The great cross-stich cleanup - also, why I never get anywhere cleaning

[smeddley]

I found a box while starting to clean up my craft room. It contained more yarn (*groan*) and some cross-stitch floss (of course, I'd thought I was done organizing it!).

Here's the big question for you organized cleaning types. Is it best to deal with things like this as they come up (in this case, stopping the overall cleaning and winding the floss onto bobbins) or set it in a pile to deal with later? Because on a lot of the organizational TV shows they seem to advocate the former, but that just makes me feel like I'm moving piles of crap around and I get disheartened quickly.

Mind, with the floss it wasn't such a huge deal, because it only took me about half an hour to wind it and get it properly put away. But a lot of other things I want to do take significantly longer, and I never seem to really complete the overall 'cleaning' - it gets messy again before I can finish. I dunno.




Starting out, this is what I had. If you look closely, here and throughout the pics, you'll see one of those knotted/woven bracelets that were so popular when I was in high school. Yes, I've had some of this stuff that long.



A bag of floss I had, probably for said bracelets. A lot of it was cheap, generic floss and didn't have numbers, but since I tend to wing it ("all it has to be is orange, this orange is good enough!") I wound it onto unmarked bobbins.



Some just couldn't be saved.



I bought this at a charity shop, $5 for the photo box, some silver thread, and TONS of floss.



And just when I thought I was done, I found some in a box (along with even more yarn).



Really done this time. My older floss box is so much better than my new one, with a real hinged lid instead of just a folding piece of plastic. But, considering how often I use it, I think it'll last awhile.

Now, I suppose it's time to get stuck back in and try to do a little more cleaning. Or I could just curl up under the blankets (it's finally chilly here! YAY!) and the end of the football game...

Comments

[sarasvati]

Heck, if you want to do some destashing, I'll take that floss off your hands! :p

I tend to just throw all my floss in random bags and boxes rather than winding it only bobbins, but my roommate does the opposite, and he has an easier job finding what he's looking for when he needs it than I do. It may be time-consuming and annoying, but it's apparently worth it in the end, and quite honestly, I probably ought to get around to doing it at some point too.

As for cleaning, I'd put the floss aside until later, really, and clean up other stuff before doing any organizing and winding and whatnot. That's the sort of thing that can be done while watching TV or something and doesn't require much attention, so other cleaning stuff can get done while you're in a cleaning mood.

[smeddley]

You'd have to fight some other people for it! :D I keep thinking one day I'll do a few project I want to, but... Maybe one of these days when the house projects are done.

It is WAY easier to find things this way, so I would recommend winding them onto bobbins, because while it's a huge outlay of time at first, it will pay off. I admit mine aren't in numerical order - yet. I'll do that if I start working with it again.

Yeah, I think that would be the smarter thing to do, and probably why I never finish cleaning. I get too distracted.

[mela-lyn.livejournal.com]

I think when you find a surprise like that, you should make sure you'll have space for it but then set it aside to wind the strings and such while you 'take a break' and watch some TV or something, you know? Then you can get through more of the 'hard labor' be organized then deal with the details and it will feel like more is clean since you only have a few little things to take care of afterwards.

Wow - that is a lot of floss! But organizing a craft room always feels good. I was thinking just yesterday that I'd like to reorganize mine. It's really not that bad now, but I'd rather have some of those 'candy jars' you would have found at an old fashioned candy place so I can see my stuff through it. Then clear drawers for yarn so I can see what I have. Maybe someday!!

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

I know that's what I should do, but my problem is that if I just set it aside I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything. But that, uh, could be that everything needs that kind of organizing, so...

I totally need see-though containers for my yarn. Or, you know, to whittle my stash down. So, yeah, see-through containers!

I have that much floss, and I don't even really cross-stitch anymore. Kinda puts into perspective my craft supply 'problem'. O.o

[mela-lyn.livejournal.com]

My friend collects floss. She makes weaves things like the old friendship bracelets then uses them on scrapbook pages. It's an interesting way to make your own 'ribbon'.

And my yarn stash keeps growing but doesn't look too huge b/c I keep carrying it all with me to snuggle into and show off. :) Teehee... and I have like 6 things cast on. LOL

Now, my scrapping is what's my real problem. haven't scrapped in probably a year yet I keep buying stuff... but that's partly why I want the see through containers. So I dont' ahve to go through everythig and pull everything out to see what buttons and little doo dads I have.

Good luck1!! It's not an easy job, but I know you'll get there! And probably get inspired for 100 projects you don't have tmie for. ;) That always happens to me.

Man... maybe I'll ask for containers for Christmas. And some new white shelves. All my shelving is brown and you just loose the colors. *sigh*

[nakedblueninja.livejournal.com]

I put my nitpicky fussy stuff in a green grocery box, and put the box by the couch when there's stuff in it. Then when I'm watching tv or a movie, I can do that sort of stuff at the same time.

My other big thing is to set the little projects aside while I complete the big cleaning, then tackle on of the little project cleanings right after. I'll procrastinate on the other ones but Then I always make progress on at least one.

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

That might make me feel better, because I need that 'high' of finishing something. Otherwise I just get too depressed.

But I do get too distracted. After I got the floss finished and tried to dive back in I got sidetracked by re-working a dress I don't like...

[nakedblueninja.livejournal.com]

That's why you contain the project things in a box or something, then do the rest of the big work, and THEN do the little nitpicky stuff. You're just doin' stuff in the wrong order :)

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

I guess it depends on how likely you are to find more of that stuff? It seems like you're wasting if you do cleaning, find some yarn and organise it, then do some more cleaning and find some more yarn and organise it.

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

*wasting efficiency

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

I think it also depends on if the organization 'sticks'. Like in the floss, even if I find more later, it doesn't undo the winding I've done, you know? Now, putting them in order? Yes, that would be a waste until I'm sure I'm done.

...I just don't think I'm ever going to be clean and organized... *sigh* I was supposed to work on it today, but we went shopping and I got a book on making felt zombies. (http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Felties-Gruesome-Creatures-Undead/dp/0740797646/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285723423&sr=8-1-spell)

[penchaft.livejournal.com]

That's a pretty cute awesome book! :D

[valonia.livejournal.com]

I have a very organised mountain of wool and thread. I like to think it is linked so inextricably with chaos theory that if I attempted to sort it out the world would end.

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

I have that theory about the five jump drives I have. I can't condense to just one, because then the universe would know what I wanted was on it and destroy/lose it. Since even I don't know which one things are on, it can't do that (because destroying them all or losing them all would be too obvious, and the universe likes to be subtle and crafty when ruining your life).