WIP Piles and "My Spot"

It has been a bit since a regular ole post from me - I believe last week. I put a little bit of "me" into my YOP posts on Sunday, but to sit down and write out a blog not associated to any link party or meme... well, gosh, it's been a week - if not a little more.

I woke up this morning and hopped into blog world. It's one of the things I like to do first thing on Saturday morning. As I sat here reading other blogs, I thought I should post something of my own. I didn't know what - but I thought to myself "Hey, Cris - you haven't done a WIP Wednesday in two whole weeks - maybe you can share some of your WIPs."

Then I looked over next to the couch, where I keep my work basket, and realized I had a few going on at once. And then the bigger realization that while I fancy myself a rather organized person, my WIPs were just kinda thrown together. So why not share that...

This is my couch. I do most of my crochet and knitting here. More specifically - I sit on the side with 1 pillow and my baskets/bag are on the other side there.

There is a huge picture window to that side as well and I can look out on our large tree to watch the wind blow it around - I love watching trees in the wind. It's pretty calming (Is it coincidence I tend to paint landscapes - specifically trees? I think not.).

I'm hoping to be able to set the guest room up as a craft room, but right now I make the most serious joke "We are unpacked unless you open the guest bedroom door.... then we aren't unpacked anymore." I have successfully shoved about 50 boxes of stuff into that room. Other than our bedroom and the activity room, both downstairs, there is no indication anywhere in my house that we just moved in. ... other than my end tables don't match the entertainment center.... and the area rug for the living room hasn't been put down yet (on order) ... and there isn't anything on the walls.....

ok - we'll just stick with the joke "don't open that door"

For posterity - here is a picture out my big window. Obviously it looks really dark because of back lighting - but the room is bright. Usually I don't have to turn on any lights until the sun goes down. And that goes for pretty much any room upstairs. Our electric bill is nice.

Anywhoozles, let's get back to the WIP Pile portion of this blog.

In the couch picture, those are pretty much the majority of my WIPs. I left out anything that I hadn't actually put a stitch into since we moved. That means about 3 project bags located in the 'guest room.' Although if you think about, the boxes really are the guest - they won't be there forever (I hope).

Ok ok - back on track, Cris - back on track!

The small wicker basket on the couch is the easiest of my WIP Pile containers. In it is nothing but balls of cotton and some knitting needles and a crochet hook. This basket is for making simple dishcloths and washcloths. This one travels with me. I really like the basket and the projects in it are very simple and easy to work on regardless of what is going on around me.

In the striped bag is my "Square" bag project. I call it the "square" bag because the picture on the pattern made it look square. I wanted a square bag - I started working on it and darned if it ain't round. No, I didn't read the pattern before I started... I just started. By row 5 I realized this was a big round bag - and there was no going back at that point. I've changed the pattern enough that it isn't near close to the original pattern - but it's still round. It's ok. It's almost done. I just have to do the handles for it and line it. Not more than an hour or two of work left for the bag.

The striped bag also houses 3 balls of thread, a magazine, and a small pattern book that will soon be migrating over into the bigger basket below - I talk about that tomorrow in my Year of Projects posts.

In the big square basket on the floor (which is hard plastic, cheap buy from Wal-mart but matches my furniture) I have several WIPS.

So let's take a gander inside the big tan basket of doom.

The notebook has lots of stuff in it. That page is the rows being counted off for the big green cone of yarn. That picture with the notebook is prime display of how I design patterns too. That same notebook holes the scribbled on pattern for the chair toppers and the new pattern for the wristlet.

You can see my Kindle in the picture. I keep Ken (that's it's name) in the basket so when I want, I can reach over and read some more on War and Peace (a goal for this year) or flip through the pattern books I have on it.

The big brown ball of yarn is for the crochet chair toppers. I have finished two. I have two more to go. The small wad of brown in the bottom left by Ken with the crochet hook sticking out of it is the wristlet I'm working on. I'm about halfway done with it (and the pattern). The green cone is for a knitted dishcloth from the Dishcloth Mania ravelry group. It is one from a week ago, not the current one. What can I say - I'm a slow knitter. The last WIP in there is the ice skate ornaments. If you look between the green cone of cotton and the big brown yarn ball, you will see a white ball of yarn (its inside a plastic bag) - that bag has red, green, and white yarn - all for the ice skate ornaments.

I also have some random crochet/knit equipment in the big basket too, but it is stuff that I keep on hand. My traveling bag of crochet hooks and other craft trinkets is currently in the big striped bag - that is a staple that stays near me no matter what project I'm working on.

I think one of the least noticeable things about the picture inside my basket is that I have a hook/needle set for every project. I tend not to share. Do you do this too or do you have a minimal set of hooks and needles you share between projects? 

So that is it - that's my space with my WIP Piles. Sadly, I wish I could keep it a bit more organized, but for some reason - this works as organized for me when it comes to my crafts. It keeps everything I'm working on in the forefront of my attention and if I get bored with one stitch, I can drop it and easily pick up something else.

I know I've asked for posts and pictures of your spaces in the past, but let's share them again! I'd love to see your process for WIPs.