Keeping a spinning journal is not only a great way of keeping a record of the projects you have completed but is also a good way to maintain an inventory of your stash and to keep notes for future projects organized.

While you can maintain a journal in any format imaginable, two considerations for a spinning journal are: 1) bulk; and 2) moths. Since bulk is inevitable with fiber and yarn samples, using pre-bound journals doesn’t really work well. Loose leaf binders seem a better solution but even with plastic page protectors, attached samples are still vulnerable to moth damage. The solution is to place fiber and yarn samples into small plastic bags before attaching them to the journal page. Small plastic bags are available in different sizes at hobby shops and several small bags can easily be attached to a page by sewing, using double sided tape, stapling, or by gluing. Super glue will glue plastic firmly to paper (I like the Loctite brand because the package doesn’t glue itself shut after one use). Heavy card stock paper is heavy enough to support the weight of the attached bags and can be 3 hole punched or slipped into a page protector.

Start a page in your journal for each fiber in your stash and add each fiber as you accumulate it. Doing this starts and maintains an inventory of what you have on hand. Place a sample of the fiber in the form in which you acquired it into a small bag and attach it to the page. Add notes.
You may want to note where you purchased the fiber and contact information, the cost, type of fiber or content (if a blend), and the total amount you have on hand by weight.

Add some notes on your intended use of the fiber. Planning a sweater for yourself? Note that plus the source of the pattern you plan to make or if it will be your own design. Add a picture or a sketch. Not sure? List some ideas. Perhaps you bought it thinking it would make a lovely scarf or hat. Perhaps you thought something with those colors would make a nice gift for a friend. Make a note.

If the fiber is in a raw form, add notes and fiber samples at every stage of the processing.
How did you clean the fleece? Keep notes on your washing method. Did you hand pick it, use a picker? And how did you process it for spinning - was it combed, carded (drum or hand), flicked? Make notes. And keep fiber samples: one of the raw fiber, one after washing, one of the processed fiber.

When you spin the fiber, make a note of the wheel used and the ratio used for spinning the singles and the ratio used for plying (if plied). Make notes of the spinning method used (woolen/worsted), length of your draft, the wraps per inch, the twist direction, twists per inch, twist angled, and grist of the yarn. Keep samples of both the singles and the plied yarns. You may want to keep samples of the yarn before and after wet finishing since wet finishing changes the yarn to a degree.

Keep a small sample skein of the finished yarn in your journal. Also keep your spinning control card in your journal. If you use a 3 x 5 index card for your control card, this and the little sample skein plus a small swatch (knitted, woven, crocheted) will all fit nicely into a snack sized zip closed baggie which can be glued onto your journal page.

Lastly, add notes on how you used the yarn and a small sample of the fabric you made from the yarn. A picture of the finished project and disposition of the finished item (if it was a gift) are nice additions.

While it seems like a lot of record keeping, your notes will prove invaluable should you ever want to recreate that yarn.