Nooks and Crannies

Today started out with some errands with my mom.  Among other things which were standard, routine, and thus, boring, we hit the post office so I could fling that little scarf I was so excited about into the mail for my partner, and I also managed to score a slushie.

Yes, I drink slushies in the winter.  I am from a land of cold, dark, and snow.  If I let the weather stop me from having my favorite cold treat, I would be a monumental wuss in the eyes of my peers and neighbors.  Bring on the brainfreeze!

Anyway, I mention these things, these mundane little things, because they lead up to something big.  My parents, gotta love 'em, are very big on anniversary presents.  My husband and I have come to view this as a wonderful opportunity to acquire practical-but-nice things that we want for ourselves.  His choice this year was a tea kettle.  This sounds strange to some, I'm sure, but our electric water kettle was in poor shape and not all that great to begin with, and if there's one thing my husband loves that's not me, it's his tea.

My parents readily agreed to this plan--my father, especially, loves to give gifts that aren't necessarily surprises but things that are greatly desired and eminently useful--and so off we went and found ourselves a tea kettle.  On sale!

And so, my father says, well, that was about half of what we had budgeted for this, is there anything else you want?

Such a dangerous question.  He should know better by now.

And I said, "Yarn storage."

His reply was a slightly bewildered look.

I said, "Mom and I will go shopping.  Don't worry."

As of this morning, I am the proud and happy owner of a cheap fiberboard cubicle-style shelving unit.  Sounds lame when I put it that way, no?  But it looks so nice when it's full of yarn....

 

Let's take a little tour.  The plastic drawer unit is my old yarn storage, which used to be tucked into our coat closet.  It's still got some yarn in there because I haven't finished organizing.  I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to keep it or not..the top is bending down from having too much weight on it in the past.  On top of it (for now) are the empty cereal boxes that I intend to turn into magazine holders, and the blue flowered thing is my sewing box.  Then we have the lovely new yarn cubbies!  Again, not full because I haven't finished organizing.  And I already know it won't hold all my stash--there are bags of stuff I cleared away for the photo, I won't lie, but you don't need to see them!--but it's still such an improvement.  On top of that I have my vase of straight needles, a small drawer box filled with crochet hooks, yarn needles, dpns, and stitch markers.  Next to that is my tape measure and my mp3 player, plus some yarn that couldn't fit into a cubby inside its bags.  The blue thing on the floor is my swift, which I just put back into its holder tonight for the first time in years--I kid you not!--and then there's my now-designated knitting chair, complete with my current (secret) project bag.

I have never, ever had knitting-designated anything.  It's thrilling.  I have a knitting nook!