Planning on Paper.

 Last week I talked to you about using your technology to get organised. Not everyone likes technology. Some people are even like me who will always love putting pen to paper. There is nothing like it really. It's like an actual book over an electronic. No contest really. Plus, as most of my friends and family will tell you, I have an extreme love of stationary. I'm like a magpie. so this post is dedicated to that. While it may not be the most exciting of posts maybe it will give an insight on how I plan out things or give you some tips.

Some of this will actually tie in or repeat from my post giving advice to newbie bloggers. So I apologise if this feels a little repetitive. However, even that post kind of fits in with this months theme. So to start off with we have the basic notebook. In the past I would have used a notebook to chart my crafts. In fact I still do. I remember watching my mum make little tally marks to track her knitting and I do the same. Sadly, I don't always think to do that. Not a problem if I don't jump between projects or leave projects aside for months on end. I've learned that one the hard way. This particular notebook I actually use to plan out blog posts. I jot down ideas and occasionally write out entire posts.  It's thanks to planning out this months theme that I have got all my WIPs listed and I know what I need to work on so in a way it is keeping me organised with my crafts. It's also a good way of tracking challenges such as my sock drawer challenge as I plan out the posts. Never mind thee fact that I just love a new notebook. This one even has a little folder at the back so that I can hang on to ball bands which is something I always mean to do. Means I can keep track of my favourite yarns or even remember how best to wash the yarn (if in doubt hand wash).

This is probably one of my favourites and one I am too afraid to start using for fear I ruin it. Which kind of defeats the purpose. I saw this notebook advertised on facebook. It proved so popular that it went out of print and I had to pre-order mine. It's called a WIP-O-Pedia and is published by Doodlestop.  I've ordered from doodlestop before and quite like their products. This one they designed specifically for those of us who like to knit and crochet. It's a project book that allows people to track their projects. This would be something I could use rather than my little tally marks on spare notebooks. I love the fact that it has a page dedicated to details of the pattern, yarn, who it's for and a little section for notes just in case you have made changes. I personally think you could even use it to design your own patterns (although you would be limited in space). It has useful guides and conversion charts at the front (no more googling US/UK crochet translations). I love it and I haven't even used it yet. The online store still sells them so theoretically you could get another one once this is filled. The paper inside is of good quality AND the cover image is of crochet.

This is another one that I have listed before in my advice to newbies. It's a planner specifically for bloggers.  This organiser or life planner is designed by Lollipop Designs for Blogtacular. Blogtacular is a website and event to give advice and support to bloggers. I use this to plan out when I am going to post to my blog and what I am going to post. The bulk of the planner is made up similar to a diary/organiser with different layouts throughout. The back has spaces for notes and there is even a little pocket. You would be correct in wondering why I don't use this instead of a notebook for my blog notes. The truth is there is limited space and it would have been filled by now had I done so. So I use a notebook instead. I do like the planner pages though and it is specifically made to look basic so that you can decorate it to your hearts content (something I haven't utilised quite as well as I might). This has definitely made me a better blogger (in my humble opinion). As a crafter, well, it's not really done much there except possibly keeping me focused.

Lastly, an actual organiser/Filofax. This was really more relevant when I ran the knitting group. I would use it to keep track of events that we had planned. Now though I use it mainly for work. I would be lost without it if I didn't have it for work but I use all my other tools for crafts. Some people might prefer this though. On the plus side it would allow you to do all of the above things I mentioned already but in the one space. Something I did in fact used to do. You can get all sorts of inserts for Filofaxes these days so there is no reason why you can't. I would use it to track what type of socks I knitted for people each year so that they would get a different pattern or colour the following year. I also had inspiration board style pages where I would tape inspiration I found in magazines or took note of craft books that I had my eye on (I now use Evernote for that). Despite technology and all these new fancy planners there really is nothing to beat a filofax. I always go back to it.

Would love to hear how you plan out your crafts and what stationary items you love to use.