Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Curiouser and Curiouser: Or, some thoughts on housework.

So, the showing went well this morning, and someday we might actually sell this house. Imagine that . . .

As I was making my bed this morning, arranging pillows et al, I noticed that one of them looked a little funny.



Can't see it? Here:



That, my friends, is the tip of a 2.0mm Crystal Palace Bamboo DPN; slightly bent, but really none the worse for wear.



For a while the baby had a penchant for nabbing whatever needles she could, and poking them into the pillows on the bed. I thought I had caught all of the ones she had played with . . . especially since I've napped on this pillow numerous times, and have never felt the slightest poke. Thank heavens! Those tips are rather pointy. I've been missing this needle for several months at least, and wondered where it could have gotten to (the other four are in my needle book.) Usually if needles go missing, it's in sets of two or four, which mean that they're in a WIP somewhere. So, I'm happy to say that my little 0's are now one complete & happy family again, and I don't need to fear losing a needle anymore. (I knit with 4 dpns, so a set of five means I have some insurance. ;o)

Along in the same vein, I've been thinking about cleaning--both in general and various specifics--and I remembered something that my SIL told me she learned in her church youth group back in her teens. (She's now in her mid-20's, and mom to my most adorable niece.) They were having an educational activity about how to keep things clean, and the rule that stuck in her head was this:

"Don't touch anything more than once."

So, instead of my habit of setting something down somewhere so I can "get to it later", if something is in her hand, she puts it away, saving herself from having to touch it again. Ditto for anything else out of place. It's the ordinary equivalent of Fly Lady's "Do It Now" principle. So, in cases like my craft closet, instead of tossing something in the pile growing up from the floor, I should put it in it's home, or make one for it.

Currently, this is the state of said closet:



Yep. Nice, eh? Here's another angle . . .



After careful consideration, I've decided that I don't mind those photos being in the Google archives for the rest of recorded history, since they'll be followed by much less chaotic versions. (Whether it's in this house, or wherever we move to, that stuff is going to be cleaned up.) I've decided that I need dedicated spaces for each of the hobbies represented in this closet: knitting, sewing, and scrapbooking. (I also have two small drawers full of cross stitch supplies, but I figure that can go in with the sewing stuff.) Wish me luck in figuring out from where said dedicated spaces will come--I have a couple of budding ideas, but none of them are very convenient at the moment, since they all involve partial storage in the basment (which is where most of the stash lives right now).

Any ideas for better use of the closet space?