I'm at 3:26 and I'm mad at him. He doesn't seem to grasp how awesome a project's quantity of quality yarn is. At all. This isn't something you "konmarie" or whatever.
Before I became homeless, I had a huge yarn collection. When I couldn't take it with me, I felt such a profound loss. Loss of my belongings, of myself, and identity. I discovered in those 2 years that I preferred having a much smaller stash. So when most of my craft stash was returned to me, I donated most of it. It carried so many emotions that I just didn't want to hold onto anymore
Huge shoutout to Mark for being emotionally supportive while still keeping you moving. He wasn't making choices for you, but he was talking you through the process. I adore him. Where can I get one?
It hits differently to realise that other people *also* expressed their trauma through crafting and amassing "what if" supplies. I'm not sure if I'm at the point to let go of stash yet. I applaud you.
yeah.. hoarding is one of many responses to trauma. i personally feel lucky i already walked myself off the cliff not wanting to turn into my hoarder awful paternal before i came into my own income. definitely work to be like "yeah i dont need to keep this and its not helping me by staying here" but all therapy is work and i hope you can manage it some day. good luck out there
I reorganized my craft room during a hurricane last year and I purged quite a bit. While I was organizing I set aside my wips. Then in a few totes I put materials for planned projects. I wrote down the project on an index card along with a few notes about needle or hook sizes (one project per card), if I needed to purchase something to finish the project I wrote it on a post it and attached it to said project card for when that project became a priority. I am happy to say that the things that I did keep that don’t currently have a project attached to them fit into two totes! One for yarn and one for fabric. My plan is to work on my wips first (I’m refusing to be embarrassed that some of them are over 10 years old because I have become ill a few times in that period and I honestly forgot about them). For every 2 wips I finish I can start a new project from my stash, and once I empty a tote (I have a total of 7 including the 2 previously mentioned) then I can purchase new materials for a passion project as a treat for myself. And I have a few index cards with notes on them to remind myself. If I change my mind about one of those then the card can be used to start a fire in the fireplace so even that is not wasted.
I've gotten rid of a lot of accumulated stash over the past 8 years or so. The first time, I just didn't have room for everything I had, so it was fairly easy to get rid of about half of the 30-year accumulation of yarn I knew I wouldn't ever use, because it was nothing like what I typically used, and it had been hanging around for 10-20 years, even though it was beautiful, "good" yarn. About every year or so, I continued to evaluate what I had. More yarn would inevitably show up, and then not be right for the project I intended it for, and I realized that some of the yarn I was still holding onto from the first clear out still was never going to be used. It became easier over time to make those decisions, because I had a better idea of what I had, and a clearer idea of what I would use. In the past year, I've been working on decluttering all the crap we've accumulated in the basement over the past 30 years. I found Dana K White of "A Slob Comes Clean" to be very helpful. She has a "no mess decluttering process" that is not based on emotions. 1. Get rid of obvious trash and 2. Obvious donations. (so you're starting with things you truly don't want or care about) For other things, she uses "the container concept." I have X amount of space for this type of thing. Not all of it will fit. What gets kept is the *most* favorite things, and once the space is filled, it becomes clear which of all the things can go. (She acknowledges that everything can be a "favorite" but you're going to have things that are more favorite than others). She is a creative person herself, and thinks that many people who struggle with too much stuff are creative. They see the possibilities in everything. Her insights about the emotions behind stuff come from a place of experience. She has a website, books, podcast, and YT videos, so you can consume her content in whichever ways works for you.
I absolutely love Dana K. White’s Book especially the audiobook. It definitely helps me change how I look at my home and all the stuff I have in it. I’m starting to re-declutter for the first time since my Dad died. It’s never going to be easy but I find as soon as I can see more floor space, it makes it so much easier on my brain to keep going. @ASlobComesClean is her YT channel
My hubby just sat through and emotionally supported me going through my craft room and looking at storage solutions and stuff. It ended up becoming 8 huge tubs full of fluff which were spread all over our only living room while I sorted them out. He was so patient and was such a great sounding board for my thoughts and ideas.
Oh my gosh Jillian. This is the best therapy session I have ever had. :-) I’m in the process of trying to get rid of things because I am moving. But to have this video to listen to as much as I want when I start to feel like I can’t do anything., Will be awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your stash and your husband. Can’t wait to see the end result! You are awesome.
Survival mode is soooooooo relatable. Was disabled and starving in college and after 5 years of stability, relative health, and therapy i am still unlearning the need to grab and hold onto anything of potential value.
The struggle is real. I know the subliminal fear of not having. Added to that is a curator’s heart. My life and career has shifted so many times. The common thread (pun intended) is creating, usually with fibers. I appreciate you being open and beginning a discussion.
a) I loved watching you spool out the thoughts this brought up. b) It was so lovely to see Mark being supportive like that - just the right mix of helping you stick to your goals and being compassionate & understanding of the emotional content of it all.
This kind of video warms my heart. As a child of a hoarder I have gone to somewhat minimalist with my stuff (not my kids since that is their stuff). I think of it as Weight. When I destash or get rid of stuff I feel the weight of it going. So much so I helped my parent with their hoarding and it was literally 6k pounds out of their life. So not only the literally weight but the mental and emotional weight. Midwest Magic Cleaning just did a video about changing the words “have to” into “get to.” I don’t have to do the dishes, I get to have a clean sink. I don’t have to destash my yarn, I get to donate to those who can enjoy it and make room for stuff I want to use now without feeling overwhelmed. Good job and keep positive! ❤
I'm glad you brought up what's happening with Joann because I feel like I haven't had too many people to talk to about it. It's definitely a complicated feeling. On one hand, yes, it's a big corporation box store and we ought to be doing more local shopping. On the other hand, there are so many small towns and cities like mine where there simply aren't local places. Joann going away makes getting into these hobbies so much less accessible for anyone in that situation. That's what's making me so upset about it. I'm gonna have to resort to shopping online, which I personally really don't enjoy doing. Anyway... it's about time I declutter my art room too, and this time I intend on actually getting rid of supplies for crafts that I just don't do anymore. I have a feeling I'm gonna have a similar experience to you, so thank you for your time and encouragement.
I remember when WalMart eliminated their fabric section. They were so successful at putting competitors out of business, they are often the only dry goods store in more rural communities. Many people who live in rural areas are able to survive by knowing how to DIY; WM eliminating a whole segment was a slap in the face of people who tend to be the most loyal customers. Corporations DO NOT CARE if your needs are met.
I clicked on this apprehensively. I have to be in the right mood to watch people declutter/organize because it makes me much more aware of my own mess that I'm constantly battling with. But I thought "It's Evie! It'll feel safe!" I feel the overwhelm so much. But also the struggle with things that are functional and could become something (which contributes to the overwhelm) I agree that looking into the why and taking that into consideration is more useful than strict "No"-rules, those are bound to fail for me as well 😅
I am using flannel I have kept in a box for years, batting that I recovered from a comforter I bought for the fabric and acetate lining from skirts I scavenged for the wool fabric in order to make a quilted lining for my husband’s coveralls. Knowing that I am using material that a sane person would have already discarded does not help argue against my packrat tendencies lol.
Total respect!! Thank you for being real❤ I am in the middle of rearranging all of my fiber and craft supplies. Huge job!! And purging is tough...ugg. I am a retired teacher, and am purging the rest of my school stuff, plus my crafty stuff. (Which is an insane amount) I absolutely love how your honey supportsyou❤
I went through every single little piece of my life because I moved between continents. I believe I am like you and get attached to things. Too much I know, but everything has a meaning. And that fear of missing…. I feel you!
Evie, this video almost made me cry. I also have a really hard time letting go of things, and I've had to think about that a lot these past few weeks being in SoCal. Any time I try to organize, I get so overwhelmed. I really love the encouragement Mark was giving you!
I'm only 13 years late on spring cleaning. I also have trouble getting rid of functional things, and my house shows it. I wanna give you the biggest hug. Getting rid of stuff is so hard. Mark is great. Love that piece of art, hope you don't get demonetized for it. I had ads, so they haven't caught it yet. I've been trying to keep my kitchen undisastered by "thing comes in, thing goes out" and it's mostly worked, but I've lost control about my stash and craft supplies. I'm trying to get my craft room set up at which point I'll be getting my stash out on the tables and sorted, everytihng I'm going to keep will get washed and re-stashed and everything I want to give away will go in a box. And right now the only stuff I purchase that isn't consumable is craft stuff (which is kind of consumable, and definitely gives me happy chemicals, but I DO use it eventually). I create, I consume, I collect... I do try to have most of my projects be daily wearable or gifts so they're at least useful to me or out of my house. I do have to get rid of at least two crappy sewing machines though. One's effectively a paperweight due to bad design and the other one (in my opinion) is possessed by a goblin of chaos and misery. Those are on my "gotta go list" and I kinda hate to toss one cause I actually paid for it, and the other cause it was my grandmother's (but after having used it I understand why she didn't sew much, it's an 80's plastic Singer with attitude).
See if you can donate them to one of those “we fix them and give them a good home” charities or recycling places. I’ve done that a LOT. Two Summers ago I needed to move the entire contents of the house I rent into storage because it heeded extensive renovations to be up to code for rentals. Instead of just packing everything I had, I decluttered, cupboard by cupboard, dresser by dresser. The amount of broken-but-still-fixable items I had already replaced by something that actually did work, was mind boggling. I made trip after trip to the charity. Often I’d see items I’d brought in on a previous run out on display for sale at a gentle price for people to buy and treasure. They’d be gone the next time. It felt good to know they were bow in good working order and being enjoyed by others who normally couldn’t afford that item. They didn’t stand around to collect dust anymore. They didn’t end up in a landfill. Sentimental items are harder though. I did bring in some of those as well because I knew I’d probably never get around to actually fixing them.
@@eddavanleemputten9232 I'm not sure we have a place like that here and the badly designed sewing machine is not a good fit, it's not built to get into and it will require regular degunking to even be able to use straight and zigzag stitches. The Singer I will consider donating to a local place that teaches immigrants to sew, if they have someone service it, it might behave for someone who's not me.
Blue Gal has a nice video about not feeling guilty for having stash. She compared a knitter's stash to a painter's paints. But also she promotes knowing what's in your stash and shopping in it regularly. I think that's a useful perspective. What would and wouldn't be in your most favorite little shop to serve your creative needs? As a spinner I'm slowly finding out how much fiber I can handle. Conclusion: one fleece per spring is already a challenge.
That's a really freeing way to look at it; I'm going to use it. Been really beating myself up for getting so much yarn over the pandemic. Thanks for sharing! ❤
Thank you for your vulnerability -- this is VERY relatable. I'll be thinking about this as I do various "airing of the stash" checks throughout the year.
I don't usually comment, but I really appreciated your openness and honesty around consumerism in the crafting community. The elements we use to craft are, in and of themselves, things we look at and think "Oooh, shiny!!" and of course want to collect. When inspiration strikes, we want to be ready. But too many options can also be overwhelming and at a certain point, I can only use so much yarn and fabric in one lifetime. We are constantly being bombarded with advertising convincing us we'll be happier if we just spend more money. It's exhausting. I really related to your struggle to let go of things once you had them - what if you need it later? what if you can't afford to get more later? - and appreciated your acknowledgement that there's no one-size-fits-all solution because it depends so much on what each individual is getting out of the habit. For me, I found I was feeling accomplishment in stockpiling yarn because it saved me from having to actually pick a specific project (the pressure! oh no! what if I pick the wrong pattern?!) while still feeling like I was making progress. Now I acknowledge it as stalling tactics and just waste time looking at patterns instead of buying more things (at least it's free and still lets me look at pretties lol). I've been trying to focus on finishing current WIPs instead of starting new projects, only buying things I have a specific plan for, and pulling from my stash first whenever possible. I also try to only buy things at least 50% off (my own little challenge that keeps me from getting excited about the constant smaller sales that big box stores always run). Mostly, thanks for showing me I'm not alone in tornado-ing my craft space, getting overwhelmed, and needing my partner to help keep me focused. I think I'm going to steal the decision tree concept and try it on the boxes I've been avoiding unpacking.
This rings so true with my embroidery, my last piece took 9 months, it is such a slow process. Social media just can’t show it realistically. The videos I posted on instagram showed stitching in real time rather than the 30 second Timelapse videos. By speeding videos up you loose the methodical, therapeutic quality of craft ❤❤
Hi Evie, you have done a great thing making this video. I’ve been in the same place you were. I’m a Hospice RN and have a lot of stress. I crochet as it brings me peace and I like to create things. I also have a stash but have been working hard to use it all. I’ve had for 15 years, yarn I had made from the wool of my beloved, deceased, Shetlands. I’m 1/2 way through making a blanket. Thank you, again, for sharing your thoughts.
I feel you! I need to take the time to ask myself if I need this or that for real, if I'm just gonna leave it in storage forever or actually need it for a project. it's always been a struggle from my childhood, just "collecting" things for the future to feel safe. And I know it's from struggling for money when I was a kid cause my mom is the same, at some point she had 5 table and chairs set because people gave them to her, so it was free! at least knowing where this way of thinking is from is the biggest step forward, a very hard one but so helpful. and as I keep telling myself, "if I'm in this situation it's cause I made it out, now just make sure it's healthy and not hoarding" xD your mustard coat fit so well with your hat!! :) they are sooo pretty! that art piece omg! it,s better than I could draw and it's a felt piece! :O
So, one of the things that you mentioned that you found something that you had forgotten you had. One of the things I wanted to do over Christmas, but did not do, is to catalog my yarn. Ravelry has a mechanism to be able to catalog your yarn, I think I will put some yarn in my Ravelry catalog today. See I can start! You are my inspiration.
Oh this was a cup of warm peace to watch. Thank you! To add to the conversation, i think ~where~ the excess things in our stash go is also really important. I'm fortunate enough to have several secondhand craft supply shops/organizations in my area, which both makes it more affordable for me to purchase new supplies and feel good about destashing something that didn't work out for me. I'm putting it back on the table for someone else who's looking for that perfect material for their project. Someone who can give the material love and attention that maybe I don't have the time, skills, project, passion for. When I thrift a skein of yarn that someone clearly started working with and then stopped, winding the loose yarn around the skein and destashing it, I am grateful to them for passing it along to me, and happy for the yarn to finally become.
Jillian, I'm actually cleaning my basement/studio out as well. Putting my yarn and fabrics in bins and organizing my creative space is inspiring me. When everything is neat and organized, it makes me feel relaxed, and I enjoy myself more. Also, I like the idea of using what I have before buying anything else. So I think that will be my theme for 2025. Cheer up, we all have spring cleaning to do.
My entire knitting, sewing, weaving, spinning tool and stash storage used to be limited to one shelving unit because that's all the room I could allocate for it. Now that I have an entire room for my hobbies, it's a real struggle not to just fill it up to the point I can't do anything in there. I've been watching the Declutter Challenge on the Just Get it Done Quilts channel and it's really helped me to curate my hobbies a little better. If I've learned anything from that series, it's take breaks and it's okay to have emotional attachments to stuff but you have to be realistic about how much space you have to store things. Good luck with your sorting and be kind to yourself. Also, that is the cutest little spindle.
Dana K. White's "The container concept" might be helpful to you. In fact, it sounds like you were doing it when you had the one shelving unit and now you just need to apply it to your hobby room. You want to allocate a certain amount of space in the room for actually doing hobbies and that space is no longer considered as an option for stash storage.
Your husband is a gem! I am on the other side of the spectrum. I easily throw/give away my things. To the point sometime later I look for it and can’t find it then wonder where it is or did I give it away. This year I am doing an inventory of my “bins” in the basement with my spreadsheet geekery userform interface with a picture of the bin contents, general description of contents and a detailed list of contents. The crawl space will be organized in direction, columns, rank, and row. I will have columns in the spreadsheet where I can list what I thrown or given away so I will never have to wonder again and a quick pivot table can sort and search for anything I need. I get such a thrill of making spreadsheets that doing the physical labor needed to fill the spreadsheet contents with data is not a chore.
I must have started something 😂 I literally just got done putting myself through this "inventory adventure" in November! What a trip! I do wish I had my own Mark here to assist when the little craft fairies started talking over each other 😢 but I did it! I made the leap to reorganize the stash. Now I am in the process to use some of the on a whim or advent stuff in a project. If I am not able to, that's the final decision... I used it and will lose the other. Many birds one stone so to say... I finally get to doing those many projects ideas, curve the gotta keep it by physical proofing it out that I really didn't need it, and I'm still creating. I can seriously relate to everything you said and felt: both good vibes and dark sides. Yes, I create stuff for family, home, and friends. I create just to make SOMETHING then donate it or give it to those that can use it. But if someone wants to buy it... I'm not going to argue as it helps them and me since that money goes to paying the bills or items I can not make. I know you can do this cause you got Mark for support and back up ❤ Small tip: if it triggers dark stuff, don't keep it unless the reward\ good was a lot greater. That way it is safe to have a bad trigger, but the reward was happier... Making for a lesson in being stronger for it.
Mass consumerism has really crept itself into so many people's lives and it's so refreshing to see and hear people question it and look at how it's really affecting us. As a fibre artist myself I have started looking at ways that I can source materials locally and support my local economy. It feels far more fulfilling to have a more intimate relationship with my materials and it's part of what gets me really excited to create!
I love Mark's involvement in this process. Sometimes the logic side needs to speak to the emotional side and what a lovely pair you two must make for these moments! I'm grateful for the conversation surrounding consumption and no-buy/stashdown challenges. I always wonder how dyers and small indies feel about the discussion that has been going around lately about no-buy challenges. I speak as a consumer and a participant in the Jillian Moreno 100 Day Stashdown - I am using the challenge to play in the space I created, but also allowing myself to think about my purchases a lot more. I haven't eliminated buying, but I've thought about why something is an exception (am I buying for a specific project, is it a long-term investment such as a club, etc.) and I think that's more to the heart of how I want to move going forward. My best tool for not buying something is by filling a cart, and letting it sit for a few days. Did the discount go away before I remembered about it? did the items sell out? am I still thinking about it the next day or was it a pure impulse of dopamine-seeking behavior?
I appreciate how supportive and helpful Mark is without trying to control you or hurry you along. This is a very difficult process, and it's comforting to see you being respected and supported during it I'm constantly trying to find the balance between "buying things for the dopamine that just add to the stash" and "denying myself every single treat is not good for me, maybe I should get to have nice things sometimes" but it's hard. It's also hard to in turn balance those both with "when I die, all of this is going to be just junk for someone else to deal with" and boy does it not help that "someone's future junk" includes the things I create. It's overwhelming. I don't have a solution The best I've discovered so far to keep myself from buying yarn for just the brain chemicals when I have plenty of stash to bust and specific projects to work through is redirecting my mind to stuff I already have in my stash that I am Really Excited to use someday. "Stop being excited, don't spend money" doesn't work and only causes pain. "Hey, hey, look, different shiny thing you can be excited about!" is much, much better A method I know for getting rid of stuff you already have is The Maybe Box. If you're unsure about getting rid of something, if there's still so many emotional ties even though you know you don't otherwise use or want the thing? Put it in the Maybe Box. If a month later you haven't thought about it again, or used it again, or simply allowing your emotions space and time to settle has made it easier to get rid of the thing, it can go. If in the meantime you realised you really do want to keep it/have use for it/etc, it can move back in with your other possessions Also, the needlefelted piece you showed off is really, really cool! I had no idea people did stuff like that with felting in general!
Not here to sell so no links but this is so relatable that in fact I just opened up a step by step challenge in my community to organize your stash in 30 days in small steps. Because it’s A THING! Thank you for your openness and vulnerability. It’s so helpful.
i have been knitting my stash except for yarn festivals, almost, since 2022 now. it's been really cool to see how far it goes. when i get a shopping itch, i use that same time to be actively creating as i recognize this the little dopamine hit i need :)
I often forget I had things but after the past few years it seems like a normal response. The thing that gets me is knowing I have something and not being able to find it. Part of this for me is age and part of it it is having too much inventory. I am blessed to have two granddaughters who like to craft and they use up parts of my stash. I inherited a pie shelf and was determined to stash down to just what it would hold. I'm sure we all know that didn't quite happen but I did get close. The main deterrent to new acquisitions is asking myself, "where will I put this". I enjoy everything about my stash: looking at it, touching it, planning projects with it, sometimes actually making something with it. I do not like managing the inventory and storage of it. I believe you used to have a shadowbox that you added a small piece of fiber to each time you made a thing. I you to wish for an entire wall with a plexiglass front to put all my stash in! We can all dream and if it is all in one place then I would know where it is even if I can't access it easily. Good luck with process and be nice to yourself regardless of your decisions.
Thank you so much for being so real Eve! I totally understand and feel your pain. My personal stash was increasing and kept buying at Fiber Festivals. I just had to tell myself to stop buying tops. Now I have a hoard of fleeces, and then a friend gave me a bunch more fleeces and I'm overwhelmed. So again I'm saying no more fleeces! Next week, our guild will be talking about this and what to do. Then next month, we are having a destash sale.
BRAVO to you for getting through the hard stuff - and for taking in what Mark was saying even though it was clear you didn't want him to be right about it. I constantly struggle with that - since my husband's hobby is mostly digital and mine is tactile it means my stuf takes up so much more space than his. He understands this and knows that if all his video games were physical board games then he'd need much more space and we'd be in storage hell - but it means he also lives surrounded by stuff he doesn't know if he can touch or move or clean and that's unfair to him. He helps me a lot in getting out of my own scrounging critter mode and helps me work through what can stay and what can go.
I did a hard sort of my crafts last year which involves as many hobbies as you so I understand how hard it is to let go of anything because you know in your very deepest gut you’ll need that item tomorrow😢
Less than two minutes in and this is migrating from the little screen to the bigger screen. I think this is going to be uncomfortably relatable in a good way.
The conversations between you and your hubs sounds exactly like my hubs and I when we talk about my crafting and organization!! Shout out to Mark for being awesome! And you for decluttering, that’s a lot of work!
Joy is making things with our own hands, I like to go to my stash and act like I am buying it again with the same feeling that I got it for in the first place. Shop my own stash.❤
We all need a Mark in our lives to help fight decision fatigue and our own mental bullshit. Thank you for showing this. You are among many with similar feelings about stash and complicated relationships with things.
Going through our things can very much bring up some painful emotions. My mom was my best and sometimes only friend for most of my life. She passed away July 2022, and I inherited her sewing room. I finally was able to get it organized just this month, 2 1/2 years later. I knew my mom would be upset knowing that I couldn't do the crafts that I loved doing, with her, no less, but the emotional weight of dealing with all her things was too overwhelming. Well, my husband got me a quilting frame for Christmas, and in order to use said quilting frame, I had to clean the room. My husband and kids were so integral in the cleaning process. It turns out, they were just waiting for me to be ready. Now, I'm trying to finish one of the last quilts my mom was working on. It's for my son. The 3 of us had worked on it together, and my son has said he wanted to help me finish it.
Evie, your videos are thought provoking! I am a recently retired elementary art teacher. I have had a planned accumulation during my entire 20 year teaching career, so that I could retire with all the items I would need to set up studio and craft to my hearts content, knowing I would be living on a tighter budget in retirement. So here I am, attic stuffed, studio stuffed, all the equipment for sewing weaving and Papercrafting are purchased and ready to dig in and be the artist I’ve always never had time to be! Until now. I have JUST started to purge some things in my stash of supplies, that no longer appeal to me, however, most of it will stay and be used. I am planful about what I am purging, though, old acrylic yarns I have no use for, outdated fabric yardage, possibly selling one or two of my smaller rigid heddle looms, donating some of the paper pads and art supplies I will not use, that sort of thing. But I am SO excited to be able to be an artist, I am in a new retiree state of euphoria. I will NEVER be bored!! I know there were some years during my career towards the end that I was shopping as a hobby, during difficult time of caring for my aging mother (she had dementia, and lived with us) and this was during the pandemic, and teaching was VERY stressful, on top of caregiving. Shopping for craft supplies was therapy. It served its purpose, and now I am simply shopping my stash, which feels great. We all need to examine our own habits, and just be aware of what is important to us on this creativity journey. I agree that it is better to land on the creating side of the house, when we “fall off the roof”…….! Thank you for sharing your insights.
Hi Jillian! This is the first time I've watched your videos but I wanted to let you know that you're not at all alone with having a disaster of a crafting area and way too much stuff to ever possibly use. I think the best way to go about de-stashing really is thinking about if it sparks joy or not! If you can't think of a possible project you would want to use the yarn for, don't keep it! And donate the yarn to someone who will love it and make something beautiful!!!
Oh Brave Woman!!! I was going through mine in December and all that kept coming to my mind was the quote "When you are up to your ass in alligators, it is difficult to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp." Wonderful to see you again \(^-^)/.
Girl. First of all, I’ve never figured out how to make a comment on one of your videos. I have been following you for years and I feel your heart so much, especially in this video. Once I heard your husbands voice I immediately clicked it off. I couldn’t emotionally handle any other voice coming into your consideration. I grew up destitute poor and I understand you sooooo much. ❤
What a wonderfully supportive husband you have who knows & loves you & knows how to push you. Anything that conjures up something uncomfortable or a memory that doesn't serve you now it was good he let you feel it, then put a positive spin on it & then now each skein or fibre you donate or sell to someone else you are unburdening the sadness or discomfort with it & any energy associated with it! I'm looking forward to watching the rest as I myself need to go through my spare rooms & de-stash (non yarn). So thank you for the inspiration ❤
We give thanks for Wheel Daddy. My mum helped me go through the guest room/office/yarn room when I got sick so I would have a nice space to exist in outside of the living room, much in the manner how Mark helped you, and it was so nice. Definitely worth the effort. I am on a “yarn out, yarn in” scheme myself with the caveat that MORE yarn needs to go out before it can come in, so I will slowly get a stash that is a bit smaller. This works for me! I also have no qualms about buying extra yarn to improve a project with stash yarn. I get a bit of an icky feeling about those “stash buster” projects that seem to exist only to burn through stash, not to enjoy the making or get a beautiful project to use or gift. But to each their own, if someone gets a kick about emptying a basket full of half balls that way, I won’t judge.
I put a big effort into cleaning my craft cave out in January and dating everything new that comes in to make sure it doesn't keep being "saved" forever. It helps to allow yourself to let something go as a thing you learned from, but don't need to finish. Like, the lesson can be the value. Let it goooo!
You were right - the level of mess was very relatable, and honestly not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be (based on my own history of crafting supply mess). Your husband was so sweet and supportive while you were making those really hard, emotional decisions!
We recently downsized from a house we had lived in for 35 years, and I had to make massive decisions. Amidst this, I realized that it was not just 35 years of stuff; we also brought 25 years of previous stuff when we moved in-60 years of stuff! It really did come down to how to start time saving sorting, and soon this first begun sorting evolved during various realizations coming into play as I moved along. Now, a year later I don't think I miss anything. But some yarn, needles, roving , spindles, and spinning wheel are with me! It's a mind bending process, for sure! You did a great job!
8:05 I recently did the same thing, and like you, I have come close enough to impoverished to understand your feelings about the fibers in your stash. It’s difficult to abide by those “rules” that people who’ve never lived it. First, I give myself permission to add things to my stash without repercussions once a month. Second, when I start a new project, I shop my stash first. This allows me to start new things while minimizing new purchases. Third, when I get the urge to start something new, I take a look at my WIPs and see if any are close enough to completion to get the same dopamine rush that starting something new would give. If there is, I opt for finishing the WIP. Finally, I give myself a whole lot of grace. The point is progress, not perfection. I also agree that our country is built on consumerism. That became really evident when I lived in Europe.
Hi. I'm trying to use up all my wool "before I die " is my joke line. However, the reality is no one in my family want any of my gear. Not a thing. I've returned to spinning after a 20 year gap. I need to get my carefully collected stash under control, and I can spin again as I had a hip op... I forgot how much I loved it. I found you on U-tube last year. I found many answers and I am really having a go at getting through the fibre. Thank you. Not only your tutorials but your honest look at your stash today. I totally feel exactly like you. Much appreciated. Xxx c
Wow! I was watching this and started having a bit of anxiety about my stuff. Having Mark for positive and logic support is wonderful. I am paying for a storage unit containing my life collection and must get rid of that expense. Thank you Jillian!
Oh yes! I'm busy decluttering and reorganizing too. I am purging bookshelves at the moment, to open up space. I also have a hard time getting rid of functional stuff. I'm finding it all rather sad 😢. I feel your pain. ❤ But! I am really looking forward to having the house easier to keep clean!😊
Hello Everyone! I really appreciated your thoughtful introspection today. I am 65 now. There are a few things I know. My children and grandchildren are the most important beings in my world. My husband is the air I breathe. I must create. Have a fabulous today, Steph 😁.
Oh I relate so hard with this process. I'm exactly the same way. Instant overwhelm when faced with everything. My partner is very similar to yours, joking and spending time with me, coaching me through it. I'm trying to have specific ideas for projects when I make purchases this year. And I'm working to get through things in my stash as well. I have discovered that documenting my FO's and process is super rewarding, so that helps to motivate me as well.
So… I had a very out of control fabric stash for many years. My mom is a quilter and I took up historical costuming in my 20s. At some point I did a huge clean out like you’re doing and gave about half my stash away to the costuming guild I was in. And I didn’t have the energy to face the other half, so it’s packed up in my basement. But when I took up spinning and knitting again I kept that experience in mind and tried to be more balanced and careful. I still have yarn and fiber but it’s more limited, I keep track of what I have more carefully, and I enjoy experimenting with what I have when I’ve filled the space I allotted for my supplies. I find that pulling things out and cataloging them helps me to feel grounded and it still gives me a hit of joy to enjoy seeing them and planning ahead for how I’ll use them. I try not to be absolute about anything other than keeping track and not buying more than I’m comfortable with having. Things that don’t have a place stress me out enormously, so I struggle to keep my crafts limited partly because I grew up with horder parents and couldn’t cope with how their stuff took over our lives. And I don’t even have the kind of reason you do (working through the trauma of having hard times in your past). I’m fighting against habits that probably started with hard times suffered by my grandparents or even great grandparents. I’ve come to think about a lot of things like gardening. You can only have the home you want if you are always tending to your space. Things go in, things come out, you use things, but if you don’t tend to the area often it’ll be overwhelming and frustrating. I’m sorry you’re struggling through this and I hope you’re able to build a happier relationship with your crafting stuff. It’s hard to work through old feelings and trauma but you’re doing good work and you’ll get where you want to be if you keep moving. 🫂
Evie, I am fairly new to the fiber world but understand. Thank you for sharing what you did, how you felt as you were going through the process. I saw a video in the fall of two lovely ladies sharing all of their works in process. It really got me thinking of the few I had. I set a goal of completing 4 of the 6 I had by the end of November. Yes, I got them done. 😊 Setting a deadline helped. I also learned I don’t like projects that take forever to complete.
wow, Thanks so much for sharing. So many important points here. Being a creative, I absolutley understand wanting to hold on to supplies. I was very big into beading/jewelry making for many years. I have numerous bins/very large plastic totes of supplies to be dealt with and your vid gives me hope. I appreciate/am grateful, that I may never run into the previous life situations that made me value deeply every single bead that I was able to buy. Will be 'spring' cleaning with a different attitude now.
I really relate to your struggles with decluttering. Seeing you take that on despite it being so hard for you and doing little things to make a hard thing easier really gave me hope. :-)
I’m no help. I have very little in the way of stash stuff, and it’s all fabric leftovers and upholstery samples. Four under-the-bed totes, none of them full. That stuff comes in handy for so many things, and I’m always getting in there for material for a patch, or a small bag, or stuffing for a pillow. I sew for Days for Girls, so every once in a while I clear my stash and use the pieces that are big enough for shields or bags. But I have so many friends who struggle with their stashes! We’ve decided there are people who are naturally organized (me) and people who are not naturally organized (most people) and both are okay. You just have to do what makes sense for you. You’re amazing and wonderful, and I love listening to you talk about things you’re thinking about! 🥰
I’ve been slowly “decluttering” but the biggest area I recognize I have a problem is in the food department. You brought me to tears in the part where you spoke about buying groceries. Because this hits so hard for me. I keep food in stock stuff that won’t go bad because it’s been so hard to make sure I can feed my family at some point. So I’ve actually been on a no buy of dry goods because I have so much that it’s overwhelming. But in doing this we have been saving sooo much on groceries! I made it positive spend less on groceries pay down other bills! Thank you for your content! It’s so much more personable with its length. I’m here for it.
I have been trying to gradually sort through everything over the last few years too. I was finding I was having issues with the tendons in my hands and also some dizzy spells and a couple of falls - I have issues with the balance mechanism in both ears due to chickenpox when I was 8, so I wanted to get everything put away either in storage boxes, or bookshelves to protect them from dust and spiders and to get them off the floor so we could clean more easily and to make everything more easily accessible. I spent money on organisational stuff, rather than more yarn and fibre and that has really helped me see what I have, so I can plan projects using those items. I know how emotional that sorting out stage can be, but for me it has helped me see what I really enjoy using - I hope it does the same for you.❤
I love this! I just cleared out and reorganized my stash according to project and donated the really pretty,but don’t have a project for wool and yarn to the local fiber art guild. Our guild doesn’t have dues and makes operating funds through sale of donated items and classes at the fiber art school they run.
I have bn in this pocus of clearing my craft room for two weeks and this video has been very helpful. Your hubby is onto something. To just say yes or no, then it makes it easier to organize afterwards. My issue before this video is that I craft aside from fiber work. My places to store it seems less than the things I need to store 😅. Love that art piece. I am now more excited to continue my organization journey with a new mindset and tactic
Such relatable content. I'm a maker/crafter/mender in my personal life, I'm a marketer/product developer/retailer in my career. I love supporting local, I've worked for national and international brands. It's a lot to unpack but I do think you can strike a balance. My attitudes at work are influenced by personal interests in the sense that I want to make unique products that solve problems and are something that a specific target group would want to buy, but only if it's something that is of value, useful and in their budget. I'm okay with not everyone wanting to buy my products. I grew up in a have not family, I've had to ask to pay rent late, several of my care givers were Depression era. I know how to hold on to something just incase... I've also cleaned out two parents houses after they have died and know just how much "stuff" there is to be thrown out, rehomed etc. I have "too much", more than I'm likely to use, but every now and then there is an amazing sale, or a event, or one time only special colour ways etc. I try and support local and remember that I live in a very fibre rich area Vancouver, Canada and getting more yarn / fibre is really never out of reach, I can pass up on this opportunity and catch the next one. I try and think more out than in (loosely, if I get too serious it back fires 😆). When all else fails, I blame the recent ADHD diagnosis.🤷🤦♀️🤣
I have a suggestion that is working well for me and lets me think deeper into whether I need to buy more of a particular fiber. I too am a creative and admittedly get too carried away and put way too much on my plate. As a mean to help me remember what I bought and what I bought is for, I came to a conclusion that I needed a means of keeping track by making notes.... resulting in keeping a journal in a particular area of interest. In the end I bought my own make shift journals at a local dollar store, sketch books work just as well. Different books for i.e. knitting, weaving, spinning, painting, gardening... you can go to those journals/books to reflect back to what your ideas were, what acquisitions were acquired for what project.... so then reminding you what you have and what projects you have on the go, and so whether or not you are really in need of purchasing anything more. The keeping a log or journal has been very helpful and having these books displayed on a shelf close to where you work your creative projects can be very helpful.... Another helpful idea is, if knowingly going out to yarn or other shops, take your book with so you can reflect, decide, and make noted to why or why not an acquisition did or did not happen. Anyway, thank you so much for all that you do and all ideas that you share 😊
This felt so relatable and was so helpful as someone who gets emotionally attached to things I neither need nor want but are still USEFUL! Your husband’s plan would work so well for me too - thank you for sharing with us❤
Lucky lady to have a hubby that gets it. I have a lot of different crafting interests and find that having storage bins that are all the same size really helps.
I really like how you reward yourself for doing the difficult things. It's so important, yet so difficult, to remember to give myself praise when I get things done or do something that has little to no gratification- instant or not. I think a little bit of this issue, at least for me and probably some other people, is self love. I don't love myself like i should, but I'm to the point where I respect myself. It would be very rude of me to dismiss, for example, spending several hours of my off day cleaning. I did a good job. I wouldn't say, "But you could've done more" to someone else, so I don't get to say it to myself.
So relatable! I have two rooms that are like this and are to be condensed into one so..... sigh! There can be a lot of loss and grief of our story tied up in fibres and yarns that is stronger than just will power. I've learned to actively lament the fears and pain associated with it all through tears, journalling, just speaking it out. Then releasing the stuff can be easier. I hope you find peace in it. Sending love.
❤ I totaly, totaly relate 😢! My small apartment holds a lot ...I totally going through the whole thing ...I am searching in google who much will cost to replace it 😂 and found out that will be way more expensive but if I can not find a project I let it go 😊 acrylic yarn is going and keeping the best staff 😊❤
Thank you! I need to go though my stash and cull the colors and quantities that I know I will never use. Enjoyed the thought you and everyone in the comments shared.
Yes, your cute knitted hat looks great with that coat. It totally completes the look IMHO. I also think your hair when worn up toward the end of the video looks fabulous! I made the rule last year, if i get something new, such as a cutting board, i get rid of the old one. So far it is working great! I used to have a rule that if I haven't seen or used something in 2 years, I would get rid of it. I then married someone who wouldn't get rid of anything...so that rule kind of faded. I need to get back to it now that i am widowed. But it is hard. I was pretending I was going to have a garage sale last year, but that was wishful thinking as I kept delaying it until I gave up and dropped stuff off at Goodwill and other donation places. I just have to keep in mind how great it feels to have a place for everthing and have everything in its place.
I'm cleaning presently and trying to do basically the same thing as you. This video popped up at just the right time for me. Thanks for being a cleaning buddy!
I felt the pain when you were discussing LB Homespun. When I have negative feelings towards something, it's gone and especially if it's related to fibre arts. I started decluttering my home in 2021 after I watched a few of Joshua Becker's videos. I had too much stuff and therefore couldn't organize my stuff. A never ending viscous circle. Also, I watch Dawn from Minimal Mom - the silent to-do list is my go-to for getting motivated to declutter. Your thoughts on fibre arts as a consumer vs creator is interesting. I think I was consuming before + during the pandemic but now I feel more creative (with a smaller stash) and purchase intentionally, locally and ethically. Kudos to your hubby for supporting you. My hubby likes to hoard things however he's decluttering more each day he's noticed the house is cleaner + easier to maintain.
Hi Jillian Eve, Thank you for a most interesting program. I was just working on my sewing room yesterday. So far I’ve cleaned out the major closet. It took 2 1/2 hours just for that! I feel better already, but there is more to go. I found some projects that have been hibernating for a while, and some I’ve inherited from a friend who passed away. Do I finish them or do I give them away? Cleaning up our work areas helps to inspire our creativity and get ready to forge ahead. My main focus these days is knitting using yarns that are produced in the US. I’m searching out what this country has to offer and finding that there are lots of small businesses out there. If we were talking about painting supplies, would people challenge us on our need for a palette of colors? I no longer feel guilty or need to apologize for the joy I find working with yarn, I am a collector as well as a doer. You have brought up some very interesting questions. How lovely to discover yarns that you had forgotten about that may now find themselves in your project basket. So many things to do, spinning, dyeing, knitting, felting, oh my! Keep the videos coming, and thanks to your husband for supporting you!
This got me really emotional too. Both because I’m in the same boat and will probably ask my partner to help me deal with that poverty ball and chain attaching me to so much clutter I want to downsize. But also because I haven’t been out to a brunch with friends since before the panini, and you’ve made me realize how much I want that in my life again.
Thank you for being so vulnerable! It was heartwarming to see you work through the emotions and decisions with marks help. ❤️ It is so different to all the other destash videos and so much more worth because I have something to think about the next days or weeks
Thank you for sharing this. You opening up is so brave. I really appreciate it. This is so relatable. I always love seeing interactions between you and Mark. All of them and this one especially show such a beautifull loving relationship. It shows in both the sillyness you have together and these emotional journeys. It is lovely to watch. And for me luckely I recognize my own relationship with my sweetheart.
Thank you for sharing this honest video! It's so relatable. Your perspective on the de-stash challenge is not one I've heard before and I really appreciate that perspective. I like the idea of being mindful of purchases and who/what you're supporting, without setting hard-fast rules for yourself. I think de-stashing/reorganizing can be really helpful as a catalyst to start thinking through that lens, because it is such hard work to go through and get rid of things, and the memory of that feeling sticks with you when you go to purchase something new, so you're more mindful about the purchase. Great video!
Your husband being so calm and logical regarding decluttering your yarn stash, and the way you were glaring at him! lmfao!
How dare he… it is sacred, it is stash!, lol! He is a brave man….
I'm at 3:26 and I'm mad at him. He doesn't seem to grasp how awesome a project's quantity of quality yarn is. At all. This isn't something you "konmarie" or whatever.
I think he was amazing! He was calm and patient and helped her talk through the feelings… team husband !
@leasimpleblog5705 100%!
I relate so hard to the frustration of having a calm supportive partner. 🤣 It’s the glare that says “I appreciate you so much!”
Before I became homeless, I had a huge yarn collection. When I couldn't take it with me, I felt such a profound loss. Loss of my belongings, of myself, and identity. I discovered in those 2 years that I preferred having a much smaller stash. So when most of my craft stash was returned to me, I donated most of it. It carried so many emotions that I just didn't want to hold onto anymore
"How many other projects do you have?" The silence that followed, I felt that. XD
Unfair question! That's like asking how many birthdays I have left. I don't know but will it make life any better to find out?
Huge shoutout to Mark for being emotionally supportive while still keeping you moving. He wasn't making choices for you, but he was talking you through the process. I adore him. Where can I get one?
me too! me too! I want a Mark too!
We stan Mark in this house
What a sweet husband you have❤
It hits differently to realise that other people *also* expressed their trauma through crafting and amassing "what if" supplies. I'm not sure if I'm at the point to let go of stash yet. I applaud you.
yeah.. hoarding is one of many responses to trauma.
i personally feel lucky i already walked myself off the cliff not wanting to turn into my hoarder awful paternal before i came into my own income. definitely work to be like "yeah i dont need to keep this and its not helping me by staying here" but all therapy is work and i hope you can manage it some day. good luck out there
I reorganized my craft room during a hurricane last year and I purged quite a bit. While I was organizing I set aside my wips. Then in a few totes I put materials for planned projects. I wrote down the project on an index card along with a few notes about needle or hook sizes (one project per card), if I needed to purchase something to finish the project I wrote it on a post it and attached it to said project card for when that project became a priority. I am happy to say that the things that I did keep that don’t currently have a project attached to them fit into two totes! One for yarn and one for fabric. My plan is to work on my wips first (I’m refusing to be embarrassed that some of them are over 10 years old because I have become ill a few times in that period and I honestly forgot about them). For every 2 wips I finish I can start a new project from my stash, and once I empty a tote (I have a total of 7 including the 2 previously mentioned) then I can purchase new materials for a passion project as a treat for myself. And I have a few index cards with notes on them to remind myself. If I change my mind about one of those then the card can be used to start a fire in the fireplace so even that is not wasted.
What great ideas you have.
I've gotten rid of a lot of accumulated stash over the past 8 years or so. The first time, I just didn't have room for everything I had, so it was fairly easy to get rid of about half of the 30-year accumulation of yarn I knew I wouldn't ever use, because it was nothing like what I typically used, and it had been hanging around for 10-20 years, even though it was beautiful, "good" yarn. About every year or so, I continued to evaluate what I had. More yarn would inevitably show up, and then not be right for the project I intended it for, and I realized that some of the yarn I was still holding onto from the first clear out still was never going to be used. It became easier over time to make those decisions, because I had a better idea of what I had, and a clearer idea of what I would use.
In the past year, I've been working on decluttering all the crap we've accumulated in the basement over the past 30 years. I found Dana K White of "A Slob Comes Clean" to be very helpful. She has a "no mess decluttering process" that is not based on emotions. 1. Get rid of obvious trash and 2. Obvious donations. (so you're starting with things you truly don't want or care about) For other things, she uses "the container concept." I have X amount of space for this type of thing. Not all of it will fit. What gets kept is the *most* favorite things, and once the space is filled, it becomes clear which of all the things can go. (She acknowledges that everything can be a "favorite" but you're going to have things that are more favorite than others). She is a creative person herself, and thinks that many people who struggle with too much stuff are creative. They see the possibilities in everything. Her insights about the emotions behind stuff come from a place of experience. She has a website, books, podcast, and YT videos, so you can consume her content in whichever ways works for you.
I absolutely love Dana K. White’s Book especially the audiobook. It definitely helps me change how I look at my home and all the stuff I have in it. I’m starting to re-declutter for the first time since my Dad died. It’s never going to be easy but I find as soon as I can see more floor space, it makes it so much easier on my brain to keep going.
@ASlobComesClean is her YT channel
My hubby just sat through and emotionally supported me going through my craft room and looking at storage solutions and stuff. It ended up becoming 8 huge tubs full of fluff which were spread all over our only living room while I sorted them out. He was so patient and was such a great sounding board for my thoughts and ideas.
Oh my gosh Jillian. This is the best therapy session I have ever had. :-) I’m in the process of trying to get rid of things because I am moving. But to have this video to listen to as much as I want when I start to feel like I can’t do anything., Will be awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your stash and your husband. Can’t wait to see the end result! You are awesome.
I’m in there with you, too. And I’m on my own now and have no one to help me, so Mark was an incredible help to me, too.
Survival mode is soooooooo relatable. Was disabled and starving in college and after 5 years of stability, relative health, and therapy i am still unlearning the need to grab and hold onto anything of potential value.
The struggle is real. I know the subliminal fear of not having. Added to that is a curator’s heart. My life and career has shifted so many times. The common thread (pun intended) is creating, usually with fibers. I appreciate you being open and beginning a discussion.
a) I loved watching you spool out the thoughts this brought up. b) It was so lovely to see Mark being supportive like that - just the right mix of helping you stick to your goals and being compassionate & understanding of the emotional content of it all.
PS. I love watching all of your videos, but I think my favourites are the ones that venture into Evie's Deep Thoughts.
We do indeed feel your pain Evie. Fiber Friends share your feels...from our own stash mountains, of course 😊
This kind of video warms my heart. As a child of a hoarder I have gone to somewhat minimalist with my stuff (not my kids since that is their stuff). I think of it as Weight. When I destash or get rid of stuff I feel the weight of it going. So much so I helped my parent with their hoarding and it was literally 6k pounds out of their life. So not only the literally weight but the mental and emotional weight.
Midwest Magic Cleaning just did a video about changing the words “have to” into “get to.” I don’t have to do the dishes, I get to have a clean sink. I don’t have to destash my yarn, I get to donate to those who can enjoy it and make room for stuff I want to use now without feeling overwhelmed.
Good job and keep positive! ❤
I'm glad you brought up what's happening with Joann because I feel like I haven't had too many people to talk to about it. It's definitely a complicated feeling. On one hand, yes, it's a big corporation box store and we ought to be doing more local shopping. On the other hand, there are so many small towns and cities like mine where there simply aren't local places. Joann going away makes getting into these hobbies so much less accessible for anyone in that situation. That's what's making me so upset about it. I'm gonna have to resort to shopping online, which I personally really don't enjoy doing.
Anyway... it's about time I declutter my art room too, and this time I intend on actually getting rid of supplies for crafts that I just don't do anymore. I have a feeling I'm gonna have a similar experience to you, so thank you for your time and encouragement.
I remember when WalMart eliminated their fabric section. They were so successful at putting competitors out of business, they are often the only dry goods store in more rural communities. Many people who live in rural areas are able to survive by knowing how to DIY; WM eliminating a whole segment was a slap in the face of people who tend to be the most loyal customers.
Corporations DO NOT CARE if your needs are met.
I clicked on this apprehensively. I have to be in the right mood to watch people declutter/organize because it makes me much more aware of my own mess that I'm constantly battling with. But I thought "It's Evie! It'll feel safe!"
I feel the overwhelm so much. But also the struggle with things that are functional and could become something (which contributes to the overwhelm)
I agree that looking into the why and taking that into consideration is more useful than strict "No"-rules, those are bound to fail for me as well 😅
Oh! Me too! I was apprehensive too but it felt so good to watch. Such a good and safe space here.
I am using flannel I have kept in a box for years, batting that I recovered from a comforter I bought for the fabric and acetate lining from skirts I scavenged for the wool fabric in order to make a quilted lining for my husband’s coveralls.
Knowing that I am using material that a sane person would have already discarded does not help argue against my packrat tendencies lol.
Total respect!! Thank you for being real❤ I am in the middle of rearranging all of my fiber and craft supplies. Huge job!! And purging is tough...ugg. I am a retired teacher, and am purging the rest of my school stuff, plus my crafty stuff. (Which is an insane amount) I absolutely love how your honey supportsyou❤
Do you know if schools accept donations such as left over crafts supplies?
I went through every single little piece of my life because I moved between continents. I believe I am like you and get attached to things. Too much I know, but everything has a meaning. And that fear of missing…. I feel you!
Evie, this video almost made me cry. I also have a really hard time letting go of things, and I've had to think about that a lot these past few weeks being in SoCal. Any time I try to organize, I get so overwhelmed. I really love the encouragement Mark was giving you!
This is what bravery looks like. Honestly, it's so hard to destash and organize!! Thank you for sharing your process!
I'm only 13 years late on spring cleaning. I also have trouble getting rid of functional things, and my house shows it.
I wanna give you the biggest hug. Getting rid of stuff is so hard. Mark is great.
Love that piece of art, hope you don't get demonetized for it. I had ads, so they haven't caught it yet.
I've been trying to keep my kitchen undisastered by "thing comes in, thing goes out" and it's mostly worked, but I've lost control about my stash and craft supplies. I'm trying to get my craft room set up at which point I'll be getting my stash out on the tables and sorted, everytihng I'm going to keep will get washed and re-stashed and everything I want to give away will go in a box. And right now the only stuff I purchase that isn't consumable is craft stuff (which is kind of consumable, and definitely gives me happy chemicals, but I DO use it eventually). I create, I consume, I collect... I do try to have most of my projects be daily wearable or gifts so they're at least useful to me or out of my house.
I do have to get rid of at least two crappy sewing machines though. One's effectively a paperweight due to bad design and the other one (in my opinion) is possessed by a goblin of chaos and misery. Those are on my "gotta go list" and I kinda hate to toss one cause I actually paid for it, and the other cause it was my grandmother's (but after having used it I understand why she didn't sew much, it's an 80's plastic Singer with attitude).
See if you can donate them to one of those “we fix them and give them a good home” charities or recycling places. I’ve done that a LOT. Two Summers ago I needed to move the entire contents of the house I rent into storage because it heeded extensive renovations to be up to code for rentals. Instead of just packing everything I had, I decluttered, cupboard by cupboard, dresser by dresser. The amount of broken-but-still-fixable items I had already replaced by something that actually did work, was mind boggling. I made trip after trip to the charity. Often I’d see items I’d brought in on a previous run out on display for sale at a gentle price for people to buy and treasure. They’d be gone the next time. It felt good to know they were bow in good working order and being enjoyed by others who normally couldn’t afford that item. They didn’t stand around to collect dust anymore. They didn’t end up in a landfill.
Sentimental items are harder though. I did bring in some of those as well because I knew I’d probably never get around to actually fixing them.
@@eddavanleemputten9232 I'm not sure we have a place like that here and the badly designed sewing machine is not a good fit, it's not built to get into and it will require regular degunking to even be able to use straight and zigzag stitches. The Singer I will consider donating to a local place that teaches immigrants to sew, if they have someone service it, it might behave for someone who's not me.
Blue Gal has a nice video about not feeling guilty for having stash. She compared a knitter's stash to a painter's paints. But also she promotes knowing what's in your stash and shopping in it regularly. I think that's a useful perspective. What would and wouldn't be in your most favorite little shop to serve your creative needs? As a spinner I'm slowly finding out how much fiber I can handle. Conclusion: one fleece per spring is already a challenge.
That's a really freeing way to look at it; I'm going to use it. Been really beating myself up for getting so much yarn over the pandemic. Thanks for sharing! ❤
Thank you for your vulnerability -- this is VERY relatable. I'll be thinking about this as I do various "airing of the stash" checks throughout the year.
I don't usually comment, but I really appreciated your openness and honesty around consumerism in the crafting community. The elements we use to craft are, in and of themselves, things we look at and think "Oooh, shiny!!" and of course want to collect. When inspiration strikes, we want to be ready. But too many options can also be overwhelming and at a certain point, I can only use so much yarn and fabric in one lifetime. We are constantly being bombarded with advertising convincing us we'll be happier if we just spend more money. It's exhausting.
I really related to your struggle to let go of things once you had them - what if you need it later? what if you can't afford to get more later? - and appreciated your acknowledgement that there's no one-size-fits-all solution because it depends so much on what each individual is getting out of the habit. For me, I found I was feeling accomplishment in stockpiling yarn because it saved me from having to actually pick a specific project (the pressure! oh no! what if I pick the wrong pattern?!) while still feeling like I was making progress. Now I acknowledge it as stalling tactics and just waste time looking at patterns instead of buying more things (at least it's free and still lets me look at pretties lol). I've been trying to focus on finishing current WIPs instead of starting new projects, only buying things I have a specific plan for, and pulling from my stash first whenever possible. I also try to only buy things at least 50% off (my own little challenge that keeps me from getting excited about the constant smaller sales that big box stores always run).
Mostly, thanks for showing me I'm not alone in tornado-ing my craft space, getting overwhelmed, and needing my partner to help keep me focused. I think I'm going to steal the decision tree concept and try it on the boxes I've been avoiding unpacking.
This rings so true with my embroidery, my last piece took 9 months, it is such a slow process. Social media just can’t show it realistically. The videos I posted on instagram showed stitching in real time rather than the 30 second Timelapse videos. By speeding videos up you loose the methodical, therapeutic quality of craft ❤❤
Hi Evie, you have done a great thing making this video. I’ve been in the same place you were. I’m a Hospice RN and have a lot of stress. I crochet as it brings me peace and I like to create things. I also have a stash but have been working hard to use it all. I’ve had for 15 years, yarn I had made from the wool of my beloved, deceased, Shetlands. I’m 1/2 way through making a blanket. Thank you, again, for sharing your thoughts.
I feel you! I need to take the time to ask myself if I need this or that for real, if I'm just gonna leave it in storage forever or actually need it for a project. it's always been a struggle from my childhood, just "collecting" things for the future to feel safe. And I know it's from struggling for money when I was a kid cause my mom is the same, at some point she had 5 table and chairs set because people gave them to her, so it was free! at least knowing where this way of thinking is from is the biggest step forward, a very hard one but so helpful. and as I keep telling myself, "if I'm in this situation it's cause I made it out, now just make sure it's healthy and not hoarding" xD
your mustard coat fit so well with your hat!! :) they are sooo pretty!
that art piece omg! it,s better than I could draw and it's a felt piece! :O
That glare you had when considering the yarn in your stash to donate was so relatable! I feel that in my soul every time I try to clean.
So, one of the things that you mentioned that you found something that you had forgotten you had. One of the things I wanted to do over Christmas, but did not do, is to catalog my yarn. Ravelry has a mechanism to be able to catalog your yarn, I think I will put some yarn in my Ravelry catalog today. See I can start! You are my inspiration.
Oh this was a cup of warm peace to watch. Thank you!
To add to the conversation, i think ~where~ the excess things in our stash go is also really important. I'm fortunate enough to have several secondhand craft supply shops/organizations in my area, which both makes it more affordable for me to purchase new supplies and feel good about destashing something that didn't work out for me. I'm putting it back on the table for someone else who's looking for that perfect material for their project. Someone who can give the material love and attention that maybe I don't have the time, skills, project, passion for.
When I thrift a skein of yarn that someone clearly started working with and then stopped, winding the loose yarn around the skein and destashing it, I am grateful to them for passing it along to me, and happy for the yarn to finally become.
Jillian, I'm actually cleaning my basement/studio out as well. Putting my yarn and fabrics in bins and organizing my creative space is inspiring me. When everything is neat and organized, it makes me feel relaxed, and I enjoy myself more. Also, I like the idea of using what I have before buying anything else. So I think that will be my theme for 2025. Cheer up, we all have spring cleaning to do.
My entire knitting, sewing, weaving, spinning tool and stash storage used to be limited to one shelving unit because that's all the room I could allocate for it. Now that I have an entire room for my hobbies, it's a real struggle not to just fill it up to the point I can't do anything in there. I've been watching the Declutter Challenge on the Just Get it Done Quilts channel and it's really helped me to curate my hobbies a little better. If I've learned anything from that series, it's take breaks and it's okay to have emotional attachments to stuff but you have to be realistic about how much space you have to store things. Good luck with your sorting and be kind to yourself.
Also, that is the cutest little spindle.
Dana K. White's "The container concept" might be helpful to you. In fact, it sounds like you were doing it when you had the one shelving unit and now you just need to apply it to your hobby room. You want to allocate a certain amount of space in the room for actually doing hobbies and that space is no longer considered as an option for stash storage.
Your husband is a gem!
I am on the other side of the spectrum. I easily throw/give away my things. To the point sometime later I look for it and can’t find it then wonder where it is or did I give it away. This year I am doing an inventory of my “bins” in the basement with my spreadsheet geekery userform interface with a picture of the bin contents, general description of contents and a detailed list of contents. The crawl space will be organized in direction, columns, rank, and row. I will have columns in the spreadsheet where I can list what I thrown or given away so I will never have to wonder again and a quick pivot table can sort and search for anything I need. I get such a thrill of making spreadsheets that doing the physical labor needed to fill the spreadsheet contents with data is not a chore.
I must have started something 😂 I literally just got done putting myself through this "inventory adventure" in November! What a trip! I do wish I had my own Mark here to assist when the little craft fairies started talking over each other 😢 but I did it! I made the leap to reorganize the stash. Now I am in the process to use some of the on a whim or advent stuff in a project. If I am not able to, that's the final decision... I used it and will lose the other. Many birds one stone so to say... I finally get to doing those many projects ideas, curve the gotta keep it by physical proofing it out that I really didn't need it, and I'm still creating.
I can seriously relate to everything you said and felt: both good vibes and dark sides. Yes, I create stuff for family, home, and friends. I create just to make SOMETHING then donate it or give it to those that can use it. But if someone wants to buy it... I'm not going to argue as it helps them and me since that money goes to paying the bills or items I can not make.
I know you can do this cause you got Mark for support and back up ❤ Small tip: if it triggers dark stuff, don't keep it unless the reward\ good was a lot greater. That way it is safe to have a bad trigger, but the reward was happier... Making for a lesson in being stronger for it.
Mass consumerism has really crept itself into so many people's lives and it's so refreshing to see and hear people question it and look at how it's really affecting us. As a fibre artist myself I have started looking at ways that I can source materials locally and support my local economy. It feels far more fulfilling to have a more intimate relationship with my materials and it's part of what gets me really excited to create!
I love Mark's involvement in this process. Sometimes the logic side needs to speak to the emotional side and what a lovely pair you two must make for these moments!
I'm grateful for the conversation surrounding consumption and no-buy/stashdown challenges. I always wonder how dyers and small indies feel about the discussion that has been going around lately about no-buy challenges. I speak as a consumer and a participant in the Jillian Moreno 100 Day Stashdown - I am using the challenge to play in the space I created, but also allowing myself to think about my purchases a lot more. I haven't eliminated buying, but I've thought about why something is an exception (am I buying for a specific project, is it a long-term investment such as a club, etc.) and I think that's more to the heart of how I want to move going forward. My best tool for not buying something is by filling a cart, and letting it sit for a few days. Did the discount go away before I remembered about it? did the items sell out? am I still thinking about it the next day or was it a pure impulse of dopamine-seeking behavior?
I appreciate how supportive and helpful Mark is without trying to control you or hurry you along. This is a very difficult process, and it's comforting to see you being respected and supported during it
I'm constantly trying to find the balance between "buying things for the dopamine that just add to the stash" and "denying myself every single treat is not good for me, maybe I should get to have nice things sometimes" but it's hard. It's also hard to in turn balance those both with "when I die, all of this is going to be just junk for someone else to deal with" and boy does it not help that "someone's future junk" includes the things I create. It's overwhelming. I don't have a solution
The best I've discovered so far to keep myself from buying yarn for just the brain chemicals when I have plenty of stash to bust and specific projects to work through is redirecting my mind to stuff I already have in my stash that I am Really Excited to use someday. "Stop being excited, don't spend money" doesn't work and only causes pain. "Hey, hey, look, different shiny thing you can be excited about!" is much, much better
A method I know for getting rid of stuff you already have is The Maybe Box. If you're unsure about getting rid of something, if there's still so many emotional ties even though you know you don't otherwise use or want the thing? Put it in the Maybe Box. If a month later you haven't thought about it again, or used it again, or simply allowing your emotions space and time to settle has made it easier to get rid of the thing, it can go. If in the meantime you realised you really do want to keep it/have use for it/etc, it can move back in with your other possessions
Also, the needlefelted piece you showed off is really, really cool! I had no idea people did stuff like that with felting in general!
Not here to sell so no links but this is so relatable that in fact I just opened up a step by step challenge in my community to organize your stash in 30 days in small steps. Because it’s A THING! Thank you for your openness and vulnerability. It’s so helpful.
i have been knitting my stash except for yarn festivals, almost, since 2022 now. it's been really cool to see how far it goes. when i get a shopping itch, i use that same time to be actively creating as i recognize this the little dopamine hit i need :)
I often forget I had things but after the past few years it seems like a normal response. The thing that gets me is knowing I have something and not being able to find it. Part of this for me is age and part of it it is having too much inventory. I am blessed to have two granddaughters who like to craft and they use up parts of my stash. I inherited a pie shelf and was determined to stash down to just what it would hold. I'm sure we all know that didn't quite happen but I did get close. The main deterrent to new acquisitions is asking myself, "where will I put this". I enjoy everything about my stash: looking at it, touching it, planning projects with it, sometimes actually making something with it. I do not like managing the inventory and storage of it. I believe you used to have a shadowbox that you added a small piece of fiber to each time you made a thing. I you to wish for an entire wall with a plexiglass front to put all my stash in! We can all dream and if it is all in one place then I would know where it is even if I can't access it easily. Good luck with process and be nice to yourself regardless of your decisions.
Thank you so much for being so real Eve! I totally understand and feel your pain. My personal stash was increasing and kept buying at Fiber Festivals. I just had to tell myself to stop buying tops. Now I have a hoard of fleeces, and then a friend gave me a bunch more fleeces and I'm overwhelmed. So again I'm saying no more fleeces! Next week, our guild will be talking about this and what to do. Then next month, we are having a destash sale.
BRAVO to you for getting through the hard stuff - and for taking in what Mark was saying even though it was clear you didn't want him to be right about it. I constantly struggle with that - since my husband's hobby is mostly digital and mine is tactile it means my stuf takes up so much more space than his. He understands this and knows that if all his video games were physical board games then he'd need much more space and we'd be in storage hell - but it means he also lives surrounded by stuff he doesn't know if he can touch or move or clean and that's unfair to him. He helps me a lot in getting out of my own scrounging critter mode and helps me work through what can stay and what can go.
I did a hard sort of my crafts last year which involves as many hobbies as you so I understand how hard it is to let go of anything because you know in your very deepest gut you’ll need that item tomorrow😢
Less than two minutes in and this is migrating from the little screen to the bigger screen. I think this is going to be uncomfortably relatable in a good way.
The conversations between you and your hubs sounds exactly like my hubs and I when we talk about my crafting and organization!! Shout out to Mark for being awesome! And you for decluttering, that’s a lot of work!
Joy is making things with our own hands, I like to go to my stash and act like I am buying it again with the same feeling that I got it for in the first place. Shop my own stash.❤
We all need a Mark in our lives to help fight decision fatigue and our own mental bullshit. Thank you for showing this. You are among many with similar feelings about stash and complicated relationships with things.
Going through our things can very much bring up some painful emotions. My mom was my best and sometimes only friend for most of my life. She passed away July 2022, and I inherited her sewing room. I finally was able to get it organized just this month, 2 1/2 years later. I knew my mom would be upset knowing that I couldn't do the crafts that I loved doing, with her, no less, but the emotional weight of dealing with all her things was too overwhelming.
Well, my husband got me a quilting frame for Christmas, and in order to use said quilting frame, I had to clean the room. My husband and kids were so integral in the cleaning process. It turns out, they were just waiting for me to be ready.
Now, I'm trying to finish one of the last quilts my mom was working on. It's for my son. The 3 of us had worked on it together, and my son has said he wanted to help me finish it.
Evie, your videos are thought provoking! I am a recently retired elementary art teacher. I have had a planned accumulation during my entire 20 year teaching career, so that I could retire with all the items I would need to set up studio and craft to my hearts content, knowing I would be living on a tighter budget in retirement. So here I am, attic stuffed, studio stuffed, all the equipment for sewing weaving and Papercrafting are purchased and ready to dig in and be the artist I’ve always never had time to be! Until now. I have JUST started to purge some things in my stash of supplies, that no longer appeal to me, however, most of it will stay and be used. I am planful about what I am purging, though, old acrylic yarns I have no use for, outdated fabric yardage, possibly selling one or two of my smaller rigid heddle looms, donating some of the paper pads and art supplies I will not use, that sort of thing. But I am SO excited to be able to be an artist, I am in a new retiree state of euphoria. I will NEVER be bored!! I know there were some years during my career towards the end that I was shopping as a hobby, during difficult time of caring for my aging mother (she had dementia, and lived with us) and this was during the pandemic, and teaching was VERY stressful, on top of caregiving. Shopping for craft supplies was therapy. It served its purpose, and now I am simply shopping my stash, which feels great. We all need to examine our own habits, and just be aware of what is important to us on this creativity journey. I agree that it is better to land on the creating side of the house, when we “fall off the roof”…….! Thank you for sharing your insights.
Hi Jillian! This is the first time I've watched your videos but I wanted to let you know that you're not at all alone with having a disaster of a crafting area and way too much stuff to ever possibly use.
I think the best way to go about de-stashing really is thinking about if it sparks joy or not! If you can't think of a possible project you would want to use the yarn for, don't keep it! And donate the yarn to someone who will love it and make something beautiful!!!
Oh Brave Woman!!! I was going through mine in December and all that kept coming to my mind was the quote "When you are up to your ass in alligators, it is difficult to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp." Wonderful to see you again \(^-^)/.
Girl. First of all, I’ve never figured out how to make a comment on one of your videos. I have been following you for years and I feel your heart so much, especially in this video. Once I heard your husbands voice I immediately clicked it off. I couldn’t emotionally handle any other voice coming into your consideration. I grew up destitute poor and I understand you sooooo much. ❤
I'm like that too... But i also have a husband who tries to help... 😅
What a wonderfully supportive husband you have who knows & loves you & knows how to push you. Anything that conjures up something uncomfortable or a memory that doesn't serve you now it was good he let you feel it, then put a positive spin on it & then now each skein or fibre you donate or sell to someone else you are unburdening the sadness or discomfort with it & any energy associated with it!
I'm looking forward to watching the rest as I myself need to go through my spare rooms & de-stash (non yarn).
So thank you for the inspiration ❤
We give thanks for Wheel Daddy.
My mum helped me go through the guest room/office/yarn room when I got sick so I would have a nice space to exist in outside of the living room, much in the manner how Mark helped you, and it was so nice. Definitely worth the effort.
I am on a “yarn out, yarn in” scheme myself with the caveat that MORE yarn needs to go out before it can come in, so I will slowly get a stash that is a bit smaller. This works for me! I also have no qualms about buying extra yarn to improve a project with stash yarn. I get a bit of an icky feeling about those “stash buster” projects that seem to exist only to burn through stash, not to enjoy the making or get a beautiful project to use or gift. But to each their own, if someone gets a kick about emptying a basket full of half balls that way, I won’t judge.
I put a big effort into cleaning my craft cave out in January and dating everything new that comes in to make sure it doesn't keep being "saved" forever. It helps to allow yourself to let something go as a thing you learned from, but don't need to finish. Like, the lesson can be the value. Let it goooo!
You were right - the level of mess was very relatable, and honestly not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be (based on my own history of crafting supply mess). Your husband was so sweet and supportive while you were making those really hard, emotional decisions!
We recently downsized from a house we had lived in for 35 years, and I had to make massive decisions. Amidst this, I realized that it was not just 35 years of stuff; we also brought 25 years of previous stuff when we moved in-60 years of stuff! It really did come down to how to start time saving sorting, and soon this first begun sorting evolved during various realizations coming into play as I moved along. Now, a year later I don't think I miss anything. But some yarn, needles, roving , spindles, and spinning wheel are with me! It's a mind bending process, for sure! You did a great job!
The support from Mark sounded so good. Having someone help you by asking those questions... definitely something I could use.
8:05 I recently did the same thing, and like you, I have come close enough to impoverished to understand your feelings about the fibers in your stash. It’s difficult to abide by those “rules” that people who’ve never lived it. First, I give myself permission to add things to my stash without repercussions once a month. Second, when I start a new project, I shop my stash first. This allows me to start new things while minimizing new purchases. Third, when I get the urge to start something new, I take a look at my WIPs and see if any are close enough to completion to get the same dopamine rush that starting something new would give. If there is, I opt for finishing the WIP. Finally, I give myself a whole lot of grace. The point is progress, not perfection.
I also agree that our country is built on consumerism. That became really evident when I lived in Europe.
Hi. I'm trying to use up all my wool "before I die " is my joke line. However, the reality is no one in my family want any of my gear. Not a thing.
I've returned to spinning after a 20 year gap. I need to get my carefully collected stash under control, and I can spin again as I had a hip op... I forgot how much I loved it. I found you on U-tube last year.
I found many answers and I am really having a go at getting through the fibre.
Thank you. Not only your tutorials but your honest look at your stash today.
I totally feel exactly like you.
Much appreciated. Xxx c
Omg i have done the exact same thing. I am going through it. Sending you love and courage 🥰
Wow! I was watching this and started having a bit of anxiety about my stuff. Having Mark for positive and logic support is wonderful. I am paying for a storage unit containing my life collection and must get rid of that expense. Thank you Jillian!
Oh yes! I'm busy decluttering and reorganizing too. I am purging bookshelves at the moment, to open up space. I also have a hard time getting rid of functional stuff. I'm finding it all rather sad 😢. I feel your pain. ❤
But! I am really looking forward to having the house easier to keep clean!😊
Hello Everyone! I really appreciated your thoughtful introspection today. I am 65 now. There are a few things I know. My children and grandchildren are the most important beings in my world. My husband is the air I breathe. I must create. Have a fabulous today, Steph 😁.
Oh I relate so hard with this process. I'm exactly the same way. Instant overwhelm when faced with everything. My partner is very similar to yours, joking and spending time with me, coaching me through it. I'm trying to have specific ideas for projects when I make purchases this year. And I'm working to get through things in my stash as well. I have discovered that documenting my FO's and process is super rewarding, so that helps to motivate me as well.
So… I had a very out of control fabric stash for many years. My mom is a quilter and I took up historical costuming in my 20s. At some point I did a huge clean out like you’re doing and gave about half my stash away to the costuming guild I was in. And I didn’t have the energy to face the other half, so it’s packed up in my basement. But when I took up spinning and knitting again I kept that experience in mind and tried to be more balanced and careful. I still have yarn and fiber but it’s more limited, I keep track of what I have more carefully, and I enjoy experimenting with what I have when I’ve filled the space I allotted for my supplies. I find that pulling things out and cataloging them helps me to feel grounded and it still gives me a hit of joy to enjoy seeing them and planning ahead for how I’ll use them. I try not to be absolute about anything other than keeping track and not buying more than I’m comfortable with having. Things that don’t have a place stress me out enormously, so I struggle to keep my crafts limited partly because I grew up with horder parents and couldn’t cope with how their stuff took over our lives. And I don’t even have the kind of reason you do (working through the trauma of having hard times in your past). I’m fighting against habits that probably started with hard times suffered by my grandparents or even great grandparents. I’ve come to think about a lot of things like gardening. You can only have the home you want if you are always tending to your space. Things go in, things come out, you use things, but if you don’t tend to the area often it’ll be overwhelming and frustrating. I’m sorry you’re struggling through this and I hope you’re able to build a happier relationship with your crafting stuff. It’s hard to work through old feelings and trauma but you’re doing good work and you’ll get where you want to be if you keep moving. 🫂
Evie, I am fairly new to the fiber world but understand. Thank you for sharing what you did, how you felt as you were going through the process.
I saw a video in the fall of two lovely ladies sharing all of their works in process. It really got me thinking of the few I had. I set a goal of completing 4 of the 6 I had by the end of November. Yes, I got them done. 😊 Setting a deadline helped. I also learned I don’t like projects that take forever to complete.
wow, Thanks so much for sharing. So many important points here. Being a creative, I absolutley understand wanting to hold on to supplies. I was very big into beading/jewelry making for many years. I have numerous bins/very large plastic totes of supplies to be dealt with and your vid gives me hope. I appreciate/am grateful, that I may never run into the previous life situations that made me value deeply every single bead that I was able to buy. Will be 'spring' cleaning with a different attitude now.
I really relate to your struggles with decluttering. Seeing you take that on despite it being so hard for you and doing little things to make a hard thing easier really gave me hope. :-)
I’m no help. I have very little in the way of stash stuff, and it’s all fabric leftovers and upholstery samples. Four under-the-bed totes, none of them full. That stuff comes in handy for so many things, and I’m always getting in there for material for a patch, or a small bag, or stuffing for a pillow. I sew for Days for Girls, so every once in a while I clear my stash and use the pieces that are big enough for shields or bags.
But I have so many friends who struggle with their stashes!
We’ve decided there are people who are naturally organized (me) and people who are not naturally organized (most people) and both are okay.
You just have to do what makes sense for you. You’re amazing and wonderful, and I love listening to you talk about things you’re thinking about!
🥰
I’ve been slowly “decluttering” but the biggest area I recognize I have a problem is in the food department.
You brought me to tears in the part where you spoke about buying groceries. Because this hits so hard for me. I keep food in stock stuff that won’t go bad because it’s been so hard to make sure I can feed my family at some point.
So I’ve actually been on a no buy of dry goods because I have so much that it’s overwhelming. But in doing this we have been saving sooo much on groceries! I made it positive spend less on groceries pay down other bills!
Thank you for your content! It’s so much more personable with its length. I’m here for it.
I have been trying to gradually sort through everything over the last few years too. I was finding I was having issues with the tendons in my hands and also some dizzy spells and a couple of falls - I have issues with the balance mechanism in both ears due to chickenpox when I was 8, so I wanted to get everything put away either in storage boxes, or bookshelves to protect them from dust and spiders and to get them off the floor so we could clean more easily and to make everything more easily accessible. I spent money on organisational stuff, rather than more yarn and fibre and that has really helped me see what I have, so I can plan projects using those items. I know how emotional that sorting out stage can be, but for me it has helped me see what I really enjoy using - I hope it does the same for you.❤
I love this! I just cleared out and reorganized my stash according to project and donated the really pretty,but don’t have a project for wool and yarn to the local fiber art guild. Our guild doesn’t have dues and makes operating funds through sale of donated items and classes at the fiber art school they run.
This is probably the most relatable video I have ever seen. Thank you
I have bn in this pocus of clearing my craft room for two weeks and this video has been very helpful. Your hubby is onto something. To just say yes or no, then it makes it easier to organize afterwards. My issue before this video is that I craft aside from fiber work. My places to store it seems less than the things I need to store 😅. Love that art piece. I am now more excited to continue my organization journey with a new mindset and tactic
Such relatable content. I'm a maker/crafter/mender in my personal life, I'm a marketer/product developer/retailer in my career. I love supporting local, I've worked for national and international brands. It's a lot to unpack but I do think you can strike a balance. My attitudes at work are influenced by personal interests in the sense that I want to make unique products that solve problems and are something that a specific target group would want to buy, but only if it's something that is of value, useful and in their budget. I'm okay with not everyone wanting to buy my products. I grew up in a have not family, I've had to ask to pay rent late, several of my care givers were Depression era. I know how to hold on to something just incase... I've also cleaned out two parents houses after they have died and know just how much "stuff" there is to be thrown out, rehomed etc. I have "too much", more than I'm likely to use, but every now and then there is an amazing sale, or a event, or one time only special colour ways etc. I try and support local and remember that I live in a very fibre rich area Vancouver, Canada and getting more yarn / fibre is really never out of reach, I can pass up on this opportunity and catch the next one. I try and think more out than in (loosely, if I get too serious it back fires 😆). When all else fails, I blame the recent ADHD diagnosis.🤷🤦♀️🤣
This whole video was such a good reflection and slow-down as a fiber artist, thank you!
I also just have to say, your laugh is so joyous!! 💕
I have a suggestion that is working well for me and lets me think deeper into whether I need to buy more of a particular fiber.
I too am a creative and admittedly get too carried away and put way too much on my plate. As a mean to help me remember what I bought and what I bought is for, I came to a conclusion that I needed a means of keeping track by making notes.... resulting in keeping a journal in a particular area of interest.
In the end I bought my own make shift journals at a local dollar store, sketch books work just as well. Different books for i.e. knitting, weaving, spinning, painting, gardening... you can go to those journals/books to reflect back to what your ideas were, what acquisitions were acquired for what project.... so then reminding you what you have and what projects you have on the go, and so whether or not you are really in need of purchasing anything more.
The keeping a log or journal has been very helpful and having these books displayed on a shelf close to where you work your creative projects can be very helpful....
Another helpful idea is, if knowingly going out to yarn or other shops, take your book with so you can reflect, decide, and make noted to why or why not an acquisition did or did not happen.
Anyway, thank you so much for all that you do and all ideas that you share 😊
This felt so relatable and was so helpful as someone who gets emotionally attached to things I neither need nor want but are still USEFUL! Your husband’s plan would work so well for me too - thank you for sharing with us❤
I love how supportive your hubby is! Giant hugs!! ❤
Lucky lady to have a hubby that gets it. I have a lot of different crafting interests and find that having storage bins that are all the same size really helps.
Hi again, a video ... or utube channel. The consciousness of fibre arts with Mark. What a great support. ❤
Jillian, thank you for your authenticity. This vlog came at the right time for me going through my own clean up.
I really like how you reward yourself for doing the difficult things. It's so important, yet so difficult, to remember to give myself praise when I get things done or do something that has little to no gratification- instant or not. I think a little bit of this issue, at least for me and probably some other people, is self love. I don't love myself like i should, but I'm to the point where I respect myself. It would be very rude of me to dismiss, for example, spending several hours of my off day cleaning. I did a good job. I wouldn't say, "But you could've done more" to someone else, so I don't get to say it to myself.
So relatable! I have two rooms that are like this and are to be condensed into one so..... sigh!
There can be a lot of loss and grief of our story tied up in fibres and yarns that is stronger than just will power. I've learned to actively lament the fears and pain associated with it all through tears, journalling, just speaking it out. Then releasing the stuff can be easier. I hope you find peace in it. Sending love.
❤ I totaly, totaly relate 😢! My small apartment holds a lot ...I totally going through the whole thing ...I am searching in google who much will cost to replace it 😂 and found out that will be way more expensive but if I can not find a project I let it go 😊 acrylic yarn is going and keeping the best staff 😊❤
Thank you! I need to go though my stash and cull the colors and quantities that I know I will never use.
Enjoyed the thought you and everyone in the comments shared.
This video filled me with a sense of purpose and joy I cannot describe
Yes, your cute knitted hat looks great with that coat. It totally completes the look IMHO.
I also think your hair when worn up toward the end of the video looks fabulous!
I made the rule last year, if i get something new, such as a cutting board, i get rid of the old one. So far it is working great!
I used to have a rule that if I haven't seen or used something in 2 years, I would get rid of it. I then married someone who wouldn't get rid of anything...so that rule kind of faded. I need to get back to it now that i am widowed. But it is hard. I was pretending I was going to have a garage sale last year, but that was wishful thinking as I kept delaying it until I gave up and dropped stuff off at Goodwill and other donation places.
I just have to keep in mind how great it feels to have a place for everthing and have everything in its place.
Mindful consumerism. Food for thought. Thank you for the reflections.
This hit me right in all the feels today.
I'm cleaning presently and trying to do basically the same thing as you. This video popped up at just the right time for me. Thanks for being a cleaning buddy!
I felt the pain when you were discussing LB Homespun. When I have negative feelings towards something, it's gone and especially if it's related to fibre arts.
I started decluttering my home in 2021 after I watched a few of Joshua Becker's videos. I had too much stuff and therefore couldn't organize my stuff. A never ending viscous circle. Also, I watch Dawn from Minimal Mom - the silent to-do list is my go-to for getting motivated to declutter.
Your thoughts on fibre arts as a consumer vs creator is interesting. I think I was consuming before + during the pandemic but now I feel more creative (with a smaller stash) and purchase intentionally, locally and ethically.
Kudos to your hubby for supporting you. My hubby likes to hoard things however he's decluttering more each day he's noticed the house is cleaner + easier to maintain.
Hi Jillian Eve, Thank you for a most interesting program. I was just working on my sewing room yesterday. So far I’ve cleaned out the major closet. It took 2 1/2 hours just for that! I feel better already, but there is more to go. I found some projects that have been hibernating for a while, and some I’ve inherited from a friend who passed away. Do I finish them or do I give them away? Cleaning up our work areas helps to inspire our creativity and get ready to forge ahead. My main focus these days is knitting using yarns that are produced in the US. I’m searching out what this country has to offer and finding that there are lots of small businesses out there. If we were talking about painting supplies, would people challenge us on our need for a palette of colors? I no longer feel guilty or need to apologize for the joy I find working with yarn, I am a collector as well as a doer.
You have brought up some very interesting questions. How lovely to discover yarns that you had forgotten about that may now find themselves in your project basket. So many things to do, spinning, dyeing, knitting, felting, oh my! Keep the videos coming, and thanks to your husband for supporting you!
This got me really emotional too. Both because I’m in the same boat and will probably ask my partner to help me deal with that poverty ball and chain attaching me to so much clutter I want to downsize.
But also because I haven’t been out to a brunch with friends since before the panini, and you’ve made me realize how much I want that in my life again.
Thank you for being so vulnerable! It was heartwarming to see you work through the emotions and decisions with marks help. ❤️ It is so different to all the other destash videos and so much more worth because I have something to think about the next days or weeks
Completely enjoyed every minute of this. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing this. You opening up is so brave. I really appreciate it. This is so relatable.
I always love seeing interactions between you and Mark. All of them and this one especially show such a beautifull loving relationship. It shows in both the sillyness you have together and these emotional journeys. It is lovely to watch. And for me luckely I recognize my own relationship with my sweetheart.
I agree with all these comments. My craft room is always messy.
I tend to have 3 wips at a time, so I don’t lose interest in said projects.
Thank you for sharing this honest video! It's so relatable. Your perspective on the de-stash challenge is not one I've heard before and I really appreciate that perspective. I like the idea of being mindful of purchases and who/what you're supporting, without setting hard-fast rules for yourself. I think de-stashing/reorganizing can be really helpful as a catalyst to start thinking through that lens, because it is such hard work to go through and get rid of things, and the memory of that feeling sticks with you when you go to purchase something new, so you're more mindful about the purchase. Great video!