Nook and Cranny

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Something is going to have to be done. I’m going to have to organize the stash.
I have no idea how this is even possible, since the only way I can make the stash fit in my little wee house is using my patented “nook and cranny” approach. This approach maximizes your yarn storage capabilities, allowing knitters with the tiniest of homes to store absolutely incredible amounts of yarn. I can hear you now, “Tell me more Stephanie, I want to store mind boggling quantities of yarn in and around my home too”.
WARNING. If you are the kind of knitter who has a really organized stash, or if you are the kind of person who knows where your keys are without looking for them, you may find the following images difficult to understand. Just look away.
The secret to the “nook and cranny” approach is expanded thinking. There is no real reason why yarn cannot be stored in any space which is not otherwise occupied. When my stash overflowed the bins, baskets and boxes which were its home, I began putting it anywhere it would fit, but still be unknown to the casual observer.
Example 1. The liquor cabinet.
liquorwool
This is ideal. This space is underused, it has a cabinet door I can close to avoid yarn detection and even if the door is opened in the presence of others, the yarn shape mimics the shape of the surrounding objects enough that if you open and close the cabinet quickly enough…you might get away with it.
Example 2. Movie cupboard
movieyarn
The movie cupboard is less ideal, but still works well. This cupboard has a sliding door, and it’s relative inaccessibility means that guests in your home will never know the yarn is there. This choice illustrates the advantage of choosing a low traffic location. If your kids watch tons of movies, you may wish to consider somewhere else. Somewhere near the washing machine tends to be pretty freakin low traffic around here. I could put 73 kilos of wool right on the washer and nobody but me would ever know it was there…but I digress.
Example 3. Book shelf
bookshelf
I understand that you may not quite follow my thinking here. You are saying to yourselves “But Stephanie, I thought that the beauty of the nook and cranny plan was the concealment of stash from the casual observer…now I see yarn right out in the open. What part of the plan is this?”
I understand your confusion. Look closely. See? Those are knitting books. A whole wall of them. This is a good choice partly because the yarn fits the knitting theme of this wall, and partly because the viewer is already stunned into a fit of incomprehension by all the knitting books and patterns. The wool won’t even register.
Finally today I offer you this picture of my charming husbands arse. As he was walking through the living room in his boxers this morning (yeah…we live pretty casual), I spotted something odd.
boxerhole
There is a bite out of his boxers. I’m trying not to think about it. Mice? Children? Another woman?

16 thoughts on “Nook and Cranny”

  1. Very funny! You haven’t stored yarn in the freezer yet? I was very afraid of where you might have been going w/ the husband’s arse thing…

  3. have you seen? White Buffalo Unspun is 50% off at elann.com…any more nooks and crannies available?

  4. BWAH!
    You know what the next stage is, don’t you? Placing a huge pile of yarn in the middle of the floor, covering it with fabric, and calling it “furniture.”

  5. You have no idea how long it took me to figure out what that last picture was. I kept seeing the leg as some swirly-patterned thing that the bottom of a shirt was resting on. Yes, I have been sick recently. . .

  6. I’m a new reader who just wanted to let you know how much I’m enjoying your blog! There aren’t too many blogs that are well written AND make me laugh out loud, and the ones that do are promptly put on my blog list–which now will include yours!
    Thanks for some great chuckles and photos!

  7. Last year I came home after spending a day at the market at Stitches West, with my hands *almost* empty, thinking, see what a good girl I was? Aren’t you gonna be proud of me, dear?
    As I opened the door, my husband loudly grinned, “Caught!” My two boxes of cashmere and camelhair yarn had finally arrived, of course while I was gone; they’d been my reason I’d been doing such a good job of resisting further temptation.
    Shortly after, my sweetie did build me cabinets over my washing machine; my folks came visiting, and they said, oh good, that’ll hold all your yarn! He burst out laughing.
    I didn’t tell him why, when the freezer died in November, we had to buy such a big one to replace it; I DO store some of my yarn in there!

  9. Firstly, mmm, ice wine.
    Then, it makes me happy that you own both “Glorious Knitting” and “Knitted Sweater Style”. I knew you had good taste.
    I must confess my stash has a room of its own.
    I have recently given much of it away, after my friend Nadine pointed out its ability to outlive me and my children significantly.
    But it still has its own room.
    Yes, I’m ashamed.
    Finally, Joe has nice legs.
    Can we see more, please?

  10. Pray tell Ms. Harlot where you store your fleece? Inquiring minds do want to know.
    I have heard it told that some anon types of the spinning persuasion stuff their lovely dressy pillow cases with washed fleece.
    Yes storing err hiding fibre of any sort is a sham. We need to stand proud in our acquisition prowess. Some naysayers have the temerity to call it an addiction!
    Kind regards to all and that includes Miss Millie.

  12. Deacon’s benches, and foot stools that open are perfect for hiding yarn. No one ever looks in them.
    My husband used to go the “What more yarn!” route. I pointed out that I don’t drink, gamble or do drugs. I am not an obsessive shopper (wool doesn’t count) Since we are aquainted with couples whose marriages have broken up over these problems, he saw my point. Now he just builds me more shelves. When we were on holidays this year he actually pointed out a yarn store I had missed. It takes 25 years, but they can be trained!
    Barb

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