A Basket In a Place All My Own

I spent Saturday curled up in my big comfy chair making something just for me.  Both of the kids tried to claim it the minute it was finished but I told them both it was "MINE!!".

I have a huge amount of left over Lion Brand Home Town USA yarn, that I used to make a sweet little girl a prayer blanket with about 4 years ago.  I have used bits and pieces of it for this and that but still couldn't get it all used up.  Then I stumbled across this pattern. I wound up using up 3 full skeins of the green and almost one full skein of the pink.   You have to hold two strands together so I didn't have enough of the green to make it solid, then I added in the pink.  

Here it is on the floor next to my chair.  I had to put one of my favorite magazines in it. (Thanks Susan)  It also has my hook bag and a smaller bag that I keep my stitch markers, scissors and such in.  I think I am going to make another one in the smaller size, and depending on how much  yarn is left maybe one more.

Would you like to see my big comfy chair?  There is a little story behind it.

A couple weeks ago I decided that it was time to have a space all my own.  We live in a 1800(including the garage space) square foot house. It has three bed rooms, two baths, living room, kitchen and laundry room.  No extra rooms in the house for a "Craft Room" for ME.

My Mom (IL) had a yard sale recently to raise money for an organization that she is with called Christian Women Of Today.  I always clean out the house and donate cloths and other items we are no longer using or need.  This time I talked the kids into donating the little play kitchen that we have had since my now 13 year old daughter was 2.  I took a little talking but they did finally turn it loose.  After the little kitchen, and the huge storage tub of play food, left my (13.5' x 20') kitchen, I started seeing extra space I could use for me.

That's when I got to work.  My husband's grandpa had given us a desk when our daughter was little.  She always said it was hers but I reclaimed it.  She tends to be a pack rat and was using it to cram things in and on.  It was already in the kitchen anyway.  Now it is my "sewing desk" and is home for my sewing machine and sewing box.  Plus my buttons and such are hidden away in the drawers instead of the top of a closet where they would fall out on my head every time I tried to get them out.

The "sewing desk" is now sitting next to my computer desk which sits in the corner of my kitchen.  On the other side of my computer desk sits my printer.

And next to it is my big comfy chair.  It belonged to my Mom (IL).  She has not liked it since she got it home.  She felt like it was too big.  I have always loved it but never had anywhere to put it until now.  Giggle Giggle.  We made room for it when the little kitchen left. ;)  She was happy to see it go!!

Then I needed a shelf to put my magazines and books and such on.  I didn't want to have to go out and spend a bunch of money on a book shelf.  That's when I remembered we still had the changing table from when the kids were babies. When it was given to me, it was being used by my husbands great aunt as a place to store her quilts.  She purchased it at a yard sale.  I would like to repaint it, but for now it is doing a wonderful job holding my mags and books on the bottom.  The second shelf is holding my crochet bags and my cross stitch/embroidery bag.  The top holds a box(on the left) to keep scissors and things in reach, a bucket (behind the box) to put my yarn and thread scraps in, and my cell phone charging station from here (on the right side).  

The kids enjoy my space also.  Sis likes to come in here and do homework and read books.  Boo loves to crawl up in the chair with me a snuggle under a blanket like we did this morning.  Plus when he is on the computer, mom can watch him play while she works on her stuff.  Before, I was either in my bedroom or in the living room.  Now I have a place just for me and my stuff.  I still have more things I want to move in here.  Like my Serger which is in my husbands closet.  Plus some more of my cross stitch and embroidery supplies.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my space.  I think I am going to go have a little lunch and then curl up in that chair and get started on some Christmas goodies.  Have a great day!!