Yarn Organization Before & After

I have finally finished organizing most of my yarn stash. I must admit there's a few skeins still floating freely here and there, which tends to happen when there are WIPs to account for, but the majority now has a set place. It took a weekend of work overall, but was well worth it! If you have seen my previous yarn stash videos then this one pretty much says it all.... however i'm posting a few more pics here for your enjoyment. 

 These is my before and after. It began with a chaotic mess. Skeins where stashed places simply because they fit, with no sense of belonging at all. Having two layers to each cube didn't help either, since once a yarn was stashed behind the others it was more than likely forgotten... :(

Before it came to organizing i had to empty everything out and i decided it to sort it by types of fiber...and then by colors(somewhat..). It made me realize what i actually had, which is A LOT, and most of it is good quality yarns. Why or how did i come to get this stash? I don't know, but because i 'found' so much i decided to go on a yarn diet until November, Thanksgiving season(i can't see myself passing up black Friday deals). I also found i had more than enough in my library, specially when it comes down to knitting. Add ravelry and/or free patterns online and it's totally endless. I'm including books/mags in my 'diet', of course.


I found i have a lot of cotton which isn't my preferred type of yarn. All though i never worked with it much honestly, i now have plenty to work with. I'm unsure if cotton yarn stretches or shrinks. I remember reading about it before(not very lately thou) and i got mixed reviews. The safest thing to do is make a swatch and see for myself i suppose. Not to mention the large amount of acrylic and acrylic blends. Red Heart is by far the most used yarn in my stash, but once i learned how to knit i've acquired a taste for the finer(and softer) ones.

I know there's a saying that goes somewhere along the lines of 'Life's too short to use acrylic'... and i think they're right! Even though nowadays acrylic isn't all bad, there are some very soft and amazing yarns which i would definetly keep on using. More recently i found that Vanna's Choice and Michael's Loops and Threads brands are some of my favorites. I also have a lot of colorways which are only 'one skein'. There's so many things that would only take that amount, yet the yardage(or lack of) does limit you somewhat. I can only make so many cowls or hats, right?

Monster Haul; Bernat Mosaic

Yep, i did it again. A few weeks ago yarnfactoryoutlet.com had a flash sale of Bernat Mosaic(and a few others). This is one of my favorite yarns due to the awesome colorways and the color transitions. In all seriousness, I'm not affiliated with this company/website in anyway and purchased these for myself; i just wanted to share the wealth and perhaps encourage you to like/subscribe to your favorite brands or website etc, as sometimes it really pays off.

The flash sale was $7 for a pack of 3 skeins, making each about $2.33 a piece. At their 'original price' they offer the 3 pack for $9($3 a piece) which is not bad in itself. My purchase was 10 colorways or 30 skeins(!!) for $81.95 including tax and shipping, making each skein about $2.73. That's some amazing savings. The lowest price i found for this yarn was Walmart at $4.22 a skein(price varies per colorway). Yarn Factory Outlet is based in Canada i believe and i'm in the US(not sure if they ship worldwide) ~ i can say i found their shipping to be pretty comparable and quick.

Last but not least, the grab bag aka surprise bag. Didn't quite meet my expectations but then i wasn't really expecting anything. It's great for a freebie; i really wouldn't have picked the yarn out for myself otherwise.

So, expecting this shipment i had to skip another amazing sale that happened this last Mother's Day weekend. Michael's is now selling online(was that always the case?) and they had their Loops and Threads yarn on sale for $1.29(i think that was it). That's pretty amazing and probably a better sale than the above. It took some major self control but i managed it, my stash is monstrous enough as is. XD

Don't forget to check out shop.sheknits.com and browse around. She makes some awesome yarn and has the patience to do so(unlike me lol). Also check out Dalequan's youtube channel and website, all links will be included in the video description.

MD Sheep and Wool Festival Haul!

I attended on Sunday and it was pretty awesome(yet tiring) . Not only did i not get to visit all the vendors but i also didn't get the few things i really wanted(like a shawl pin(s) and perhaps another yarn bowl). I did come home with a small yarn haul however, which obviously, include some of my fave yarns. I was also pretty tempted by fiber and had to remind myself a number of times that i don't quite enjoy spinning(via spindle) and i wouldn't enjoy them to the fullest. There were some gorgeous spinning wheels i wouldn't mind trying out sometime. I really have to meet others who enjoy needle crafts around my area!

                                                     

     
 
                                                                       

     

Magfest Recap!

Magfest was pretty great this year. It ran Jan.2-5 at the Gaylord National Harbor in MD(where's it's been the last few times if not longer). I attended all days except Sunday and it was pretty tiring. Taking pictures was also something i gave up on; so many people/cos-players and so little time plus all the events...it couldn't be done. But if you guys want to view there's plenty of other videos/pictures out there you can find(via youtube and other means).

I got to see the 2 performances i was mostly looking forward to; the Guitar Bros and the Triforce Quartet. Got some vid. of both(all tho still haven't uploaded all of them up to my channel....talk about putting it off), all pretty amazing and inspiring. Here's the one i managed to upload thus far, the LoZ Medley(pretty long).

I also got some gaming goods. I found there wasn't as many vendors with Japanese licensed merchandise as i recalled in the past(or perhaps i'm thinking of another con?) which was a little sad since that's what i like to collect, but did find some awesome stuff. I made a video as well(with some stuffs i'm not showing here) which i probably already threw in here someplace. 

For those who always attend and/or plan to next year, i'll definitely see you there! And please remember your antiperspirant/deodorant; don't let the stank of this year repeat itself.

Amigurumi Book Review ~ Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice Easy Crochet Critters

Loz: A Link Between Worlds ~ 3DS

Yes, that's what i have in my DS right now! It feels kind of wrong, since i pushed Animal Crossing to the side for this. I've yet to try the street-pass feature, all though i have a few shadows waiting. I also recently ordered the Prima guide  during cyber Monday off Amazon(30% off and free shipping) since it wasn't included in the player guide's box set. What i miss is the screen-shot feature. In Animal Crossing you're able to take a screenshot of your top screen when L&R are pressed at the same time. Not that i would use that often here, but sometimes it's the little things.... :)

Here I am... :)

Was gone for a while there, am i right? All though not completely! I've been pretty good at keeping up with my Cast-Off videos(where i show my yarn-related finished objects and works in progress) i think, taking life into account. You can find these(and all others) on my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/malonsshop.

My amigurumi shop is still in motion(www.malonb.etsy.com) and have more recently opened another. Yes, another shop! For what?! you ask...well i fell in love with dying yarn, so it was inevitable. I have a small variety of fibers at this time, but more are surely to follow. Maybe even some hand spun(as i've recently learned how to use a drop spindle) and perhaps even some dyed roving. Check out the new shop at www.malonsshop.etsy.com. I'm also in love with the idea of colorways inspired by video game characters ;).

I've been brainstorming a way to incorporate all these(blog,video and shops) into one. I'm not quite there yet but i've been thinking along the lines of publishing a pattern, showing how to create the item and others being able to purchase it at my shop(s). As much as i love creating and making things for my own enjoyment, it would be much more rewarding to actually live off what i love to do....wouldn't it?

Pumpkin Carvin Contest(Villain Edition)!!

The deadline is this Saturday(21st)!! Check out the contest page here; they’ve already posted up some pretty awesome entries. I actually haven’t made mine yet…and i’m kind’a thinking of crocheting one since it doesn’t technically say you have to use a real pumpkin. Nor do you have to carve one mind you…check out the rules(anything goes!).

The one pictured above isn’t mine(i’m not that talented lol) it’s just my fave so far, Zelda being one of my faves and all.. :D. And don’t forget Moogle, he’s included in the 1st prize package!!! So i probably won’t win first prize(lol) but i’m still in for the others which are just as awesome(and the prize packages are huge!). There’s not many entries thus far so, more of a chance to win!!! Good luck! ;D.

Hot Air Balloon Ride

So, we've waited 2+ years for this and it finally happened. I got tickets as a bday present for the fiance and have schedules various times but it's always been canceled for some reason or other. We drove out twice and it was canceled last minute(which wasn't great since we're at least 1.5hrs away, depending on where they lift off). But, yesterday was it.






It was a lot hotter than i expected(due to the flames) yet it was awesome. We ended up landing on private property at some kind of horse ranch. The owner was pissed and wouldn't let the others in(to retrive the basket via truck). So we ended up hauling everything to the next farm where the others were waiting. That basket is like, 600lbs...the balloon alone was 400 yet it was doable with 8 people. In the end no one was arrested and everyone got out safely(lol).

             

Pumpkin Carving Contest!! 

At Mom’s Basement(check them out here). $500+ worth of prices, Moogle here is included in the first place prize basket(lol). You don’t have to just carve either, but anything goes(paint, craft, anything…).

Just a few fyi facts about Moogle; he’s huge. 8.5”x10” and that’s without the antenna(which makes him over 12”, and is posable as well). He’s inspired by the Kingdom Heart games. At my shop(here), he alone would go for $50(+shipping). Custom orders welcome ;D.