Mission Accomplished...Almost.

Whenever you set out to tackle a big project, expect delays. It's like attempting to drive to Disneyland from Portland in summer, thinking about how nice a road trip will be. You dream about the things you will see traveling by car and congratulate yourself on your patience--after all, you could just fly. As you set out, you quickly run into the first of many (oh, so many) construction delays unanticipated. The dreaded "expect long delays" signs and sunburned, hard-hatted people who control your destiny greet you without feeling. And your long, long wait begins.

My stash organization has taken on that sort of life.

I know my stash is not the biggest ( I have talked to many
who beat me by a mile) but how many pairs of socks is
this?

It's always tricky to finish a big project, but throw in a two-year-old, older kids, a full time job, yadda yadda yadda. Expect delays.

I did get a lot done since Wednesday when I decided that the right thing to do with my mounting stash of yarn and needles was to go exploring and discover what I really had, but the time seems now to stretch out before me like some vortexical tunnel. Stuff of science fiction? Nope. Just plain old reality.

I can see my floor!

In order to reorganize my yarn, I also had to clean my closet and dressers out, get a donation pile going and re-organize, re-fold, and re-hang everything. It was a mess. Then there was the original culprit, of course, the stash.

Cataloging and recording each and every last string of yarn, then photographing and editing it, then putting in all into the Ravelry database is a slow, slow task. I will admit here that I definitely slowed myself down when I took opportunity to practice my photography during the project, which really adds one more component. Unnecessary? No. Take opportunity when it presents itself, I say. And what about learning some organizational tricks along the way?

A mesh veggie bag makes a great holder for odds and ends!

I used Rubbermaid to store most of my yarn, which was fine for those larger groups of unused hanks and skeins. But what of the tiniest of balls? The odds and ends? I have, in the past, used a Sharpie to write the contents on plastic bags filled with these tiny wonders, which are usually too small to keep the labels with, but then I wondered if it wouldn't be better for the wool to breath.

Winding up sloppy skeins and hanks

In the kitchen drawer, I had several unused mesh, fabric vegetable bags with a drawstring top. Perfect. I added a hand written tag or two, filled them up, tightened the top and tossed them in the Rubbermaids.

Overall, I am happy with what I have accomplished. There are a lot less boxes and no more weird bags with unknown contents. Even the things I have not finished have at least been looked at and put together. That's right: I am not done yet. Just three more boxes to photograph and catalog.  And my kids still need to eat and my laundry still needs washing, and my husband and two-year-old still need attention. And I still need to work most days.

But it is to be expected. After all, the signs do say, "Expect Long Delays."

 A beacon of light? Why not.