Many things to talk about today

I don't know about anyone else, but this blog is forever inspired by the things I take pictures of. Yes, I take pictures of a lot of yarn, knitting and things like that, but they inspire me to take pictures. Yesterday, I was uninspired and couldn't think of anything much to say.

It was baking day, and it didn't go well. Somebody switched the sacred green sugar scoop (you can tell it is the sugar canister by the colour of the scoop), and switched it for the clear/white scoop which belongs to the salt canister. Muffin batter doesn't taste very good with an extra dose of salt.

Today, back in the comfort zone. I'll talk your ears off. This is what I have been doing when my hands needed a break from knitting and spinning. Two brown shopping bags full of pre-drafted wool. Ready to go.This second is gift roving and I'm a wee bit afraid to spin it yet. I don't want to screw it up too badly. A couple more weeks of practise and I'll be brave enough to try. (Thank you Esther, I'm going to go check that forum out. I need all the help I can get)

I've been admiring other people's stashes the last few days or rather how they store it. A friend showed me her system, and I have seen a few online answers to stash storage. People are really creative about it and for a lot of us, we make our stash art, to beautify our homes.

I'm heading to town for errands today, and one of the errands is going to be better (or should that be more) stash storage options. With last weeks shelf building session, I need some containers that will fit the shelves to finish off the way the books, the collection of cheap blue and white ware, and the yarn go together in a nice HGTV kind of way.

Besides shelves, my study improvements included things with drawers. One of them is a standard side table with drawers in basic white. It holds the lamp, the Kleenex, the books, catalogues, new magazines and whatever papers I 'need' but not right now. The other is one of these.Its a quintessential IKEA product. Looks smart. Costs little. Works for you in unexpected ways.

I found myself thinking did I really need to have two drawer units in a 9 x 11 foot room? One was always going to be in the way. Should I take one back to free that money up for yarn?

You know how it is when you have empty drawers around. They filled up in unexpected but very pleasing way.

I needed a place to put some of the socks I was working on. Too many socks were cluttering up the bag.

Then I needed a place to put the blue scarf project. It was tangled in the bits of leftover 1824 Cotton buried at the bottom of the bag.

And then Picovoli seemed to be taking up way too much space in the work bag, so it got a drawer. Next the nice new yarn, that delicious Cotton Viscose from Garn Studio demanded a drawer all its own. And then I had a swatch worked up with some Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Iron Ore which was hanging around in all the worng places. I haven't written down the swatch size and needles size yet, so the needles needed to stay with the swatch and skein.

And then the black lace project needed a home. Well its hardly a project yet, but I still wanted to have a place for the goods.

And lo, the drawer unit was full. It seems it is my new at home work bag/work unit. Everything has a home in a most pleasing and happy way.

The drawers are ideal, but you know what the truly unexpected pleasure is? I have a place to set my coffee cup on the right side of me and I can drive the unit right up close. Open the drawer, pick up some knitting and I am set. Totally set.

In case anyone is concerned about metal bits and edges catching precious yarn, doesn't seem to happen. The unit is constructed so that all the edges are facing back, or are on the outside of the drawer box. I work right out of the drawers, and even that fine black lace did not catch.

Ikea, this is a masterful little thing. It's not going to work for really huge heavy sweater projects, but it sure works for these nice smaller projects. Now I just have to finsih the new workbag and I am all tidy for spring.