Stash Bash and a Studio Sneak Peek

When the baby arrived and we decided to remodel and/or switch around half our house, my workspace pretty much got moved to the bottom of the priority list. For the first few months I wasn’t working at all, and then when I started working there were just so many other things to do that I got hives even with just the thought of touching the boxes of crap laying around.

So I consider it a tremendous triumph that I’m writing this in my studio right now. Not at the desk, which is covered with crap. On the couch, which, I’ve decided, no workspace should ever be without.

My studio now must do double duty, you see, as my work- and crafts-space, and as the guest room. Hence the couch, which hides a bed.

I was going to wait to take photos until things are all organized and pretty, but I’m spurred to show some things off now because Interweave, publisher of two of my books, is having a show-your-stash event to coincide with their first annual Stashbuster sale*. And most of the work I’m doing on this room right now is managing my stash. Today: yarn.

Since Owen was wee, I’ve been saving formula canisters with the plan to follow Lee Meredith’s instructions to mount cans on the wall and use them for decorative yarn storage. As of last weekend, I had 38 large canisters. And a Greg who was eager to get my crap out of the living room and offered to put the canisters up himself. He didn’t follow Lee’s instructions, but the idea is all hers.

In the nine canisters we mounted just below my storage shelves are baby-friendly balls of yarn I’ve been collecting in fairly coordinated colours.

On the opposite wall is what I find myself referring to as the large array. I have it in mind to fill these in a colour spectrum. Someday. Soon, hopefully.

See, I have a lot of stash to organize.

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* Interweave’s Stashbuster sale is on till the end of next week. Dude. Crochet Me is on sale for $8.78! And both the paper and ebook versions of Crocheted Gifts are on sale, too.

AND, Interweave’s having a contest. Here’s how they explain it over on their Flickr page:

Show us your stash! This September at Interweave we’re kicking off a Stash Bash celebration of the stash and encouraging crafters to upload their photos of their craft collections. All stashes apply: books, magazines, yarn, fabric, fiber, paper, beads, dyeing and paint supplies, brushes, glitter, stamps, you name it! We’d love to see some pretty close-ups of some of your collections too, or interesting photos of how you organize your space.

Plus, there’s a chance to win some very cool prizes! One winner selected at random from all the uploaded entries to this Flickr pool will win his/her choice of 5 NEW BOOKS from Interweave Books’ 2011 collections – choose from among 35+ new books published this year! Five additional winners selected at random will win copies of either INSIDE THE CREATIVE STUDIO: Inspiration and Ideas for Your Art and Craft Space by Cate Coulacos Prato (available in October) or THE CRAFTER’S GUIDE TO TAKING GREAT PHOTOS by Heidi Adnum (available in November). Winners will be selected on September 17, the day after our September Stash Busters Sale.