Gecko Frecko

Have you heard of Gecko Frecko?  No?  Then let me tell you about him.

Gecko Frecko is the companion of my youngest son, Benjamin.  Gecko Frecko sleeps with Benjamin every night, and even went camping with him.  He is content to snuggle under the covers, but mainly he sits right on top of Benjamin while he's falling asleep, like a scaly sentry making sure that bad dreams stay away.

While I was making Gecko Frecko, Benjamin literally sat by my side for hours, watching my hands and watching his new friend grow.  When I had everything done except for the eyes, I handed him over.  I ended up needing to sneak and steal him back in order to add the eyes several weeks later!

I absolutely loved the way this pattern is written!  Let me tell you why.

I am not a big chart person.  I can make do with one, but I prefer to have both line by line instructions and a chart to refer to if I need a visual.  But in general, I spend more time squinting at the chart trying to figure out where I'm supposed to be than I really should.

But Gecko Frecko, he's a special one.  The author, Raphaela Blumenbunt, used line by line instructions, but with symbols!  So each line, instead of being incredibly wordy, contains the symbols for the stitches required.    She took the best of written patterns and the best of charting and fit them together.  I found this pattern incredibly easy to follow, and the finished Gecko is extraordinarily cute.  Even if I did put one of his legs on upside down.  Ahem.

I sincerely hope that everyone makes themselves a Gecko Frecko!  Be sure to read the abbreviations and explanations closely at the beginning of the pattern, and this lizard will fly off of your hook!

Capelets For My Girls

The warmer weather has brought much hustle and bustle to our household.  We keep a fairly large vegetable garden out back, and we are also heavily involved in our local community garden.  Every Wednesday night and Saturday morning, you can find either my husband or I out there gardening with friends.  Every afternoon during out toddler's nap, I'm outside in the back planting, weeding, harvesting, and observing our own garden.  I have to say that at this time of year, growing thing trumps yarncrafting, except on rainy days.

That said, I do have a couple of very special projects to share...one created this spring and the other the year before.

My daughter middle child received her First Holy Communion this year, and like for her older sister the year before, I made her a keepsake capelet to wear over her dress.  We sat down together and went through the Ravelry pattern database to find something that she liked.  As you can see, she loves all things frilly, lacy, and girly so she chose the pattern Chanson En Crochet by Mari Lynn Patrick.  The pattern calls for bulky yarn and a large hook to fit an adult, so we scaled down by using DK yarn and a G hook.  This pattern had a very extensive errata, so if you try it out, make sure you get the errata too!

The year before, for my oldest daughter, I didn't give her the chance to pick out a pattern, because I wanted it to be a surprise for her.

Obviously this one is knit rather than crochet, but it fits her style and personality very well.  Most of the time she likes her clothing to be very simple, though she does have her moments of grandeur and pomp in her style.  This pattern is simply called Knit Capelet and it was written by Mary Jane Protus.  Once again, this pattern called for bulky yarn, but I wanted to use something lighter weight, so I used DK and added two lace repeats.

I really hope that my girls will keep these capelets and, if they have children of their own, pass them down the line.

Yarn for Free or on the Cheap

I feel that human beings have an intrinsic need to create.  The need to make and do is as embedded in our DNA as color of our eyes and hair.  There is something about creativity that feeds the soul and drives the spirit.  Our passions create the beauty in life, be it through poetry, yarncrafting, painting, cooking, singing and dancing, or any of the plethora of other outlets available to us.  There are many things we can make and do without spending any money, such as singing or writing.  But crocheting and knitting are not things that we can do without certain supplies.  Like yarn.

When we find ourselves inspired to make, but lack the cold hard cash to buy squishy new yarn, it can be a little disheartening and discouraging.  There are, however, several ways that we can get the materials we need for free or on the cheap.

FREE

Shop your stash!  This one is the most obvious but also one of the most difficult to do, mentally.  Many of us have purchased yarn that we intended to use for a specific project, or yarn that we brought home just because it was beautiful or soft and we wanted to have it.  When we have had a specific project in mind for a specific yarn, it can be hard to picture it used for anything else, but it can be!  You can use the awesome search function on Ravelry to look for patterns that use yarn in the weight and fiber that you have on hand.  If you look in the Ravelry database for the yarn that you want to use, you will see a ‘project ideas’ tab that will show you projects that other Ravelry users have made with that yarn.  And if you don’t have a Ravelry account, sign up now!  It’s free and an amazing resource!

Get the word out!  Tell all of the crafty people you know that you are a willing recipient of any extra yarn they may have!  Tell your friends, coworkers, grandma, sister, etc.  Use resources such as Freecycle and Craigslist…not only can you look through the free listings, but you can make one of your own asking for yarn.  The only catch is this:  don’t be picky!  You may be a yarn snob, but free yarn is better than no yarn.  In addition, when you accept something from someone once, they are more likely to send their generosity your way in the future. 

Remember those UFOs?  We all have them.  Some of us may be mildly ashamed of the number of them hidden in project bags and in the backs of closets.  Ahem.  Take a good look at your UFOs and decide if you’re really going to finish them.  If not?  Frog it!  Reclaim that yarn with joy and feel guilty about your unfinished objects no more!  Similarly, if you have ever created something that you just didn’t like as much as you had hoped, or at all even, don’t be afraid to rip it all out and reuse the yarn.  What is the point of having something around that you don’t enjoy, or that reminds you of all of the hard work you put in for a less than pleasing outcome?

Speaking of frogging…  Do you have an old store bought sweater that you just don’t like anymore, but you’ve been hanging onto it because maybe you’ll need it?  Well now you do!  You can frog sweaters, even if they aren’t handmade.  The only catch here is that you can’t frog a sweater with serged seams, because that means that the yarn has been cut and will therefore be useless to you.  There is a great tute here  that shows how to frog a sweater, and also what to look for in the seams to be sure the sweater you have will work.

ON THE CHEAP

Thrift store/salvage store/yard sale/rummage sale   One can often find yarn at any of these places, but go beyond looking just for yarn!  Look for sweaters that can be frogged using the method in the above link.  Also, I see a whole lot of afghans at thrift stores, to the tune of $3-$4 each.  That’s a whole lot of yarn for a little bit of money!  When you look at afghans and blankets in thrift stores, there are a couple of different things to look for to make sure it can be frogged.  First of all, check to see if the yarn has matted at all.  I have found that older plastic (acrylic) yarn can become matted in almost the same way that wool felts.  Likewise, the older the acrylic, the more prone to breakage it is while you’re dismantling it so check it for any signs of brittleness.  Take a good look and make sure the yarn isn’t unraveling anywhere and there aren’t any spots with insect damage.  Keep in mind that if you choose a granny-square blanket, you will have many scraps of yarn, whereas if you are buying a ripple blanket in just a couple of colors, the yarn will be much easier to work with.

Is there something you do to get your yarn for free or cheap that I don’t have listed here?  Please post a comment!

Lenten Fast

Usually it doesn’t take much thought for me to decide what to give up for Lent.  One year it was chocolate, another it was buying yarn, another it was all shopping online (even browsing).  One year in addition to giving up something, I chose to also use it as a time to be more aware of my personal behavior and change some ingrained habits that made me…and others…unhappy.

This year, I was really racking my brain trying to think of what I could do during this forty day period that would have a positive impact on my family and help us to think of the many people in our world for whom going without isn’t limited to 40 out of 365 days.  What we have decided to do is something a little more intense and drastic than anything we’ve done before.  For the period of Lent, we are embarking on a bit of an adventure that stops just short of being voluntary poverty.

There are many different aspects of what we are planning, some easy (no going out to eat) and some harder (no buying anything non-food unless it affects our health or welfare), and some in between.  We will be dedicated to trying to put on ourselves the same restrictions that many of our fellow humans around the world have, such as only purchasing food if we can get it locally and it will fit in our diminished food budget.  We will have to be much more vigilant than ever about ensuring that not a single thing goes to waste.  The television and video games will be unplugged, much to the chagrin of our children. 

So this affects my crafting life pretty significantly.  I won’t be buying yarn or even browsing online to look at beautiful spun fiber; nor will I be indulging the senses by going to yarns stores to pet the pretties.  I won’t be buying any new craft supplies.  I’m not even going to think about what new creative tools I can acquire when Lent is over.  I’m going to live with what I have and nothing else.  I’m hoping that a nice side effect of this freeze on bringing new items into the house will inspire me to look more closely at what I do have and think of new ways to use it.  Hopefully, I'll be able to share some of these ideas, along with thoughts on creating for free or on the cheap.

Cast Iron Skillet Handle Covers

I obviously met my tentative goal of finishing at least two projects this week!  Not only did I crochet stuff, but I wrote a pattern as well!  Phew, I'm all worn out!

We are big cast iron users here at the Langlitz household.  Every day, we use cast iron at least once.  And you would think that I would remember that when cast iron heats up, it heats the whole pan.  Including the handle.  Alas, at least once a week, I forget.  And it can be a painful sort of forgetting. 

So I finally got around to doing something about it.  And, I figure there are other scatterbrained people like me who don't remember that things on top of fire get hot, so I wrote up this very simple pattern to share with you.

Materials:
Worsted weight cotton yarn (I used Sugar 'n Cream)
G (4mm) Hook
Tapestry needle for weaving ends

NOTES:  I recommend weaving in the tail from the foundation chain before you get to round 7.  After that, it's very hard to do.  Also, please don't use acrylic yarn...as with all plastics, it will melt.  Additionally, this cover is for stovetop use, please don't leave it on a pan that is going in the oven.

Ch6

Round 1.  Sc 5, rotate your work clockwise and sc 5 across, working in the free loop of each chain from the foundation row.  (10 sts)

Round 2.  Inc in first st, sc in next 3, inc* to the end (14 sts)

Round 3. Inc in first st, sc in next 5, inc* to the end (18 sts)

Rounds 4 and 5.  Sc in each sc around

Round 6.  Sc 4, dec, sc7 ,dec, sc3 (16)

Rounds 7 thru 20.  Sc in each sc around

Round 21. Reverse single crochet in each stitch.

Tie off and weave in your ends!  If you don't like the RSC border, you can always leave it plain or add something like a simple picot edging.

Crafty Reso...Er, Goals

I don't much care for resolutions.  The very word is off-putting, unless we're talking about screen resolution, and then it's just something that this non-tech-savvy chick doesn't quite understand.  I'm talking about the kind of resolutions that people feel compelled to make at the beginning of every new year.

"I have made a resolution to lose 20 pounds."
"I resolve to save $xx.xx and pay off my credit card debt."
"My New Year's resolution is to quit smoking (or drinking, or nagging my husband, etc.)"

How realistic is that really?  Maybe if you're a go-getter.  I have a sister like that.  She sets her sights on what she wants, and doesn't stop until she has it.  I admire that kind of motivation but I don't possess whatever it is that makes it happen.  I'm the kind of person who doesn't even tell the kids about the trip to the Zoo that I have planned until right before we leave.  Just in case something else comes up, like all of them having meltdowns within 5 minutes of each other.  In that case, I like to lock myself in the bathroom with some wine, a book, music, and a bath and let my sweet husband take care of it.  (Thanks, Dear!)  They never knew that something fun was going to happen; therefore they aren't disappointed and I don't have to feel like I failed.  Voila!

I like to make goals, but not just any goals.  Tentative goals.  The kind of goals that are nice to think about, but if they don't happen, it's OK.  For example, I'll make the tentative goal to not eat out all week long.  A nice homemade, whole food dinner every night of the week.  But if I end up asking my husband (he's so awesome) to pick up Chipotle one night when I'm just not feeling it, it's ok.  Because my goal was tentative.  It almost doesn't count.  All right, I do occasionally make goals that I really really mean, but they're still not resolutions.  Just maybe firm goals.

The point of all of the preceding verbal dribble is this:  I have an exceedingly large yarn stash.  Embarrassingly large.  So big, that I feel like it is really almost more like furniture than crafting supplies.  Sure, I take it out and admire it and think of all of the things I could make with it, but I don't do enough of the making.  So I've made the tentative goal of creating two finished objects per week.  Should be easy, right?  I mean, I could make two dishcloths in just a couple of hours if I wanted to.

Heck, as soon as I put the sleeve on this sweater that I've been working on for two months (and ignoring for 3 weeks)  I'll be halfway there.

Let the Gift Crafting Begin

I feel so behind schedule already!  I always mean to start the Holiday making waaaay back in August, and I always manage to procrastinate until November.  But, at least I managed to get my lazy butt up and get started.

I made these mitts using the Basic Fingerless Gloves for Guys pattern by Jen Spears.  I made a lot of mods to make this fit a hand my size.  You can read my notes on my Ravelry page.

This hat was actually a custom for a trade.  I used the Floral Cloche pattern from Crochet Today.  I don't think I've ever made anything quite so pink before, but it's really cute, and I especially like the three tier flower.

This little hat was made from Linda Permann's Little Sister Hat, for my cousin's (almost here!) new baby.  Speaking of Linda Permann, everyone should check out her patterns, because Wowza! she designs some beautiful stuff.

And lastly, I've got my fabric for gift bags washed, and some of it cut.  I'm not super experienced with the sewing machine...as a matter of fact I haven't used it since last year's bag making!  But I trust that I'll manage to figure it out again!

What are you crafting for the Holiday season?

Autumn Table

I love the Autumn.  No other season brings me such a feeling of comfort, rest, and home as does the Autumn.  I try to take the time to pay attention, to notice all of the slow changes around me.  It's much different than the Springtime, with the awe of new growth and the animals and insects waking up and venturing further each day.  In the Autumn, it is a little harder to see all of the little changes that happen.  Slowly, we realize that the woodchucks aren't darting here and there, the spiders have stopped their frenzy of web construction and destruction, plants let go of their leaves and concentrate their energy on keeping roots strong for the upcoming winter.

I try to encourage my children to bring a little of the outdoors in...colorful leaves, acorns, rocks with interesting shapes, and so on.  Because while the outside is getting ready for winter so are we, nesting in the home and thinking of the season ahead, and we could use the reminder of the beauty of this season.

Benjamin, my four (almost five!) year old put together the decoration for our Autumn Table, using bits and bobs from the outside and leftovers from last Autumn's nature table.  In the glass container and Mason jar, he put pine cones from the park, buckeyes from the community garden, and acorns from a neighbors tree.  Around that, he put small squash from a local pumpkin patch, and a pie pumpkin from a friends garden.  Moving outward, there are small wooden candle holders that we thrifted a couple of years ago, with beeswax candles that the kids rolled themselves.  And of course, my favorite salt and pepper shakers in the shape of snails that came from a garage sale two summers ago.

I expect this display to change as the season progresses.  The pumpkin will soon be used for something delicious, the decorative squash will eventually make their way to compost, and new outside treasures will be brought in as they are found.  And throughout, we'll sit down at our family table and be reminded to notice the changes of the world outside.

Crocheting Garments

I love using crochet to make structural items…toys, baskets, bags, and so on.  But I’ve had a hard time trying to find the love for using crocheted fabric for clothing.  I feel a little bit like a traitor for mostly *knitting* the wearables that I make, since crochet was my first love.  There is a little part of me that wonders if I may be turning into a knit snob…you know those people who look at crocheting as a granny-square craft, only good for creating afghans or lumpy, ill fitting, and out of date garments.  I know that I won’t ever really be one of those people, but I felt compelled to spend some time thinking about why I am so hesitant to pick up the hook to make the same garments that I would knit without hesitation.

I identified several “sticking points”, but the one that I think was the biggest deal for me was that many of the patterns that are out there for crocheted clothing really don’t pay much attention to the drape of the fabric.  There have been many times that I have started to make a cardigan or a sweater for one of my kids and discovered that the fabric was as stiff as a piece of cardboard.  I discovered that to suit my taste, the standard hook recommendations on yarn labels are too small.  And in general, the lighter weight (fingering, sport) yarns look better for garment construction.

What I decided to do was go through my yarn stash and choose a yarn, and go from there in building my own garment.

  

The yarn I chose was Welcomme Le Tweed Angora, which is now discontinued.  It is listed as an aran weight, but is really more of a light DK yarn.  I fiddled around with it until I found a hook size and stitch that I liked…those happened to be an H hook and the Extended Single Crochet stitch.  I didn’t want a stitch as firm as the SC, but I don’t care for the DC used in wearables.

I had decided to make a sweater vest with buttons on one shoulder for my youngest daughter, but not in the size she was at the time.  I used the Craft Yarn Council’s sizing guidelines as a guide for sizing.  I made myself a gauge swatch, and did the math.  I started in the round and worked from the bottom to the armpits, then split for the front and back.  Since the stitching would look difference once I was working back and forth rather than in the round, I decided to add some Back Post Extended Single Crochet rows as accents, similar to the way garter ridges are used as accents in knitting.  In the end, I’m very pleased with the vest, and the only thing I would have done differently is the width of the shoulder straps…I would have made the back and the front a little narrower by about three stitches.  I want to try this again in a fingering weight yarn and compare the results.  My guess is that I would like the lighter weight garment even better.

In the end, I think that crochet can make beautifully draped clothing and elegant garments with a solid fabric, but the yarn needs to be finer and the hooks a little bigger.

Knitting For Baby

I did a lot of yarncrafting while I was expecting my youngest baby.  You could say that the 2010/2011 winter was a blur of yarn…as a matter of fact, I don’t really remember much else of the midpoint of that pregnancy other than being very cold and having aching fingers from the amount of yarn that I tamed.

I did a touch of crochet, but mostly I was focused on knitting for this little one.  I knit many wool soakers, sweaters, and longies for the little girl who was growing away in my belly.  Silly me, I decided to do several of the soaker in a true newborn size, and my dear daughter was born at 8lbs 6 oz.  Beyond that, we spent a week in the NICU (where she put on weight and grew longer) so by the time we got home she had already outgrown some of the cloth diapering woolies.  Luckily I had made many, many things for me sweet girl to wear.

 We brought her home in a pair of wool longies knit from the Wooly Wonderpants pattern in a three ply yarn made by PureWool in the Diante colorway.  The side snap shirt, incidentally, was low-water immersion dyed.

This top was knit using Sandy’s Palette Merino Sox and a vintage baby vest pattern by Sirdar.  I also knit another from the same pattern using a beautiful reddish pink shade of vintage S.R. Kertzer baby camel hair yarn.

Another favorite was the Emma Tunic by Jennifer Alexander using some leftover Hobby Lobby I Love This Cotton! Complete with a button picked out by the baby’s big sister.

I made plenty of other items for when she was older, but there really is something special about the newborn knits, isn’t there?  They are just so tiny and sweet, and a reminder of the anticipation of a new family member.

Down at Fraggle Rock

My middle daughter  fell in love with the old series “Fraggle Rock” when she saw the very first episode.  Of course, I loved the show when I was a kid, so I thought her enthusiasm was pretty cute.  She quickly found a favorite character…Boober Fraggle. 

For those who aren’t lucky enough to be familiar with the legendary Fraggles, Boober  is a worrywart to the extreme.  He prefers activities such as washing all of his fellow Fraggles’ socks or cooking up a big batch of radish stew more than anything else.  He always has a reason why the capers of his compatriots are just too dangerous for him.

I think my dear daughter likes him so very much because she identifies with him.  She loves to take care of other people, and she is quite the little worrier herself.  Much like her Mama, she wants to be sure that she knows she is getting into before she even dips in a little toe.  Like Boober, she can become rather anxious if she is treading on uncertain ground.

So I knew that I had to crochet Boober Fraggle for her.  I used mercerized cotton for his face and limbs, Lion Brand Homespun for the body, Fun Fur for his hair, and I used some random wool to knit his hat and scarf.  By far the most complicated part was shaping his face correctly, and I’m still not satisfied with it, but my daughter loves it so that will have to be good enough for me!

And now my middle daughter, (in fact, she is the middle of all five of my children) who dreams of radish gardens, can bring Boober along on her adventures.  As long as they are planned carefully beforehand.

It has been just over two years since my last blog post, and like the last one, this post involves the end of the vacation.

There have been many changes in the days since my previous post.  There has been a job lost, and another gained.  School started, grades passed, gifts given.  A baby was born, a sweet little girl named Joni who keeps life from getting too boring.

Wool festivals have been attended.  Thousands of yards of yarn have passed through my hands over the past two years.  Many things crocheted and knit.  I don’t have quite the time for yarncrafting that I did two years ago, but I do miss sharing the fun with everyone.  As the baby gets a little older and time just a smidge easier to come by, I hope to get back to sharing my passion with anyone willing to listen and look.

Vacation is Over

After three weeks in Wake Forest, North Carolina, we're home again.  We stayed at Turtle Mist Farm, a small farm that raises grass fed beef and lamb, as well as pastured laying hens, pigs, turkeys, and ducks.  The owners, Bob and Ginger Sykes, encouraged my 4 children to help out with some gardening and egg gathering which they (the kids) loved.

While we were there, Bob went and picked up some new pigs.  I can't remember the breed, but they are just adorable, as far as pigs go.  And they'll probably be quite tasty too. 

This is Stone, a Percheron that lives at the farm.  He's a retired draft horse, about 16 years old, if I remember correctly.  He is just about the most gentle and patient horse.  It was so hot down there that we didn't get a chance to ride, but hopefully we'll be able to make it back next year when the weather isn't quite so scorching.

We had such a wonderful time while we were there, and we were lucky enough to be able to try out some of the grass fed beef raised on the farm.  I've gotta tell you, I'm not much of a red meat kind of girl, but I do believe I have been converted.  I recommend that everyone take a trip out to the Wake Forest Farmer's Market and pick up some of the delicious beef to try for yourself.

Backyard Gardening

This is the first year that I've really been able to devote much time to my little backyard garden.  Before, there was always a baby to nurse, diapers to change and wash, etc.  But this year, my youngest is pretty happy to play in the backyard and torment his sisters unaided.  While I miss having a little baby around, I've been enjoying the freedom that comes as my kids get older.  I still don't know how I managed to put together a book with a newborn, especially on such an accelerated schedule.  But I digress.

The first of (hopefully) many peppers is hangin' out on this tiny plant.  I've not had good luck with peppers in the past, but this year I made sure to give them a healthy dose of our compost when I put the plants in the ground.  I was sure that the short cold snap we had would do them in, but they've pulled through beautifully.  At present, I've got 9 jalapeno plants, 5 bell pepper plants, and one ancho chile plant.

Our lovely cut-and-come-again lettuce.  We've had many tasty salads from this bed.  Tomorrow I'm going to go out and take the last of it before it gets too bitter.  Then we'll either put in a second bed of corn, or some fall squash.

Bush beans!  I plan to can lots of dilly beans this year.

In addition to what's in the pictures, we've got 10 tomato plants, corn, peas, zucchini, straightneck squash, eggplant, cilantro, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, mint, stevia, lemon balm, blueberries, and strawberries. 

And cabbage. 

I think that's it. 

If you don't count the wild mustard and purslane.

I think it's going to be a good year for the garden.

 

Jack the Guardian Gnome thinks so too.

Oh, Baby!

My sister and her husband are having their first baby this summer. All crafters know that such an occasion calls for some serious action – in the form of handmade gifts.
They are going to cloth diaper the baby, (yay!) so I’ve knit a couple of wool soakers for use as covers. Now, before you look at the pictures, I want to stress the fact that I am not a proficient knitter. My knitting is merely passable, at best.

I added the words to these two little tops using a printable iron-on transfer. One says ‘el jefe’, which means ‘the boss’ and the other says ‘guapo’ which means ‘handsome’. My brother in law is from Mexico with permanent residency status, and is about to gain full citizenship, which is very exciting!

I love making baby things in colors that aren’t typically baby. I couldn’t resist putting the boyish blues and grays together and softening it up with the cream.

For the soakers, I used the Snapdragon Soaker pattern by Heather Eccles, and the blanket is Lyn's Round Ripple Baby Afghan by Lyn.

In My Backyard

Blueberries

Strawberries

Children  (some of them, anyway)

Rocks destined to become garden decoration.

Yarn Organization, Part Two

After what seems like an eon, I'm back with what I ended up doing with my yarn!  There were a couple of different things that I wanted to accomplish.  I wanted my yarn storage to look nice, and I wanted it to be easily accessible.  In a house with four kids and two adults, both of those can be rather difficult feats...due to space constraints and the necessity to keep the yarn where little fingers are less likely to tangle it all up.

What I decided on was cleaning up a little bit around my computer desk in the basement, relocate the printer, and move my wine rack yarn storage to the top of an old cabinet.

I decided to keep some of my favorite yarn in the shelves, and the rest went into convenient bins inside the cabinet.  I put my knitting needle tips on top, along with my larger pattern books.  To the left is a magazine holder with knitting magazines and books, and to the right is a holder with crochet magazines and pamphlets.  I love having my pretty yarn on display, and I really enjoy having all of my patterns/references in one place.

The top shelf of my rack holds 100% cotton yarn, the middle holds wool blends on the left and cotton blends on the right, and the bottom has 100% animal fibers.  In the lidded bin are the rest of my balls (!) of 100% cotton yarn, and it usually sits in the bottom of my little computer desk.  Inside the cabinet (which once held an old TV) are two bins of wool yarn.  Bright colors on the left, and neutrals on the right.  If you look close, you can see an empty bin waiting for instructions, and another container full of wool yarn scraps that I haven't decided what to do with yet.

It's been a little over a month since I started using this system, and I must say that it is working quite will for me.  I have yet to pry my precious yarn out of sneaky little fingers, and it has been an absolute breeze to find patterns.  I still need to find a way to be a little more disciplined about how many WIPs I've got!  Any suggestions?

Yarn Organization, Part One

Sometimes one has to sit back, look around, and take stock of their resources. For some, this means checking on the veg in the root cellar and meat in the freezer…but for me it means wool, cotton, bamboo, and nylon fibers. Spun, plied (or not) and put up into hanks, skeins, or balls just waiting for me to transform them into something fun.

I set about the task of inventorying my yarn for a few different reasons:

• My lack of organization was starting to take a definite toll in the number of projects I was successfully completing.
• I decided that if I’m going to feel like creating is my profession, I’m going to have to treat my craft as a professional would. This means, if nothing else, I need an epicenter for inspiration and pattern writing.
• I was starting to feel some major inadequacies about the size of my stash.
• I love any excuse I can get to play with yarn, even if it’s just re-organizing.
  
  I started by getting as much of my yarn as I could locate and separating it into two groups. The wool and wool blends:
  
  And the cotton and cotton blends, as well as some misc others.
  
  Now, these two photos are the most accurate representation of my yarn stash that I could possibly give. I have indeed amassed more yarn since I took these photos, and I have since found some stray yarn in various nooks and crannies of my house. It was not a small feat to decide on a new home and organizational system for my beloved yarn. I wanted it to be in a convenient location, but out of the way. It had previously (when it was where it belonged) been stored in a wine rack dealio in the corner of the dining room. It actually looked quite lovely when I took the time to ensure that it was organized neatly within the little cubes.
  
• In my next post, I’ll post pictures of where I decided to store everything, and why. Everybody loves a cliffhanger, right?
  
  

Wordless Wednesday - What We've Been Up To

OK, not totally wordless. This drawing is by my six year old (the one modeling the tunic vest). She was intrigued by the design process and wanted to make something of her own!