The past weekend was super busy for me. I was trying to finish up some amigurumi to list in my shop before Monday's post. Which I accomplished and I also wanted to get started on the 31 days to get organized tips on the Webs Yarn Store blog. I added a link to each individual day. To get to the blog post of a specific day click on the Day you are interested in. The WIP's I worked on this week are at the bottom if you want to skip to them!
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Announcements
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31 days to get Organized
Make a list of what's working for you and a list of what you want to improve!
Things Working:
1) I think my yarn storage is working pretty good. I reorganized each bin last month and now each one has a different brand of yarn. I also use the bottom row to store my UFO's. On the top I display all of my Freshstitches amigurumi I made last year (my personal collection not the ones for sale). I think this is the only thing that is working for me.
Things I want to improve:
1) I want to stop leaving things unfinished for so long. I tend to finish projects to the point where all I have left to do is add a border or some detail. For example on the dress below all I need to do is add some ribbon and maybe a little flower and the sleeves and it would be finished. Yet its been in my UFO's for over a year.
2) I want to organize my patterns. I have some patterns in binders, others in my ravelry library, and others on my computer that I have already downloaded but when I want to start a new project I can never decide what to do. Or I'll remember I had a pattern but can't find it.
3) Bring down the number of UFO's I have.
4) Use up my yarn stash.
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Pull out all your WIP's and decide whether to finish or to frog!
Here are all my UFO's. Well my knit and crochet ones anyway. There are several I know I want to frog and have already taken out the needles. Now I just have to frog them. Some I'm undecided about. While others I know I want to finish eventually. There are several that all I have left to do is sew or add borders. The bag on the top right corner for example is full of Ipod cases I made that I need to sew up.
After about an hour I decided to frog these below. I put them into baskets so that I can frog them in the living room while watching TV. It will be easier to just take the basket then have to carry them in something else. I have a lot more than I thought but the good thing is that many of them are pretty small projects.
(A picture of the ones I have decided to keep will be shown in the next section)
Organize the WIP's you decided to keep!
Here are all the projects I am keeping. Many of them have very little left to do. Several of them are baby sweaters that I need to sew up the sleeves and add buttons. I also have a pile of Ipod/Camera cases at the top left corner that I need to sew and add buttons. Some baby bibs that I need to finish the I-cord. A couple baby blankets that need borders. And another handful of baby shoes that need buttons, pom poms and need to be sewn. There are about 2 projects that I need to figure out what size hook I was using but other than that I know the pattern and what tools all the others need.
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Store your WIPs!
I stored my UFO's in the bins I showed above. All of the projects that only need to be sewn were put into this NY&Company bag (its a clothing store). I really like their bags because they are much sturdier than other plastic bags so I like to keep them. The smaller project bags my mom made me are used for my current WIP's. I may need her to make me a larger one that I can use to store my baby blankets and larger projects in.
Keep up to date notes for your WIP's!
I'm not the best at keeping good notes about my projects. I usually carry around this little pad where I write down my own patterns and changes to patterns I downloaded. I never thought to add these notes to ravelry as I posted the project so I might attempt to do this next time.
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Flash your Stash!
This task was not as easy as it seemed. At least it wasn't for me. I admit I have a problem when it comes to yarn. I know I may not need it and I may not have an idea of what I will use it on but in the end I will buy it. Just yesterday I got eight skeins of Berroco Vintage in the mail (just in time to make it into the picture)! But I have decided that this month I will not buy anymore yarn. I think I've come to my limit. I have no more space for it and so I will need to use up some before I can think to get more. Plus I need to save money for other things. Just in the last two months I know I've spent close to $500 on yarn! Which is way too much!
(Just in case anyone is wondering: Most of the yarn on the left side is from Knit Picks, the middle section towards the front is Berroco Vintage, some Cascade,and Bernat Softee Baby towards the back, to the right I have Caron Simply Soft at the front, more Bernat Softee Baby in the middle and some cotton yarn from Hobby Lobby and Bernat towards the back. I have a lot Bernat Softee Baby from years ago that I haven't used. I was obsessed with making baby blankets and that's mostly what I use it on.)
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Get rid of the yarn you don't love or won't use!
I'm a firm believer that if I spent the money on something I have to use it. I think I'm going to skip this idea. All of this yarn can be used and will. I may end up making things to give away but I'm going to be the one to knit or crochet with it. :)
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Recycle yarn from your WIP's!
This post is a tip of how to get the yarn from a project you frog back into good shape to be used on another project! I have yet to frog my projects so I don't have much to say for this day.
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WIP's
I currently have 29 stuffed animals in my shop so I've decided its time to start adding new products. I've been wanting to add Baby Bibs since the beginning but decided to stock up on stuffed animals first. Well I think its time so these past two days I was working on a couple baby bibs. I have a goal to finish 10 baby bibs and list them before February 4th which will be the first Monday of next month meaning its the day of the Merchandise Monday post. Here is what I've been working on. Three baby bibs so far. It takes me about a day to knit up the bib up to the point where the i-cord starts. So accomplishing my goal shouldn't be too difficult. I like using my KnitPicks chart keeper to help me keep my place even if it isn't a chart.
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I like how you used that bin organizer. I was thinking of one but found I have more yarn than what would fit. So plastic containers will do for now.
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