As 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 …….
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.
Anyway, I needed to keep the colours in some kind of order, so I needed some baskets. I bought some gutter guard plastic
and made the baskets
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
It’s nearly finished, but it still leaves me with a very large bucket of bits to use up……..
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
