Yarn Stash Overhaul
Most of my yarn is kept on shelves in the computer room. There is a bit more in some boxes under the computer desk – four sweaters worth or so – and there’s also a basket full of Sugar ‘n Cream – and a really big basket of handspun – but the bulk of my yarn stash is sock yarn and I keep it on open shelving. Oh sure, there’s some lace weight and some odd skeins of Noro and other worsted weights and some plain yarn for dyeing but mostly what I have is sock yarn.
These last few months it’s gotten a little messy. Blame it on Sock Madness, blame it on the winter blahs, blame it on the fact that I don’t spend a whole lot of time in this room, but it was definitely out of control and maybe even a little overwhelming. So last week I decided something needed to be done and I set about reorganizing the shelved yarn stash.
Of course things always look worse before they look better.
I was brutal with the stash and only put back the stuff I know think I will actually use. The rest has been set aside for prize donations and gifts – it’s good yarn just not yarn I love.
And see how nice it looks? That top shelf is worsted weight and dye-able yarn and the bottom shelf is lace weight and miscellaneous other yarns. Those three shelves in the middle hold the sock yarn stash. It’s good sock yarn, too. Lots of handpainted stuff along with Opal and Trekking and Fleece Artist. I’m really happy with the way it all looks.
I did make one fatal error, though. I counted the skeins of sock yarn. 80 pairs worth. Oy.
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It looks great. And is 80 skeins a bad thing? It’s still not 100. Or 240. Just sayin’.
Nice job with the overhaul of the stash pile. I really need to haul mine out and dump it on the floor just to see what I have. I’m sure I’m going to find stuff I have completely forgotten about.
And that is why it’s the “Museum of Sock Yarn.”
Quick, cast on!!!
I love sock yarn too, and am accumulating it faster than I can knit it, but I don’t mind. It’s so very pretty.
My mother collects salt shakers, and I am pretty sure she doesn’t need THAT much dang salt. 😉
80 Is what?…Too much or something? Nothing says soothing like organizing the stash. I can’t wait (I think) to to face my stash.
Stash reorganization must be in the air, because I started going through mine yesterday, too. It’s a bit scary, isn’t it? Not that too much yarn is a bad thing, it’s just hard to store it all!
Time to get knitting! Oh, thats right, you already are. I’ve just begun adding my stash to ravelry and I am gettting a bit frightened.
I don’t think 80 is that bad either. Of course, you should grow more feet. Everything always seems to pale in comparison to my mom’s stashaster. May have something to do with the fact that it used to be my bedroom. Good for you!!
The stash does look like a work of art. I’ve been afraid to count the number of balls in my sock yarn stash but I bet we’re close in number. Good work!
Well, thanks for the early morning guilt trip. Guess I’ll head down stairs and tidy up the stash room today! It looks oh so pretty at your house!
Good sock yarn + re-organizaion = 🙂
Good job! The stash overhaul sounds like a success. 80 skeins isn’t that bad – I’m sure that you’ll find room for more.
You have an enviable sock yarn stash. It is a lovely collection.
Good job! The stash overhaul sounds like a success. 80 skeins isn’t that bad – I’m sure that you’ll find room for more.
Good job! The stash overhaul sounds like a success. 80 skeins isn’t that bad – I’m sure that you’ll find room for more.
Wow, it looks like the shelf in a yarn store! Great reorganization!
I really need to organize mine too. I wish I had some place to keep my sock yarn out in the open like that. I think if it was in plain view, it would help me stop buying it every time I saw a new and pretty colorway.
You’re grateful for your adundance, right? That’s what I say when I start to feel a little, um, indulgent in the stash. I am grateful for the gift of abundance.
Oy is right. You better start buying more before you run out!
Very pretty – sock yarn makes good art!
Ignorance is bliss, remember?
And 80 pairs’ worth is a problem how? Seems perfectly normal to me.
But you always create such beautiful socks that it is quite forgiveable….Plus, you never known when a yarn deficit may occur. Would hate to be stashless if that happened!
All I can say is wow. You feet will certainly be the coziest forever. I love the open shelving just to look at all those beautiful colors. Have a good day. sandy
Better get knittin’ more socks!
It looks great! All that inspiration right out where you can view it all the time.
80 pairs worth doesn’t really seem like that much.
So, is 80 alot????
i’ve been putting my yarn into an excel spreadsheet and i’ve already got well over 100 different yarns/colors and i haven’t even touched the sock yarn etc.
~~I posted my comment too soon.
whoops.
The re-org looks beautiful!!!!
like a mini yarn shop!
Thanks for counting your sock yarn. You make me feel much better about my 24-pairs’ worth!
The reorganization looks great.
heh Can I fondle your yarn? 🙂
I’m skeered to count mine, but 80 sounds about right… maybe even a bit conservative. Yikes!
Good on ya for cleaning and organizing. 🙂
I’m feeling much better about my stash now – thanks!!! But I’m wondering – where’s your fiber stash? Is it comparable?
It’s hard to stay in de Nile when you count! I love the photo of your stash piled on the floor… kinda gives a whole new perspective on the term. My advice… get a dresser and hide the volume, so you won’t feel the need to curtail enhancement.
At least you will be able to survive for a while if there’s ever a severe yarn shortage 🙂
Wow, that is quite the yarn stash! The sock yarn is so easy to justify though that I think it can get a bit crazy. Sounds like a great selection though 🙂
I bet it feels really good to look at that neat stash and know that you have lots of nice goodies for others too :-).
lol All of us *stashers* can relate.
Here’s how I choose to look at my stash (yarn & fabric)…if times ever get tough, at least we’ll be able to keep ourselves warm!
80? Only 80? I thought you said you have a stash??
Wow, it looks great! Are you sure its 80? cause it looks like more, haha j/k. 🙂
What an excellent stash! And the reorganization looks great. My daughter just told me last night that I had too much sock yarn. Ha! Now I have backup to show that there’s never too much sock yarn (or almost any yarn).
Yarn for 80 pair of socks…I did read that right! OMG! Actually, it is awesome…and now I don’t feel so bad that I have enough for maybe 20 pair of socks…but the sock yarn stash keeps getting bigger – after all I’m knitting from my stash this year – and sock yarn doesn’t count!!!
You have inspired me, my dear! I desperately need a project, and a stash overhaul! Though I don’t know that I will be brave enough to reveal the extent of my yarn hording!
I have about half that, but only because I do have a fair amount of laceweight as well. Oh, and there’s the fiber. And the stuff for sweaters…
And that count was several months ago and I might have made a few acquisitions since then…
But pretty colors do make me happy 🙂
80 pairs?!?!? Holy crap!
Just think, if you knit it all up, you’d never have to buy socks again! 🙂 Of course, if you knit it all up, you would have to buy more yarn….
Your sock storage pictures made me feel more normal. I also have a similar shelf sitting next to my computer, who’s shelves are filled with yarn. I have to admit, mine doesn’t look nearly so neat as yours BEFORE you organized it. Good job!
what a nice re-organization you did! although counting it was a definite mistake. How much will you have done by Rhinebeck?
Dude. 80. Get knitting!
I love that before I was a knitter I would have been like, “who needs that much yarn?”…and now I’m like “want to send me some of that?” 😉 And all that sock yarn just means you’ll have enough to knit a pair of socks once a month for many years! Think of it as an entertainment investment in the event that the world’s yarn supply suddenly dries up!