How do you keep your yarn from becoming a total mess??

**MrsOcean** · 01-23-2009, 10:07 PM

I learned to crochet from my mom many many years ago when I was a teenager. I remember her using a couple of 2 liter soda bottles as a way of storing the skeins she was working with on the current project. I am just getting back in the mood for crocheting and have bought the yarn for my first afghan in about 15 years!!

I was wondering what you would suggest to use as storage or organizing the skeins I am using for whatever current project I may be working on. For instance, the afghan will have 5 different colors going into it. Any help with storage and/or organization while working on a project will be greatly appreciated! I don't want to end up with a terrific tangles mess! Thanks to all!!

Mrs Ocean in Indiana

**dcompton** · 01-23-2009, 10:38 PM

I've heard of the soda bottle thing too, but have never done it. The yarn I use is all the pull skein variety. I do that, pulling from the center until it gets really hollow and limp, and then roll it into a ball.

I have a medium size mesh trash can I wasn't using, so I keep the yarn for the current project in that. I do afghans too, and it easily contains several colors. I like to have two or three going at once. I picked up a couple of the $1 JoAnn shopping bags that are quite large, and easily hold my other current, but not on the front burner, projects.

For leftover or not yet used yarn, I have a large basket I toss it all in, either in skeins or balls.

Another thing I have just started doing is making color samples, since when yarn is in balls, it's hard to label. I cut a dog bone shape from white posterboard, maybe 3" long, with the center of the "bone" about 1.25" On one bone ends I'm writing the kind of yarn (e.g. Caron One Pound" and on the other the color name. Then I wrap the center with the yarn, taping the ends. That gives me an easy means of identification, and with colors I've used, I can plan color combos without standing endlessly in the store aisle playing what-do-I-want.

**peanut** · 01-24-2009, 12:44 PM

I rewind the yarn by sticking the end out along my thumb, and then winding around my thumb until it's done. Then I pull from the center where that yarn was along my thumb.

I also have some yarn holders I inherited with a hole in the top. You just plop the ball in the container and put the end through the hole and pull from that. nice and neat. No idea where they were bought though...or how much they cost.

Jean

**nancycg56** · 01-24-2009, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by dcompton

Another thing I have just started doing is making color samples, since when yarn is in balls, it's hard to label. I cut a dog bone shape from white posterboard, maybe 3" long, with the center of the "bone" about 1.25" On one bone ends I'm writing the kind of yarn (e.g. Caron One Pound" and on the other the color name. Then I wrap the center with the yarn, taping the ends. That gives me an easy means of identification, and with colors I've used, I can plan color combos without standing endlessly in the store aisle playing what-do-I-want.

This is a great idea!!!! Especially if I don't buy all the colors at once. Thank you!

**dcompton** · 01-24-2009, 05:22 PM

Jean,

That's a great way to make a center pull skein. I never thought of that. When I winding remnants that are going to be sizeable balls, I may try that.

**kmonokwe** · 01-24-2009, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by peanut

I also have some yarn holders I inherited with a hole in the top. You just plop the ball in the container and put the end through the hole and pull from that. nice and neat. No idea where they were bought though...or how much they cost.

Jean

I've seen these at Hobby Lobby. Under $10. Haven't compared prices, so you may be able to find them cheaper. The ones I saw looked like sports thermoses - like they'd hold a liter or so of liquid - only clear so you can see what you're working on.

**joyofsix** · 01-24-2009, 06:51 PM

I put mine in butter tubs with a hole cut in the middle. My grandmother used cottage cheese containers.

**Dave'sGirl** · 01-25-2009, 06:38 AM

I saw your post at crochetville and it got me thinking...THANK YOU!

I am going to be starting a baby afghan and I don't want my yarn out rolling around in dog hair (There honestly isn't a lot, she's a very short haired dog, but with a baby afghan I don't want ANY dog hair!) so your post got me looking around the house for something to contain my skeins. I have large plastic jugs that pretzles came in that I was saving to use for garden fertilizer canisters but this use is much better so I'm going to poke a hole in the lids and have the solution to my problem.

Again, thanks for asking this, cuz I would have never come up with this great solution on my own!

**Grainlady** · 01-25-2009, 08:33 AM

1. Rewind yarn on a ball winder for a consistant tension, rather than winding it by hand. If you hand-wind your yarn into a tight ball, you'll stretch the yarn fibers, which can cause your gauge to be off.

Ball Winder - http://www.knitpicks.com/Ball+Winder...FQrFGgodwnf7mQ

With yarn wound on a ball winder, it can be used from the inside out, or the outside in. Because it's a flat ball, it tends to stay put.

2. Check the flow of the yarn between your fingers to find the nap, and that will determine whether the yarn should be used from the inside out, or the outside in. If the yarn drags going through your fingers, then you'll want to use it from the other direction, or what I call the free-flowing direction. Yarn dragging will make for irregular stitches. You always want to strive for regular stitches. If you tend to get sweaty hands, powder them with a little cornstarch to aid the yarn to be free-flowing through your fingers.

3. Here's an assortment of yarn holders. Many you can make yourself.
http://store.knitting-warehouse.com/...rnholders.html