Sunday, October 10, 2010

At a loss


Losing important items is at the top of the list of things that concern me of late. I feel a bit like I'm losing my mind--and believe me, with a family history of Alzheimer's, I worry about this losing of things. Michigan lost today, but that doesn't bother me as much as losing my driver's license, the charger for my camera battery, or the neatly bundled double point needles which is what sent me into finally organizing my knitting room in the first place. The needles are still missing in action, but believe it or not, I'm not done reorganizing all that I apparently own.


I've outed my yarn and fiber stash before on this site, but even I'm a little taken aback at what seems to be the beginning of a yarn store. I honestly believe that if I never bought yarn again, I'd still have enough to knit until the end of days. The last time I showed photos of my yarn stash, my sister told me she wouldn't buy me yarn for Christmas because she wasn't "going to feed into that." Sheesh...like it's a problem or something. Ha.


Someone who does like to feed the yarn beast is Sara. She made me this project book using ideas from Martha Stewart's website. I've not used it yet, but now that I found it (buried in the mess), I will.

This room is the smallest bedroom in the house. In fact, if I had my bedroom upstairs and had no need of a knitting room, I'd have probably converted this space into the mother of all closets. Before I began reorganizing, that's sort of what it was. Oh who am I kidding? It was turning into a junk room.

I read an interesting article about organizing yarn by color weight. So instead of separating by types of yarn, like lace weight, DK, worsted, or even fiber content, I organized by color family. This is the right side of the shelves with the creams, beige, greens and multi-color blends.

And here is the left side with reds, blues, purples and the bottom shelf which has yarns grouped for special projects. Once I started putting the yarn up, my hands just automatically went to where my eye thought they belonged. Interestingly, when I look at the pictures, it makes sense. Don't red and blue combine to make purple? I didn't plan it this way, but using what I'd read, I just let it happen. It looks good to me, and I have to say, this space feels so right and incredibly special even thought it isn't quite done.

I still need to find the perfect rug and window treatments. I did think about a piece of furniture I had built to fit a mudroom over at Rachel's house. It was a built in bench that a woodworker made for me. We never secured it into the walls and it's not being used now, so I'm re-purposing that piece for bench seating beneath the windows and built in storage. I'll have cushions made for that spot so it'll be cozy.

Grouped together, I think the colors are kind of appealing to the eye.

Now here is the interesting thing...I always thought I bought a lot of green yarn, but apparently, I just buy, and make, an extreme amount of all colors of yarn. Did I mention that this is in no way all of it?

It's a start to being better organized and creating a space that's all my own. Here's hoping those needles show up one of these days.

20 comments:

Celia said...

Wow! My craft room is turning into a junk room fast. I bow down to your organization.

SkippyMom said...

That would be like walking into a rainbow everyday. How nice is that?

Oh and the first thought in my head was "....and I thought MY shoe addiction was bad." heehee

yeah, the whole pot/kettle thing Rudee.

Michaela said...

Yummy, yummy, YUMMY yarns... xxoo

Jeannette StG said...

I love the poster on the wall about restraint:) (but how can you create if you have to restrain yourself??)
Have to say that your sister has point...but I won't tell her!

Rositta said...

WOW...and I thought I had a lot of yarn. I'm going to have to reorganize when I get home also and I'm finally going to buy a spinning wheel...ciao

Gail said...

Looking wonderful!

No need for accent colors, they are already there.

ari_1965 said...

The charger for the camera battery is in the junk drawer in the kitchen.

unmitigated me said...

Wow, is ari1965 someone you know? Or a psychic? Your project makes me want to really dig in to re-do my daughter's old room so we can move in, and turn the middle bedroom into a craft room/guest room.

Stephanie V said...

Your stash looks so happy in its new home. The color sorting really works. It will be so beautiful and bright all winter...what a haven.
That poster is priceless.

Anonymous said...

You need a small t.v. in that room..

Finding Pam said...

What a beautiful rainbow of colors. Looks very cheerful and organized.

I just started organizing my pantry for the third time. I wish I had taken photos before I started. LOL!

Anonymous said...

Sorry about U of M yesterday....but not too sorry. I'm a Spartan fan..it's in the family. Several of my relatives went there. So....I'm delighted that green and white spanked blue and maize. Blessings on your organization...'tis a bit of yarn you have!
Nica Gal

Rose said...

I think it looks pretty. I switched to color grouping last year and I think it's easier on the eye, especially when it's out in the open like most of mine is. I feel the same way about my quantity of yarn; if I never buy more, I'd still knit for many years. But, since I'm heading to Rhinebeck, I know I'll bring back more.

Unknown said...

Can't study for worrying about your driver's license. Well, that and the fact that I'm reading blogs and not "Preventing Interpersonal Violence in Emergency Departments:Practical Application of Criminology Theory." Now I think I'll go walk my poker playing, cigar smoking host of a dog:>)

Winifred said...

It's gorgeous Rudee. I could sit and look at that stuff all day if it was mine. Definitely best colour organised. Sadly mine is stuffed in plastic bags in cupboards as I daren't out it!

My daughter laughs at me as I'm the messiest person in creation but my wardrobes are colour organised.

Unknown said...

Guess we have all been in this situation. Look for your lost things in your overstuffed chair or the sofa. I found a Game Boy not long ago, lost 7 years ago, a Motorola pink cutsie phone the other day in my couch. No one has claimed it yet. Hard to tell how long it was there.LOL Bad about the DL.
QMM

Ruth said...

having 6 tubs of quilting/knitting stuff and then bits everywhere all over the room I was thinking I ought to do some organising of it - so i put the lids on the tubs. Need a proper sort one day too busy using the stuff to sort it - have got plans though does that count?
Love the poster.

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

i am lucky that beads don't take up nearly that much space! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha great job there my friend.

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoox

Devon said...

In a class once, I learned the difference between Alzheimers and dementia is that in (A) you don't realize you are becoming forgetful, thus the hostility when people point it out. In (D) you are keenly aware of forgetfulness. Not sure if that holds true still, but I always tell myself that I am fine, just a little demented!

I love your stash by color... I want to shop in your spare room!
I have a similarly stash, but whenever I find a pattern, there is never enough in one color/yarn to complete the project. I really should shop with a pattern in mind!

NCmountainwoman said...

I have a wicker basket full of yarn and I thought it was a lot. I cannot believe the amount of yarn you have on hand. Definitely enough for a small yarn shop!