As you build your knitting confidence and embark on more knitting projects and patterns you will inevitably accrue yarn and build what is known as a stash. If you are anything like me you will end up buying yarn because it is simply too squidgy and gorgeous to leave in the store and then you end up with a large collection of yarn, sitting pretty and waiting for a knitting pattern to be allocated to...and so the stash grows.
In this post I share 5 tips on how to best look after and store your yarn stash so it is ready to knit when you are ready to finally cast it on your eager knitting needles.
As usual my yarn storage tips are based on my own experience both as a knitter and as a former knitting store employee. A big source of my advice is from a horrendous discovery, over 12 years ago, when moths had destroyed my entire yarn collection because I had kept it in an unlined, open wicker basket as I didn't know that was a recipe for disaster. Tears were shed that day and lesson learnt.
So to save you any knitting yarn related sobs, here are my top 5 Knitting Yarn Storage Tips:
Tip 1: Make it Accessible
If you make your knitting yarn and needles easy to get to, you are more likely to follow through on those bursts of inspiration to knit that scarf or jumper for your sister's next birthday.
Consider repurposing an easy to store and reach basket, drawer or cupboard in a space where you can comfortably knit.
Tip 2: Use Moth or Cedar Balls
To keep those pesky moths and yarn munching critters out of your stash be sure to drop moth balls or cedar balls throughout your knitting yarn collection. You can buy these in most dry cleaners or even local haberdashery and DIY stores.
Some moth balls can be quite strong smelling so I wrap them in tissue and stuff them in between skeins and balls. I also keep a cedar oil diffuser in my studio space.
Tip 3: Coordinate by Colour or Weight
Grouping your colours together means less searching time which means...more knitting time! You may prefer to group your yarn together in weights (thickness, for more on this read this post here) which again will reduce searching for the yarn you want for your knitting pattern or in fact show you quickly where the gaps in your stash are.
Tip 4: Display your Knitting Yarn Creatively
Making your knitting yarn collection look enticing will inspire you to pick up your needles and knit that dream sweater or pair of socks...plus it looks lovely and can help make a space feel more comforting too.
Because I have so much yarn, for my knitting labels Wool & Water and Wool & Whiskers, I keep much of it in a repurposed dresser but I keep personal yarn in repurposed wooden fruit crates. The sight of it both calms and inspires me.
Tip 5: Less is More
I am a terrible hypocrite for sharing this advice but de-stashing (knitting from your existing yarn collection as opposed to also buying more) regularly is a good thing....it means you make space to eventually buy more yarn when you next innocently, casually swing by your local yarn store!
But on a more sensible note, by planning knitting projects around your existing yarn collection you are putting your purchases to good, creative use and avoiding any sense of overwhelm, plus it is a more sustainable consumer practice.
When I worked in a knitting store, one of the regular customers (who had yarn stashed all over her house) told me she always tried to remember to to only have as much yarn as she could reasonably knit up in her lifetime...
Some of my knitting students practice this perfectly and only buy for specific knitting patterns which they then get on and knit, I am a more impulsive yarn buyer. If it is pretty, squidgy and I fall in love, it's coming to join the crates...
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