stash knowledge

Funny you should mention this - I was just looking for something on Sunday and couldn't find it. It was *supposed* to be in that big tub of kits. Hmm, wonder where it wandered off to?

Other than that, most of the time I have a pretty good idea - fabric is in one drawer, threads in another, miscellaneous supplies (hoops, scissors, fusible applique stuff) in another, free patterns in notebooks, canvas rolled in a box. But that dratted tub! I really need to go through it and organize it. Of course, if I did that, I wouldn't have the fun of looking at all of the stuff when I want to find something and remembering a semi-forgotten project. Dilemmas, dilemmas.

Linda

I'm very organized and always know exactly where to look for something, she says with grin. The problem is that there are gremlins living in the closet and cupboards with the stash (I think they're closely related to the computer gremlins) and they move stuff when I'm not looking.

Lucille

Since I started using "Annie's keepers" for thread storage I have no trouble finding any fiber that I need. It also lets me know if it is kitted or empty. I just pull the empty keys and take them with me to the store. Fabrics are sorted by count and beads are sorted in trays. I have still to figure a goo filing system for patterns. Scroll rods and q-snaps are in a separate bin as is temari making items, and knitting.

Bobbie V.

Whatever problems you folks have with keeping things organized and findable, double it for me.

I have my personal stash and my business stash, and keep them separated. To make this a bit easier, I keep my personal stash in boxes in a closet and a bookcase in the living room and keep all the business stuff in huge plastic storage containers in the room I use as my office.

The only exception to this rule would be items like scroll rods and extenders, magnetic chart holders, and other non-consumable stuff that I use when stitching both business designs and personal pleasure stuff.

It isn't too difficult to find anything as long as I know if I'm looking for personal or business, then it's just a matter of pawing through a few boxes or bins for the specific fabric, fiber, or frame.

It's a rough life, eh? lol

Nyssa, who has a cat who wants to sit in my lap all winter and makes it hard to stitch anyway At River's End

Or in my case, a 12-year old daughter that gets into my beading stash, and then I have to hunt down my stuff in her room! What a disaster area! I'm more or less organized but will be even more so when one of my girls move out (one turns 16 this Sat. - where did the time go?) and I can have her room. LOL. Right now most of my stash is sharing space with the washer and dryer in the laundry room..at least I know the husband won't disturb it!

Donna In S. Indiana

That is the current project. Now I have MY room, I have to go through the mislabeled drawers, tubs, boxes, bags etc where stuff has been dumped in the late lamented MIL's room.

I think the best thing is to dump some of it onto the floor...label several tubs and sort into puddles. Then I can go from there. MAYBE it will be done by New Year! DH has persuaded me to put my computer in there, so I also have to buy a computer desk, find space for the joint printer, my scanner and the copy machine. I found a great corner desk, but the darn thing was 4 inches too long!

Gill

And where do you put the ham radio, she asks politely? That is why the printer has to be in MY space; I only use a HT.!

Gillian

Gill

LOL! The radio corner is in the living room on the opposite side of the room as the personal stash closet. I've only got a general coverage receiver, a 2m all mode transceiver, plus a 10m mobile rig in that corner with appropriate power supplies. Sticking point is, no antennas are up, so the only one of 'em usable is the receiver with a long wire for an antenna stretched across the room. BTW I'm using a modified oak computer table with an added lower shelf for the power supplies in my compact radio corner. It was originally used for an Atari 800. Recycling R us.

Now if someone wants to see me to make room for a dandy new HF rig plus put up a nice antenna for it for me, I'd be happy to give it a go. :) I'd really, really like to be able to get on 75m sideband!

Nyssa, who probably should buy a heating pad for the kitty so she doesn't need to use my lap as one all the time At River's End

Anne that is the Story ,,of many people ,,, somehow the most open obvious place seems to go by unnoticed .... Hope you have a joyful time knitting it . mirjam

I may have mentioned the borrowers

before. Couple them with frequent black holes that interrupt my time/space continuum and it's pretty darn amazing I find anything!!!!

Actually angelina fibers aren't for knitting; when ironed to each other, they make fabric:

How cool is that!

Snicker - not close. I have an idea where most stuff is, but I still usually have to look through a number of boxes to find what I need.

I have most of my floss on bobbins in labeled floss boxes, unwound floss in DMC shop cases, fabrics divided between aida/non-aida in separate boxes, metallics, silks and ribbons in their own containers, and other fibers in old cookie tins. Beads and embellishments are in other boxes.

My kits and patterns are in a file cabinet, but there are a couple of kits that I know I have, and have been unable to find since I moved a year ago.

MargW

Actually, for about 90% I can find things quickly. Despite the somewhat incomplete putting away. But, my needlework stash is in relatively good order - including the large carton of stuff that moved from the old house, and hasn't been unpacked - I just dig into it at times. For the most part I remember what projects are where, and my threads, supplies are actually in a central place. It's when I have to think back - oh, I took that book upstairs, or something like that - or remembering in which tote something may have been taken around in which could cause a bit of delay. OTOH, my knitting stash is a bit less clear to me as I don't quite remember exactly where everything is- in terms of needles that may be in use, or with a project tote.

Good question.

Ellice

Weeelll - it was organized until I was "gifted" last week with the stashes of various and assorted relatives who've passed on. I did get the livingroom cleaned up yesterday so that I can now walk through it w/o tripping over things. Much of that was from one great-aunt who passed a good ten years ago and consisted mostly of 60's and 70's era crewelwork projects all in various stages of not complete. I couldn't even tell if all the needed materials were there! Needless to say, since these are NOT my style, they are now packaged up for Goodwill.

I don't even want to *think* of the back room. That has not only the new computer, but also the old one (side-by-side so I can transfer everything I want to keep to the new one), and it has the pile of stash I want to keep! Since the back room is my normal stitching room, you can imagine the mess - the couch area where I normally stitch has stash and magazines all over it, the center worktable is covered with computer parts, and the walls have piles of more donated stash piled up against them ....... I am definately going to clean this mess up this weekend - I want to stitch, darn it!!!!

Fave accumulated. Yesterday, I wanted to experiment with angelina fibers and

I now know where almost everything is, due to my moving my stuff from one room to another. Now, we have a futon in the old room, which is accessible. The grand daughters slept on it when they were here about four years ago. Have to find out if DH wants to sleep there rather than on the couch. I shall be so glad when the sleep test comes back on Monday! Maybe I will sleep there, and he can have the dogs!

Gill

Funny you should ask.

I'm good with my threads and basic supplies. I don't pile up a lot of excess stash, and they don't take up a lot of room, so I can usually locate things pretty quickly. Box for thread. Box for embroidery supplies like hoops and needles. Box for knitting needles.

I've sorted most of my yarns into stacking plastic drawer units. Distinct projects are in zippered bags. Tangled yarns are all in one big basket. Started projects are piled in a lidded basket. Beads are in 2 plastic drawer units, sorted by size, and color of course.

Fabrics are a mess. I have them sorted by color in plastic zipped bags, but I don't have shelf space for them. They sit on top of a trunk, stuffed to the top with blankets and more fabric. I'm thinking of buying another cabinet, but I don't have room for another cabinet and the trunk. Sigh. I need another room. Dora