Sponsored Tutorial: Yarn Swatch Book

I love yarn crafts! I almost always have some sort of knit or crochet project in progress. The rhythmic, repetitive process of both knitting and crocheting is relaxing and almost meditative.

After I finish a project I like to keep a little sample of the yarn, as well as the yarn label, so I can remember the colors or brands of yarn I used for projects and have the care instructions available if I need them.

Until recently, my storage system consisted of me throwing a couple strands of each yarn and the accompanying label into the depths of my yarn stash. With a few inexpensive office supplies and craft store finds I created a more practical way to store my samples in a simple yarn swatch book.

Many thanks to the folks at Tombow for providing the adhesive that I used in this project. If you are looking for some cool tips and project ideas, stop by the Tombow Projects Page or the  TombowUSA blog.

Materials

• white cardstock
• Wilton 100 Count Clear Party Bags
• Tombow Mono Adhesive Dots
• 1 1/2 inch binder ring
• Fiskars 12 Inch Paper Trimmer
• hole punch
• scissors
• pen

Directions

Even though I'm a little embarrassed about it, let me show you the mess of labels I started with.

	To make a yarn swatch, use a paper trimmer to cut your cardstock into 3 7/8" x 5 7/8" rectangles. I was able to get three rectangles out of an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper.
	Slide the paper into the plastic party bag. The bag is going to be like a mini sheet protector for your swatch.
	Punch a hole about 1/4-inch from the side and closed bottom edge of the bag. Remove the card from the bag.
	On the front of the card, apply a strip of the Tombow Mono Dots Adhesive. I really liked the dispenser because it's easy to use and you don't ever have to touch the sticky part with your hands.
	Attach 3-4 strands of yarn to the adhesive strip. You may use more or less strands depending on the thickness of your yarn.
	Use a scissors to trim off the ends of the yarn.
	Now, write in the name of the yarn color.
	These are all of the colors I used when I made my Knit Leaves and Branches Afghan pattern.
	Turn the swatch over and apply another strip of Tombow Mono Dots Adhesive.
	Attach the yarn label.
	If the label is longer than the card you may wish to fold it up after it has been attached.
	Gently slide the swatch into the plastic bag.
	Place the card onto a binder ring. Here's the front of my swatch.
	And here's the back.
	I am going to keep a bunch of cards ready in their protective sleeves so I can make a new swatch whenever I finish a yarn project.

This little book is so much better than the chaotic pile of labels that used to linger in my yarn stash. Each swatch contains samples of the yarns I used for a particular project. It's quick and easy to find specific colors if I want to repeat a project and the washing and drying instructions are always handy.

Again, my thanks to Tombow for providing the Tombow Mono Adhesive Dots that I used in this project. They worked perfectly for creating my yarn swatches.