Destashing, phase two...the "PURGE" tub.

I don't know about you, but I am LOVING this!!  I feel so much free-er already, and the more I purge, the better I feel & the more strict I find myself becoming.  I am really taking a good look @ anything & everything...

For now though, I am working hard to stay *focused* on this week's mission, destashing my yarn, but my MINIMALIST eyes are *wide open* & totally scoping it all out...

Here is the update from my end...

I am super stoked!!  I went from three *bulging* tubs, that would ONLY close if another heavier something was set on top of them, to three tubs, each with modest quantities of delicious yarns in them (between half and three quarters full) & one *overflowing* "purge" tub!!

Never before has my stash been under such scrutiny as it was this week & never before have I been so brutal.  No, brutal isn't quite the right word...honest, with both these yarns & myself.

At any rate, I am riding high right now & ready to finish line this thang!!  So, let's discuss the handling of our "purge" tub.

Here's my plan (aka what I will be doing tomorrow!).  Dump it all out & investigate what you have.  I am guessing mine is going to be a pretty random mix of acrylics, wools & wool blends; some partial skeins, some whole skeins, some multiple skeins; some with labels & some unknowns.

My first order of business will be to seek out any itchy 100% wool yarns, those will go into a pile & will become dryer balls.  ;)

I may list a few on Etsy/Ravelry...  Perhaps I can make a bit of dough to put towards this sweet needle set I am going to splurge on.  Our family didn't really do "mom/dad" gifts this year, and my husband & I didn't get gifts for each other either, so this will be my 'late-Christmas/awesome-job-destashing' gift. ;)  BUT, as freedom in my end goal, I have put some thought into which yarns would even qualify for this option...

1) It must be quality yarn,
2) It must be 2+ full skeins/a more expensive yarn ($20+) complete with labels
3) Each yarn listed will be stored in a separate "for sale/trade" tub & each have an expiration date of 1 year.  As in if it/they are still around next January, they *must* be gifted/donated.


From there, I am going to see if I can put together any sort of 'sets'...  Perhaps a "pinks" set or maybe "neutrals"....maybe it'll be more by type, "superwash merinos"...?  I honestly have no idea right now, but if anything comes of this part, I really want to do a couple of blog giveaways.  Wouldn't that be fun??  Actually, I am wondering if it would be or not...what if you are all hard core destashing along with me, should I play the part of the 'virtual temptress'??  

Anything that doesn't "fit" anywhere else will be offered up for grabs on our local homesteaders site/donated to a local thrift store.

How is your destashing going??  Remember to rock out @ *YOUR* own pace.  This is YOUR journey, own it!!

photo credits, streetartutopia.com

PS.  Don't forget to join in on our "*15* in 2015: A Knitting/Crochet Challenge".  We are already up to *15* members on our facebook group, too perfect, right??  ;)

*15* in 2015, A Knitting/Crochet Project Challenge...

Back @ the end of December, with the New Year so close @ hand, there were all sorts of "challenges" popping up on facebook, pinterest, etc.  A few I am joining in on.  The "52 weeks to an Organized Home Challenge", the "52 Weeks Money Challenge", and the (50 books this year) "Ultimate Reading Challenge". While those are all great & wonderful...my "thing" is crafting.  I did a bit of poking around online to find a cool knitting/crocheting challenge, and while I did see loads of knit-alongs, I didn't find any sort of fun year long challenge.  So, I made one...ha!

*15* in 2015...  Fun, quirky, inspiring, challenging, but I don't think too overwhelming, as *YOU* actually pick the projects, based on where you are.  While I didn't have too much trouble coming up the initial 15, I wanted to include 5 "Bonus" projects, for those who really rock out.  Unfortunately, my brain was done...ideas were getting lame...  If you have any project ideas, please post them!!

You DO NOT have to go in order.  You DO NOT, technically, have to craft 15 *different* projects.  If you can meet two or three of the 'challenges' with one AMAZING amazing project, mad props to you!!

As you work your way through the list, post photos on our facebook group page.  Be sure to let us know which "challenge(s)" they meet.

Without further ado...the magical *15* for 2015!!

1.  Knit/crochet a project for charity.  (There are a lot of *free* patterns online/Ravelry!)

2.  Knit/crochet a *set*.  (This could be coasters, a hat & scarf, nesting bowls, etc...you choose!)

3.  Knit/crochet a project that uses more than 500 yds.

4.  Knit/crochet a project using colors you have NEVER combined before.

5.  Knit/crochet a project that is TINY.

6.  Knit/crochet a project that is ridiculous (it can be ridiculously AWESOME!)

7.  Knit/crochet a *pair*.  (This could be socks, mitts, mittens, gloves, slippers, pants, etc...you choose!)

8.  Knit/crochet a project that involves learning a new technique.

9.  Knit/crochet a project that scares you, just a little.  (You know what you have been avoiding...a sweater             using fingering weight yarn, fair isle, socks, cables/bobbles...this is the time to go for it!!)

10.  Knit/crochet a project that you have been wanting to make for forever, but haven't.

11.  Knit/crochet a project that uses *1* skein.

12.  Knit/crochet a project that can be part of a costume.  (There are so many fun ones on Ravelry!!)

13.  Knit/crochet a project inspired by a book, tv show, or movie.

14.  Knit/crochet a project using a yarn that has been in your stash for way too long.

15.  Knit/crochet a project that is oversized/GINORMOUS!  (Again, look on Ravely. I have seem patterns                 for giant strawberries, olives, clouds, etc.  (or) go crazy & knit/crochet a blanket!)

Ready....set....go!

Week #1, Mastering our Stashes...

And so it begins...this one to the tune of "The Garden Song", by Arlo Guthrie

"Tub by tub, skein by skein...gonna rein in this yarn thang,
Gonna clear some of it out, 'cause simplifying's what it's about..."

large & in charge...my current stash...

a side view...you can see there is little to *no* wasted space...ha!

Yeah...I am so excited about my year of decluttering/organizing/minimalizing that I wrote a few bars.  Maybe you'll catch the bug too, who knows, right?

I figured I would post each week's challenge the Friday before, as I have some friends who want to follow along with me.  (How cool is that?!?)

I will preface this all with a bit of introduction.  My methods are very methodical & detailed, if they don't work for you, that is totally fine, take what bits do feel right, use them & leave the rest.  For this week's focus, destashing/organizing yarn, I cannot recommend Ravelry highly enough.  It is an absolutely amazing site & a godsend for keeping tabs on what you have in your stash.  You upload photos, dates, prices...the database keeps it all organizing by color. *BUT* you can search your stash based on weight (fingering, dk, bulky, etc), on fiber content (100% wool, wool blend, contains wool, etc) & more.  And that is only the beginning...

Ravelry has loads of free patterns for both knitters & crocheters, as well as patterns for purchase.  You can search for patterns by size, gender, type of garment/item, techniques used, etc. Click on any pattern & you can see any projects made from that pattern, see reviews (based on a 5 star rating system), get yarn ideas, and more.  Honestly, I could go on & on about ravelry, I LOVE it!!  However, that is *not* the subject of this post.

Ok...your stash.  Mine was uploaded to Ravelry a few years back.  It does take a bit of time, depending on the size of your stash, but once you get it in there it is magic *AND* once it's in there, you simply add yarn as you go, which is much more manageable.

about 4 years ago when my sister & i created my ravelry stash...not the much smaller scale of overflow in this photo. ;)

As far as physical storage, I have three, 18 gallon tubs, organized by rainbow color order.  The pink one is ROY (red, orange & yellow), the blue-green one is GBV (green, blue, & violet) & the dark blue one has whites, browns, grays, blacks & any multi-colored skeins.  That is how things started, I had to rework it pretty early on as blues & greens are my favorite colors to work with, so that tub rapidly filled up. I moved the violets into the ROY tub (as both yellows & oranges are pretty rare.  I LOVE them.  They just seem to be harder to find in the world of yarn).

You now know the secret to my system.  As far as quantity, my only requirement is that the tubs have to be able to close, which they all can...but you see them ready to bust, yes??  ;)

Here are the details for this week's purge...

MATERIALS you will need, or @ least that I am using:
1) an additional (empty) 18 gallon tub, to be the "purge" tub
2) a postal scale, or scale of some sort to weigh partial skeins
3) a jar/tub for niblets
4) access to a computer/Ipad to input/update your Ravelry cyber stash

PROCESS
As my stash is organized by tub, I will be sorting through each tub, one/day.  Open one tub & dump it into another container or onto your table.

1. Pick up & hold each & every yarn, and ask yourself "Do I love this yarn?".  Be honest with yourself -- 'everything you hold, holds you', and our end goal if freedom.  Only you can make the choice for you, in this moment. If you love the yarn, put it back into your stash tub, it you don't, toss it into the purge tub.  If you're really not sure, keep it/them for now & check back next January.

At this point, I would like to point out the plastic bags.  I have each yarn stored in a plastic ziploc bags.  This is great for a number of reasons.  1) When you have multiple skeins of a yarn, they are all in one (or sometimes two) neat little packages, 2) moths can't get into/out of ziploc bags (and you DO NOT want a moth problem if you work mainly with wool!!), 3) your yarn is safe from moisture, odors, pet hair, etc, which is important is your stash is kept in your basement (like mine is) and if you have tons of both children & animals running around you house. You can rest easy knowing your yarn is safe! :)

2. As you go, you may come across partial skeins, hence the "niblet" tub we have on hand.  Set a minimum weight for your stash, mine is 1 oz.  If a skein weighs less than 1 oz, then it goes straight to the niblet tub. These are great for little projects, wrapping packages, etc.  I don't keep tabs on these little guys, so the children are free to use them in their crafting & projects, I use cotton niblets to hang my chicken feeders or mark garden rows for planting...bits can be cut off to use as "life lines" in your knitting projects, whatever.

Okay, now that we have narrowed things down a bit, let's go back through the "LOVE" tub.  Again, dump it into another container or out onto your table.  Again, pick up & look @ each yarn.

1) Rub the yarn against your face/neck.  Is it itchy??  For me, that means it goes straight to the purge tub. All of our children & my husband all have sensitive skin, so I don't even bother with itchy yarns. If you do a lot of felting projects these might be good to keep on hand.  You choose...

2) Did you buy this yarn for a specific project?  If so, do you still want to make that project?  If so, find the pattern on Ravelry, add it to your queue & tag that yarn.  If not, no worries.  We're just working on getting reacquainted with everyone @ this point.

3) Have you had this yarn for more than two or three years??  If so, decide on an "Expiration Date".  I am still debating mine.  I can't decided between one year or two.  My gut says one year, as I work well with deadlines, but my crafting time is not @ all what it used to be.  At any rate, I'll have that all figured out before Monday.  Choose a date that feels right for you.  I do recommend staying with something smaller, no more than two or three years.  If you have had this yarn for three years already and give it a three year expiration date, that means you will have been holding onto it for a good six years...to me, that says that maybe I don't love this yarn as much as I thought I did.  Feel free to make an exception if you have special circumstances. I know some folks have yarns that have been handed down from their grandmothers/mothers.  This is *your* destash, *you* make the rules.

At this point, since skeins are on a smaller, more manageable level, it might be a good idea to go ahead & update/begin to create your stash database on Ravelry.  Make sure each yarn has a picture (taken in good/outdoor lighting), double check that your quantities & weights are correct.  Depending on where you are with all of this, you may have had you fill for one day & that is *totally* fine.  Baby steps...  Do what you can, a little bit @ a time & you'll get it all done & without the added stress/frustration of having forced things.

My Ravelry stash is pretty much up to date.  I plan on starting @ the top, with the yellows and working my way down.  Any yarns that I tossed into the purge tub will get put into the "will sell/trade" folder for now & any that I cannot seem to locate @ the moment will get put into the "traded/sold/gifted" folder for now.  If they turn up as I work my way through the house, I'll handle them then. ;)  All of this will leave only yarns I LOVE in my 'stash", perfect!!

I also plan to note the "Expiration Dates" in the "notes" portion for each of those skeins that need one.

I just want reiterate one last time that this is what works for me & where I am right now.  Read through it, think on it, take what works for you & leave the rest.  Edit & revise to your heart's content! You are @ the helm of your journey, so do what makes sense to you.  Please share your own thoughts/ideas/links, as I would love to see how your destash takes shape!

And *CHEERS* to us for taking the first step!

My *52* Week Journey to an Organized/Decluttered/Minimalized Home...

If you know me, you know I LOVE organizing & decluttering, and am always going through something.  Actually, I usually start with one room in our house & work my way through.  Then I start over again, completing the cycle probably three or four times per year.

Well...now that I think about it, that seems a bit insane.   Seems like I should have better things to do with my time, and I do...  We are a homeschooling family of six.  We sort of operate a mini-homestead, complete with large garden, chickens, canning, cooking from scratch, etc.

The thing is, I always feel inspired @ the possibility that comes with the word *new*...a new week, a new month, a new year...what will it hold, only we can decide that!  I also think that no matter where we are, we can always do a little bit more, try a little harder...baby steps...and that is why this time of year, the new *YEAR*, always gets me really excited!  365 days of possibility lie before each of us...a blank slate so to speak, what will you do with yours??

For this year, 2015, I decided I wanted to focus on decluttering/minimalizing & really kick things up a notch from my usual routine.

I have heard that when you put things out to the "universe", doors open, almost like magic.  It appears to be true, as I have been finding inspiration everywhere!

It started, I think, with this  "52 Weeks to and Organized Home Challenge", put out each year by Taylor Flannery.  I printed out her list and tweaked it to fit our family & our needs.  For example, we have no shed, no attic, no crystal/silver to store, no cosmetics to organize, but we DO have homeschooling books, curriculum & supplies to sort & organize.  Also, I am an avid crafter (knitting, crocheting & sewing), and have a lot of supplies on hand to keep organized.  Anyway, I reworked the list to include all of these items and took out all the irrelevant ones.  I also consolidated some of them, again, because of the needs of our family & because I do A LOT of organizing/decluttering, so there are some tasks I will make quick work of.

I then broke each week's "mission" down into daily 'mini' tasks, one for each day, Monday through Friday because I think we *all* deserve weekends off.  Well, that & the fact that weekends are when we do spend time together as a family & work on a our projects around the house.

(I found out later that Taylor actually does this too, so there you go!  You can sign up for weekly missions sent to you inbox every Monday, as well as 15 min/day 'mini missions' that correspond to her "52 weeks list.  you can use her pre-planned, day to day, to-do list, , or use her model as a base & tweak it to fit your family.  I actually scanned through her monthly calenders & added a few  things to mine. :).

The long & short of this is that my goal this year is to go beyond where I have gone in the past, pace myself & hopefully really make a big difference in both the amount of free space in our home & in our heads...it is *all* connected, believe me!

So, that is where my big plans for 2015 began...the seed, so to speak.  Then a friend posted about a blog, "Tico & Tina", that really helped her purge when they moved recently.  One of their segments is "31 Days of exploring Minimalism".  I read a few of the articles last night and stumbled upon these two challenges: "3 Wardrobe Challenges to Help You Create a More Efficient Wardrobe".  LOVE!!

I think the "30 Day Shop Your Wardrobe Challenge" & the "Project 333" both sound really fun & & I think I could learn a few things from them as well.  I got out my handy, dandy "52 Weeks List" & backtracked to see where they would work best.  After reading through the "30 Day Shop Your Wardrobe Challenge", I think it can help each of us to try new things with what we have & look @ our wardrobes differently...mix it up a little & have some fun!  I think I'll end up wearing things I haven't worn & in new combinations that might not have other-wise come to be.  I plan to follow that up with the "Project 333 Challenge", making use of what I learned in the first challenge.   Added those two puppies onto both my "52 Week" list & onto the monthly calendars as well.

Side note:  I keep both the "52 Week" master list & the monthly breakdown in a page protector on a bookshelf in our dining room, with my homeschooling planner, our family calendar, etc.  The "52 weeks" list faces out on one side & the current month faces out on the other.  I think this may be a yearly thing...so I plan on saving, making notes, updating it throughout the year so that next December I can just modify the existing plans to fit where we are then...

That brings me to why I am dusting off this blog after an insanely long hiatus.  Two reasons, 1) I am super excited about all of this & thought others might be too...  2) I want to have a record of where we are now & where we end up come December 2015.  the unknown...LOVE it!!

FREE PATTERN, "Celtic Love" a cabled pillow sham

i first became aware of knit pillows & moreso *cabled* knit pillows last summer...

a friend sent me some photos & asked if i would be up for upgrading her throw pillows, um...yeah!

who knew??  cabled pillows are absolutely gorgeous!!  so many varieties...

it can actually be a daunting task to design a cabled pillow as there are an amazing number of cables out there.  so to narrow the gamut down to ones you like & then refine that list to ones that actaully 'work' well together can be an involved process.

below is the first one that i designed myself, i call it "celtic love" because of the central knot/plait.

i fell in love with this plait & knew i wanted it to be front & center on my design.  the hunt was then on a for a good companion...flattering & yet, not nothing that would detract from the main cable...

what do you think?? 

i LOVE it & am eager to design more...

@ any rate, i finally got the pattern uploaded on here, link it in on ravelry as well. :)


           https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-OPj2rjL8pFSFZPTG4yb2hqcGM/edit?usp=sharing

full circle...

i love life...

i love how things are constantly changing.  i love how there is always so much more to learn/do/create/explore.  i love how things can come to us unexpectedly.  and i *love* how it feel when we are on the right track.

the wave of peace & warmth that washes over us when we are on a road that is true to both us & those we love...

right now i am referring to homeschooling.

i have a friend who is pregnant with her 3rd child & due to start homeschooling her eldest this fall  ask me, a "veteran homeschooler" with *7* years under my belt for advice.  she is where i was when we began our journey...;)

in writing her back about various methods that we used/explored so long ago in our early years, i rediscovered 2 lovely approaches that we used with our eldest.

this was key, because when she asked me for advice, i was contemplating our own upcoming year.

our history??  we began with"school @ home", like so many other moms who want to homeschool, but weren't homeschooled themselves & have no idea where to begin.

i quickly learned that this would not work!

so, then we began exploring...my neighbor turned me onto Charlotte Mason, which felt good for us & then told me about five in a row, which was perfect for us.

later on, i fell in love with waldorf.  the waldorf approach felt so very right for me.  as the mother of a newborn, with 2 young children, i was looking to honor this new life, while enjoying freedom to be & do with our other 2 children.

and then, just a year & a half into this new life, i was pregnant with our fourth child...a sweet girl.

waldorf guided us through these early years, but later on when homeschooling the two eldest with the two littles in tow, it became too much.

this gentle approach no longer felt right for us...it was way too stressful & i was spent.  the boys, then 11 & 8 were tired of waiting for their "turn" with mama & just wanted to be done!

i, too, felt that our day was a struggle.  lessons dragged on because our two youngers were still very much in the thick of needing mama.

after the great coup of 2010, our same amazingly wise neighbor told me about what her daughter had been doing.  superb child-led book via christian light education.  affordable, thorough & just what the boys were looking for...

and we remained with this approach last year as well.

it really is a great curriculum, and our now 13 year old wants to continue with it this fall.  *but* things have changed so that i have both more time & energy.  our littles are now 4 & 6 & this is huge!

and so, we begin anew this fall, with things having come full circle...

our 6 year old will use five in a row & our 4 year old (who very much wants to be in on the lessons) will sit in when she wants to & play on her own when she feels so moved.

five in a row has enough structure for me to feel that we are forming a good foundation, but it is in no way intense.  we read *one* book every day for a week.  then your lessons, math, literature, art, science come form the books.

for example, the first book is the story of ping, a duck.  each morning we will read the book & then:

Monday: (social studies, geography) we'll find china on a map & read a second book about china.

Tuesday: (math) we'll use manipulatives (buttons, clothespins, or perhaps even pictures of ducks) to count out ping's family.  we'll do some basic addition & subtracting as well.

Wednesday (this is when our homeschool co-op meets)

Thursday (science, animal kingdom) we'll learn about ducks.  we'll read a couple of books about ducks & observe them @ our neighbor's pond.  perhaps we'll even bring our notebooks & sketch them.

Friday: (art, drawing water)  we'll look back through the book, noting the different ways that water is drawn...puddles, ripples for motion, etc.  and then we'll try our hand @ drawing water in our lesson books.

as our week's are only 4 days, because of co-op & because some books are more inspiring that others, we will cut some down to 4 lessons & extend some to included 8 lessons.

@ any rate, i have been having so much fun planning out our year!

i bought a super simple, but *perfect* planner for $10 @ target.  it is awesome & has *everything* i need & none of the extra stuff i never use.  basic outlines will go in here.

i also have a spiral notebook where i keep more detailed notes about each lesson, including addition thoughts, ideas & resources.

i have missed all of this!! i have missed planning & being more involved in our children's lessons.  i have missed picking out experiments & projects that i know they'll love...

this is where i'll leave you...next time, charlotte mason & our 10 year old. :)

~love & peace to each of you on your journey~