I could do with some help deciding how to organise my store - what should be a product type, product, attribute etc.

I sell different types of yarn. Let's say Wool Yarn, Cotton Yarn, Acrylic Yarn.

Each yarn comes in different colours. Blue, red, green, so on.

The colours come on Dye Lots which needs stock control.
Wool Yarn, Blue, Dye Lot 001 (3 skeins)
Wool Yarn Blue, Dye Lot 002 (1 skein)
Cotton Yarn, Red, Dye Lot 001 (5 skeins) and 003 (2 skeins)

A customer will want to see all the colours of Wool Yarn, and then be able to choose between Dye Lots to add the their basket.

If I have Type of yarn by the product type, colours be the products within that type, and Dye Lot to be an attribute - I can't seem to couple the stock control to the attribute.

If I set it up so each Dye Lot is a product (i.e. Product Type: Wool Yarn. Products with in that Type: Blue yarn, Dye Lot 001; Blue yarn, Dye Lot 002), when I try to set up a catalogue type page (e.g. show all the Wool Yarn), I will get the Blue Yarns coming up multiple times, which won't make sense to the buyer.

So, I could do with some advice on how to proceed - thank you for any help you can give! I see there is a Product Options Stock module, but it's only in development, is there any other way to do what I've outlined above?