It's Not an Addiction

Let's talk about yarn stashes

All materials used for this setup are listed at the bottom of this post

Since starting crochet/knitting in 2014, I have explored countless ways to organize and display my yarn. Let's be real.. we want to see it. All of it. ALL THE TIME. 

- I tried totes. Sifting through them was a nightmare. This was before I discovered a yarn ball winder and would have to detangle about 4 skeins just to get to the color I needed. 
- I tried stacking my used/balled yarn on cubbies. Also a nightmare. For me, I need to be able to see exactly what I need when I'm doing my project planning. Instead, I'm having to empty a shelf onto the floor just to see what I've got shoved back there. 

It was about 2016 when I got my hand-me-down peg boards. My sister was originally using them for her kitchen utensils. Quite brilliant, honestly. It saved counter space and looked so aesthetically pleasing. I ordered some straight, plastic pegs, and sat down with my massive stash and started rolling. 

I quickly discovered that it simply wasn't worth balling up yarn unless the skein was already used. Too much time, too much space. I didn't want ALL my yarn on the wall.. just the mushy, shapeless skeins that clogged up my cubbies. My vision was to have all my new, unused skeins of yarn in the cubbies, organized by weight and brand, and for all the used yarn to be wound and put on the peg board. 

This method has honestly saved me so much money. Before this massive organizing re-haul, I was constantly buying colors I already had simply because I couldn't find what I needed right away or I was too lazy to look. Now, it's easier for me to stick to my shopping list because I can SEE everything I have in just one glance. 

You might be looking at your yarn stash and thinking.. there's no way all this yarn is gonna fit in such a small space. Well, as the self-declared queen of making things fit in a small space, let me enlighten you. My cubbies have (currently) 118 unused skeins of yarn (they're all project planned, I SWEAR) and my yarn wall (currently) holds about 100 various sized balls of yarn. YOU CAN DO THIS!

If you're interested in an organizing overhaul, I've included a list of everything I have to help me keep my stash in check:

• 9-Cube Organizer
• All-Purpose Organizer (Top portion of Cube Organizer)
• Peg Board (I have 2)
• Straight, Plastic Pegs
• Ball Winder (This is a pretty cheap one and, honestly, I hate it. If you have the means to upgrade.. DO IT) 

Have some questions or need some additional guidance? Leave a comment below or email me at info@gnarlea.com and I'll do my best to help you get your stash looking tip-top!