New Year Knitting Organization, Can Make Your Head Spin

It's the beginning of a new year, and for a knitter that is a big deal. Every new year I go through all my yarns and my patterns and I try to line up what it is I might accomplish this year. And in fact, what I am interested in now. My tastes change from year to year. One year I knitted nothing but socks. Another year I went crazy about knitting fingerless mitts. It's just what suits your fancy. My fancy is changing all the time. And you might notice at the end of your year that your druthers changed before you even accomplished what you thought you might.

Does any of that matter? Of course not. What matters is that you've been knitting. So back to organization.

I have a craft walk in closet. I had it built special for me, so I could get organized. I used to keep my stuff all over the basement. I never liked it and it was always disorganized. My husband could see my distress and always wanting me to be happy, we had this closet built. Now all my crafts are organized. My scrapbooking, my crochet, my quilting and sewing and my knitting. I love it.

So it is a good idea to put your knitting ideas according to style. For instance you might put all your sweater patterns and yarns in one area. Or organize your needles into all double pointed, or circular or single pointed. Put your yarns according to weight, worsted, 2-ply, 3-ply, baby yarn, or even fancy yarn. But I like to put my organization more into simple and not so simple and quick and not so quick. My rational for this is that I can make the decision as to what I am going to make much faster.

You see as a true knitter I collect. Yes, collect. I have so much yarn I could knit a village and still keep knitting. But when you are in a yarn shop and you see gorgeous yarn, you must have it. My husband has stopped trying to understand this. He just opens his wallet, remember he wants me to be happy.

So when I go into my craft closet, I know if I am wanting a complicated "accomplishment" project, or a quick take along project. Am I knitting for a baby, a wedding shower, or myself.

It took me awhile to figure out what a quick project would be. Was it just small or was it something uncomplicated. I decided it was both. I love knitting socks and mittens, I am not a big scarf knitter, I get bored with them. But I love textured yarns and interesting patterns. I like to cable and make interesting textures. But these are not always quick. But they could be take- along in terms of size. But if I have to keep my eye on the pattern in order not to be lost I keep it at home.

I find if I am knitting for someone else I keep it simple. Something I will truly finish quickly because people usually do not appreciate a hand crafted gift. For years I stopped giving my home made gifts. But I got over my pout and hurt feelings and now I just pick my recipient of my special gift.

Anyway organization helps me to have a lot more fun with my knitting projects. If you are a knitter or crafter of any kind, I hope you got some ideas and a little insight into my knitting world.