Craft Room sneak peek: it's gotta get better!

After 4 hours in my craft room, it still looks like a tornado touched down. I've resorted to pulling the large objects out into the hallway, and am now debating the possibility of leaving them there. Just kidding, kind of. 

At any rate, "It has to get worse to get better", so here are a few pics of the process. You may not be able to tell, but most of the stuff has been grouped by topic (yarn, sewing, scrapbook, school, storage). My shelves are up and while right now they are just acting as convenient cubby holes, I have great plans! 

Before I put stuff on them 

Why I put stuff on the shelves 

The stuffed hippos are not staying there permanently, just until their new home is cleaned out.

End of day 1. Doesn't look much different, but I feel better. 

Stay Crafty!

CR

IKEA Reaction

So I'm going to post some of my most embarrassing photos today. To make myself feel better, I'll give a bit of background.

As many of you know, I stopped teaching full time this year, and because of that, had to bring home any of my school supplies that I didn't want to part with. I've bought several books, paper packs, markers, bottles of glue, notebooks, etc., etc., etc., over the past five years, and while I left what I thought might be helpful, I didn't want to overwhelm the new teacher with someone else's old stuff (Having been in that position myself several times). The "keep" pile(s) came home with me and into my craft room for storage.

In addition to that, this summer I had the brilliant idea to swap my bedroom with the craft/guest room. My new bedroom is larger, complete with a bookshelf and reading nook. My new craft room is not. There's a great closet, but since it is the largest closet in the house (one of the reasons it was originally the bedroom), some clothing needs to be stored there. The other closet won't fit it all and the Christmas decorations.

Now factor in that we've been blessed with lots and lots of company the past few months, so that every time I think I may have time to start the gigantic task of bringing order to the room, it's time to re-inflate the air bed and transform my workspace into a guest room. This is NOT a complaint about company in ANY way. We love having visitors. It's just a bit of explanation to make me feel better about showing the pictures that are about to follow.

Looking at the calendar, now is the time to try to get my room in tip-top shape. Thanks to a few great weeks of Toasty Toes sales, I have some extra cash to spend on shelving and such like, and no more shows for a few weeks, which means I may have a chance to do something besides frantically craft slippers and boot cuffs (Not that this is a bad thing AT ALL. It's just been a bit crazy around here. There's yarn all over my house. But I digress.) So I'm hoping that by sharing these "Before" pictures with you, I will be motivated to hurry up and provide some "Afters" as well.

Here goes. Please don't judge!

Here's hoping I can organize this room beyond recognition. I'll keep you posted!

Stay Crafty!
CR

Fall

Just a few photos from this lovely October day!

Snuggling with my kitty! He likes to act like a pillow.

Still enjoying my first pair of Toasty Toes. They are looking well loved, but still holding up to all the wear.

New boots! Yay for boot weather!

The best thing to do on a chilly morning. 

Yarn is such a good addition to fall weather. It's a glorious time of year!

Stay Crafty!

CR

Crochet Necklace Pattern

So right now I'm buried in a pole of sparkle yarn. Well, not literally, but there is a large pile on the couch from earlier this evening. What am I doing with this yarn? Necklaces! I love making these, because they whip up so quickly and it's really hard to mess them up. No real counting required!

Materials: Lattice yarn or thin ribbon. (My favorite lattice yarn right now is the "City Lights" brand); J hook

Tie a slip knot a good distance from the end of the yarn. This will become the side of your necklace, so you want enough room to give it length and still be able to tie a knot.

Chain about 60. This number can go up or down, depending on how long you want your necklace to be.

Fasten off. Cut the yarn about the same distance from the end of your chain as you left at the beginning. It doesn't have to be exact.

Repeat about 6 times. You can add more for a fuller look and/or vary the amount of stitches for a tiered necklace.

When you've completed all the chains, gather them all by one end. Make sure you line up the knots! (This is about the only part you have to be somewhat precise). Tie all the chains together, forming one large knot over the small knots. (This sounds confusing, it's really not)

Repeat on the other end. 

Determine how long you want you necklace to be, make it even, and tie the ends together. Trim off the excess yarn. (It makes a great cat toy)

Let me know if you have any questions!

If you want to win one of these, pop on over to the Toasty Toes Facebook page and enter the giveaway! I'll be picking a winner Saturday night!

Stay Crafty!

CR