I ♥ My Craft Room

I wondered if you fancied a little potter around my craft room?  It's definitely an 'in day' today as the weather's been so grotty and I've just been giving it a bit of a spruce.  The kettle is on and you're most welcome.

I love my craft room.  I wish I'd given it a more interesting name from the offset.  My friend Cuckoo calls hers 'the bird box' which is delightful but if I called mine anything else now it would be too contrived so 'craft room' it is.

I claimed this room as my very own eighteen months ago and blogged about it here.  Gosh, it looks so much more cluttered now.  It's definitely a hotchpotch and not the kind of room you'd ever see gracing the pages of a magazine but it's full of my pretty treasures and favourite things.  It even smells nice.  Occasionally I get an urge to have a ruthless purge and turn it into something a little more streamlined and stylish but it doesn't last long.  Anyway, I don't think there is one single thing in here I could, or would want to, do without.

It's extremely dull today so please forgive the lighting.

Unfortunately I do have to share it with the ironing board.  And Mount Ironing.  There's no point in my pretending that the shameful heap you see there is a one-off; there will be clothes at the bottom of the basket I've actually forgotten I own, trust me.

The pin board hasn't quite made it up on to the wall yet.  If you've ever sent me a pretty card at some point, you might just see it on there.

My pile of magazines.  Mostly Mollie Makes, Simply Crochet and Cross Stitcher.  I don't subscribe to any magazine any more and only very rarely do I buy one.  I feel I've amassed a bit of a reference library and can spend ages just picking through them.

As for the files?  I file everything; it's one of my 'things'.  I think it stems from my days as a PA.

Essential yarn storage!  I wonder if there is anyone, anywhere who doesn't have at least one Ikea bookcase???  It may look a bit of a piggy mess to you but I assure you it is organised.  At the top there you see my beloved Sublime stash, a wire basket of aran weight yarn and another of Rooster on the middle shelf, and my Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino collection on the bottom.

On the very top shelf, I have an original matryoshka doll.  My grandmother brought it back from Moscow as a gift, over thirty years ago.  Also, a couple of mementoes from my 40th birthday trip to Paris, including an entrance ticket to The Louvre and a candle from Notre Dame.  I'm not sure why I keep them all hiding up here.

Katie Daisy calendar.  I must check if there is to be a 2015 version.

This is a little bedside table that used to belong to my Mother In Law.  One day I will paint it.  A soft turquoise I think.  The drawers are chock-full of felt.

My poor neglected sewing machine sits on top.  It's a Brother XL-4023.  I bought it years ago from a mail order catalogue, paying in instalments, and, despite its ill-treatment, it's never let me down.

Oops, I think it needs a wipe!

Random pretties hanging from the ceiling.

My 'control centre' from a very unflattering angle.  Shredder (what can I say, I worry about fraud!), bin, 'phone, printer, radio and laptop.  All within easy reach.  All extremely essential.  This is where I sit and blog.  My 'desk' is actually our old Habitat kitchen table and, after years of being smeared with vegetable puree and Weetabix, glue and paint, I like to think it's enjoying its sedentary retirement in my craft room.

A Laura Ashley lamp my daughter didn't want anymore and, likewise, a cow alarm clock from my son. 

One of my many gorgeous Janet Bell prints.  I particularly love this one because it reminds me of Mevagissey.  I'm going to hang it above the table, so it's directly in my eyeline.  One day.

Ahem.  More shelves.  More yarn.  Drops in the bottom basket and a random selection in the top.

I often print out yarn colour charts - they're such a useful quick reference.  It makes reordering (too) easy plus, of course, they're nice to look at!  To its right is a selection of discontinued Sublime colours.  I'm often asked which yarn I used for past projects and, without this, I'm sure I wouldn't remember.

Oh, and do you like my daughter's sketch of me?  ;-)

Bertie loves it when I'm in my craft room.  He lies just over the border into the lounge where he can keep close tabs on me.  Today he seems to have collected a motley pile of toys.  Bless him, do you think perhaps he wants to show you some of his favourite things too?

If I've inspired you to share your crafty corner (go on, please do), simply add a link at the bottom of this post (under the comments box).

Thank you so much for visiting.  Do come again soon.

xxx

Edited to add … take a peek at these lovely ladies' craft room ideas:-

Dinki Dot's pretty craft shelf (love the colour).

Silvia's genius yarn storage idea.