Wednesday 30 March 2011

(Dis)organised Chaos


Day Three: Tidy mind, tidy stitches.

I have to say, in all honesty, Ravelry is one of the best things to happen to my knitting! I can actually use it to keep an eye on how my projects are progressing...my ravelry projects
...and it has several useful tools to help you keep tabs. There's a virtual bookshelf/library which is quite fun and a nice reminder of the books you own...

my virtual bookshelf
...as well as a handy chart to record your knitting needles and/or crochet hooks. I quite like to keep track of my (ever-mounting) yarn stash and the Ravelry way is wonderfully visual, as you are able to upload photos of your fibrey finds.

my yarn stash
Aside from the virtual world, I have so much yarn, it barely fits inside a (dedicated) wardrobe! Part of the problem is that not only do I hand knit, I also machine knit - I own two domestic, vintage mechanical Knitmaster machines - which means, yep, you guessed it - more yarn. In cones, and larger quantities...not to mention other equipment that goes with them. It's small wonder that I have a storage unit too!

Crafting 365 Day 7: scarf in progress!

I have a couple of knitting bags which I absolutely love - both for storage and as a way of carting my projects about with me when I'm on the go (or even just around the house!).

big black knitting bag
This was an absolute find - a super-cute vintage knitting bag! A great size for travelling too, as it fits inside my suitcase if need be:

kittens vintage knitting bag
For my pins, I have two pretty knitting needle rolls...

knitting needle rolls
...and a little bag for notions that I made myself, like a giant purse or modified pencil case:

zippy handmade bag
...but where's the yarn, you say? I have rather a lot, but some is kept in a unit with big plastic drawers. One of my favourite drawers is this one full of Rowan Kidsilk Haze (with a dash of Kidsilk Night thrown in for good measure!).


I generally like to keep similar fibre types or weights together. Here is my 4 ply bag:

4ply yarn stash
I made the bag from one of my machine knitted fabrics, but I'm lazy and didn't line it! This is what the outside looks like:


Oh, and the kitten knitting bag is full of summery yarns too:


I have so much more yarn, in various bags and boxes but there simply aren't enough hours in the day! I think I might just have a *slight* yarn addiction, ha ha!

P.S. If you want to look me up, my Ravelry user name is catameringue :)

9 comments:

Unknown said...

I really like that bag with the kitten on it, and the one with the dresses. I've always wanted to see how a knitting machine works. Sometimes I see them for sale, but I don't know if it's a good idea for me to own one ;)

Anonymous said...

You have such cute knitting bags. I have seen so many cute bags today it's awesome XD

Oil painting for beginners said...

This is such a great site! I like the way you set this up! Great content! Thanks for sharing this!...Daniel

Cat McLaughlin said...

@Melly Sometimes there are courses on machine knitting (e.g. at art colleges) which can give you a taster. I got my machines from charity shops, such a bargain!

Chrissy said...

You have great bags. I definitely think having cute knitting/crochet bags is the way to go. I have several hung on the door knob of my lounge, which is just by my usual seat on the sofa. It means I can grab a project without leaving my seat - perfect!

CathyN said...

I am looking for a small amount of kidsilk night shade 612 fountain. am willing to buy a part ball to finish a garment. Can you help? cathnsteve@btinternet.com

Cat McLaughlin said...

Hi Cathy, I don't have any Kidsilk Night in that shade myself (light purple with silvery sparkle through it), but maybe one of my readers can help!

Kerenza said...

Hi there - I am also looking for a small amount of Kidsilk Night Fountain. Did you have any luck??
Kerenza

Cat McLaughlin said...

Hi Kerenza, it might be worth posting on the Ravelry forums, or maybe try ebay?

Hope that helps!