Episode 27: Managing SABLE

Meet Loueze!

SABLE:  Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.  We all have it so we might as well make an effort to manage it so we can get more!!!

You can find the podcast on iTunes as Yarn On Tap, listen via the direct link below, or use our RSS feed http://www.sock-aholic.com/yarnontap.xml.

Episode 27: Managing SABLE

What's on our sticks:

Wendy is almost through the charted pattern for the Ethereal Triangle Shawl, and will be adding 6 to 8 rows to the length to use up the rest of the handspun it's made from.  She also finished the first of the new stripey socks to be named later, and is working on finalizing that new pattern.  AND! she even worked on her Dreaded Knit Twinset for a little bit.

Kelie is on the second sock of her second pair of Social Network socks.  She is also working on her pretty Opposite Pole sweater which will be so warm and snuggly!  Kelie is also working on Clue 2 of her Mystery Socks.

Mystery Sock IV:  We're well underway and having lots of fun with this KAL!  Clue 3 was released last week, and Clue 4 is due for release on Friday 2/3.  If you would like to join us, you can find the clues as a free Ravelry download by Clicking Here!

Travelling Sock KAL:  Our travelling socks are looking so cool!  Both the East and West Coast teams are working very efficiently on the socks, and several pairs are already up to the gusset stage! 

2012 Gift Knitting Boot Camp:  The February Boot Camp thread is up on our Ravelry board, and lots of knitters have started making beautiful gifts!  The variety of projects really makes for great browsing, so feel free to check out the threads!  Boot Camp is open to anyone who would like to get a start on their gift knitting for the year so that they aren't suffering the pain of last minute knitting later.  Join us!

Yarn Organization:  We compiled these tips from fellow Sock-aholics  :-)

Step 1:  Sorting.  This can be done by many methods - so choose the one that fits your knitting needs the best.  Sort by factors such as color, fiber content, or yarn weight.  Many knitters seem to like to segregate sock yarn in it's own area, and spinners like to separate their fiber from their yarn, and organize it by fiber type or color.

Step 2:  Storage
 - Baskets/Tote Bags:  Great for WIP project, but not the best for long-term storage due to the high exposure of the contents to factors like pets, sunlight, spills, etc.
 - Tubs:  Plastic storage tubs seem to be very popular with knitters.  They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and clear tubs allow the knitter to see what's in them.  Tubs stack well, which adds to their efficient space usage.
 - Drawers:  Many knitters seem to like to store yarn in drawers of all types.  IKEA sells a lot of clever and inexpensive storage units, and we got feedback that their clear plastic drawers are great for yarn.  Other knitters found that wooden chests of drawers work great, too.
 - Closets:  Lucky knitters out there have closet space to devote to their stash storage!  The plastic tubs mentioned above stack very well in closets and can also be stored on those high closet shelves that aren't good for items that are accessed frequently.  Another great suggestion was the hanging organizers that can be found at IKEA.  These are made from fabric, attach to the closet pole, and feature a number of vertical cubes to store yarn or fiber in.  These would be great for sweater storage, too!  Another Sock-aholic shared that she has Amish-made armoirs in her livingroom that work great for storage of yarn, patterns, books, and notions.  They hold a lot, and when the doors are closed, nobody realizes that her stash is in the livingroom.  And to make it even better, her stash is in the same room that she does most of her knitting in.
 - Under bed:  There's a lot of room under beds, and plastic totes are available that are flat for under-bed storage.

Step 3:  Putting Yarn in a Queue for Projects.  Some knitters have taken their organization a step farther and have matched yarn with patterns and stored them together in "kits".  Knitting Daily today showed an example of how a hanging shoe holder can also be used to segregate yarn and patterns together by project.

Step 4:  Integration with Ravelry:  Many knitters enjoy the Ravelry's stash functionality, which allows users to enter their stash information into the system.  This feature makes it really easy for users to see what yarn they have, what color it is, and how much of it there is.  There is also a field on each yarn's screen where you can enter the yarn's location, and we heard that some knitters were using that field to record bin numbers - so clever!

Step 5:  Excess Elimination:  Once you go through your stash, you may find that you need to let some yarn go to another home.  Knitters suggested that yarn can be donated to senior centers, womens' shelters, nursing homes, projects that are doing charity knitting, or, of course, friends  :-)

Podcast Giveaway:  Our January Podcast Winner is knitrsue!  Sue has won a cute red Knit Happy Tote Bag.  To enter our giveaway for February, just leave a comment below!  We'll be giving away another cute tote bag.

Where to Find Us:
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Our Online Ravelry Group:  The Knitters Brewing Co. Sock-aholics
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