One of my main objectives as I designed the notebook was to find the right balance between providing enough structure and some useful prompts, whilst allowing for plenty of opportunity for flexibility and personalisation. I’m sharing my thoughts about how I’m using it, but in the full expectation (and indeed, hope!) that you will experiment and do as you please!
Let's start at the beginning
There’s a pretty self-explanatory name plate as you open up, to add in your name, contact details (in the awful scenario that you lose this treasure!), and genuinely to make as pretty and colourful as your heart desires.
The few pages after this could be used as indexing if you chose to – I’ve added page numbers throughout my notebook and I’m indexing as I go, as I add content in. (I’m starting to dabble a little with bullet journaling and I hope the notebook provides the flexibility you need if you’re following this approach).
The colour wheel is there to hopefully trigger some ideas if you hit a brick wall or fancy trying new colour combinations. Then there’s a handy measurer to check your hook/ needle size if you’re out and about!
The various coloured sections ...
The five coloured sections are designed to help you quickly find what you need. Each coloured section contains a mix of different paper layouts: lined, squared and plain. Based on how I’m using my notebook at the moment (mainly to keep notes on designs that I’m making, and progress/ amendments that I’m making), I think I’m likely to cover 2-3 projects in each coloured section. If you’re following a train of thought and developing your own idea or a design, you may decide to set aside a whole coloured section per design.
I’ve also used part of one of these sections to write a list of EVERYTHING that I have on the radar that I’d like to make, from something generic like a blanket or a scarf for one of my little ones, to specific patterns I want to try. Then I’m referring back to this section when I complete the ‘Monthly reminders + goals’ section towards the back of the book.
I’ve included a plastic pocket in each section as I always seem to have lots of loose stuff, drifting about, that I later want to refer to and can’t track down. At the moment, my pockets contain quite a range of things: yarn bands, business cards that I’ve picked up at yarn festivals, fliers and leaflets about new yarns that I want to check out or courses I’d like to attend, and postcards with colour combinations that I particularly like, or other crafting inspiration.
There’s a ‘Yarn Notes’ page to attach yarn samples to, so you can keep a record of yarns you used for particular projects, or colours you’re considering using together. The page is scored so you can fold it back and tuck the yarn inside, out of the way.
The last section
I hope that most of this is self-explanatory …. So just a few highlights:
I’m using the ‘Monthly reminders + goals’ section primarily for craft related activities – yarn events I’m attending, classes I’m taking, but I’m also including birthdays (I can’t have too many prompts to remember them!).
I included pages on ‘Achievements’ as I feel that all too often I forget to reflect on what progress I’ve made, from projects to new skills or techniques I’ve learnt. My aim is to have more finished objects than new works in progress each month, but also learn new things, and if I can do that fairly consistently I’ll be happy!
The cut-out labels at the end are to attach to sample squares that you make, to record details of hook/ needle size, what yarn you used, and any other observations which may be useful to reflect back on. Sometimes I swatch and decide the yarn’s not right for the project I’d planned, but there’s something that it might be perfect for a different pattern. If I don’t write it straight down, I forget!
Please do share your ideas and how you’re using your notebook
I would love to see how you’re using your Adventures in Yarn notebooks. If you use Instagram, you can share images of your notebook in it’s new home using the hashtags #adventuresinyarnnotebook and #popcornandcrocodiles, and please tag me @popcornandcrocodiles
And of course, please do share any feedback you have about using the notebook as you get busy over time – aspects you have found particularly useful, pages you would like more of, anything that you haven’t used, anything new that you would like to see included …. My email address is Emily@popcornandcrocodiles.com and it would be fabulous to hear from you!
To buy a copy of the 'Adventures in Yarn' notebook, please visit my Etsy shop