Sort of Crafting . . .

I meant to pull out my hook and work on more grannies for my bedspread (which will look awesome in my room against the grey walls--if I ever finish it!).  But I didn't.

Instead I attacked a group of boxes left in my room (Ugh!  More boxes!).  Notice the lovely mess of boxes in front of the closet below:

Before: the mess in front of the closet

It made getting to the closet very difficult--to say the least.  Thankfully the mess was diminished--if not completely eliminated.  Baby steps, right?

After: more organized . . . 

The number of boxes continues to decline as I slowly find a home for my stuff--and toss the things that are no longer needed--no easy task, but it's getting done.

The corner by my bed had turned into a mess of bins and baskets filled with miscellaneous crafting stuff:

Before: poster board, bins & baskets

Now it's more organized.  Remember that colourful drawer unit I assembled a few weeks ago?  It now contains many of my scrapbooking supplies (stamps, ribbons, embellishments--a modest stash at best.  My papers are on the bookshelf across the room next the larger closet). 

After: organized space

And then this got me thinking about my craft closet and the baskets of yarn scattered 'round the house.  So I gathered all the odds and ends 'round the house and consolidated everything so that it all fit nicely into the bins--with the necessary skeins left accessible.  I've got photos, paints and embroidery floss on the top shelf (yeah, those are the photos I need to get into albums).

Photos, paints and embroidery floss 

Yarn and some leftover fabric in drawers and bins on the floor.  The large bins are labelled on the outside.  The drawers are clear so it's easy to see what's in there.  A lot of my special yarns are in the drawers--special one or two skeins of pretty colours or interesting fibres.

Bins and drawers filled with yarn.

It's a work-in-progress for sure.  And in my organizing, I found a big ball of cotton.  Isn't  the colour yummy? Perfect for a baby, right?

Colourful cotton yarn for upcoming projects

Someone in the family is due soon.  Time to cast on for some booties, a hat and maybe a few bibs . . . Holiday break is fast approaching and my needles will be clicking away--at long last!  ;)

Organizing . . .

So I spent the rainy Saturday re-organizing my craft closet.  It's a nice big space, but stuff got dumped willy-nilly when we first moved in.  I had attempted to keep it organized, but more "stuff" kept getting dumped into the space.  Then yarn would come out--and it never quite made it back to the right spot--it was a mess!  So messy that I dared not photograph it for the fear it would instill to the viewer--seriously!  Some re-organization was in order.

First off, I emptied the whole space--and I can't believe how much stuff I have!  My scrapbook and art supplies stayed on the shelves, but my daycare stuff got pared down (its so easy to hang-on to bits of crafting items when sometimes it just needs to "go away").  Someday I'll get back to painting and scrapbooking (although I still make the odd gift album).

Sometimes you can forget what you have if you don't look at it . . . 

I had forgotten how much yarn there was in sweater quantities!   And I still love the colours.  Guess I better get crackin' . . . .!

After spreading my wares all over, I had to decide on the yarns to which I needed easy access (like my sock yarns and wool for mittens and hats). 

Those items I might not use for a year or more (donated or inherited acrylics) got put into a big tote and pushed to the back. It's odds and ends for toys, slippers or Christmas decor.

The stuff I was probably gonna use in the next few months went in totes closer to the front of the closet.  And all the wonderful artful and special yarns were moved to rolling drawers so they could be more easily accessed--just in case I needed to pet them or feel inspired.

I like the space much better and have a better idea of what I've got.  Now I can get back to finishing long-standing WIPs . . . I'll keep you posted. ;)

Just a Sucker

For gadgets.  Any kind really, but especially ones for crafting (such as knitting or crochet).  Is it wrong to love gadgets and wee do-dads this much?  What?  It's just me?

Knitterly gadgets

For $9.95 I got a wee pouch filled with: tape measure, gauge ruler, coil-less safety pins (20), 2 row counters, needle protectors (2 sets), large stitch holder, and 2 blunt needles (small and large).

Close-up of Items

Isn't it annoying when you accidentally leave behind your little bag of knitting accessories?  Maybe its in the other WIP project bag.  Even this so-called monogamous knitter can have more than one project on the go.  And sometimes in the rush out the door, I forget about the accessory bag.

Just need to add a crochet hook and a pair of scissors.  This second bag of accessories should curtail any accidental mishap that might arise during my crafty endeavors outside the home.  

What's in your bag?

Kick Back . . .

And wait for winter to end (have I mentioned how much I loathe winter?).  At least my socks will keep me cosy. 

Cozy Toes

And remember that messy knitting table?  Not very pretty--not even a little bit.  Too much stuff: half-finished projects, bits of yarn, needles and hooks, patterns . . . well, you get the picture. 

Messy

That mess got me thinking about staying organized--even just a little bit.  So I tidied up (Let me reassure you its a rare event, but the cleaning bug does occasionally hit when I least expect it).  So now my knitting table looks acceptable.  At least there's room for a drink (should someone need to imbibe in the occasional alcoholic beverage). 

Not-So Messy

After all that tidying up, guess what I found?  My knittin' mojo (Who knew it'd be buried under all that stuff?).  Don't know how long it'll last, but I'm gonna take advantage and finish up as much as I can.  There's a vest that needs finishing and I just started a blanket for charity.  And maybe I can cast on for that second pair of worsted socks (they can be my lunch-time knitting).  I also have another project simmering in my brain (that involves my couch) . . . lots to do and think about.

For now, back to my knitting.  Have a great weekend :)

Today's Word Is . . .

Organization!  Yup, last weekend I was busy organizing all my knitting stuff--books, yarn, needles.  I think I've shared my "knitting corner" in the past (check it out here ).  I still use the same area as "my knit spot", complete with floor lamp and portable CD player (yeah, no MP2 players yet).  Actually my little side table is the cleanest its ever been in a long, long time.

Knitting Corner

The mess behind the table (i.e. the computer room), has finally been organized.  Sadly an old vacuum cleaner was sacrificed in the process (at least it lasted for over 15 years before cacking).  At least there is now more visible floor space. 

First off, all my books are now neatly awaiting perusal on a shelf (which is just a basic book shelf whose lower levels house the kids' numerous board games and puzzles).

Knitting Shelf

To the left is my sewing box, followed by all my knitting booklets (mostly by Bernat and some Patons), all my knitting books, my red binder of internet patterns and all my knitting magazines. 

Booklets and Books

It's not a huge collection, but it is a good one.  I've tried to purchase those items that I would find  most useful.  Sometimes I don't make great choices and other times I score a winning collection of patterns.  Sometimes my needs as a knitter have changed so much that what I thought was good isn't currently a necessity.  But books are loved in our house, so on the shelf they wait (I haven't shown you the other bookshevles in the computer room and never mind the other three in the living room.  Have we got books!) 

Binder and Magazines

And my binder is so full of patterns, I've had to resort to using file folders (and I haven't even printed off all the patterns in my Ravelry library).  Most of the patterns came from the internet (gotta love free!).

I'm still lacking a stitch dictionary.  I think that should be part of any knitting library (although I do have a crochet stitch dictionary that my mom sent me--the last of her crafting stuff).  Hopefully I'll have that rectified by the end of the month (eagerly awaiting the arrival of a book order).

To the right of the large shelving unit are two plastic drawer units.  One holds scrapbooking tools.  The other now holds my knitting tools: all my needles including my new Boye collection, my hooks and small yarn collections (mostly sock yarn and a few ribbon yarns).

Knitting Needles and Hooks

Small Collections of Various Yarns

In front of the drawer units are two tubs of yarn.  And yes, acrylic is my yarn of choice but there is some real wool (Briggs and Little), some cotton and even bamboo.

Tubs of Yarny Goodness

Softee Chunky and Supervalue

Briggs and Little, Vanna's Choice and Other Odds and Ends

So how do you organize your crafting stuff?