Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Welcome to my space

 First of all, thank you to you all for commenting. I will tweak the blog some more (hopefully soon, but be patient, I do intend to make it more me) and I guess I will need to put the reindeer picture back... one of my daughters had a very strong opinion of the reindeer too and told me that it has to be here. I will need to go through my pictures to see if I have pictures that would be appropriate for spring. Even though we have plenty of snow on the ground, it is spring. Some of the birds are back, their voices echo in quiet evenings on the lake that is still covered with ice.

I have been cleaning, seriously cleaning my space for the last two weeks.
My old room, the place that used to serve as a hideaway had slowly turned into an unhappy site of junk. For the past year or two it has been a storage area, a very messy storage area, place where I used to drop stuff off my hands soonest. Bags and bags of yarns, unfinished projects that were destined to be frogged, various pieces of clothing to be mended at some convenient time (really to be off the sight and to be forgotten forever), piles of books on the floor that did not fit into bookcases, pens, pencils, buttons, receipts, needles, beads, coins - everything just put onto any available space or bowl and in the end just piled on top of each other. I seriously thought that nobody could ever clean the place, it was so messy that it was really terrifying.
These two pictures are really humiliating.
This serious cleaning started when my daughter asked me if she could start weaving. I looked at her and heard me answering, yes, you can but the room needs to be cleaned first because you really can't get to the loom now. I was not willing to take on such a huge task, but too ashamed really to let her down. I have this beautiful, grand loom and it just stood there in the middle of chaos doing nothing. I took a long sad look at my stuff wondering if there was a way to get it sorted. I had so many books all around that I really needed new book cases and maybe if I could get my books organized I would have room for everything else. I ordered book cases and began a journey that looked like never ending hopeless mission.
I went through every single bin and bowl and shelf and box and sorted out every little item and put it into its proper place or created a new proper place if there was none. In the end I decided that the loom needed a new place, so I took it apart and carried it upstairs.
And now finally my old space feels like new, it is again the perfect quiet hideaway area that it used to be and I love it here. But I know me and am afraid that I will go back to my old habits soon. Could you please ask me to post a picture of the room a year from today?
But I am quite not there yet; hopefully by the end of next week I have set up the loom into its new place and then at some point, my daughter will be able to weave, if she still wants to.

I have not had much time to tend my stitch garden but every now and then I have thrown few knits and purls and yarn over's into the air, and at some point, I am sure they will grow.
So plant your stitches and water your knits and watch them bloom!

Lene

48 comments:

  1. Lovely. I am envious of your shelves (and the loom).

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  2. Well done. I have same thing ahead :)

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  3. You have given me the inspiration to tackle my basement!!! :-)

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  4. It looks calm and welcoming with space for everything and then some!

    It's good to have space left over so you have some room to think.

    Thank you so much for the drawing; it really lifted my spirit.

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  5. what an achievement!! well done, your new room looks peaceful and inviting to create...!

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  6. Hooray for bookcases! We recently moved after 20 years so have also faced the chaos and put some order to what we kept. I have to share my yarn room with any guests we might have but it's an easy trade-off. And forces a certain tidiness.

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  7. technikat17:44

    You have some many different crafts that you do that keeping it all in order is a real challenge. You have made a great start. I'm sure a year from now there will be some projects scattered about but you will be able to keep it in order. The loom is beautiful!

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  8. what a lovely and inspirational walk with you as you reclaimed your space! Spring cleaning seems to be on the minds of many knitters of late, myself included! Thank you for blazing the way!

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  9. Your before & after photos are inspirational. We have the "room of shame" in our house as well and it's driving me crazy. I think some spring cleaning is indeed in order!

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  10. I love it when someone posts a picture of their space; I feel so much less guilty and alone.

    And awed. What a tremendous amount of work that was - to sort it all out. Congratulations to you!

    p.s. I asked Google to remind me to ask for a picture of the space, a year from now.

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  11. That is the cutest little drawing I have ever seen!!! You could have cards printed up and make a tidy sum.

    The workspace looks wonderful!

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  12. Dear Lene -

    Thank you so much for sharing the before, during and after pictures of your charming space! Very inspiring :)

    I live in a tiny house (all I want) with many windows and few walls (also what I want) - the difficulty is, making a place to put anything. Stuff piles up...and up...

    My camera has become a tidying tool. I take a photo of one spot, such as the area by the door, or the table top, and then work in 15-minutes "shifts" with a timer to keep me on track. I take another photo every 15 minutes. Sometimes 15 minutes is enough to make a real difference, but it took almost 2 hours to empty, clean and reorganize the shelves where I (now) store my pots and pans. The photographic evidence of progress made it happen!

    And I now truly enjoy cooking, and replacing the pots in their assigned spot afterward.

    Here's to the creative inspiration that comes from a peaceful workspace :)

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  13. You are not alone. I have the same problem, I think all creative people do. So much nicer to have an organized space, well, calmer and so much easier to work. I need to get started.

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  14. All that hard work has paid off in a lovely space! (and your loom, ah...I'm drooling...)

    I have plans to do this, too - wish me luck!
    (((hugs)))

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  15. Suzy on Idaho19:43

    My craft area door has a sign on it that says "Beyond Lie Dragons" I have managed to create a path through the room this last week but sometimes I think that just lets the Dragons migrate to other areas in the house! They have very sneaky nesting habits and love to be with their humans.I think if we ever tamed them we would lose a lot of the fire of creativity.

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  16. Anonymous20:20

    Lene: I love the windows and the natural light in the room. The wood is so wonderful too. It does feel good to 'find' your space again. I've done it more than once, too! Peg on Vancouver Island

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  17. Oh my! I would feel better now if I could manage to get my "room" as neatly organized. Thanks for being willing to share. You've inspired lots of us to just get up and do it!

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  18. Debbie22:59

    I see I'm not the only one you have inspired here! The newly organized space is amazing! It's good to know I am not the only one with many handcraft "specialties". Just started weaving and it's so much fun.

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  19. Lene, such a treat this post with the photos! I always enjoy your photos of your living space, taking little peeks at all the little details and feeling such delight. Even your 'messes' are intriguing to me ;^)
    You have such a beautiful warm yet airy home, such a fabulous combination. Love how you've re-worked your space! Thank you!
    (now I find myself wanting to reorganize the fibre closet.. again)

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  20. PS.... the girls look lovely in the light coming from the window :^)

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  21. Well done! A fine job of reclaiming a room, and restoring its peace. Like many above, I need to follow your lead and tackle the piles.

    Might I suggest a quarterly verification photo? (you don't have to share it with the blog, just take it for reference) If you wait a whole year, it might be too late to reclaim the space with ease. It is amazing how good we are at 'tuning out' the clutter as we passionately pursue our craft interests.

    Thank you for sharing.

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  22. Anonymous01:06

    Must be a great feeling!
    Your line about planting stitches and watering knits made me smile all day... : )

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  23. Wow! Maybe this means there is hope for my very messy sewing room! Thanks for the cleaning inspiration. I think I have a room to go tackle.

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  24. Lene, it's always so nice to find a new post from you. Congratulations on the tidy work room. It's my dream to have even one room that looks like that. My whole house looks like a "before" photo. :-(

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  25. Anonymous03:17

    I had my own mess, too, in the fiber room. Last summer, after my daughter graduated from college and couldn't find a job, I enlisted her to help me clean out my whole house. We did it three hours at a time. We tackled the fiber room first, since that was the worst, and I'm happy to say, everything is in order now. It is nice to have everything organized but every once in a while, I have to call her and see if she remembers where we put something.

    Patti in Oregon

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  26. Lene, so lovely! thank you for sharing! Post another photo in 6 months, please! :)

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  27. How fun to have a peek into your space.

    Melissa in El Cajon, CA

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  28. It looks great. We are making our house bigger, and I am getting my own room for beeing creativ, in my room I vill knit, sew, beed, paint and all that is fun. We have been building for two years so we are a bit tired, and almost all my things are packed away, but some day my room is finished and I can really make it my own. It´s my dream coming true, so it´s worth waiting for. Until then i dream.....

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  29. Carmen14:10

    What an amazing room!!! And your loom is gorgeous! Mine is all folded up.....

    Could you explain your window system? Is that a shutter on the right side?

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  30. Your room looks lovely now! I don`t have a hobby room, and really wish I did.

    I have borrowed a picture and linked to your blog, please let me know if that is not ok with you.

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  31. Luisa18:36

    Lene, this is so brave of you... I know tidying up is a demoralizing and often depressing job. you have all my sympathies, and the result is so good! be assured next spring I will be one of your readers reminding you to post a photo of your lair...

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  32. I love your space...thanks for sharing. I noticed that you have quilting "stuff", but don't remember seeing quilts on your blog. (But, I've been off the internet for a while, so could have just missed it.) I'd love to see your quilting/piecing as well as your knitting/sewing/weaving. And your art! You bring sunshine and smiles. Thanks again.

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  33. Beautiful transformation! I just re-did my RoomOfShame (our den) this past week, and I feel so much relief. It was almost like yours...a catch all, an "out of sight, out of mind place". Except that I had to pass through it often to get to or from my car. I didn't realize how much it was weighing down my creativity. It was the first room I would walk into upon coming home, and I would just keep my head down and move quickly through.

    I now have to do something with the storage racks in the garage, but I'm feeling energized.
    Congratulations for reclaiming your space :-)

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  34. Lene, you really did a great job! -
    And your drawing is sooo beautiful!

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  35. I love your drawing ... it captures the creative spirit exactly.

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  36. how very inspiring

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  37. I love your space. How large is it? I have the opportunity to have a new space built and am wondering how big is should be?

    Charlene

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  38. Anonymous16:30

    I have had to clean just like that; I used to be quite messy all the time, but tackled a large room full of everything once, category by category, down to small pins vs larger pins and it broke the ice; much more organized now, and know how to tackle it if I get out of hand, since it starts in me.

    The little muslin model for child's sweater, is that something you made? I need one like that, lots of great grandchildren popping up. Going to see what I can do.

    Fellow Finn, Penny K

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  39. Oh so lovely. Makes me want to move to the Arctic circle!

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  40. Ellen in Conn01:22

    Oh, Lene, I am inspired! Thank you SO much. And congratulations on your efforts. We recently decided to stay in our house for the rest of our lives (30+ years?). This means that even though we have lived here 17 years, it is finally OK to spend the time and money to build a workroom that will make me happy most of the time. I like your work-desk all along one wall. I think I will start with that idea, with a sturdy shelf underneath all along the same wall.

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  41. Lene do you want to come and clean my space now it looks even worse as my son added his furniture when he moved back home and car parts ashe rebuilt his car I can reach my wheels ans the sewing machine if i move the fridge Help

    love all your work it looks fantastic

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  42. Anonymous15:55

    Your workspace looks great. I have recently organized ALL my yarn and books/magazines in bookshelves with glass doors and it is so much better that way :-) And your pictures make me smile. If they were for sale, I would be a repeat customer!!

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  43. Dear Lene,

    So glad to know that I have a kindred spirit half way around the world! I am much like you-I think most creative fiber folk must create a little chaos in their work spaces. We shouldn't be ashamed...it is just a by-product of our creativity! However, your "new" work area is gorgeous and I know you are enjoying the extra space!
    Thanks for sharing the pictures and the inspiration.

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  44. It is such a lovely space, I wouldn't leave there often if it was mine.

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  45. I think many of us get a bit neater with age. I find that since we tiled the floor of my sewing room, that I've been making the effort to keep it neater. Very necessary as our DD has a horse who is tough on her clothes...you need a fair amount of room to wrestle those horse blankets around!

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  46. What a wonderful transformation!!! I am envious of the beautiful loom....what a treasure!

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  47. Thanks for sharing your pictures; they are inspiring. Do you ever read the blog The Runcible Bin? There's a picture with a beautiful embroidered cushion and painted papier mache bowls. I thought of your work and your gift for living and arranging amid your art.

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  48. Hi Lene,
    Greetings from the Oregon coast (USA) and from a tiny Finnish community here.
    Love your blog and love what you did with your work room last April. How it is January 2011 and I think time to post a new photo (after the Christmas rush!).
    How did your daughter's weaving go?

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