Under Control

Preparation_for_Beanie_making_Alice_Springs_Beanie_ContestAs I struggle to keep wool for the two different projects I’m working on separated, this idea sent in by Judith Stephens (Guild Pres.), is just what I need. The only problem is, I don’t have time to stop and make up the baskets, so I’ll continue with my tangle of yarn/strips in the  dreaded plastic bags.       Then ……………….  I’ll get organized!    (I’m modelling Margaret’s hand-knit Beanie, to be decorated with quillies, destined for the Alice Springs Beanie Exhibition – my beanie is still under construction.)

Here’s what Judith had to say  …….

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I decided that I should use up the rather large bucket of ‘bits’ that I have accumulated over the past year or two!  Whenever I dye some wool, I tie the skeins with about half a metre of yarn which also gets dyed in the dye bath.  

These I collect – just because I am too stingy to throw them out!  And of course, there are always little leftover pieces of yarn from my projects.

Problem_tangle_of_coloured_wool_stripsAnyway, I needed to keep the colours in some kind of order, so I needed some baskets.  I bought some gutter guard plastic

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and made the baskets

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 Because they come in a long length, I can make the ‘basket’ as big as I need.  There is no base in this basket, but it doesn’t seem to matter.

So now, the colours are sorted, and I started on the rug

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It’s nearly finished, but it still leaves me with a very large bucket of bits to use up……..

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That all sounded so simple but I just had to ask Judith about the “bottomless” basket – her answer was ……

I have half-a-dozen of these ‘baskets’ and they sit on my hooking trolley.  If I need to move the basket, then I just put my hand under the basket and the bits don’t fall out.  What’s good about these, is the fact that I can make them as big as I need and they are easily stored flat, so don’t take up much room.  I’ve also locker hooked one length and have it around a pot plant – I’ll take a photo of that tomorrow morning when the sun is shining!                                                                                                                           I do have another plan to use up the bits!

Locker hooking on plastic grid – that sounds like an interesting project. Beats having to search for the locker hooking mesh which isn’t readily available, although there is an online supplier on the Guild SWAP n SELL page.

Maybe I’ll find a local supplier at the Perth Craft & Quilt Fair in a few weeks. The Fair runs from 18th to 22nd May at the Perth Exhibition & Convention Centre.

Jo Franco, Editor

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