# Stash Management



## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I am starting the 'every so often' clean out of the Fibre Room.

I am tired of it disintegrating into chaos so quickly and so easily ... and I know that this sort of thing is always a sign of improper infrastructure. So, I'm working on improving the infrastructure to make it easier to keep things neat and orderly!

Step one was implemented today, but I have a long way to go yet.










I have a lot of fleeces (I do have sheep!) and so I need good ways of storing that - I like pillowcases suspended from a looped cord, as that keeps the moths out pretty well (I also put vapona strips in the fibre room) and lets the fibre breathe. I'm thinking my next step is to get some sturdy wood shelving and replace the wobbly cubes with that, and add some hooks for suspending the bags of fleece. 

I also intend to move a bunch of this fleece out of here!  Some of it is not mine, it's just here for processing, but a rather frightful quantity of it *is* mine. Some of that's gonna change.

Anyway, I'm happy to be making progress ... and I thought we might want to share our stash management strategies in a thread.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

The bags are yarn. That is pretty much all the yarn I have - the rest of the mess is fleece and tools and parts of spinning wheels and ... I'm afraid to think what else.

I like your box idea. I was using bankers boxes for a lot of my storage before, and will probably still use those once I get some better shelving. Some of the larger fleeces don't fit well in a box, and I try to wash them and only box up 'good stuff' anyway ... so I have the hanging pillowcase thing for that. I'm pondering ways to make a rod from which I can hang the bags of fleece, like hams in an old meat locker. 

I *definitely* need labels. I think I'll need to give in and buy a bag of the toe tag type labels from the office supply place, because otherwise I just don't mark stuff. I like your idea of marking how it was washed!


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I like the bag idea. I just wish I had a room. My sewing room is already stuffed. I'll try that hang-them-from-the-ceiling-idea...that'll give me some more room.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

:drillsgt:Ha... my husband is working up north in the oil field just now, and he informed me that up there, "stash management" has a completely different meaning. 

And if you don't manage your stash appropriately, Security catches you and you lose your job! :drillsgt:

Good thing my stash is legal.


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Is that a mountie smiley? A.K.A. RCMP? Am I sidetracking the thread?


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## emilyrayne (Jun 16, 2008)

Right now I have all of my yarn in tupperware boxes along with all of my finished projects that I haven't sold or given away. What I would give for my own craft room/space! I would love to have my own space full of shelves/cubes that I could put my yarn out, so that it could be visible to me.


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## Lythrum (Dec 19, 2005)

weever said:


> Is that a mountie smiley? A.K.A. RCMP? Am I sidetracking the thread?


Nope, it is a Drill Sergeant. They are famous for hollering at people.


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

But if the Mounties find you with an "unmanaged stash" you may get yelled at too!


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

I like the idea of putting it into bags too. I would need see through bags though.

Ive got a mountain of yarn to go through. Its mostly acrylic, and I have a shelving rack just for the yarn.

I really need to have a huge yard sale anyways. Im thinking of trying to sell some of the yarn while Im at it.

I have nearly full skeins, and then a bunch of balls of different colors. Im hoping someone might be interested in the odds and ends for various projects.

Of course, if that works, Im going to use the money to build up a supply of wool yarn. :sing: :drum:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

PearB why don't you offer it up here before you put it into a garage sale. I bet someone would want it. Take a few pictures and post them.


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

I loved the bag idea. I too would like a clear bag though. Hmmm....


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## kandmcockrell (Oct 10, 2008)

I want to see an updated pic of WIHH's stash! My box springs are actually a storage area, os all my stash is under my mattress but off the floor. Th mattress rests on a aplatform that has hydrlic lifts and a handle at the foot of the bed. easy to lift up and the it stays up while i scrounge around in there. I have a queen size bed so there is plenty of room.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Who's Michael ? :shrug:


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Marchwind said:


> PearB why don't you offer it up here before you put it into a garage sale. I bet someone would want it. Take a few pictures and post them.


I hadnt thought of that, will do! Thank you!


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> I have the luxury of a basement -:bouncy: :clap: :nanner: and these are the mesh metal cubes I picked up at an auction.
> 
> I have added an additional bank of them as well since this picture was taken. :teehee: (Oh wow -these look so empty as compared to now! :teehee:
> 
> The point is - I HAVE to see my fibers - or it makes me sad  - I NEED to be inspired by the colors and textures so the bags would never work for me.


Pics like that are dangerous to me :hysterical: I just love that setup. I would have to have see through bags.

I get some of my ideas for projects just by looking at my stash and wondering if one color would go well with another.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

For fleece storage, I just bought some comforter bags from the linked store (thanks, Ravelry)- they also have huge zipped mesh bags for suint cleaning. Today is is raining, so catching more water for suint baths (also like to wash mohair in rain water), and going packaging up already cleaned fleeces, skirting dirty ones, etc. Cleaner's Supply - Catalog
$15 is for 12 huge comforter bags. Will fit more than one fleece..... 
Good inspiration on this thread!


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## Falls-Acre (May 13, 2009)

We're supposed to be organized?!

Just kidding, right now my few fleeces are still in their shipping boxes, I hadn't decided how I want to store them yet. I have my yarns divided by fiber type (cotton, wool, acrylic) and stored in various ways. I really have WAY more yarn than I could probably work in several years. The wool yarns are in comforter bags, the acrylics in a large storage bin, cottons and misc in baskets. I'm still waiting for my craft shed to be built, if it ever does most everything I've got laying around the house will go out there for storage. Keep in mind I do more than just fiber arts, so I really need the extra space for storage. My living room can't take much more! LOL


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

I have progressed to Stash Management Part 2!

I went to Ikea today ... I love Ikea for storage stuff. We use their wooden shelving for the toys and tools and stuff, and it's just great - cheap and sturdy, just what I need. So I got the shelves and then I looked through all the different departments for 'containers' for storage. I found the mesh laundry bags for a really good price, and I got several of those, but the best find of the day were the Dimpa series of bags - meant for sorting your recycling, the tall bags hold an entire fleece, and *hold their shape as tall rectangles* making them stand nicely side by side!










I also realized I have too much fleece here, and I will be getting rid of some of this. 

However, it's progress!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Good for you!


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Part 3 of the stash management plan was implemented today!

I now have shelves. And the Ikea recycling bags are stacked on the shelves, my sewing machine and serger aren't on the floor anymore, I have little basket doodads for thread and assorted widgetry, and there's even a spot for the 'wheel repair stuff' to go. And a shelf to hold the carboys for when we make wine. (It's kind of a multipurpose storage room.)

I am utterly exhausted but I am happy with the progress!










The closet is still a nightmare but it can wait for a few months.


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