A few years ago I watched a short you-tube video about a lady who had no crafting stash whatsoever. She simply bought all she needed to make an item, made the item and disposed of any oddments that were left.
Is this really a thing? do people do this?
After all, life would be a lot simpler, no storage issues for multiple crafts, no storage issues for even one craft although having the right equipment would still be a thing.
I've been thinking about this since I bought another lace pillow from a local charity shop. The new pillow fills a gap in my collection as it has a wider roller than my other pillows, has a built in stand and looks like it will be easier to use when making sample strips which I spend most of my time working on.
If lace making was my only hobby, you would think that storage would be easy but looking round my room from where I am sitting I can see six lace pillow of various sizes and types !! plus two boxes of bobbins, and threads, two shelves of books and files of patterns. I'm already in the realms of needing a cupboard for just one hobby.
This is the same for every craft that I do, cross stitch materials fill a large box and I have several ongoing projects.
Spinning wheels , I have three at the moment but countless fleeces both raw and washed waiting to be spun all the equipment to prep the fleece and countless spindles etc.. Inkle looms numbered four at the last count along with small looms and a Kromski rigid heddle that has sat in a bag since before covid.
Yarn, knitting needles, tatting shuttles , you name it and I have it and not to forget the four or five sewing machines lurking in the next room.
Sketch books, paints, books on assorted crafts and techniques that survived last years cull now fill shelves and cupboards.
Back to the question, does anyone only do one craft, only have one project on the go or do we all flit from one thing to the other? My current ongoing projects are a bobbin lace strip, two knitting projects, narrow band on the inkle loom for bracelets and a couple of cross stitch and embroidery pieces. Ooh and two latch hook cushion on the go.
All this leads to another question, when do hobbies split into two, for example, is collecting cross stitch patterns almost a separate hobby to stitching them?
And, dare I say it, when does it switch from hobby stash to hoarding?
Any thoughts on this?
Ona lighter note, the robins are nesting just outside the kitchen window :-)
4 comments:
We had Easter dinner at Daughter's house and Daughter in Law was marveling at how clean and tidy her house was. It's like something out of a magazine-all the time. I reminded her that Daughter has NO hobbies. NONE. Nothing I do ever rubbed off on her. In her defense Daughter works crazy hours as a figure skating coach. She leaves all her creative energy on the ice, I suppose. Daughter in Law is a master decorative cookie maker so her things are spread all over their living area as she prepares orders. I guess folks who don't craft live in a different world than the rest of us. At this very moment I'm looking at three spinning wheels, a loom and no less than six knitting projects in bags and baskets all over my living room. I also have two other dedicated craft rooms where I sew, stitch and make soap plus several closets and cabinets that hold all the stashes. I couldn't imagine it any other way.
I also have a sister who doesn't craft or really understand our life style :-)
I hope you get some more responses because I'm really interested in how other people manage their crafting life.
My reaction was "really??" when I read your intro about the monogamous crafter. It sounds a little more like dabbling than crafting. I knew someone who moved from craft to craft. When she'd made one thing, she felt that she'd mastered that craft and moved on. There's a lot to be said for trying lots of things. (I don't know whether she kept the stuff left over from each craft.)
Personally I'm verging on being a hoarder. When I've sold bigger equipment it's been for financial reasons. Money (and storage space) no object, I'd keep everything. Any small scrap could be useful in the future, so it stays.
I do enjoy having clear and tidy rooms, and so occasionally have a declutter, but that usually just means packing stuff neatly away on shelves / cupboards or into the attic. In between those fits of tidiness I've got stuff all around me. 'Handy' I like to call it.
I'm curious about the stash vs equipment thing. Was our monogamous crafter just getting rid of materials, or was it tools and equipment as well?
I've cross posted this onto the uk spinaholics face book group as well one of the cross stitch groups and the discussions are interesting.
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