I found more glass jars for yarn balls yesterday. Do you have a HomeGoods store near you? That’s where these came from. I found this one first and love how it sits on a pedestal and has a pretty top. (In my mind, I’m wondering how long that pretty top is going to last. I’ll have to put it somewhere safe, where it won’t get hit by a flying ball or anything.) My other yarn ball jar was much smaller and full, so I haven’t been too motivated to make more balls. 
However, this one has LOTS of space to fill up and I just love it. I emptied the other jar into it and will turn that first jar into …. something else. The second jar is so big, that it’s perfect for yarn cakes! (How will I keep track of which cake is what yarn? I took photos of them before dumping them in here.) 
I don’t wind too many of my yarns up ahead of time, but I do have enough wound up to fill up this jar. When you cake your yarn, it can stretch it a bit, so that’s why you don’t want to cake too far ahead of your knitting. But isn’t the jar cool? WH’s first question when he saw it: “Nice. Where are you going to put it?” Did anyone else start Yarn Ball Jar collections since the last post? I also saw some great wooden bowls at HomeGood, too.
Another new thing – check out the shoes that Dr. Jackie told me I “had” to buy. She was right. I clicked over on the link she sent and knew I had to have Sheep Birks. I mean, they’re RED for pete’s sake. How could I turn them down? (Can I write that off to advertising??) 🙂 They did have other cute animals in different colors, but the sheep were definitely meant for me.
Speaking of sheep, look what my friend Sharon sent me for our Loopy anniversary – a sheep weathervane! I posted it in the “garden corner” by our back porch. Now, granted, the garden corner is severely lacking this year. But just because the weathervane is so pretty, I’m going to make sure there are plenty of beautiful things growing around it next year. (That’s why you’re not getting a photo standing back from it, with beautiful flowers growing all around the base. Next year. Surely.)
I did get some knitting done over the weekend. I finished my Sockina Cotton socks (both of them – yay!) and finished my first Monkey out of Dream in Color Some Summer Sky. I was all set to cast on the second Monkey but got distracted by a case of yarn that was delivered today. Case #1 (of 3) of this next Wollmeise order. I haven’t cast on yet, but I have the skeins here next to my computer, just for admiring. 
Then I got to thinking, wouldn’t a whole big jar full of Wollmeise be a gorgeous decoration? But of course you’d never be able to leave it alone. You’d want to knit it all up. (And yes, I’d definitely take all of the tags off it I were going to have these on display.) That also got me to thinking – wouldn’t it be pretty to have a glass jar or wooden bowl out on display filled with yarns that go with the season? Reds/oranges/yellows/burgundys/browns for fall, blues/purples/whites for the winter, pastels or bright pinks/limes/greens/yellows for the spring, aquas/sun yellows/oranges for the summer? I just may have to try that when I “Fall up” the house in the next week or two. Fall is my very favorite season!
I know you’re wondering about the next Sneak Up. It’s looking like it will have to be next week. We really don’t have enough shipping boxes for a Sneak Up. We have visited 4 post office branches to beg and borrow as many cases of boxes as they could spare, to take care of regular orders this week. (We order them online from usps.com and they take 7-10 business days to get here, so that’s the holdup. Usually we manage to successfully stay ahead of the game on that but last week did us in. I’m sorry that means you’ll have to wait!) Hopefully the latest order of boxes will arrive by the weekend, and we’ll Sneak Up next week. It’s very weird to be out of boxes. But on a brighter note, there is beautiful yarn going up next week! I’ll give you a “for sure” list next Monday, but as long as the other 2 cases of Wollmeise arrive this week, you can count on that for next week. In the meantime, we’ll probably do a few re-stocks this week yet. More Fiesta Boomerang has arrived, along with more Dream in Color, and another whole batch of Wendy’s patterns. There’s always something fun arriving here.
Sheri didanyonemaketheSpecialKBars?And
didanyonegetsomegoodknittingtimeinovertheweekend?
If I send you an empty box, will you send me a skein or two of the Wollmeise? Please?
When I wind my yarn into cupcakes (my friends and I call them cupcakes), I always stick the label in the middle of it as I am pulling it off of the winder. Just a suggestion.
I love the jar idea…but it does have its downside…my husband would freak if he saw how much yarn I own and I wouldn’t be able to order more until the jar was empty!
Oh, Sheri, I so love those Sheep Birks! I wanted some immediately, but to my dismay they only come in narrow width. I pretty much only wear Birks–my feet are size 6.5 EEE– and it’s almost impossible for me to find anything else that is wide enough. So enjoy the sheep ones for me, too. They are adorable!
Looking forward to next week’s Sneak Up for sure!
Heh, I’m with Michelle. I would love to decorate the house with yarn jars, but then I would have to confess to the amount of yarn that is in the house!
I still haven’t purchased jars yet, but its definitely on my list! And, I did not make the Special K bars (but I was doing more cooking rather than baking this weekend), but hope to soon because I love them so much.
Got a little bit of knitting in, but not nearly as much as I would have liked… Looking forward to more of Wendy’s patterns – especially Loopy Laces – I think its my favorite one!
And, your new shoes are very cool! : )
I’ve got this wicker box that I keep all my WIPs in, and my yarn scraps (which I use to make mitered squares for my afghan) and various other in-use knitterly thing.
I may just have to get a jar to keep the yarn scraps in, because the box is getting very full.
What a great idea- yarn in jars as decorations…. Hmmm, maybe I need more yarn?
The shoes can definitely be written off as advertising!
Ahhh, decorating with yarn. What could be better?
I always wind my yarn cakes twice. The second time, there’s less tension on the yarn (not having the tug of the swift). The cake comes off the ball winder larger and ‘softer’–less stretched. I do this even if I’m going to use the yarn right away. As a bonus, I don’t get yarn blobs when I start knitting with a new yarn cake. Maybe not so good for decorating, though….
Labour Day weekend knitting (still in progress): basic toe-up socks in LL Peppermint Mocha, and a shawlette in DIC smooshy Dusky Aurora. Now my DH has requested socks in DIC smooshy Cocoa Kiss, so those will be next!
Running out of shipping boxes. This is what’s known as a high-quality problem, right? :))
I made the special K bars. Mine weren’t as “tall” as yours look in the picture. They were good, but very rich! I think I’ll use a bit more cereal next time. There was a layer of the peanut-sugar mixture in the bottom of mine. I want to find an occasion to make the truffle cake!
Thanks for sharing!
Becky
I can’t do narrow Birks, either. Bummer. But here’s a question.
How come your Birks sheep looks cute, and the one on the link looks like it’s on crack?
Hi Sheri,
Fall is my favorite season, too. After all, some of my favorite boys have birthdays in the fall(husband and son!)
I actually started knitting the baby a Pumpkin Hat on the weekend and worked a bit on my 2nd Embossed leaves sock.
I am happy to look forward to a sneak up next week. It means I won’t have to freak out eveytime I walk by the computer as I wonder if I am missing out on a sneak up!!
The hats for China are on their way..in their very own suitcase:)
Love the Sheep Burks!!!!
I have the sheepy Birkenstocks, too! I ordered mine last fall from Germany, because you could only get the little-kid sizes here (you could get other critters in grownup sizes. I still want the horses!). People love ’em when I wear them. I wore them to Maryland Sheep and Wool this year.
Have you seen the Converse sheepy sneakers? I ordered mine from Zappos.com. You can get pink in the classic oxford laceups or blue in the slip-on Vans-like style. Each has pale grey sheep and one black sheep (they have polka dots on them, too). I have the pink, because I thought the sheep showed up better on them.
I now have two pairs of sheepy shoes, three sheepy t-shirts, one sheepy sweatshirt, and a bunch of sheep-themed accessories. And to think–if it weren’t for the wool, I wouldn’t even like sheep! Lambs are cute, though.
I need more knitting hours in the day. My stash has grown nearly exponentially since I discovered Loopy! As I’ve said to my parents, I wish I could find a man to keep me in the manner to which I would like to become accustomed. I have a great job and support myself well, but it would be nice to have the time to use the goodies my job pays for! Dad says I need to finish the next great American novel, but then I remind him that published writers don’t make enough to quit their day jobs (not to mention that writing and knitting compete for my time!).
I love the sheep birks! Too cool! I too have the yarn jars, but mine were a gift from Sarah Lou. 🙂 I heart them. 😉 Can’t wait until the next sneak-up!
I’d send a case of boxes just to get some Wollmeise! No fair teasing us with your beautiful jar of it!
I love stacking my yarn cakes! I wrap the label around the bit that first comes out of the center, and fold the label flat between each cake. You can fit nine cakes inside a loopy groupie tote! I’ll send a picture. Visible yarn storage is very motivating, I think.
This weekend I finished a pair of CavyShops Zig Zag socks in Zen String Sport, and another sock in Yarntini – Fig and Plum, also sport. It’s very much faster to knit sportweight on 3’s than fingering on 1’s! My Wollmeise sock is coming along, as well as a Monkey sock. So many socks to finish.
I wonder if my brother can pull any strings from his post office in KY (he works there) and get you some boxes – lol
I had to work on Monday and it was me and a computer and no phones ringing so lots of knitting was done instead while I watched DVD’s on the PC (Don’t let my boss know)
Oh, pretty yarn and jar! I could never display my yarn like that. My current system of having a few out while hiding the rest seems to work. Plus, I’m paranoid about bugs. We made chocolate chip cookies this weekend–with butter of course. 😉 I got two pairs of socks made. One pair for me and one for my Mom.
How beautiful! I have a jar with the “leftovers” but have never thought of a very large one for new yarn. It would help me solve the dilemma of liking how the yarn looks in a basket but knowing it is getting dusty etc. So, it is in a baggy in the basket – safe but not very pretty. Thanks for the idea.
Love the yarn jar idea … would have to use it just for leftovers, however. I have two large cedar chests filled with sock yarn (what do you mean that’s too much?!), and I know there isn’t space enough in this house to hold all of that in jars! I did get some quality knitting time in (much too hot to go outdoors at all!), and completed my koolaid-dyed socks, finished the first of my Monkey socks knitted in Lorna’s Laces (Vera colorway), and began another sock for the Socks for Soldiers group. At this rate, I can hope to have another two dozen pair knitted for Christmas gifts! Which then means I can purchase a whole lot more yarn! Great Birks, by the way.
When I turn my yarn into cakes I wind up about 1/2 the yarn and then, holding the yarn band around the small cake, I wind the band into the cake. I have my unwound yarn in a large apothocary jar like yours. I like the way the colors swirl around the glass. Almost as good as holding the yarn. The yarn bands get tucked away out of sight.
I began doing the yarn bowl thing to coincide with Project Spectrum (i.e. a bowl full of that month’s colors) but then got paranoid about them collecting dust, or worse, evil bugs. So now they’re squirreled back in their sad plastic bags. I wish I could find such lovely jars as you have, but the biggest I’ve seen locally couldn’t fit more than two pairs’ worth of yarn. 🙁
First of all, I love that jar – before you said you got it at Home Goods, it looked like an antique to me – it’s a wonderful place to keep balled yarn.
Second, can I tell you how hap-hap-happy I was to see a jar full of Wollmeise just sitting there?! Oh, I could just dive right in and never ever leave! 🙂
Finally, yes, I have trasferred my leftovers from a smallish vase to a very large empty pretzel container. It’s plastic, which is good for me b/c of small children (less things to worry about breaking!) and it’s huge, so I can keep lots and lots of leftovers in there – perhaps enough to do something cool with some day!
I also keep all of my soon to be worked yarn in a lovely old tea box that I got in Sacket’s Harbor NY this summer. I keep it closed most of the time (again, because of kids) but sometimes I just open it up and admire the yarn. Yarn admiration – it’s a lovely thing.
No, on the Special K bars (it was 90 degrees IN the house this weekend), but yes on the knitting time — in fact, I’m almost done with the Q3 challenge (go, me!). It turns out that socks and the beach mix quite nicely. I love the glass jars; I’ve got my favorite yarn (including some from the Loopy Ewe!) in my big copper mixing bowl, which makes me very happy. I fondle it as I contemplate the next project; it’s definitely inspirational (and decorative — or so I tell myself).
I bought a lovely apothecary jar on ebay this weekend and it is scheduled to arrive next Tuesday! I also just checked and found a Home Goods store nearby so there may be more glass jars in my future. I love this idea!!! My husband was slightly less excited and by the look on his face I can tell he thinks I’m slipping even further into my obsession- he would be right.
Hoping to get my next fix of sock yarn filled by some Wollmeise next week!
My favorite season is fall too! I love All Hallow’s Eve and decorating the house. When Michael’s has there big sale on Halloween stuff, I am buying a lot of it. I adore a good section of their decorations this. It’s all so cute. I want to make up a little “shop lane” to put the signs in front of! Hmmm, now I’m hankering for some skeins. Must go play with the stash. 🙂
Love the shoes. I have looked at them several times but they don’t come in wide, only regular. So unfair to have fat feet. I have had an antique Mr Peanut clear jar (like they would have had on a counter of a store) on a shelf in my kitchen for years with nothing in it–thanks to your great idea it now has yarn balls and it looks wonderful. As for the jar with the Wollmeise–you are toying with us now. I am trying to figure out how I will stay up all night for the sneak up so I can snag a skein of the stuff and you are displaying a jar full. That is so not right lol.
This wait is killing me! I just don’t want to miss out like last time and I’m afraid I’ll be working or something when you put your yarn out.
I would like to order the jar full of Wollmeise please…… I’ll be your best friend.
Fall is my favorite time of the year also. I love the display..we do have a Home Goods. Will be making a trip when we get back from vacation. Going to Oregon & Washington camping for 2 weeks. Nice & cool & take knitting of course.. have a good one.
I skipped the jar and went right for the big old cabinet. I’ll get a photo up on my blog this week. But I also have yarn in bowls and such. Somehow it never occurred to me to worry about it getting dusty.
I adore your sheepy Birks but if they only come in narrow then they won’t do me any good either. I do think you ought to be able to deduct them. Maybe if you take your sock photos on your feet in the birks from now on? Or one foot in and the other about to go in so you get the foot in the photo too?
I did indeed get some knitting time this weekend.
(Alert: conspiracy theory to follow!) Do you think it’s *coincidental* that all the post offices near you no longer have an adequate supply of boxes? Sounds to me like someone is wanting a break carting all that stuff away! LOL I always find that an occasional Starbucks card left for my mailman keeps him a happy camper (perhaps your guy has a fondness for spicy pumpkin lattes too?) 🙂 Or maybe some of those Special K bars? Maybe you need to stop by your local Post Office with a jumbo batch 🙂
i’ve started winding my leftover sock yarn into balls to be attractively displayed in a not-yet-bought glass jar. Maybe a clear glass cookie jar that I saw a walmart. hmmm. Now I just have to get my ass in gear and start cranking out the socks so I can accumulate more leftover yarn balls.
I just received a very large peanut jar as a birthday gift and I can’t wait to try it with my leftover sock yarn. I read the comment from Julie and I would love to make a mitered afgan with my sock scraps. Where can I get the directions or does anyone know how? I also try to keep my sock yarn hidden from my husband because he can’t understand how one person needs such a big stash, he always comments on how many pairs of socks can one wear!
Not much knitting accomplished over the weekend, but I got to go to the Japanese festival at the Botanical Gardens, so it’s all good.
Love how the Wollemeise looks in that jar. I just keep all my sock yarn in a plastic box, but I pull it out all the time just to look. I look a picture of all of them in a color wheel the other day, too. I’m going to put it in my blog later this week.
I am an avid fan of Birkenstocks, and my students tease me about them all the time. I wear them with anything and everyting!!!! I bought the sheep ones for my sister this past Christmas and I bought myself the kitty ones. Go to ebay and type in Birkenstocks and go to Baumhaus. he is a seller from germany and I have been doing business with him for a year now. He is awesome and very trustworthy.
I love the jar idea but I would need a case full. people would die when they saw how much yarn I have. :0) i am sure you can relate. And it would be very tempting for my cats who love to sit right next to me when I knit.
I’ve been looking for a jar for yarnballs ever since you blogged your idea. HomeGoods here I come!! P.S. Love, love the sheep birks.
the sheep birks are so cool! what will they think of next??
I love your yarn ball jars with the wonderful lids! They are gorgeous! And, I love your idea of changing the colors with seasons or whatever!
I have my mom’s jumbo brandy snifter (sp), that she would put colored Christmas balls in for the Christmas and New Years season. I could put some yarn in that, but I would worry about dust, etc. I will have to look for some really cool large glass jars with lids. I do wish we had a HomeGoods near us. Unfortunately, the closest one is about 130 miles away. 🙁
I missed Good Luck Jade again! I’m thinking this is really a sign, my friend does not need this yarn. If I DID get it, she’d probably get into a car accident just to be ironic. Maybe I’d better think of something else! *sheepish grin*
Me: Hey, sweetie?
Hizzoner: Yeah?
Me: I’ve figured out a use for that glass butter churn you inherited.
Hizzoner: Yeah?
Me: Look at what Sheri did!
Hizzoner: That’s nice. You want… to…
[insert blank expression here]
Hizzoner: How the hell much yarn do you have, anyway?
I’m so busted.
I love fall-especially because school starts and my 1st graders are still cute and not whiny.
Quicky question: How do you make the yarn balls? I have some leftovers that I want to do that with..and I don’t know how to do that!
Oh, I feel like such a celebrity again…mentioned in the Loopy Blog! Glad you finally got the right size of the sheepy Birkies.
I wind my yarn into two cakes per skein (so I can work both socks at once ;), and then store them together in little ziplock bags with their labels. I hope I haven’t done a bad thing though, cause I spent a couple of days winding lots of skeins into cakes…I have enough wound to last a couple of years!
The Regia Fassett Fire Socks are coming along nicely…a semi-original variation of a design…can’t wait to show you. Spiral lace up the leg. But I’m not smart enough to make one spiral right and one spiral left. Maybe the next pair. Yarn doesn’t look much like the picture, but it is pretty.
BTW…Charlie the Tortoise has been found!
Your yarn in jars is beautiful, Sheri! OMG…I have to get me some of those Birks – I wear Birks almost all the time, so those are definitely on my list to get – What a perfect thing to wear to Friday Night Knit Night at my LYS!! Those are just too cute! Looking forward to the next sneak-up – Hopefully Baby Boomerang will be included!
Oh. Oh my. I will be trotting myself down to Home Goods ASAP. I’ve been looking for a better way to display my….erm…collection. Those are really fun!
Re: knitting this weekend, not a whole lot, but I’ve decided to bring my Leaf Lace Shawl to work on while traveling this weekend. Gotta get it done in time for Rhinebeck!
Looking forward to the Sneak Up!
Very pretty! I did get a lot of knitting done — we went to the cape, and I finished one blanket and started on my pink one with the Louet I got from you. I’m loving the colors!!!
I love the yarn jars…great idea…..I have been trying to figure out what to do with my leftovers….and this is perfect! I always change my family room coffee table centerpiece to go with the seasons….now I can add yarn to the mantel….
Received my Dream in Color and Spiritly goods….so yummy!
Blogless Diane
Love the shoes 🙂
the idea of the glass jars is great! i’ve been thinking of ‘repurposing’ my button jar. but i’m scared… i have 4 boys, ages 7, 5, & 2*2…. maybe i can find something in plastic…. & for the yarn labels… can you punch a hole in one end, tie the label to the cake & put them in the jars so that the labels don’t show? like if the cakes are stacked, tuck the labels in like ‘filling’? hmmmm….
Nice yarn cakes! I really like the glass jars with yarn balls. I haven’t made the Special K bars yet, but I have been knitting A LOT since I am currently on vacation at the beach. I’m working on some simple child socks while I’m sitting on the beach under my sun shelter, and at night, I work on other complicated socks (it’s hard to keep track of charts and cable needles with the ocean blowing!).
I’m glad I’m getting plenty of rest this week since I’ll be stalking my email at odd hours next week in anticipation of the sneak up with Wollmeise — I really, really, really, really want some this time!!!