Wednesday, January 22, 2014

How I pack to move.

Step one goes without saying: Find out I have less than a month to move.  Panic.

Step two: round up every WIP I've worked on in the last three months or so, and put them in a basket.  Do not attempt to move basket, or it will over flow all over the floor.  It will over flow about three times anyway.

Step three: round up all work yarn.  Worry that it isn't enough yarn.

Step four: decide that my WIP basket will clearly not be enough to keep me in projects until I get my stash back.   Since socks are a perfect on the go project, select about six balls of my favorite sock yarn.  Then decide that that's not enough and grab a couple balls of laceweight, just to be safe.  Put in a basket.  The stack leans against the pile in the  WIP basket, so it doesn't spill all over the floor.  Feel confident that this is definitely not too much yarn.

Step five: tape shut stash bins.  Panic.  Buy yarn.

Step six: realize that in Virginia they have clothes moths.  Panic again, because while the stash bins are reasonably beetle-proof, moths fly.  Apply more tape to stash bins.

Step seven: Pack all the clothes, toiletries, etc. we'll need while in transit.  This takes like three hours.  Obsess about yarn selections again.

Step eight: decide to participate in a CAL.  Realize the yarn I want for it is in a taped bin.  Attempt to open bin.  Realize that even if it is not moth proof, it is human proof.  Weep.

Step nine: get ready to load the car.  Realize that the whole towering piles in baskets thing is not going to work.  Throw everything into a giant rubbermaid bin.  Yarn bin ends up having to go in my dad's truck to get to my family's house, since the children have to fit in the car.

Step ten: arrive at family's house for Christmas.  Realize that I didn't pack my ballwinder and swift, yet have a giant number of skeins that need winding if I'm going to use them.  Panic some more.  Realize I'm at my mom's house.  Borrow her ballwinder and swift.

Step eleven: realize that I'm going to have to get all this stuff into my van.  Plus Christmas stuff.  Put all yarn in gallon size zip top bags.  Christmas yarn takes up two bags (my family clearly knows me).  Cram bags of yarn into small nooks and crannies around the suitcases.  Drive to Virginia.

Step twelve: moving truck arrives in Virginia.  Decide I need my stash and bring it to our temporary housing.  Requires two trips.

Time without stash: six weeks.

Unused yarn that I packed in the car: one less than half finished sweater, two balls lace weight, seven balls sock yarn, the Christmas yarn, two gallon bags of spinning fiber, and a (now broken) spindle.

Conclusion: I am either insane or think I knit/crochet a lot faster than I actually do.  Possibly both.