Have you stalled on a project you were excited about? Or are you struggling to start them? If you have a family to care for and work outside the home, your crafting time is limited! So please be kind to yourself with the time you do have.  Right now, I am very lucky because I have more time to do the things I love. Even with that time, I struggle to get motivated, or things get in the way.  So I’m curious about what gets in the way of doing the things I love.

In December 2022, I started a sock yarn spinning project. I stopped working it.  I can remember looking over to my then spinning chair and say to myself go spin. I couldn’t get inspired. So, I stayed in my comfortable spot on my couch. I tried to schedule time to work on the project. That didn’t work because it felt like something on my to-do list.

Rather than judge me for being lazy. I asked myself what was getting in the way of finishing the project. As I thought about it, my spinning station was uncomfortable. So, I moved some things around and set up my Hansen spinning wheel so I could sit on my couch to spin. I realize now, I abandoned the Bee-Eater sweater spin I started in April 2022 for the same reason!  (See my extensive ass list of projects in a previous blog post – Making).

The great thing about my Hansen is that I can sit on the couch or in a chair with my legs crossed and press the remote switch (looks like a peddle) with my hand to stop and start the spinner. I already had this small table for my Hansen when I spin at home. So, I could move it around more easily, I placed it on this handwoven rug. (I didn’t weave this rug but got it from the local history museum on vacation in Excelsior Springs, Mo. They had an older harness loom set up to weave rag rugs. Head to the website here to see the loom and listen to someone describe making cloth in the 1900s. The good news is that I did finish the sock yarn spin and look forward to knitting this yarn up for socks this year

I moved the uncomfortabe chair to the dinning rooom and I moved this rocking chair back into my living room, so I have another place to sit. It’s not the ideal crafting chair, but it is more comfortable than the dining room chair! I can comfortably spin on it using my Hansesn e-spinner. So, I can spin next to my living room window again!  I have a new chair on my wish list. Ideally, I want to be able to crochet, knit and spin in the chair, and curl up and read books. Is that too much to ask? Maybe. I’m going to try to find that chair!

I also needed help with the lighting in my living room. I love a softly lit room in the evening or on a dark, dreary day. I didn’t want to spend too much money on this improvement, so I gathered the small lamps I use in my bedroom and the family room one evening.  Then I did a little rearranging of my crafting supplies to place small table lamps on the shelves. It made such a difference. So, I went to Target and found four small lamps that would work for me.  I spent about $80 on the lamps, light bulbs, and an extension cord. Combining this lighting with the excellent task lighting I already had, I enjoy being in the space in the evening again!  

This week, I got to the end of the day and was at a loss for what to do. Don’t laugh! I know I have a long list of projects to choose from. Unfortunately, none of them were calling me. But my cotton fiber was calling me! So, I grabbed the cotton and my cotton handcards, carded some punis, set up my Hansen, and spun some cotton! It was so much more enjoyable to accomplish with better lighting.

Although I’m excited about my learning, I suck at carding punis. I started spinning the punis with the fiber in my right hand, then quickly realized I feel more in control when I spin cotton in my left hand because that is how I spin cotton on my book Charkha. The yarn I’m spinning on my Hansen is not as fine as I can get on my book Charkha. So, I want to try spinning my punis on my charkha next.

Speaking of my Charkha! I purchased it at the end of 2018. So over four years ago!  I struggled to use it because I was never comfortable spinning on it. So, I spent the month of April spinning at least 15 minutes a day, getting to know the setup and finding the most comfortable way to spin on it. At home, spinning on the floor is the most comfortable and easiest to set up. So, committing to this time while being curious and learning more ways for spinning on the Charkha to work for me as the month progressed.

After about 20 minutes or more of spinning, my knees start bothering me.  I grabbed a yoga blanket that I rarely ever use to do yoga! I have it folded and handy when I sit on the floor. 

The colorful basket holds all the cotton fiber I’m spinning as well as the Charkha and other tool needed.

Something else I want to do, but I haven’t, is watercolors. Ideally, I’d love a dedicated space I could set up in my house to do watercolors when I’m in the mood. Unfortunately, I don’t see where that space can fit.  I have painted at the dining room table, and it works okay. However, I don’t like the lighting! My favorite room in the house is my living room, the crafting room. So, I thought, is there a small collapsible table I could purchase that I could set up in my living room to paint on occasionally? I did find one here. I haven’t ordered it yet. But I’m seriously considering it!  

Have you ever changed your space, so it worked better for you? What did you do?