Metadata

Sunday 1 October 2017

Dealing with a burgeoning yarn stash?

Many of us yarn-aholics have an enduring, perennial problem in the storage department. Our stash has a tendency to grow quicker than our capacity to consume it by turning it into gorgeous hand-knits.

It's a complaint that I hear again and again on the knitting holiday circuit. My guests all seem to have the same nagging problem: cupboards and closets that were not designed to accommodate the outsized proportions of their stash. And, given my own line of business, I've got a yarn stash that would fill a small room.

So, what are we to do?

Well, if you've got stuff that you know you're not going to get to for a while, I may have an answer for you: vacuum storage bags. You can buy them on Ebay from 99p a pop.

Just lay all your yarn out nice and tidy inside the bag. You'll have a deliciously fat, squidgy parcel to start off with.




Secure the zip lock to seal the bag, unscrew the cap covering the one-way valve, and attach your vacuum cleaner.


Switch on the vacuum cleaner, and leave it for a few seconds to suck the air out of the parcel, leaving you with a greatly reduced bag of yarny goodness.


Be careful to use yarn that is perfectly dry, and to store it in an environment where the temperature isn't going to fluctuate very much. If you leave it in an unheated basement, where things can cool down considerably, there may be a risk of mould setting in if the temperature change allows moisture to condense inside the bag. Perhaps some silica desiccant sachets might keep things safe in that sort of environment. In any event, pass a judicious eye over it from time to time to make sure everything is tickety-boo.

I also wouldn't recommend this method of storage for any parts of the stash that you are likely to dip into on a regular basis. It would be a bit of a faff having to open and reseal the bags repeatedly, and I'd worry about how much wear and tear a 99p bag could reasonably withstand.

The plastic covering should also go some way to keeping your woollen yarns safe from the dreaded moths. Although in my experience any clean, unused fibres are a pretty low risk on that front anyway.

All the best for now,


Bonny x

1 comment:

  1. Very interesting, Bonny. Thank you for the advices. Kisses, my friend.

    ReplyDelete