been 'unventing' this simple truth ever since I signed up for the February 30-day Challenge. My goal - to organize my stash. I got inspiration from many of the posts to this group. What I came up against was that I couldn't simply reshuffle all my yarn into a new set of containers or buy another set of shelves. I had to work with what I had, which meant I had to rethink how I wanted to access my yarn, and the best set-up for doing this.

I approached this on two fronts: the yarn front, and the space front.

I decided to separate my stash into 3 groups: the Works In Progress; the Designated Yarn for a specific project-to-be; and Free Range Yarn. So, I unearthed almost all my WIPs and piled them in my bedroom; then I identified Designated Yarn and moved that into the dining room; which left the Free Range Yarn in the Front Room (used to be the living room). While the rest of my apartment was in shambles, I now had room to look more critically at the space in the Front Room and could now try to come up with a plan for arranging "the stash."

It was important to me to keep everything as visible as possible, so I could see what was waiting to be knit up, and also see what I still had to play with. I told myself to think outside the box, and came up with the idea of hanging WIPs in plastic bags from a metal shelving unit I have (pictures will be available at the end-of-challenge reveal). Ideally I should be able to walk around both sides of the shelving, so I will have to relocate it (thankfully, it's on wheels!). The cabinet for Free Range Yarn wasn't on wheels, and I first had to dismantle the shelf unit that was on top of it (for which I have plans in the dining-room-about-to-become-office/reading area). I emptied the cabinet (which is 6-feet long and about 3-feet high), removed the sliding glass doors, maneuvered sliders under each corner, and dragged it across the room to the outside wall where there are no plugs. The small computer desk was relocated where the cabinet had been, because both the telephone jack and an electrical outlet are on that wall.

I know this is not the most interesting chain of events, but in order to reorganize my stash, I needed to reorganize my space. And in order to reorganize my space, I needed a step-by-step plan. Even though I started working toward my goal of Organizing Stash at the beginning of the month, it took me almost 3 weeks to work out what needed to be done, and in what order things needed to be done, before I actually started the work.

This is the basis of Project Management - figure out what you have to do in fairly granular detail, and then do it. Don't leap in and start what you don't know how to finish. Always have a back-up plan for each step, in case what you thought would work doesn't (if it isn't obvious, I'm a Professional Project Manager, I can get points towards maintaining my certification for this project, if I wanted to).

After all this, the motto for this week's Organized Space blog post is: "take the time to carefully plan how best to use your space."

Suzanne

Swatches, swatches everywhere

2008-02-26T05:22:00.001-08:00

Over at the OKC group at Ravelry, Jenean brought up the question of what to do with gauge swatches. It's hard for some of us to persuade ourselves to even knit swatches. I find it torture when I want to dive right into a new project to have to start instead by knitting at 4 x 4" square. (And maybe more than one, if the gauge isn't right on the first attempt.)

But let's assume we all actually knit swatches, as we should for most of our projects. What do we do with the little masterpieces once we're through with them?

I know that I've always been loath to throw them away. They're sort of nice to touch and look at. And they represent effort. But I can't recommend what I do with them--I cram them into the purse organizer that holds my hibernating knitting projects. Surely there's a better way.

I guess the answer is to examine why you keep the gauge swatch. If, as Jenean suggested, it's because you might use the same yarn with the same needles again, and you want to avoid having to re-knit your swatch, then keeping it makes sense. But it's imperative, in that case, to identify your little swatch. You need to indicate the yarn and needles used. Otherwise it's useless. But then what do you do with it?

A three-ring binder with sheet protectors makes sense to me. You could use secure sheet protectors to keep the swatch from falling out of the top of the notebook. Another thought would be a fisherman's worm binder (which is how I store my circular needles). Still another idea would be to put them in ziploc bags and store them in boxes or bins. You could also affix them to your knitting-project journal, but that'd make for a pretty lumpy journal.

Pondering this has made me question whether I should be keeping them at all. Do I just throw them away? I suppose I could stitch them together and make a little blanket for my cat to snuggle in. (Hey, that's not a bad idea!) The truth of the matter is that I've never referred to a gauge swatch after the project was over, so I think it's time for me to either think of a way to reuse them (my cat, Joe, who is supervising me as I write this, votes for the gauge-swatch-kitty-bed idea) or toss them.

In the Ravelry thread, Suzanne made the very good point that you should at minimum keep the gauge swatch until the project is finished, in case you run out of yarn and need to unravel it.

I'm making a vow to myself (and a note in my calendar) to do something about or with my collection of swatches before the end of March.

How about you? Do you keep your gauge swatches? If so, why? And what do you do with them? If you don't keep them, have you ever regretted it?

Electric Mixer Yarn Ball Winder

2008-02-25T19:29:00.000-08:00

Got a lot of yarn to wind and not enough bicep power? Try one of these relatively inexpensive Do It Yourself methods, The Electric Mixer Yarn Ball Winder.

Fig and Plum's Hand Mixer Method

Mama Bear's Stand Mixer Method

..and for the ultra adventurous Do It Yourselfers

The Lego Electric Yarn Ball Winder

What's in the Medicine Cabinet?

2008-02-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

It's Friday already! And I'll go with what's been high up on my last this past week - the medicine cabinet. Here in the northeast US, the flu is sweeping across the region. It hit my house - particularly me - last week. As the mom of 4, I hate having to drag a sick kid to the drugstore, or maybe worse - a sick me and 4 kids, so I try to keep my cabinet stocked; here's a few tips for you to do the same.
- Go thru your medicines regularly and check for expirations. From my understanding, expired meds won't make you sick, they just won't make you well; they lose their potency. Throw out your expired meds, whether prescriptions or over-the-counter. I suggest you do this at the beginning of each "season" - allergy, cold, flu, sunburn.
- Re-stock - now while everyone's healthy. Get pain reliever/fever reducer for everyone in your household (adult, kids, infants), cold medicine, something for flu symptoms, ginger ale, PediaLyte, whatever it is you use when you are sick.
- If there are kids in your house, make sure all of these are put up some where safe from their curious hands.

Simple enough, right? Now, just sick back and cross your fingers and hope you won't have to use any of it.
Happy Friday!

Condensing Magazine Patterns & Articles

2008-02-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

We begin our organizing adventure today with just that - beginning! Like me I'm sure that you have every intention of getting organized. You might have even planned what you would like to organize, but as the week progresses suddenly you realize it's Thursday again and you haven't organized a thing!! Well, that was almost me. I actually did do some organizing this week, but failed to organize my patterns, if you can believe that. I organized my spice cabinet and a utility shelf (which I failed to take pictures of) in my laundry room.

So, today I attempted to organize part of my desk, which meant also pulling out the stack of magazines that I had stacked on my stash shelf. After pulling out this stack of saved magazines I realized I needed to reduce more than just my knitting magazines. I didn't tackle all of the magazines because I hadn't purchased enough 3-ring binders or page protectors, but I did tear out the patterns from my Interweave magazines and my Family Handyman mags that I wanted to keep. I've decided to donate my Family Fun magazines to our local MOMS Club, and I will save the articles from Working Mother that I like.

As you can see, this side of my desk is in shambles. It's been this way for years. I clean my desk, but never really organize it so things just end up back the way they were rather quickly. My biggest problem is paper and keeping up with the slew of bills that need to be organized daily. In this picture you can also see binder which are no longer in use and a few that have not been in use for at least a year or more.

So, what did I do with all this stuff? I threw it all on my bed and sorted it. Even though I do have a drawer for bills, I simply sorted the ones that were laying on my desk and that were stuffed into the slots that you see, into a box that I will need to sort through later because some of the bill can seriously be thrown away. All the books I put in the bookshelf that is in my livingroom and the rest of the stuff got sorted into a box for my husband to go through.

The end result is rather nice. I even have some empty space with with to buy a few more binders to sort the other magazine 'keepers' into. I still have yet to actually put titles to my binders, but I'll work on that a little later today.

Go Vertical

2008-02-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

Go Vertical. That's my message for the week.

As you look around at what you have and try to work out ways to store it, think upward. Use shelves - they come in all sizes with a "footprint" that can be fit almost anywhere. Use hooks in singles or in groups. Use skirthangers. Mount shelves over a doorway - move stuff up there you don't use, and then put your knitting stuff where it is accessible.

One part of the solution, at least for me, is to arrange things so that they are visible. "Out of sight, out of mind" is too true.

This leads to a slight subject detour - the 30-day challenge. I have accepted it, and am working diligently to get my stash organized. It's a slow process for me, but it is happening. I've put all my WIPs in one place - my bedroom, for now, in a pile that blocks my dresser. I have been separating out "assigned" yarn (which is slated to be used for a specific project) and "free-range" yarn which has not yet been assigned a project. The good news is that I have a lot less free-range yarn than I thought, which makes this challenge a little easier to complete.

I'll have pictures for next week. In the meantime, if any of you have pictures of successful vertical storage, please share!

Organizing the WiPs

2008-02-19T05:03:00.000-08:00

When I look at my stash -- which I wish I could say was beautifully organized, but that would be a bit of a lie -- I realize that one of my obstacles is dealing with the works in progress (WiPs). Recently I finished a project (Quant, from Knitty) and realized I didn't know what I was going to work on next. Now, I have no shortage of WiPs, but most are what I would call abandoned projects. And they're tucked away in the Kangaroom purse organizer that I mentioned in last week's post. It's going to be awhile before I feel like working on those projects again.

So when I ran out of things I wanted to knit, I went through my pattern notebook and found a sweater and a poncho that I wanted to make. I then started on the delicious process of deciding on yarn and color and actually finding and purchasing the yarn. So now I've started the projects and the yarn's just sitting in shopping bags on top of my stash cubes. I'm all about form over function, but that' just plain ugly.

When I started looking at things, I realized that I have some other WiPs that I wouldn't consider abandoned. And they're basically cluttering up my stash cubes as well. So what's the solution? One method that's worked well for a long, long-term project (Barbara Walker's Learn-to-Knit Afghan, for which I'll eventually knit 63 eight-by-eight squares in 63 different stitch patterns) is to store the completed squares in a large pop-up cube and the square-in-progress in a bag. I use a cosmetics case for this project, one that I purchased from Target. It holds a ball or two of yarn, the square in progress on the needles, the pattern book, and stitch markers. Here it is.

So I thought I'd adapt that idea by storing my WiPs that I'm actually working on (or might be working on soon) in knitting bags. That way, I can just grab the bag for the project I want to work on. So I emptied the unsightly plastic grocery bags and put the projects into the various and sundry bags I had on hand. I added hand-written tags to identify the project contained in each bag. Then I lined them up for a photo. It's sort of a motley looking group of bags, but it's organized and not too ugly!

It occurs to me that I nice coat tree might store the WiP bags nicely. A sweater organizer would do the trick, too, if I had rod space in my closet for it. Or a book shelf would work. Right now, floor space is what I have, so there the bags rest.

What about you? How do you store your works in progress?

Essential Knitting Bag Items

2008-02-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some items that I regularly carry in my knitting bag.

- Tape Measure
- Calculator
- Needle Gauge
- Stitch Holders
- Cable Needles
- Safety Pins
- Small Rubberbands or 9.0mm Jump Rings or beaded stitch markers
- Row Counter
- Needlepoint Protectors

Finishing - Clover Chibi Blunt Tapestry Needles
- US F/5 3.75mm Crochet Hook; great for picking up dropped stitches, seaming or binding off.
- Child's Blunt Tip Scissors

Reference Materials
- The Knitter's Handbook by XRX Knitter's Magazine
- The Crocheter's Companion by Nancy Brown

Bookmarking
- Notepad
- Pen/Pencil
- Highlighter
- 3M Sticky Notes
- 3M Post It Durable Index Tabs

$10,000 for the Messiest Office Contest

2008-02-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

Do you think that you have the messiest office? If you can prove it with a picture or a video you just may win $10,000 or one of the lessor $5,000 prizes. It would be awesome if one of our readers won. Hurry ~ the deadline is February 25th!

Messiest Office Contest

Organizing your Closet

2008-02-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! It’s a long holiday weekend (for those who get President’s Day off on Monday) so I thought it would be a good time for a long project. This week, we’ll begin filtering through all those clothes, shoes, hats, scarves, and jackets in your closet and creating some order. You’ve gained weight, lost weight, changed your style – but all those old clothes are still hanging there. So here we go – let’s start with hanging clothes.

Pull everything out off the hanging bars in your closet if you have the time to do this all at once. I know Flylady doesn’t like this approach, so if you are a loyalist to her method or feel overwhelmed by the idea of spending an hour or two going through your closet, then do what you can get thru in 15 minutes or just a portion of your closet.

Go through each piece of clothing and evaluate it – does it fit? Do you like it? Is it still in style? Is it in good shape?

If the answer to these questions is YES, hang it back up and place it back in your closet.

Consider if you have a preference for plastic or wood hangers, instead of the dry cleaner wire hangers. Some folks feel that the plastic and wood hold clothes’ shape better. This can also be an economical decision, evaluate whether you can afford to purchase as many hangers as you would need for your clothes.

Hang your clothes in categories, like at the department store. Pants together, shirts, blouses, sweaters. For your sweaters, consider folding them and hanging them over the bar of the hanger rather than by the shoulders, the way they come back from a drycleaner, so as not to pull on the shoulders. I also hang my clothes by color (all white button shirts, black sweaters, pink blouses, slacks, jeans, etc.) so that I can quickly find what I’m looking for.

If you answered NO to the questions above – you have to make some decisions about what to do with it. If you are losing weight – here’s a weight-loss tip a few years ago – once you have lost gone down a clothing size, get rid of that larger size clothes so you don’t have a safe haven to go back to. If you are gaining weight, but hope to return to your smaller size, pull those clothes out for now so you don’t get frustrated by those little clothes and pile them aside. Of course, if you are going thru a temporary size gain – pregnancy for instance, this probably isn’t the time to worry about this, just think about style. If anything needs repair, decide if you are really going to sew on that button or fix that zipper; if so, make another pile. If not, put it in a discard pile. (In some areas, the recycling centers and/or animal shelters will take fabric so you can look into that if you are interested in recycling your unwearables.) Lastly, if you just don’t like it, but its wearable, put it into a donation pile.

So now you have 4 areas – closet, discard/recycle, repair, donate. And “smaller size” for those working to lose weight and get back into that old size. All your clothes should end up in one of these piles.

(Some of you have multiple closets and can switch for the seasons. I don’t, all my clothes are in one closet – but I do rotate them for the season. Right now, all my winter clothes are in the front of my closet and summer is in the back. Later in the spring, I’ll go thru this same process with my summer clothes as I move them up to the front.)

Repeat these steps for the remaining areas or another 15 minutes, as your schedule allows. Then step back and look at your wonderfully ordered closet.

And those piles you made? Bag/box them now for donations and discard/recycling. Find places for them to go and make an appointment with yourself to get rid of them within a week. The repair pile – make an appointment with you, your sewing box, and your pile of clothes to get them done.

Moms – you also have the added chore of going through your kids clothes. Here’s a tip for your donations pile – identify friends who want your kids’ hand-me-down clothes, I don’t think anyone gets offended if you ask. As you go through your children’s clothes, place a bag labeled with each recipient’s name and place the clothes in the bag as you go along. When you are done, call them and arrange to get the bag to them.

Have fun!

Thursday Patterns

2008-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

This week I'm going to talk a little bit about storing fabric patterns. Because many of us who knit also sew I felt like this is an area that needs to be discussed. I, myself, separate my knitting supplies from my sewing supplies, but in any case, organizing one area will hopefully help us to organize other areas of our craft life.

On the Ravelry forum I shared my current method of storing my patterns.
I purchased a little Mobile Work Center from Wal-Mart a couple of years ago to store some of my sewing supplies as well as the patterns that I've collected. I don't have a lot of patterns right now, so this method has been good to me.

I'm able to store my sewing machine supplies, thread, and other little doo-dads in the work center. As you can see, right below the tray is where I keep my patterns. What I've done with many of my patterns because I can never fold them the same way they came out of the package is to place the pattern and package inside of a ziplock bag.

I wanted to highlight some of the other storage options that I've found while searching the net that I thought would work well.

Sue's Pattern Pockets
Each 3-ring page contains a smaller pocket to store the pattern package while the rest of the page is used as a storage for the pattern itself.

Sterlite 4-Drawer Carts
If you have more patterns then you want sitting on a bookshelf another option would be to put them in these clear drawers. You can separate your patterns by type and by size if you have more than one of the same pattern.

If you decide to tackle your patterns this week I've love for you to come back here and share what has worked best for you.

It's Like Playing Dominos

2008-02-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

This Club has got me working! I accepted the 30-day Challenge and have started organizing my yarn. I shifted, dug, and unearthed 43 WIPs, entered them into a spreadsheet, and then relocated them, temporarily, into my bedroom. This is not the greatest picture, but as you can see, there's a lot of knitting that needs to be done.

What does this have to do with Organized Space? Well, once the projects were out of the way, there was more room to access and assess the rest of my stash and the space used to store it, and I can now consider how I am going to rearrange and declutter.

My next yarn-related task will be to ferret out all the yarn that I have bought for a specific project and isolate it along with its pattern. This group will join the WIP group in my bedroom, in its own pile to keep it separate, and will give me even more space to work in. I plan to shift around furniture, and set up a cozy knitting nook with proper lighting and a comfortable chair, not to mention relocating the computer and printer closer to the telephone outlet and plugs, after I move the 6-ft long cabinet that's against the wall.

This whole process involves a series of related steps. Once I started on the first one (WIP identification and relocation), the next one fell into place. Because I knew my overall goal, I could break the process down into babysteps (Flylady, I'm over here) that are manageable.

So I encourage you to look at your space, figure out what you want as an end result, and then work backwards from there to formulate a plan. Obviously, we're all here to help with encouragement and with suggestions.

Where to store that stash

2008-02-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

Last week, I talked about the steps involved in sorting out your stash (figuring out how you use it and therefore how you should organize it), then sorting and purging. Once you've accomplished that, you're ready to make some decisions about how to store all the yarn you saved. In last week's post, I cautioned you not to buy storage until after you've sorted and purged, so that you'll buy appropriate containers.

But once you've decided how you want to organize your yarn, you've sorted and purged your stash, and you know the sizes of containers you need for each category of yarn, you can move on to the fun part: buying containers. (At least that's my idea of a good time.)

What containers should you buy? It depends on your aestethic, on your space, and, of course, on what you're trying to store. So I'll run through some options here.

Personally, at the moment I use pop-up cloth storage cubes. I got them at Home Goods for $10 for a package of six (two each of three different sizes). They're not gorgeous, but they're functional. Here's a photo of one of the cubes, the one that contains my worsted weight yarn. Since I have so much Cascade 220, I put all it on the bottom of the cube and put a file folder on top of the Cascade 220 to separate it from the rest of the worsted.

To label the cubes, I use old-fashioned wooden clothespins with labels attached. (I use my handy Brother PTouch labelmaker for the labels.) I like this method because I can easily move the clothespin if I put that category of yarn in another container. Here's a close-up of the labels for the worsted container. There are two clothespins on the cube because there are two categories in it.

I also have small categories of yarn in my stash that are types, rather than weights, of yarn. I store them in plastic kitchen canisters on a bookshelf in my craft room.

So that's how I do it. You can probably tell that I value function over form. And that I don't have a gigantic stash. If you're more into things looking great, there are still lots of options. Here are a few favorites.

I happen to own this purse organizer from Kangaroom. I use it for works in progress and for other random things, but it could definitely be used to hold stash. In fact, Kangaroom now markets it that way. They're calling it a "hanging yarn organizer." You can find the description here:

Sweater organizers are great, too. Like the Kangaroom yarn organizer, these organizers typically are made to hang over the rod of a closet. So if you have a spare closet with some rod space, you can set up a nice system. Here's one from the Container Store that I like. It's translucent, so you can see the colors from all sides.

If closet space is at a premium, you could even buy a rolling garment rack to hang these organizers on. If dust is an issue, get one with a cover, like Shae shared with us in the OKC discussion boards at Ravelry. Over at Lowe's, they call this a "portable closet".

Getting away from organizers, there's the wire cube option, which Dulcedosa recommended in the OKC discussion boards on Ravelry.

Then there's furniture. Any type of chest or drawers or dresser or cabinet can be converted into a fabulous yarn-storage system. In my opinion, labels are crucial to keep items stored out of sight straight. If you can't stand the look on the label on the outside of a drawer, consider putting in on the top edge of the drawer, visible only when you open the drawer. You can repurpose a piece of furniture or find one cheaply at a flea market or yard sale.

Of course, plastic bins work well and many people store their yarn in zip-top plastic bags. Those tend to not stack very easily, so may not be space efficient. But they're a great way to separate categories within another type of container.

These are just a few ideas. I'll share more later. If you store your yarn in different ways, please feel free to share your stash storage solutions in the comments!

The Splash Pencil Case

2008-02-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

Browsing around Walgreens drugstore the other night, I stumbled across these cool little "Splash Pencil Cases". At first, I didn't know what I would do with them besides the obvious, but I bought everyone that they had. Standing in the checkout line, it dawned on me that I could adopt these to hold my crochet hooks, double pointed needles, stitch markers, cable needles and various other sundries. Made from heavy gauge vinyl with heavy duty snaps on both end and measuring 9 in. x 3 in., these cases are functional, transparent, durable and come in a variety of colors like pink, yellow, orange and blue.

Of course, I had to buy the pink calculator pencil case, too.

Stay tuned for the DIY version, where I'll post a template and supply list with detailed directions on how to make a similar case.

Happy Friday!

2008-02-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

I'm Frances and on Fridays, we'll be working to get our non-yarn lives organized. I think my fellow columnists/blogger Suzanne said it best, "I'm organized, but I'm not neat". Thus, there's piles of laundry on my living room floor, but they are organized stacks for each person in the household, by which drawer or closet they go into. Speaking of my household - I'm a wife and stay-at-home mom of 4 little people. ("Stay-at-home" is a misnomer because I am rarely at home, so you will see that some of my articles will be about being organized on the go, but I guess its better than "unemployed", sounds more modern than "homemaker", and is less likely to offend than "full-time mom".) When hubby and the kids allow, I enjoy reading, scrapbooking, crocheting, and cooking. I have space in Ravelry.com, am a Creative Memories Consultant and have a scrap website - www.love2scrap.ning.com, sometimes blog at http://slackermomof4.blogspot.com and coordinate 2 bookclubs (plus my daughter's newly formed one), am a PTA officer, and active in my community. I'm sure you could run down your list of what you do and who you are and we'd see that we are all busy folks trying to keep hold of our sanity. Hopefully, I'll be helpful in that. And, please, feel free to share with me your ideas, suggestions, and questions and I will do my best to follow up.
*****************
With intros done, let's begin. Let's first talk about that infamous "to-do" list. I know, there are list people and not list people. I'm talking to the list people, because frankly, I don't know how the non-list people function, I need a list to go upstairs and return with what I went up there for, though I think that has more to do with those brain cells one loses in pregnancy rather than being unorganized, but that's another conversation - back to our list. I used to write my list with all the things I needed to do in the forseeable future, then at the end of the day find that I have crossed off 2 of the 37 things on the list because it was just to overwhelming. But my new system is to write a shorter list - only 10 items, no more, possibly less - for the day. Preferably, I make the list the night before so I can start the morning off just thinking about making a cup of coffee. Ten seemed like a good, popular number so I use 10, perhaps you need a few more, but let's say 15 is a limit. Put the things that have to be done on that day, and when you get to 10 (or 15) stop. Go to the post office, get cash, drop off cookies to school. If you have more to do - figure out what can go on the next day's list, juggle stuff around, even start a list for the week if you need to plan that way, but don't put more than 10 on a day's list.

The list includes the big things (pay mortgage) and the little things (sew button on J's shirt). And the little things, I really try to make sure I do because those are usually the ones important to my little people and isn't that the whole point of parenthood? So yes, get paint off doll, sew teddy's nose back on, and pick up newspaper for school project is on the list along with file tax assessment and make bank deposit. In fact, when I feel very busy and that I may overlook an important person, I make it a point to put one item on the list for each person in the family. If someone doesn't have an immediate need, then I ask if there's something they want on the list (can be fun!)

My list for today? Send get well card to S.; drop off coffee mugs to St Johns; wrap baby blanket (gift); p/u diapers and breakfast for C.; make snacks for girls' bookclub; make brownies and drinks for crop; get babysitter for Sunday. Not 10 things yet, but probably by the morning. And I feel like I can get these things done because its only 10 and I've got all day!

Try it, let me know how it works for you. Happy Friday!

Knitting Patterns - What to do with them!

2008-02-07T00:09:00.000-08:00

I am probably the most unorganized of this group of writers. I need lots and lots of help! But, don't we all feel the same way? I tend to see lots of patterns online that I like and want to eventually get to, so I bookmark the patterns and usually it's out of sight out of mind. The other thing that I tend to do is when I have a particular project in mind I search Knitty.com or Ravelry for the perfect pattern. I print the pattern out and put it in my project bag with all the supplies that I need for that project. What do I do when I want to do that project again later down the road? I print the pattern out again! Yes, I know, it's insanity! Such a waste of paper!

While perusing the forums of The Organized Knitting Club on Ravelry I've noticed that many of you have different methods to savings those treasured patterns. Some of the top methods mentioned were -

Bookmarking the pattern site
Printing the pattern and keeping in a notebook
Printing the pattern and putting it in a bag with yarn for the project

While doing research for this topic I'd have to say the one that will get you into trouble would be bookmarking the site where the pattern in located. Why? Because the site may disappear. Last year I was desperately searching for Dobby Socks. Those are the socks that Dobby knitted in the Harry Potter series, and many have since published various patterns (thank goodness!). At the time the only pattern available was no longer available, which resulted in quite a few broken links. So, these are the methods that I found most useful and will be putting into practice this next week. I will be sharing before and after photos of my pattern archiving in next week's article.

Step One
Start a 3-ring binder with tabs in alphabetical order. Fill with plastic page-protector sleeves. As you print out the patterns that you'd be interested in knitting, stick them in the appropriate section in your notebook. If you have a lot of patterns you might have to use one notebook per category. If there are patterns which you find yourself knitting often you might want to place those patterns in their own special section in the front of the notebook.

Step Two
What about all those knitting magazines that you have laying around? This is a tip that I learned from Martha Stewart: After 6 months or so tear the patterns out of the magazines which you would like to keep and file them with your other patterns in the 3-ring binders. From there you can either toss the old magazines, or better yet, donate the magazines to your nearest elementary school.

Next week I'll share about sewing pattern storage and display my attempts at organizing my knitting patterns.

What do YOU need for Organized Space?

2008-02-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

I've gotten a lot a good ideas from all the posts, but while I'm reading about what people have done, the question that pops into my mind is:

What do we need? Is it more space; a good organizing system; the furniture to implement a good organizing/storage system, or some do-it-yourself plans for storage, workspaces, and filing; or your own chair and light so you can sit comfortably?

What are your answers?

What do you need?

Just to show you that I, too, have needs, I'm putting my money where my mouth is, and posting two pictures of one corner of my knitting room.

Getting started organizing your stash

2008-02-05T04:53:00.000-08:00

Depending on how big your stash is, the prospect of organizing it can be daunting. But you acquired all that yarn because you love yarn, right? Isn't the thought of cleaning out and organizing your stash more appealing than, say, cleaning out and organizing your garage?

The first step in the process is to plan. Think about how you use your yarn. Do you select a pattern, then go to your stash to see if you have any yarn to use for it? If so, it might make most sense to organize it by weight. Put all your worsted-weight yarn together, your bulky, etc.

Or do you go to your stash looking for a specific color to work with? Then maybe you should organize it by color.

Perhaps you think about new projects by type. You think to yourself, "I want to knit a pair of socks." Or, "I feel like making a lace shawl." In that case, perhaps you would want to group your stash by type of yarn.

Think about your favorite LYS. How do they organize their yarn? There's a yarn store in the town I grew up in, Walla Walla, Washington, called Knitochet. The owner organizes the yarn by color. It's gorgeous. When I was there over Christmas, I wanted to make a pink scarf for my mother. So a store organized by color was perfect. But I would never organize my stash that way -- I go shopping in my stash for yarn for specific patterns. So I organize by weight, with a few special categories for types of yarn thrown in for good measure.

If you can identify how you use your stash, you can figure out how to organize it. Once you've come up with categories, it's time to sort it. Just dive in. You have your categories set up, so assign a box or bin (or bins) for each category. Labels can be helpful. An index card, Post-it, or piece of paper attached with a binder clip is easy to make, doesn't fall off, but is movable if the size of your bin needs to change. Pick up each ball or skein, fondle it, then put it in the appropriate bin.

If you come across yarn that you hated working with, or that turned out to be scratchy, or was just a bad idea in the first place, consider letting it go. Your stash should be populated by yarn you love. Your local knitting guild might accept yarn for charity knitting. You might be able to swap it with knitting friends. Or you could consider donating it to Interim House in Philadelphia, a residential alcohol and drug rehab center for women that has a terrific knitting program. I blogged about my knitting group's donation to Interim House here.

Once you've sorted everything out and let go of what you don't love -- and I realize this might take some time, depending on the size of your stash -- you can figure out how you want to store your stash. Here's a dire warning: Don't go shopping for containers until you've completed the sorting and purging. You won't know what you need before you've accomplished that. You could waste money on inappropriate containers. This is money you could have used for yarn.

Watch this space: Next Tuesday I'll talk about some storage options for your stash. In the meantime, figure out how you want to organize your yarn and start that sorting!

The Perfect Knitting Bag?

2008-02-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

...does it really exist or is it merely a figment of our imagination like Utopia or Shangrila or...*insert your version of paradise here*.

Sure, I have a pretty decent knitting bag that I managed to snag from Joann's with one of my 50% off coupons, but I have a deep seeded longing for more. You see my current knitting bag is proportionately good, but the design and material are lacking...no feet, the bottom corners are balding, no structure, no pockets for organization and the side snaps always come undone (notice the gem clips holding the sides closed).

I need something above and beyond what I have today. A bag of monumental proportion. My perfect one. A bag that is tall, wide, deep, sturdy, able to stand on its own, stylish, contemporary, functional... *sigh* Alas, I have not found it yet. My perfect one!

I wonder if I should just sew one and get it over with?
I had been eyeing the Amy Butler Weekender Bag.

More photos of it on the Craftoholic blog.

but upon further reflection of my real desires, I envision something more along the lines of these bags...

The Levenger Bellagio Play Bag (discontinued)

I love the leather bumpers, the nickel feet, the open interior with the organizational panel, leather handles with the nickel post and the bridge snap closure.

Target has a magnificent line of work laptop totes that convert nicely as craft bags. These bags are attractive, sturdy and affordable for most buyers.

What if I disassemble my current bag and do a "Six Million Dollar Man" job on it and make it better, faster, yadda, yadda? You know...add some feet, sew on some bumpers, stiffen the sides with plastic mesh? *hmmm* Yeah, maybe not. The search goes on...

What characteristics/features does your "PERFECT ONE" have to have?
Comment with a link to your perfect one.

Suzanne says HI!

2008-02-01T05:36:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm Suzanne of Owlknits. I'm a very long-time knitter, mostly self-taught, and over the past 5 years I've been delving more and more deeply into knitting. It now takes up a lot of my time, since I'm the Channel Producer for Knit-A-Yarn, a web-based channel for knitters. We produce video podcasts about knitting. I'm also a Professional Project Manager, which means that I know how to organize a project. I always used to tell people, "I'm organized, not neat." My yarn room needs a lot of work, and I know that this group will give me the motivation to get things done, and I hope that by moderating the Organized Space forum, that I will be even more motivated!!

Introducing The Tools & Supplies Maven...

2008-01-31T21:42:00.000-08:00

Well Hello There!

Many of you may know me as "dulcedosa" on Ravelry and from my blog, "Sweet Knittilicious Spot". My friends, family and co-workers call me "Carmen"...among other select appellations.

Besides being an avid knitter, crocheter, seamstress, jewelry maker, card maker, full time employee at a big corporate entity, part-time employee at a gym, guild member, friend, lover and humble servant to Miss Kitty, I am the sole proprietor of GirleyPurls.

I wouldn't categorize myself as an obsessive or even compulsive organizer, but more someone who has a natural inclination to organize things to a certain degree. No my socks aren't all rolled up and organized by size or color, but my scrapbook paper is. :)

I look forward to discovering and sharing all kinds of storage solutions for all your tools & accessories. We'll explore everything from the tried and true to the latest, greatest innovations the crafting world has to offer...DIY to high end. You name it, we'll have it for you to peruse and implement.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with information on systems you encounter as you surf the web or browse your local merchants. You can never have enough choices.

The Other Jenean

2008-01-31T15:59:00.001-08:00

Hello! My name is Jenean and I'm very much opposite of a professional organizer :) I love to organize group activity and will be getting my bachelors degree in Hospitality Management in a year's time. I'm the founder of the club and started it because I need help with organizing my 'stuff' and figured that other people need help too.

In my section I hope to share ways to organize your projects, patterns, and even a few tips that you can do along the way which will streamline your knitting process. I more than anyone HATE doing gauge swatches, but I'll show you a method to the madness of only doing your gauge swatches once per weight/per needle size.

I'm excited to have you here with us and I hope that many more will join in and make organize a fun part of our lives.

Intro from Janine

2008-01-31T13:49:00.000-08:00

Jenean asked me to introduce myself. I'm Janine Adams, owner of Peace of Mind Organizing in St. Louis, Missouri, and an enthusiastic knitter. I'll be contributing weekly posts on organizing your yarn stash.

I began knitting in January 2005, six months before I started my organizing business. (I was a freelance writer for ten years before that.) I knit almost every day and while I'm by no means an advanced knitter, I'm sure enjoying the learning process. Right now I'm learning entrelac by making the Quant headband from Knitty. I love making felted items. The resulting fabric seems like magic to me, and it hides all sorts of mistakes. I think one of my favorite FOs is the felted intarsia Wobbly Circles tote I made last year. I blogged about it on my organizing (and sometimes knitting) blog here.

As a professional organizer, I love organizing stuff, naturally. One of the things I love organizing in my own house is my knitting stuff, including my stash, needles, notions, and patterns. It's a constant, if enjoyable, challenge.

I'm always interested in the ways people store their stashes and even more interested in how they organize them. (Sort yarn by weight? Color? Fiber? The possibilities seem virtually limitless.) I look forward to presenting some cool ideas on this blog!

Our First Challenge!

2008-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

The 30-Day Organizing Challenge

Do you have an area in your home where you store your crafts that has been bothering you, which you have been wanting to get organized for awhile, and which you are tired of looking at? Over the next 30-days you'll have something to do about it and we want to help. Our intention is not to overburden or overwhelm you but to support you and have others in blogland support you. Clutter is not our friend (Mantra to repeat to yourselves over and over again).

The challenge if you choose to accept it is this:

Organize one area or room in your house and post the before (don’t be scared) and after pictures on your blog. On February 29th we will put up a Mr. Linky for you to link up to so we can all share in your success. If you feel up to it, post your before pictures now and let us know about it in the Mr. Linky below. We would love to cheer you on!

Oh, and what would a challenge be without a PRIZE?? We still have to work out the details on that but, oh yeah, we definitely have to have a prize.

If you would like to participate, please sign your name below to Mr. Linky. This way everyone in the challenge will be able to visit you and root you on to de-cluttering success! Please feel free to grab the challenge plaque and link it from your blog.

To link from your Blogger blog you need to save the image to your computer and then upload the image to a photo hosting site or to your own website server. Example photo hosting sites would be Flickr, Photobucket, or on a server.

Go to your blogger template and choose 'Add New Element' and then choose html/java script. Copy and paste the code below into the window that pops up.

Then go to where you have your image stored, and if it's through a photo hosting site, right click on the image and choose 'properties.' Highlight and copy the code where it says 'location.' Paste the code into the proper section of the code below and you should be good to go.

Prizes

1st Prize

1-Hour Organizing Consult by Janine

2nd Prize

Knitter's Almanac donated by Lynne (Durango)

3rd Prize

Project Bag donated by Carmen (Dulcedosa)

4th Prize

Stitch Markers donated by Zelphia

Welcome to the Organized Knitting Club!!

2008-01-30T10:02:00.001-08:00

We are so glad that you stopped by to visit us!! This is a new club which originated on Ravelry. We actually take many of our tips from our Ravelry members and will be sharing the most popular methods of organizing your stash, your craft space, your supplies, and your patterns. We will be researching new ways to make our lives easier as we - inevitably - accumulate more and more 'stuff' to feed our craft-like habits. Won't you join us?

Upcoming Features

Monthly Contests & Prize Drawings
Every month we'll run a contest on our blog that will spur us on to organize just a little bit more of our lives. The contests will challenge us to organize our stash, create a pattern notebook, or just to organize our space just a little bit more.

Organized Stash
Last year Anna shared about her mother-in-laws stash. Does your stash have it's own space? Is yarn found in the strangest places in your house? Does it share space with other 'loves?' Janine will be sharing her organizational tips on how to organize your stash so that it's manageable.

Organized Tools & Supplies
Carmen will be sharing with us some ways to manage all the tools and supplies that come with our hobby (or lifestyle as it may be). She will highlight various products that might work for you and help you to store your various needles and other supplies.

Organized Space
Suzanne will be sharing with us ways to organize our space. What is the best way to organize the space in which you do most of your knitting, crocheting, or sewing? Are your tools and supplies easily reachable or do you have to move things around every time you access them? Organized closet from EasyClosets.com.

Organized Patterns & Projects
Do you download and print patterns off the web every chance you get? Do you have magazines floating around your house because their are patterns in there that you want to try out? Are your UFO's still lurking in the corners of your mind? I, Jenean, will be sharing tips on how to organize all those patterns and projects that we seem to accumulate almost daily!

Other Topics
Other topics include Organized Patterns and Fabrics. We're still looking for people to write these articles, so if you are interested or you know someone who would love to share their ideas, please have them email at bordeaux700 AT Yahoo DOT com.

Our Blog Roll
If you would like to be included in our Blog Roll leave a comment to this blog with your site url. Feel free to grab a button and link back to our site also. Let's get organized!!