Wanna help me get organized???

[hugs-n-bugs]

I decide to take up knitting, got me some supplies, needles yarn and all kind of doddads I am not sure what they are yet but I will by tomorrow.  So I looked up and saw what all of you carry your current supplies in when you are knitting but some of you are super organized, SOOOO  Ithought maybe some of you organized knitters could give me some tips on what you do to stay organized, I.E Where do you store needles, yarn etc.  When working on projects or storing them away, what are some great tips for a begiiner to start out doing from the get go?  I am a disorganized person by nature,i work hard to be somewhat organized, so if I can keep myself organized fortm eh beginning, my husband won't make fun of all the messes I make! LOL

[orangeabsinthe]

I am far from organized, but I try to keep the mayham under control....I try to use a different bag for every knitting project.  Any large bag with with a strap to carry over the shoulder.  For notions, any zippered pouch will do (my favorites to use these days are the crafty ones I get from swaps  ).  For my yarn stash, I bought a couple of blanket boxes to store it in.  These are great because they stack nicely, and they keep the bugs out (sometimes we have problems with moths in New Mexico, and I got tired of moth-eaten wool!!!).  For needles, there are lovely cases you can buy or make (or receive in a swap, like I did!).  Its hard to explain, but here's a pic of the one I have

[hugs-n-bugs]

Oh Wow, I only have 2 sets of needles 6 and 8s I can't wait to get more!  I love that case.

Thanks!

[AWynkoop]

1. Organize your stash Get some of those new ziploc big bags to store your yarn in. That way the yarn you are not working with will stay clean, you can see what you have and you always know where to put the yarn you are not working with. I am lucky enough to have a big clear plastic bags with a zipper that my kingsize bedspread came in. I tell myself that I cannot own more yarn than will fit in that bag.
2. Organize your needles I have a needle roll for this. I made it myself so the pockets are the sizes I need. I have also used pringles cans with marbles in the bottom (to keep it from tipping over) to store needles. Coffee cups make good storage containers for dpn and circulars.
3. Organize your other tools Use any small container with a lid. I am using a small metal tea tin that loose tea came in. Try to find a container just big enough to hold what you need. Make sure you have all the little things you need...scissors(nail scissors are just the right size) pins, stitch markers, row counters or pencil, fingernail file, measuring tape, yarn needle...to knit without getting up to search for each little thing.
4. Organize your patterns I put all my patterns in a folder with pockets (like ya use in school). I also have a spiral notebook to jot down notes or count rows. 
5. Organize your works in progress I put all unfinished projects in a gallon sized ziploc bag. I keep the instructions in the bag with the project. These go into my stash bags when I am not currently working on them.
6. Organizing your current project I keep my current project, pattern, needles, yarn, and tool container in a knit messenger bag. I can pick it up and go and know everything I may need to knit will be there. Before I made the messenger bag I used large gift bags with handles. What you are looking for is something that is big enough for your project to fit inside and there is nothing for your yarn to snag on (zippers or velcro closures come to mind).

Have a place for everything and resist the urge to "just put this here" for a bit... as long as you put things back where they belong when you are finished with them you will always have them when you need them and your knitting will not take over every inch of living space you have!
happy knitting!

[kimski]

Thank you for the replies, those are some great tips. I use space bags for my wool, sorted by colour because I inherted so much from my mother and others and buy from op-shops, so it makes sense to organsie by colour. All my whites and creames are in one bag too, because food colouring, dylon and kraftcolour's landmark dyes (an Australian brand) lie in their future.

I've just started using big 5 ltr tupperware type thingys that are available at The Reject Shop for $2 each because I can stack them and see through them (see throughness is very important).

I also have my projects in seperate bags.

I try to keep one in the car for emergencies eg. the car breaks down and I'm waiting for the RACV (AAA), I can knit. Also I have been know to knit in bumper to bumper traffic.

That's all I can think of now.

I'm also thinking of having one day a week when I try to work on finishing a project, so that I'm getting projects finished, not just starting new ones.

[erincatherine]

this is probably going to make me sound more organized than I really am, but this is what I TRY to maintain. (I also have a bajillion beads and sewing supplies but knitting is the main hobby right now, so I am more organized with it, but there is more of it, too!) Right now, though there is a project on my desk next to my computer and a huge plastic bag of ? that came about when I cleaned out of my t.v. room before the holidays so my housemates could have a break from the crafts...

1. I have a large (1.5' x 2' x 3') tupperware, solid plastic (not see through) with yarn that is either, a: not slated for a project or b: was a project that went into the frog pond (ripped out) or c: for a project so far in the future it can't be in the "main" pile.  I have a list of the yarn on my computer w/ brand, yardage and color and potential project so I don't have to keep looking thorugh the tupperware so I can check it before I buy new yarn for yet another new project. Each yarn group is also in zip-locked bags b/c there are partial skeins and to reduce the mess.

2. I have  4 clear tupperwares on shelves in my room with WIPs in them, and one for extra yummy yarn I just bought or can't bear to hide away.  Most of them are also in their own plastic bags.  There are also a few ones in small bags easily grabbable for mindless knitting. I always have one main WIP in my bag which is big enough to hold wallet, cell phone, etc, AND whatever project is in the works.

3. I made a circular needle holder inspired by the pattern in stitch and bitch hanging on my wall and have a needle case for my straight and DPNs.

4. I live in CO, but there are at least 3 packing boxes filled with yarn in a barn in VT along with 3/4 of my boyfriend and my possessions I  ignorantly thought I could leave back east for a year when we moved in August. (And 1 box either there or lost somewhere in middle America with 2 skeins of awesome noro in a neon pink/orange/blue colorway and two skeins of a beautiful pinkey brown yarn I bought in boston and have yet to find anywhere else and lord knows what else....I hope it is there, b.c believe me I SEARCHED this house...)

I just took a couple minuted and counted and I have ELEVEN projects going on right now....One I have to finish by wed, though, and 2 that are so close it is embarassing they aren't done yet and at least 3 on deck. ACK!

[jnaos]

I store my needles in a wide mouth flower vase at home.. the little do-dads are kept in a AOL CD case that I modpodged.. this particular one is pressed paper and has a magnetic closer... that way I can grab the needle size that I need and carry the little case with me.  I have a yarn cutter, counter, stitch marker and a mini tape measurer and yarn sewing needles of various sizes  in mine.. to carry along I have a tote bag and I simply grab the needles I need and my refurbed AOL case.. I put gromments in my bag to feed the yarn through.  I find this keeps the yarn  from tangling if using more then one color.

[jnaos]

Oh yeah one more thing I do.. I always make two copies of every pattern I do and keep it in a three ring binder with the plastic sleeves.  I also do this for projects I would like to do.  This allows me to mark on the pattern and have a clean one in case I want to make it again or the one I marked on becomes too loved.  I also write on the back of the "clean pattern" what I liked and disliked about the pattern..   

My library branch always has the latest and greatest crafty books.. sometimes I only want one or two things out of a book so I borrow it before I buy it... (if I buy it at all)... this has saved me lots of money.. I used to always buy the books...

[red kitty]

i don't know if this will help, but my knitting was always a mess until i got a little tip from my friend. She told me to put whatever yarn i was currently working with in a ziploc baggie with the corner snipped off (with the yarn coming out the hole) that way your ball can roll freely in the baggie and it won't get bungled up with other 1/2 finished projects in your bag.

[crafty mama]

I keep all my straight needles in one of those slick cardboard wine holders. I got it at michael's for super cheap. The 14" don't quite fit, but I leave the cap off and it stands up in the corner of the rubbermaid tub that is my yarn stash. I keep crochet hooks and dpns in some cardboard pencil cases I got at target for $1, stitch markers and circs in their own zippered pouches and assorted other things (scissors, tape measure, chibi case) in a tin that my husband's wallet came in. Somebody should do a swap, just repurposing the containers that fossil stuff comes in.