Zenful: Organizing Yarn and Craft Supplies

Creating a Creative Space: Part Deux.

{If you missed it, catch up with part one here.}

I find organization to be Zenful. Is Zenful a word? Hmmm. The spell check is saying no. That means I’m inventing a word, right?

After: Entrance wall ... the doorway to the main level is straight ahead. The short hallway to the garage is to the right.

Really. Knowing where everything is and having the confidence that you’re able to find exactly that for which you’re looking … in mere minutes … clears my mind in a meditative sort of way.

Since moving into our tiny townhouse, we’ve attempted to cram 3200 sq.ft. of stuff into a 1500 sq.ft. container. Life, as you’ve probably guessed, has been far from Zenful. The chaos of disorganization certainly took its place on the top ten list of why A Lovely Thing the eshop failed.

Barely visible on the left of this photo is the short hall to the garage. The short shelf on top of the table was tan before receiving several coats of black spray paint. The chalk board paint on the tins is a very helpful labeling technique.

I find yarn and thread Zenful as well. Creating with string — crochet, knitting, embroidery, has been a lifelong meditation technique. Actually, just petting soft balls of yarn does the trick. Well, that, too, got lost in the chaos.

You’re thinking what in tar nation does this have to do with Creating a Creative Space, Part Deux?

Organization = Zen.

Yarn = Zen.

It follows then that organized yarn is positively the zenith of Zenful.

The white shelf had a previous life as a retail display unit. The shelves are actually super flexible individual cubbies -- stack like this or hang each separately on the wall. The door on the right is the small powder room.

The closed portion on the bottom of the white unit houses more yarn and the shallow drawers are perfect for knitting tools and needles.

Putting this room together was therapeutic on so many levels.

It made me happy to fondle long forgotten supplies previously shoved deep inside closets. Bringing these items out into the open where I can see them, use them and create with them has indeed been Zenful.

After: The back wall with the infamous oak bookcase. It houses pattern books and an old Pfaff sewing machine inherited from my mom.

I needed to not only create this space for my peace of mind, but I needed this space to create for my peace of mind. Whoa. That’s deep! Quite possibly it was that need that enabled me to womanhandle that black bookcase down two flights of stairs.

On top of the black bookcase are apothecary jars holding odds and ends of special yummy yarns. Open old-fashioned Everything Jars on the top shelf hold all my crochet hooks - very easy to find the right size hook.

It did my heart good to organize all the little bits and pieces of supplies. In the evenings when I was exhausted from painting, I sat and sorted buttons and beads — monotonous to some, meditative for me. I became reacquainted with their loveliness AND now I can find the precise button I need without dumping and sifting through a huge jar.