Keeping track of skeins of yarn in my stash is hard. I struggle with knowing what colors I have and the amounts left in each skein. Then there are all those partial skeins and balls of yarn that seem to spill out onto my desk and clutter up my life — do I even need to mention what happens when the yarn basket gets full? Maybe it’s just me, but I’m convinced those pesky balls of yarn unroll themselves and tangle up for no reason other than to spite me. Then I seem to forget what I have and where it is. It can really be frustrating!
Keeping Track of Skeins of Yarn
When I’m not arguing with a tangled skein, I’m forgetting what I have and where it is located (Desk? Basket? Somewhere else?). I definitely dislike wasting my time, effort, and money when I go to the store and buy the wrong color, or a skein I already have, or the wrong kind of yarn.
Do you ever struggle with this or am I the only one? Hubs isn’t too happy when the yarn situation gets out of control, which is why I do the Use Your Stash Challenge every year.
Over the years, I have put several safeguards in place to help with keeping track of skeins of yarn and using them.
A Physical Inventory
I keep an inventory of each full skein of yarn I have on hand.
Besides listing the brand and color number, I cut off a scrap piece of yarn. The scrap is about 12 inches long and allows me to color match with the little balls of yarn that seems to overpopulate my bags and baskets.  The pages of this inventory are kept in an old, recycled binder. I have always meant to pretty-up the binder, but I just haven’t made it a priority. Why take the time to do that when I can play with yarn instead?!
You may be wondering when I found the time to make a yarn inventory, in the first place. Aha! I used kid power! Our daughter was earning money for a mission trip one year, so I told her what I wanted and paid her to do the work. It was a win-win situation!
A Photo Inventory
If I need to go to the store and buy a specific type of yarn, I take a photo of the label and stick it to my list. Keeping track of skeins of yarn visually helps me to stay focused. And if you’re anything like me, you need to stay focused at the yarn store. It is so hard not to buy extra skeins when you walk into the yarn aisle and see all those beautiful, luxurious yarns.
A Big Glass Jar and a Giant Salad Bowl
Granny square blankets are fun to make, but they are notorious for leaving you with tiny balls of yarn. They are also great for helping you use up tiny balls of yarn. I keep a big glass jar (see above) for the little balls of yarn that I have leftover from various projects. When the jar is full, I start crocheting granny square centers and place them into a giant salad bowl (see below). When the salad bowl is full, it is time to start a granny square scrap afghan.
What Do You Do?
I would love to hear your methods for organizing and keeping track of skiens of yarn. Do you keep some sort of inventory? Do you have a routine for regularly using your scrap yarn? Leave a comment and let me know–I need all the help I can get!
Talk to you later,
Karen
I just start one granny square, then add the leftover yarn as i go along. When it gets big enough to be a lapghan, I donate it to someone who needs it, usually it’s someone who has an aunt/granny/senior in a wheelchair who needs the extra warmth.