Stash Management for the Organizationally Challenged

I’ve got to do something about my yarn stash. Not that it’s huge, but it is out of control. It seems I am in need of some clever stash management options.

I’ve heard that spring is coming – just a rumor. With it will come spring cleaning and with that the annual “Finish or Frog” challenge I set myself every year. This year, I’d love to get my stash really organized. I’m not talking about a trip to Canadian Tire for more plastic totes, I mean really nicely organized. I’d love to be able to see it all and access it all. And I’d love for it to be sort of ‘tiered’. In other words, I’d like deep stash to be better protected against insects and fading, with works in progress more visible and accessible.

Since I’m not a terribly monogamous knitter, the Ikea Raskog Cart (above) would be perfect for current projects. It can be had in three colors, turquoise, dark gray and beige, for about $70 CDN. For that price, it might pay to have two…one for tools.

Now, here’s a girl with an idea! Lorna at KnitsForLife has put up this ingenious yarn peg board. Though this doesn’t speak to my country problems (like insects), it’s wonderful because it has no footprint at all consuming zero floor space and because it’s so darn pretty to look at. You can read all about it HERE.

If I had a closet (and I do not have ONE SINGLE CLOSET in the entire church), I would be find these clever uses for hanging storage very interesting! These units are very inexpensive and can be readily tailored to specific needs. Neat!

These are just inexpensive trash cans from the dollar store. Isn’t that smart?

Then, we have the ‘Gold Standard Solutions’.

Pictured here as a shoe cubby, my mind’s eye immediately filled the unsuspecting cubby with yarn. Didn’t yours? Click HERE for the plans.

This common Ikea bookcase (formerly known as Expedit but now, apparently, renamed Kallax) has been sliced and diced to make shelf shapes more conducive to yarn storage. The Kallax series, left in its original state, has many options for customization such as drawers, doors and shelf inserts. And it’s extremely cost effective, too!

Isn’t this pretty? It’s a wine rack that has found new life. I’ve seen this at Lowe’s and Home Depot.

And for goodness sake, why didn’t I think of this? Visually accessible when you want it, out of sight out of mind when you don’t. I’ll take one of each!