Knit, Stitch, Click

Thanks everyone for your great comments on my studio. I have been working down there a lot lately, and I am much happier with where everything is.

After finishing off Rogue, I needed something quick and simple to boost the knitting mojo again. I figured that Fence would fit that bill, and indeed it did.

Sorry that there are no modeled shots. Truth is, I finished this on June 9th (10 days from start to finish) but it has either been too hot or too rainy to get outside with wool on. So displayed on Charlie will have to do.

Pattern: Fence by Maria Leigh
Yarn: Cestari Traditional 2-ply wool
Needles: Denise 7 and 8

There was a bit too much twist in this yarn, and that in combination with the eyelet pattern made the vest twist a little. I did some very aggressive blocking, and as a result I blocked the hip area out a little too far for my measurements. But that will be easily fixed when I do a little steam blocking with the iron.

I really like the little details on this piece, like the purl row right after the ribbing. Gives it just a little umf. There were some complaints on ravelry that the instructions in the pattern are confusing for the neck and armholes on the front. They are, but I think it is easily fixed if you go through the pattern before hand. I actually copied the whole thing into Pages and then rearranged it and removed instructions for the sizes I was not knitting. It worked out just fine.

I am looking forward to wearing this one in the fall. I might have to find a couple other shirts to go under it.

I have mentioned a few times that I have been pretty frustrated with my studio and it's level of organization. As I have tried all kinds of different crafts, I have accumulated supplies and tools for each of them and they were in all manners of disarray in my studio. Friday morning when I went downstairs to make some cards, something snapped. I started ripping everything apart and suddenly 'saw' what needed to happen in there to fix the space. I'm warning you, this is a long one.

For those who haven't seen it, my studio is in my unfinished basement. There are plans to someday put walls in there, but for now it is concrete and studs. I was really trying to find a way to get the walls put up, but it just wasn't going to happen in the next little while. But you know what? I love it now the way it is. A tour perhaps?

Standing in the entry, this is what you see straight ahead,

and this is slightly to the right.

First, I framed the 180 year old print of a loom that I bought at MSWF (for $10! - I am sure it is not quite that old, but who cares).

This was the main bulk of my reorganization (this is just to the right as you walk in the door. I am standing where the sewing table is). None of this was here before Friday. T suggested that I needed a countertop to give me more workspace. I went to my favourite store, Habitat for Humanity, and picked up this huge counter for $30. It was even larger then this, but T helped me cut it down. We had the 4x4's for the legs already, and with T's excellent handyman skills I now have a standing height counter for making my cards.

We had a sheet of pegboard in the garage so we cut it in half and put it up as a backboard. The pack of pegboard clips were $5 at Target. The 2x10 shelf up above used to hold T's TV in university (along with the other two shelves you will see in a minute. So it was free. The light used to be in our old kitchen, so also free.

One of the biggest jobs was sorting all the little bits and bobs that I used to have in a giant box into the mason jars. All of them are sorted by colour and type. It is sooo much better already. I love being able to look up and see what I have.

The filing cabinet down below was another Habitat find at $40. All of my patterns are now sorted in there and labeled. There are two little shelves above it but below the counter which are reused hardboard that we had. T and his Mom found the lateral file, also at Habitat for I think $15. All my card papers and what not are now neatly filed in there. The shoe box style plastic boxes were $0.94 each and are all labeled with my card supplies. I bought two new totes for underneath, and sorted out the two I already had.

The rolling cart to the left I already had, but all the drawers were emptied, sorted and labeled. I hung my embosser up on the wall so it was neatly out of the way.

The view as we move counter clockwise around the room - my loom, cutting table with mat (in the bottom left corner) and more shelves:

I had all of these boxes and locker bins, but everything was pulled out, reorganized and labeled. All the fabric was sorted and folded.

All the ribbon was sorted on it's holder, and the ends were taped so they stop unrolling. My little table loom is now neatly stored under it's table.

The ironing board I had was a cheapy one that T had in school. The centre had sort of started to go concaved, so it was really hard to iron anything. This new fancy one was a delayed Christmas present from T. I love love love it! It makes ironing so much easier!

Everything was pulled off my easel and put back in a much more orderly manner. I framed the picture I bought at our sidewalk art show (the one with the coloured woven scarves).

I moved my wool shelve from where the counter is now to the other side of the room (still moving around counterclockwise). This is the last thing that I need to go through. I am planning on having a bit of a stash sale and also getting some things together for my guild auction in the fall. But that doesn't need to happen right away because it is still pretty orderly. All the mags up top were already sorted, but I did a bit of a clear out.

Again, I pulled a ton of stuff off this shelving unit and ended up using it for just these flat totes, which worked great. Everything in the bins was sorted and labeled. All my tall weaving tools are just off to the left there, neatly tucked away.

I cleaned up my inspiration board a bit too. I put a bunch of thank you cards and other handmade cards I have received in a black paged artist book so that I can use them for ideas.

And finally my sewing table. Just a clear off here (I finally did my mending!). I did do a tool organization though:

Threads are in one large letterpress drawer and tools are in the little one. Tiny bits of thread, fabric and stuffing go in the pail down below so that I can use it to stuff toys. No sense in throwing it out, right?

If you are still with me after all that, you're a trouper. The room doesn't have that pretty design look yet, but I actually really like it. Even with it's roughness it has a continuity that I like. And I keep walking down there to stand and look at everything, so that is a good thing. It is just so much more functional now.

Speaking of which - I should probably make those cards I was supposed to do on Friday....

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