Wednesday 25 April 2018

A Tour Of My Craft Room

I've been meaning to write this post since last summer when we decorated what was Daniel and Eleanor's toy room.

We had a two storey extension built on the side of the house when the children were small. Upstairs, Eleanor's bedroom was extended from a box room into a decent sized space, she now has a double bed in there along with fitted wardrobes, and downstairs the kitchen was made bigger, and a new room was created. The new room isn't huge, it's long and narrow, but we made it into a toy room, somewhere to store the many toys that Daniel and Eleanor had, and occasionally they'd play in there too. As they got older, Eleanor would use this room to mess about on her musical instruments and practice her singing and eventually the room became a bit of a dumping ground, a place where we started hoarding things. It got out of hand and we decided to have a massive clear out, most of the things we were storing in the room were of no use to us so they were either passed on to someone who could make use of them or sold on Ebay. We made a bit of money which will come in handy, but the best thing about sorting everything out is that the room has now been made into my very own craft room.


The desk is an old computer desk. It had a bit of ink staining on the top of it so I bought a piece of PVC from Dunelm to lay on top. I think the button design is perfect for a craft room.


Daniel bought me the lamp as one of my Christmas presents and it's brilliant. It gives out different types of light depending on what you're doing and has different brightness settings too.

Once I start using my new sewing machine it can sit on the desk and I won't have to put it away after each use.


To the side of the desk is one of my dining room chairs, we have six but only have four set around the table so it gives me somewhere to keep one of them if I use one in my craft room. On the back of the chair is the lovely bed runner which my lovely friend, Susan, from Granny Smith's Quilting, made for me. She brought it all the way from Australia and you can read all about it in A Beautiful Quilt post. I like to keep it here where it can be seen and enjoyed.


There's a couple of shelves above my desk which hold knick knacks, notebooks, a candle, a little tray where I pop all manner of things, and Paula Pig who you can read about in my Itty Bitty Craft Projects post.


The main shelves were here when the room was a toy room, they stretch the whole width between the walls and they were so handy for storing Daniel and Eleanor's toys, but now they're perfect for all my craft items.

I've bought quite a few storage boxes in different shapes and designs, I think they look more attractive than having lots of craft items piled up, and it makes it easier to find what I'm looking for.


To the left on the top shelf is a big box of Stylecraft Special DK in an assortment of colours. The pink plastic box contains oddments of acrylic yarn. The box on the right hand side contains lots of papercraft items.

On the middle shelf is Eleanor's sewing machine, two needlework boxes, the largest of the two is Eleanor's, the smaller one is mine. The pink spotty box contains a few fat quarters and some bits of material ready for when I start on my sewing adventure, the box underneath it stores knitting patters and the one underneath that holds bits and bobs for cross stitch. The large plastic box contains more Stylecraft Special DK, this time in autumnal colours. I was going to start on an autumnal blanket but still haven't got round to that. At the end of this shelf are some of my craft books and magazines. I've got more which were put in the loft when we were decorating and I still haven't got them back down yet.

To the left of the bottom shelf are an assortment of tins containing buttons, needles, ribbons, all sorts of things really. There's also my weighing scales there and my yarn winder. There's a couple of needle felting kits, one is mine which I haven't had a go at yet, the other is Eleanor's. Would you like to see what she made?


On the right hand side of the shelf is a box containing all my indie dyed yarn. It's full to the brim.


The next box along is full to overflowing with commercial yarn.


The pink box is full of both types of yarn which won't fit in the other two boxes.


The wicker basket sitting on top of the boxes held an assortment of gifts which Daniel's girlfriend bought me for Christmas. It now holds the beginnings of my mini skein collection. I've decided that I'm going to make a scrappy blanket. In theory, these blankets are made out of oddments of sock yarn left over from knitting socks, but you'd have to knit a hell of a lot of socks to get enough leftover yarn to make a blanket of a reasonable size so I think mini skeins are the way to go.


You'll see quite a few little suitcases dotted here and there. These hold my scraps of sock yarn, both commercial and indie dyed, though I do keep each type separate. There's quite a lot left over from some projects and not quite so much from others. These will be knitted up into my scrappy blanket.


There's also room on the floor underneath the shelves where I can store things.


On the bottom shelf are baskets and tubs holding the larger projects I've got on the go, including my Spice of Life blanket, a granny stripe blanket and my Joyful World cross stitch. There's also a cross stitch frame, toy stuffing and a brown paper bag which holds the things I've just bought ready to have a go at dyeing my own yarn.

In the corner is my flower press, a jar holding lots of teeny tiny colourful pom poms and my collection of old knitting needles which were passed down from my mum and grandma. I've got lots of different sizes and makes but the pouches to the side hold all my more up to date needles and crochet hooks, and you can also see the interchangeable set that Mick bought me for Christmas.

There's a little hook on shelf here where I keep the project bags I'm not currently using along with my sock blockers.


On the floor, underneath this shelf, is my guillotine, my still boxed sewing machine, blocking mats and my swift.

Would you like to see who's at the other end of the room?


Anyone who has a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will know that you can't go anywhere without them following, they don't like to be left on their own, even for five minutes. The last time I was able to go to the toilet alone was back in 2010. Needless to say, Archie has a bed in this room where he can settle down whilst I'm crafting away.


He's looking a little bedraggled at the moment but he's going for a haircut on Monday so he should look his usual handsome self again then.

I'd like to get some sort of bookshelf to go between my desk and Archie's bed, as you can see, there's plenty of room for one.


On the wall are two prints of original embroideries by Amy Butcher. I bought them at Spring Into Wool last year.

So there you have it, my own little crafty space. I think the best thing about it at the moment is having everything organised but it will come into its own once I start sewing as I won't have to put the machine away each time I use it.

And yes, looking at these photos it does make me realise how much yarn I've got. I really need to make a concerted effort to use some up before I buy more. Having said that, I've just had a delivery from Wool Warehouse. Oh dear, where's it all going to go?

48 comments:

  1. I always love a trot around someone else's craft room, only thing is it makes me feel a bit bad as mine is like a tip. lol
    I tidy it and the next minute its all over the place again.
    Don't part with the wool, you can never have too much, I have boxes of the stuff for my scrumbles and could never part with it. lol
    Archie is gorgeous, more pictures of Archie please.
    Briony
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure my room is only tidy because it's relatively new so it's nice to have everything in its place. I have no intention of parting with any wool, I sometimes open the boxes just to have a little squish of it all. I shall do my best to get more of Archie on the blog.

      Delete
  2. You always need a good stash in your craft room, yours is very tidy, I love all the different boxes you are using, makes it look feminine. My sister had all my mum's knitting needles and button box, so I have purchased loads from charity shops, I love the retro crafty things. I now share a room with hubby, we use it as an office with both our desktop computers, but I store loads of my craft things. I miss not having my own room, I use my dining room table for most of my sewing. Love Archie gets a bed in your room as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I would like to have all my lovely yarn on display but I'm scared to death of letting moths anywhere near it so I think it makes more sense to have it boxed up. My mum gave me all her old knitting needles when she moved home a few years ago but she'd given all her old patterns to a charity shop. She didn't realise that I'd had loved to have them. I think I'll probably need a bigger table once I start sewing, the desk isn't very big, but it's okay for now. Archie loves having a bed in my craft room, he won't entertain the idea of being in a different room to me.

      Delete
  3. Lovely Jo & I'm sure you'll enjoy that space very much.
    It's great to be able to shut the door & know when you go back to whatever you were doing, that it is there waiting, as there is nothing worse than having to pack it all away & then get it all out again. Quite often when you've nowhere specific to work on craft, you procrastinate & do something else. Let your creative side blossom. Take care & huggles.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I must admit that I feel very lucky to have a space for myself. It may not be the biggest room but it's enough for what I need. As you say, the best thing is being able to leave everything out ready to go back to, having to pack things away each time is a bit of a pain.

      Delete
  4. What a gorgeous little room you have there Jo. It must be a very relaxing place for you (and Archie) to retreat to. And storage space for everything! Maybe one day I will have myself one of these, but for now I have the toys and they're everywhere! X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Embrace the toys, I would give my craft room up in a heartbeat to go back to when my kids were young enough to have a toy room. Having said that, I do like my own little space and room for storage is brilliant.

      Delete
  5. I really enjoyed reading about your crafty space, it looks perfect, and very tidy :-) There is always room for more yarn, i'm sure you will have no trouble in finding somewhere to stash it :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's still plenty of space for more storage so I'm not worrying too much about adding to my stash, I just need to get some more boxes. I'm sure that having my own little space will encourage me to be more creative.

      Delete
  6. I hope you can see exactly what shade of 'green with envy' I am! Jo it's absolutely lovely and practical, not having to put things away is such a bonus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the best bit is that it's a space which can be shut away so it doesn't matter if I leave things out or lying about. The shelves are brilliant because they're so deep and wide, they can hold so much stuff which makes storing everything so easy.

      Delete
  7. It's perfect, and lovely that you included Archie. That is a lot of yarn but then, I can't talk I have two boxes full and I don't knit anywhere near as much as you do!
    Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Archie has to be wherever I am, he doesn't like being on his own. I think I've got enough yarn to last me quite some time, but it doesn't stop me wanting or buying more, it's a bit of an addiction.

      Delete
    2. After reading this post I went to have a little look at The Wool Warehouse website. I had to come away, it's not a good thing that I now know of the existence of this website!!

      Delete
    3. Ha ha, it's very tempting, isn't it? I've just realised that they have Drops Baby Merino on special offer at the moment, I'm using it to knit Eleanor's sweater and it's taking a lot of willpower not to make another order as it's lovely yarn.

      Delete
  8. That looks ideal, and very organised. It's good to see that Archie has a comfy spot next to the radiator. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's great to have a dedicated crafting space, and to have somewhere to put all my crafting paraphernalia without it spreading all over the house. Archie loves his spot next to the radiator.

      Delete
  9. Can you ever have too much yarn (though I still think of it as wool - Mum and my Grandma called all yarn wool when I was growing up)?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The answer is definitely no, you can never have too much yarn. My mum and grandma always called it wool too, even though most of what they used had never even seen a sheep or other animal.

      Delete
  10. Such a lovely, bright room you have created. I'd love to go yarn shopping at your place! I'm sure you will enjoy this tranquil crafting room to create many lovely things. Pat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm really pleased with my little space, and of course, it's all the better for being filled with boxes of yarn.

      Delete
  11. Lovely and tidy and you've given me an idea for a blog post!
    Good luck with using up all the yarn ( it's still wool to me!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I doubt it will stay this tidy for long but it is good to have plenty of storage for everything. I look forward to reading the blog post.

      Delete
  12. I think your craft room looks brilliant and very well organised, you are going to love it Jo ... lucky you!

    Love that photo of Archie, he looks so comfortable!

    Enjoy the rest of your week.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's definitely handy to have somewhere out of the way to store everything, and to craft. It's nice to know that I can leave my projects out and they're not going to be in the way.

      Delete
  13. A very handy space and how lovely and tidy and you've given me an idea for a blog post....but do I tidy first or show the muddle!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Definitely show the muddle. A creative space isn't often a tidy space.

      Delete
  14. Isn't it great to have your own space, where you don't have to put everything away after each crafting session. And you will get much more use out of your sewing machine once it is permanently set up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think the room will come into it's own once I set up the sewing machine, it will be good not to have to clear everything away every time I use it. I'm really pleased with all the storage space and there's plenty of room left to add more if needed.

      Delete
  15. Oh my goodness, Jo, your craft room is so tidy. I do try to keep mine tidy but it's nowhere near as tidy as yours! It's lovely to see Archie. I hope he's keeping well?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Having plenty of storage helps with keeping things tidy, I could do with another couple of boxes really as the ones I've got are full to overflowing now. Archie is keeping well at the moment, he's on the tablets which will, hopefully, keep the heart problems at bay for a while and he's still a happy little dog.

      Delete
  16. What a lovely room, right down to having a cosy bed for Archie. You’re very organised and I love the little teddy that Eleanor has felted xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bought Eleanor a couple of needle felting kits as I thought it might be something she enjoyed, she picked it up in no time. Archie likes to be close by so he has to have a bed in the craft room, there's no way he'd stay in a different room on his own.

      Delete
  17. You've got loads of wool to keep you going with exciting projects and you'll now be able to find it in your new beautifully organised craft room. Wishing you lots of fun with it all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think I need to buy any more yarn for quite some time, the problem is that it's so tempting when I see all the gorgeous yarn out there.

      Delete
  18. Oh - so lucky to have a room for all your craft goodies - and so incredibly organized to! I used to have a "sewing room" in our spare bedroom which turned into my husbands office once he started working from the house, so my sewing table & most of my craft supplies are now in the basement (which needs a REALLY good decluttering too). Like you, I sort my yarn according to type in bins - makes it so handy to see what you have on hand when you are deciding what to use for a particular pattern. BTW - there really is no such thing as too much yarn :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm really pleased with my little craft room, I know I'm lucky to have it, space was at a premium when everyone was living at home but it's suddenly very empty and I can take a room for myself. I like everything being organised, though already I can see that I need a little more storage. I'm sure the room will evolve as I use it and change once I know what works best for me. I may have quite a bit of yarn already but I can't see me stopping buying more.

      Delete
  19. Oh I do miss my craft room Jo. I didn't get to use it as much as I'd liked in the time we had it at the Willows. It was down the bottom of the garden. I don't have a space here at Station Farm so my crafting is in boxes either in the pantry which is an outbuilding and in the footstool and bedding box. Still I suppose it makes me work on one project at a time so as not to have too much yarn about, although I seem to have a fare amount again at the moment.

    Mitzi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can imagine how you miss your craft room, I think once you've had something you miss it all the more when it's no longer there. Perhaps you'll get another craft room in time in your new home. They're nice to have but I've managed without one all this time so definitely not essential.

      Delete
  20. Lovely tour, great that you have your own room now, always better to be able to leave a project out rather than packing it all away every time, so very tidy, mine is due an overhaul especially as one of the furries decided to push the boxes off the shelf leaving chaos on the floor. Lovely to have Archie along side too for company xcx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I must admit that I like having Archie close by just as much as he enjoys being there, I think animals are such good company. I like having my own little room and it's nice to have somewhere to store all my stash.

      Delete
  21. The green eyed monster is sitting on my shoulder whilst reading about your lovely craft space, it looks fabulous and so nice and tidy and filled with so many delights.
    Have fun in there with your assistant.
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My own little craft space is something I never thought I'd have so it's lovely to finally have a craft room. I think Archie enjoys being in there with me too.

      Delete
  22. How marvellous having a space for all your crafty bits and bobs. And best of all you can leave things out and close the door on it all!
    Plenty of yarn to keep you busy for a while!
    Lisa x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The room is being utilised to its potential again rather than sitting there filled with junk, it was definitely worth all the decluttering to get my own little space.

      Delete
  23. I loved this post, and wished I had such a room! It's fabulous, you will be sooooo creative here! Lot's of room for more shelves as you say, lovely Archie has a bed too, you are as bad as me, you spoil that darling boy. Looking forward to seeing you working here!xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel so lucky to have my own little space, I can go in there and close the door on everything when the fancy takes me and vice versa, leaving everything set up ready for when I want to go back in. I love it. I do spoil Archie, he's my best little boy dog.

      Delete