As evenings start to become longer, it’s the perfect time to curl up on the sofa with your knitting. But after a summer (or let’s face it, a few years) of accumulating yarn, patterns and ideas, it might be overwhelming to know what to pick up next. Here’s some ideas and inspiration for bringing some order to the yarn chaos and organising your knitting projects for calmer craft time.
1. Make a Knitting Project List
Gather together all the materials that have a definite project associated. This could be pre-made kits, or yarn that is earmarked for a specific pattern.
Now, grab a notebook. Write down each and every project you have the yarn for and the pattern for.
This is also a great opportunity to check that you have all the needles you need for your projects. This avoids the disappointment of sitting down to cast on a new cardigan, to find you don’t have the needles it needs.
Feeling inspired for a new level of organisation? I created the Knitting Planner Bundle to help keep track of my own projects. With many WIPs as well as projects I’d not yet started, I was losing track and getting overwhelmed. The planner helps bring some calm and organisation so I can relax and enjoy my knitting.
2. Organise your Stash
Now, let’s see what is leftover.
Do you have a lot of hand-dyed sock wool skeins crying out for pattern? Or do you have enough of the same yarn to make a jumper? This is a great time to check your Ravelry favourites, flick through pattern magazines or scroll through social media for some ideas. If you find something you like, add it into your knitting project list.
Catalogue what you have in your stash, so next time you spot a pattern or have a burst of inspiration, you’ll know exactly what you need to get.
Make sure your wool stays in tip-top condition by storing it safely. Nimble Needles shares some great tips and advice on this.
3. Host a Stash Swap
Chances are you have found some yarn that you’re just not in love with. Maybe it’s a colour that doesn’t look quite like it did on the website, or a blend that you find itchy.
Get your crafty friends together and host a stash swap party. You’ll all come away with some new additions and have given some of your unloved skeins a new home.
If you have any leftover balls of wool from the swap, there’s plenty of organisations that appreciate a wool-y donation!
4. Make some Tiny Things
There are plenty of small projects that don’t need a lot of yarn. This is a great way to use up some odd balls of wool or leftover pieces.
- Know anyone with children? Baby and child garments can be small quick (and adorable) knits.
- The Knit-a-Square project helps create blankets for children.
- A Google of ‘Stash buster knitting patterns’ will bring back many ideas and patterns for small projects that use odds and ends.
5. Embrace Colourwork Chaos
I love a good colourwork pattern for using up odds and ends of balls of wool.
When I created my Happy Heart Socks, these were designed to incorporate as many colours as I could from my sock yarn stash.
A lot of Fairisle, intarsia and colourwork patterns utilise small amounts of different colours of yarn. With a bit of planning you can make the most of a varied stash.
And now over to you…
I hope this article has inspired you to have a good reset ready for the Autumn. Organising your knitting projects can bring back the calm of the hobby and allow you to focus on creating beautiful things.
Have I convinced you of the power of organisation? Any tips or tricks you think I’ve missed?