Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Life Goes On

I'm back, kindasorta. We're still piecing together the events prior to the unexpected passing of my aunt. Just prior to losing her we learned of my 27 year old cousin being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. I have decided that as he fights his cancer I will donate all the chemo caps I crochet in their names, maybe even sell a few with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society as I have in the past.

In the meantime, I am trying to get organized. Yarn has seriously taken over the house, and this is not a good thing. If the house were bigger, or contained less people, it wouldn't be a problem. Moving, as it was slated for this fall, has been canceled. So I turned to my father who lives nearby. He has graciously agreed to let me use his basement to build a yarn studio.

Building a yarn studio won't happen over night. First, I need to wait until he finishes clearing space for me and correcting a slight water issue. As the studio will be in the basement, correcting the water issue is a huge concern!

Once that is taken care of, I will need to address how to heat the area. Not a problem, I have a space heater already.

Lighting. This could be a problem. We're talking basement here -- windowless. This means I need to look to lighting that will not fatigue my eyes.

Paint. My children have already been helping me select paint samples. We haven't decided on a brand or colors yet, but we do like the little plastic ring Behr offers -- anyone else thinking "stitch markers?" Since I am a huge giraffe fan, I might consider one wall painted like the giraffe patterning we're all very familiar with ...

EZ View Craft Desk WhiteDesk. I want two. I want a desk/treadmill combo. I think I have mentioned this before. This way as I surf the internet I can be walking off up to 40 pounds (or so the claim says) a year. I like the sound of that!

The second desk would be the one you see on the right. Ever since I saw a glass-top coffee table filled with crochet hooks on a website long gone, I have dreamed of having such a way to display/house my crochet hooks for myself. And then I saw this desk a few weeks ago on the internet and think it clearly has my name all over it. (If it doesn't, then I'll write it on there! LOL) What could be more inspiring than sketching new designs while viewing beautiful crochet hooks?

Flooring. I haven't decided on if I want a wood floor, or carpeted. Either way, I want one of those Roomba things that will mop/vac at will!


Shelving. Housing my yarn stash will be important. I haven't decided on official shelving yet, but do foreee a trip to Ikea for some great ideas. One thing for certain, ever since I started eating more salad, I've been having fun recycling the containers to house my yarn. I love that I can see inside the containers AND stack them neatly! (talk about going green, right?)

So, readers, what am I missing on my list for creating a new yarn studio? What would be on your wish list of things to add?

6 comments:

Crochet Friends of Stamford said...

So sorry to hear of the passing of your beloved Aunt. May memories of her always comfort and inspire you. I think you should paint the ceiling in your studio to look like the sky! Having a color (other than white) on the ceiling makes the room look taller and what is more calming and inspiring than a beautiful blue sky with wispy clouds :) ! Can't wait to track the progress of your yarn studio and live vicariously through you!! Have a great day!! :o) Haley

digifigi said...

Remember a work chair and a comfy chair and some visitor chairs. Shoe cubbies for yarn storage works really well. And you might need a dehumidifier.

fracksmom said...

i thought of what digifigi did, I would get a different work chair for each work station, and you need a place set up to relax and crochet, and for you to have visitors.

empty bottle cases work well for the yarn singles so you can grab samples.

you need to paint windows, and i love the sky idea

Vicki said...

Be sure to include good lighting! My yarn is currently housed in a storage area with two overhead lightbulbs and no windows...I have to take project candidates out into a different room so I don't make unfortunate color selections..Just sayin'

Sara said...

So sad about your aunt and donating chemo caps sounds like a wonderful idea.

The basement yarn studio sounds like a big project and so much fun! Can't wait to see the progress.

Jane's Hooked on Crochet said...

I'd add a bulletin board to pin up sketches, swatches, notes, and a calendar.