New Year Organizing: Patterns!

The New Year organizing continues, and this week we're tackling knitting books, magazines, patterns, etc.

This is one area where I consider myself fairly well organized already--in no small part because when we moved last June, I purged a lot of unused books, patterns and magazines that I didn't feel like packing.

What I haven't done recently is update my Ravelry library--deleting the patterns I'd purged and adding new ones--so I decided to start there.

While not essential, I find it useful to keep close track of my pattern library on Ravelry, because when searching for patterns to knit, I can check off the "in my library" button, and it will show me patterns I already have that meet my requirements--for example, all the patterns in my library knit in DK weight yarn, or all the children's cardigan patterns I have.

I think we can all relate to that feeling of buying more and more patterns, yet using very few of them. Keeping an organized library can help minimize that!

It's also helpful to check your library occasionally for pattern updates--any pattern you download through Ravelry can be updated by the designer, who can notify all purchasers when any changes are made. Just click the update button, and you ensure you have the latest, most error-free version of the pattern at hand, quick and painless.

I started with 177 patterns in my Rav library.

I deleted a number of Interweave Knits issues I had purged, free patterns I had already used or was no longer interested in (hey, you can always download them again!), and added a couple of books and magazines I'd purchased, and wound up with 130 patterns, about 8 of which I also updated. Not a major hack job, but trimming the fat, at least.

In addition to tracking patterns in the Ravelry library, I have a number of patterns stored on my iPad, including single PDFs and ebooks, in the iBooks app.

I can access these patterns anytime, even without an Internet connection, so I keep a good selection of patterns here "just in case."

Always prepared for a knitting emergency!

I also have Interweave Knits downloaded in the Newsstand app. You can purchase and download an issue when you want to use it, and then archive it for later use, so it doesn't eat up your storage space. Very handy.

I didn't have much work to do on my physical pattern storage space:

This is my fairly modest collection of books, with some single printed patterns stored in a large binder (and a big vase full of yarn balls). The bookcase could probably use dusting, but otherwise, I think I'm in good shape.

And while I was at it, I decided to tackle my Ravelry queue. I deleted some patterns I was no longer interested in, and made sure each pattern had at least one tag for searching and organizing purposes; I also noted any yarn I already had on hand for specific projects. I'm down from 181 to 152!

 

What are you organizing this week?

New Year's Organization: Stash Wrangling

The next step in the WEBS organizing plan for the New Year is to get your yarn stash in order. This includes sorting, destashing and tracking, so it's a rather involved process.

But it must be done. I buy yarn throughout the year and stuff it in any drawer it fits in. I don't take pictures. I buy it for specific projects, and then forget what those projects are. And then a few times a year, I panic about how much yarn I have, round up a few skeins I don't think I'll use and add them to my destash page.

I need a more defined yarn approach.


The first step was to take a picture of my stash.

Oy.

(I believe the suggestion was to dump it in a big pile on the floor, but Dory will wander off with yarn if I leave it out, so no.)

Isn't it pretty?

But definitely overwhelming.

Meanwhile, Dory snuggled some alpaca.

I then got down to the business of sorting it: yarn to keep, yarn to destash, and yarn for giveaways.

Dory helped.

And when I finished, I had made a significant reduction to the "keep" pile--plenty of yarn on hand for projects, but certainly a more streamlined collection. Meanwhile, the "destash" pile keeps growing:

 

Next up, the tracking. 

I took pictures of all my unphotographed yarns (well, almost; I still missed a few), and got to the business of updating my Ravelry stash.

There are probably any number of ways to track your stash, but I find Ravelry the most convenient. Most of the details you might want to keep track of are already in their database, so you just photo your yarn, add the number of skeins (and possibly the purchase price, if you really want to astonish yourself by tracking your yarn spending) and you're done. You can even go through your queue and assign your stash yarns to specific projects, so you don't forget why you bought them. Like some people I know.

(For a more detailed overview of how to use Ravelry's stash feature, check out this post on the Fresh Stitches blog.)

And finally, the "organization." I decided the best way to divide things would be by weight--though I've tried that method before and failed miserably. But still, why not give it another go?

I now have lace and fingering weight yarns in one set of drawers, sport and DK in another, and worsted+ in the third.

I even have some extra space in a couple of the drawers!

You'll be seeing some of the yarns I decided to re-home in upcoming giveaways. For now, if you'd like to check out the yarns I'm selling off, you can find them here.

New Year's Organizing: WIP Purge

I will preface this post by saying that the photos are pretty lousy--I don't have a lot of daylight to work in during the week. And by "a lot," I mean "any"--the sun is barely up by the time I leave for work, and has already gone to bed by the time I leave the office, let alone get home. I used a bunch of obnoxious Flickr "filters" to make them look marginally more acceptable.

You're welcome.

I'm still busy organizing, inspired by WEBS' new year organization series, and yesterday I tackled my WIPs.

I found 3 baskets full of them.

Oops.

Clearly, I had to take action.

I approached the baskets in a ruthless frame of mind, and wound up with a fair pile of projects to frog:

(Though to be fair, some of these were WIPs I'd already decided to frog, and then had just thrown back in the basket out of laziness.)

This included 2 fairly major frogging decisions.

First, my Girasole blanket:

I adore this blanket.

But can't stand the yarn.

I picked up a bunch of the yarn actually called for in the pattern, Cascade Pastaza, on sale last year, and was excited to work with it because it sounds delightful: 50% wool, 50% llama.

In reality, it's a hairy mess. It sheds like crazy and just isn't fun to work with.

(Although if you want to give it a shot, I'd be happy to sell you the 14 skeins I have!)

I'll definitely be tackling this blanket with another yarn sometime in the (hopefully near) future.


And secondly, my Adhara Shawl.

Sniff.

Unfortunately, the color combo I chose--a red/brown and yellow--just wasn't working out the way I'd hoped.

I thought it would be autumn-y and warm, but instead it's just dull.

I'll be picking a new color combo for this project, probably light and dark shades of a single color, as used in the original, and starting over again at some point.


I also found myself facing 2 projects I couldn't make a decision on. First, this wee sweater:

I started it with a partially used skein, leftover from my Wildflower Cardigan. But in order to finish it, I'll have to start a second new skein, and I'm not sure it's worth it--who is this sweater even for? It's too girlie for the wee Peruanito.

A mystery.

I also dug up the Terry's Pullover I started for my dad. It's actually nearly finished, with one small problem:

I don't know if it's obvious in the photo, but there's a distinct color difference between the first and second skeins of yarn.

It's driving me crazy.

I'm not sure I can live with it.

These two question marks led me to the decision to institute a Two WIP Basket System: one basket for "short term" WIPs, and one for "long term."

Long term WIPs are those I'm not actively working on. They could be for a different season, awaiting an epiphany regarding a mistake I've made so that I can move forward, or, like the last two projects, could be "undecided." I hope to revisit these projects each year to further evaluate.

To make the magical jump to the short term basket, a project must be in active rotation, and must have a project bag!

It currently holds about 5 projects, a reasonable quantity, I think.

Perhaps the best thing about this exercise was the number of needle tips I reclaimed--almost my whole set!

Just waiting to be put to use in even more projects!

New Year, New Knitsolutions

I don't want to go crazy with "knitsolutions" this year because, let's face, I'm having a baby in about 6 weeks, and babies change everything.

To be honest, we haven't even managed to figure out what, exactly, we're going to do with the baby after my maternity leave ends. It would be lovely to stay home with our little one (and in my head, that would mean more knitting time; in reality, who knows?), but I also like buying things. For example, food. I've also grown fond of having a roof over my head. I'm working to expand my freelance translation biz, as well as MediaPeruana Designs and related projects, but it's a slow slog.

So basically, 2013 is a total crap shoot at this point.

Still, let's be optimistic. 2013 may be a mystery, but it could definitely be a banner year!

First, knitting!

I'm going to attempt to stash down again in 2013, hopefully with more success this time, and have a couple of specific projects I'm determined to complete.

First, for a brief period in your child's life, mostly before he learns to talk, you can basically force him to wear whatever crazy things you want. This is THE time for handknits, and specifically, for coordinating mommy-and-son cardigans:

 Snagged from Tanis Fiber Arts

I've bought the sweater kit (in the Warm Breeze palette), so this project is a go, as soon as I get the yarn wound.

 Snagged from Connie Chang Chinchio.

I'm also ready to get started on a Wee Austin Hoodie.

And I'm bound and determined to FINALLY finish my Deep V Argyle Vest.

I'm serious this time!


I also have 2 new challenges ahead of me: wheel spinning and sewing. Not to mention getting a better handle on spindle spinning.

I sure hope I invent a time turner in 2013 . . .


As for designs, I can promise at least 2. A soon-to-be-revealed yarn company is releasing a new sock pattern of mine in 2013, and I've signed on to design my first, real live garment pattern, which will make its debut in late 2013 (though the deadline is in March--better get cracking!).

I certainly hope to release many more patterns in 2013. Let's see what the year holds in store!

And to get the year off on the right foot, let's have a New Year promo! Now through January 15, buy any 1 pattern from my pattern store, and get a 2nd pattern FREE, with the code NEWYEAR. (It's a super deal, so only 1 coupon per customer.) If you've been delaying a purchase, now's the time!


Today is the last day for my WIP in the New Year goal--check in tomorrow to see how I fared!