Fix: Stray Yarn

SO.  I've not posted anything for a while.  Please forgive me.

We have acquired our short sale home a little over a month ago, fixed it up a bit, moved in and we are still in the process of making it ours.  My "craft room" is in the dining room.  (Which I kinda love) and I have the same problem I've always had with my yarn set up.

I like EVERYTHING out.  If it's not out I forget what I have.  I pass on projects that I could pretty easily do or I buy duplicate stuff.  

The problem with having it all out is this hanging yarn.  My cat has yet to notice it.  The lil human beast hasn't noticed it either but ...  it's ugly.

I have come up with a solution I want to share.  

First.

Before:

Ugh.

So go to the Dollar Tree and get some clothes pins.

First, I usually have both strings going accidentally.  So let's get rid of the not center pull first.  Just wrap it around the paper and tape it.  I don't like to get rid of the paper cause you may need to color match later.  When the skein gets smaller just unwrap the yarn and fold the paper over itself to make it tighter. 

Next, pinch the tip of the center pull with the clothes pin and wrap the yarn around it.

Then pinch the yarn again in the clothes pin.

Lastly, put the pin, bottom end first, in the skein.

TADA.

Clean and still very easy to get to.

After:

I just looks better, no cat or kid teasing.  (Don't mind all the other junk. This "craft room" is far from complete.)

DforV: Puff Stitch. FFFFFUUUUU

This is the hardest stitch I've ever tried to figure out.

One thing I've learned about crochet is that it's not an exact science.  It's not even a science at all.  There are less tutorials online for this than most of the other things I've tried to learn.  I just wanna make this....

This is the best tutorial I've found, but I still just can't get it.

There is also this video.

They seem to be a lot easier not in a flower.

But it just keeps turning into this awkward mess.  I'm going to keep trying.....

So here are three different "interpretations".

left to right.

1. Using an I hook, magic circle, 5 single crochet and one join used as a stitch in the middle,  puff stitch (9 puffs) chain 3 on one side and 2 on the other.

2. Using I hook, magic circle, 11 single crochet and 1 join used as a stitch in the middle, combined puff stitch (5 in the first and 5 in the second)  ***SIDENOTE*** The only reason to split it up like this is to make it easier to get the hook in the single crochet stitch.  It gets to be difficult the more you put in.  Chain 3 on both sides.

3. Using a G hook, magic circle,  5 single crochet and one join used as a stitch in the middle,  puff stitch (9 puffs) chain 3 on one side and 3 on the other.

As you can see, there is only slight variation, but they look a little different.  I wanted a larger one as I will need a TON of these.  But the smallest looks the best.  I prefer the small center.

And away we go.