Count yarn cones on a rack from a photo

Counting yarn cones on creels, racks and shelves

Yarn cones are counted on the creel before a knitting or weaving run, at goods-in against the supplier order, and across a store by colorway. They sit on pegs or shelves in regular rows, which suits a shelf-style photo: one level of the rack, straight-on, then the next.

Photograph each rack level from the front so every cone in the front row is visible. From the side a cone is a tapered shape; from the tip it is a small circle inside a larger one. Pick the view that shows each cone most clearly on your rack and keep it for every level. Rows holding several colorways count better with one example per color in Similar items, up to three per count. Cones still packed in cartons are a carton count on the box counter instead.

Shelves stocked several cones deep only show the front row, so count each row or note the depth in the label. Add each level as a tally row with yarn type and color after checking its markers. Fabric rolls and finished garments can go into the same stock-take.

Creel and rack checks

• One rack level per photo
• The same viewing angle for every level
• One example per colorway, up to three
• Shelf depth noted in the tally label