Hey makers,
If you've been looking to organize your stash but don't know where to start, you've come to the right place. I am hosting the first Stash Organization Challenge, and want you to join a community of like-minded crafters and me in getting our *stash* together!
But how can we *actually* get it done? In a few steps.
1- Gather all your yarn
I know... This alone feels daunting, like you're gearing up to go climb Mt. Everest. But this is the first step. You can go it. Grab every single skein of yarn (or any other items that are part of your stash: notions, pompoms, WIPS, fabric, stationary, etc.), and put them all in one place.
A friend of mine is reorganizing her papers, and that is the first step she's taken as well. So no matter what kind of stash you want to organize, this is where you need to start.
This is what MY Stash looks like...
2- Open all the boxes
Easy for me, my bins are all clear plastic (makes it easier to keep the bugs away, since they love to live in the dark). Get a deep look at what you have.
Because we moved this year, part of my yarn stash spent months in a storage unit. When they were moved into storage, I added mothballs around the bins because I simply couldn't trust the storage facility to keep my bins bug-free. All was well when I opened the bins, yay! But this means that I haven't looked much into the bins this year. I lost track of the gorgeous yarn I owned, and opening the bins bring back all the goodies that are hidden in there!
When I finally opened my bins, it sparked the idea of trying to use it all (lol). And the first thought that came to mind is how I could double or triple my fingering-weight yarns to make beautiful, simple sweaters that would in turn be true stash busters.
And now, I want to spend time with my stash finding these combos of colors that I could knit, and I daydream of sitting on the couch knitting these beautiful projects! Patience, patience...
We're not here for the knitting part. At least, not yet.
3- Get Your Bins Ready
If your stash is spread in a wide variety of containers, boxes, bags, and bins, this is the time to hit your organization store. I recommend buying transparent bins (to keep critters at bay and to be able to see at a glance what's in your bins). For me, this has been a game-changer.
As for size? Let's not kid ourselves. You will want the biggest, standard-sized bins that will fit your storage area. For me, it's 72-gallon bins. Don't be afraid to invest in high-quality bins. It's worth it. Even if you use up all of your stash, you'll be able to reuse these bins for other projects, hobbies, etc.
These are the bins I use #notsponsored :
3- Dig. Or Dump.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. This is where the hard work begins. The physical, and oftentimes emotional work, of going through your stash and realizing just how much you've got in your stash.
For example, while digging through my stash, I found this yarn that is very special to me. This yarn comes from sheep raised next to my grandparents' former farm, the one they owned, up until the '70s.
And the thing is, as with most farmland, it changed hands many times since, parcels of their 100s of acres were sold in chunks to neighbors, and so on and so forth. So, it is more than possible that the fibers in these yarns actually come from sheep that grazed the land my grandparents cleared and tilled. My grandparents have since passed, but my father remembers working on the farm and often shares stories about that.
This yarn will NEVER get destashed!
4- Create A System
Now that you have a better idea of what's in your stash, let's create an organizational system that will make sense to you! You can organize your yarns by weight, fibers, colors, etc. I personally prefer to organize my yarn by types of weights.
Fingering yarns together, sports/DK in another bin, worsted weight together, and bulky by itself. A solid chunk of my stash is fingering-weight yarn, so I know there will be several bins of it. So, how to categorize it? I will keep sweater quantities together, and assign a bin for single skeins or leftovers. I will also dedicate a bin to my single-ply merino fingering weight yarn (hello, tosh merino light 👋)
5 - A Stash Organization System is Only As Good As Your Will to Keep It Organized
Let the clerical work begin! I love having my stash organized online, and I use the stash function in Ravelry for this. Right now, it is very disorganized. I used some yarns that haven't been removed, forgot to add new yarns I purchased, etc. My Ravelry Stash listing needs to be overhauled.
So here's my plan: every time I'll put yarns in a bin to be organized, I will cross-reference it with my stash on Ravelry and update the listing and give it a new tag: 2026 Stash Organization. Pro tip: you can add tags to your stash on Ravelry, so you could tag the yarn and also assign it a specific bin!
Right now, I have almost 300 yarns stashed on Ravelry 😳😱😬
6- Just Keep Sorting
This is the hard part. The part that requires will, grit, stamina, and the desire to see this project through. Sort only one bin at a time. Or if you find it hard to get started, work in time increments. When I find it hard to get started, I often tell myself "I'll just work on this for 5/10/20 minutes". And 20 minutes a day is probably enough to get your stash all sorted in a month! You got this, just keep sorting.
You can label your bins to tag your stash on Ravelry, or just keep things simple. I don't tag my bins because I tend to look through more than one bin at once and mix the yarns... Which is what got me in this disorganized place... ugh!
An idea I just had is to write the bin number on the plastic storage bag that holds the yarn, so they always stay organized in the right bin. Maybe I'll do that. We'll see!
A few things I do to keep my yarn safe from critters: I store every yarn in a Ziploc Freezer bag. No cheap bags for me, I don't want to risk it. I add cedar blocks and lavender sachets to each bin. It keeps the critters away and makes my yarn small heavenly. And I store all these bags in clear bins, not on the floor, but on shelves. More information on how to keep your yarn safe from critters: https://www.sierraandpine.com/blogs/articles/how-to-keep-your-yarn-stash-safe-and-organized
Want to get organized? Grab the Stash Saver Bundle that includes cedar balls and lavender sachets!
7- Destash Is A Thing
You are not married to your stash. It is okay to let it go, if it doesn't serve the purpose you have. I try to destash at least once a year. Sometimes twice. I will destash outstanding yarns that I would want to knit, but for which I have no project in mind and no desire to get started on them anytime soon. This is my indicator that I'm probably never gonna get to it. And let's be honest here, it's a shame you have your yarns lying in a bin if you're never gonna work with them.
Here's your chance to recoup some of your investment, and make another crafter happy. Consider destashing in Ravelry or Facebook groups, on Nextdoor, or even giving it away to school, senior centers, or second-hand stores.
Ready to get your stash organized? Join the Group!
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