Alexa: Gourmet Crafter

Keeping my projects and extra yarn straight

March 11, 2008 at 9:23 pm (Uncategorized) (Knitting, organization)

I always find it tough to know what to do with that little bit of yarn left over from a project. I can’t throw it away, there might be a problem with the project that may need some yarn to fix it. It’s tough to remember after a while which yarn is left over from which project. It’s just plain tough to keep it all straight! So, the other day I decided to do something about it.

Step one: keeping excess yarn straight. I used a craft punch and made a bunch of tags. I then wrote the type of yarn and the project on the tag and wrapped the yarn around it. This way, if any of my knitted items get a snag or *gasp* worse, I have the right yarn and I know where it goes.

Step 2: Keeping a swatch of all my yarns. Although I, like many, am a little cheap I still think a swatch is important. I make a little stockinette stitch swatch and attach a tag with the specs of the yarn. The fiber type (cotton, wool, etc.), the needle size used for the swatch, the stitch gauge, brand and color name. It helps me to do a couple of things: keep track of what needle size I used on the last project and to remind me of what the fabric feels like when I go to choose my yarn for the next one.Best of luck keeping organized!