Beginning Efforts

So after considering my clutter issues, I realized that I needed some storage to help solve some of my problems with clutter. See, we have moved into a bigger house then we used to have, and we had gotten rid of some of the storage options we used to have, and therefore we have less places to store our stuff, and we have more stuff, and more places to put said stuff.

This shelving option was always installed with the understanding that it would be temporary. I have more than will fit on here in terms of crafting books and it can damage the bottom if you slide the book across the metal frame. I had planned to put shelves over the low dresser storage I got for my office/craft room (I think I’m going to start calling it a studio room. Sounds better!) but after thinking about it yesterday, I realized that it would have been a pain to get anything down (as I am barely 5’4" and the dresser comes to just below my chest) and it would have added to the cluttered look of the room. I decided that bookshelves that stand next to my desk would be a better option. I was worried it would make the room look narrow, and restrict movement from one end to the other, but with cheap-o shelving it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I didn’t like it.

I like it!

It looks so much better than the wire shelving! And it doesn’t constrict the room at all, in fact the opposite is true. It makes the room look a bit bigger (hmm, there may be other benefits to de-cluttering my house!). First I moved all of my crafty books onto the shelves and placed my basket of WIP on the bottom shelf. I have so much more room! Since we are also running out of bookshelf space in our library (I love that I have a room called a library! Basically it is no more than couches and bookshelves, but it still is where we store books and read!) I decided to move all of the teaching books I had down there to these shelves as well.

I still have room to put more stuff if I need to, but for now I’m leaving it the way it is. I need more stuff like I need a hole in the head. Since the shelves looked better, I took the time to clean off my desk since it sits next to the shelves and looked worse since I put them in.

 

Nice, huh?! I feel happier after my efforts towards reducing clutter. Go fig!

I also have been wanting to make some felted sweater bags from Alterknits, plus I have been reading Mel’s posts about her goals to repurpose or refashion her clothing this year instead of just getting new clothes. Being inspired, I finally decided to act and went to Goodwill and bought some pre-made knits*!

I got 12 sweaters for just under $25! And two of them are cashmere!! I know I knit myself. I know I have yarn to make sweaters. However I have been wanting wool sweaters for myself since most affordable clothing is made of cotton or acrylic and are not warm and cozy. Out of these sweaters, two fit me as is. The one cashmere sweater is too small, so I am going to unravel it and reuse the yarn to make a tank or some such for me. The other is sized for a man, but has holes at the neck and ribbing. So once I salvage the rest, I should have enough to make a sweater for me. Two cashmere garments for about $4! The other garments are either going to be felted bags or the yarn recycled. I haven’t decided which for some of them yet. I’m excited though!

*do you realize how many acrylic sweaters are out there? and most are not nice!