Features
By
Nikki V.
Come on a #KnittingNook tour of Nikki's house in the woods in Volcano, Hawaii.
It's peacefulness, it's inspiration. I came from the city back to my hometown of Volcano, Hawaii, and every day I find myself taking a deep breath of gratitude. It's a smaller space, but it feels more expansive, particularly since I can work anywhere!
Tell us about your space
I write and craft from home, and the two are inextricably intertwined. I sew, I spin, I dye, I knit and crochet. I needle-felt and make candles, soaps, balms, teas and other healing remedies. There's always something going on! I'm sure my husband wishes I had a dedicated space for all of this, but at the moment it's all over the place--even outside, when the weather cooperates!
What have you done to make your space cosy, beautiful or inspiring?
I actually think bringing my crafting into my home, making it a part of every day life, has made my home more beautiful and inspiring, if a bit messier. The spinning wheel is no longer tucked into a corner, but in our living room, so I can work while my daughter tells me about her day at school. I love looking at yarn, so I'm perfectly fine with not keeping it hidden away! And the fruits of our (my daughter's and my) labors are all over the house, as well--little garlands of shells or needle-felted items, felt flowers, handmade runes, hand-dyed scarves and quilts, crocheted blankets. It feels like our home is something we've made, and continue to make every day.
How do you keep your projects, yarn and supplies organized?
Well, therein does lie the problem. I have a chest of fiber, and a cabinet of yarn, a box of supplies, a drawer of more supplies, and I try to keep track of everything through notebooks. It generally takes me a bit of searching to find something, but it's worth it.
Any tips & tricks for staying organising and untangled?
Evernote! I keep a separate journal for each type of craft--dyeing, knitting, spinning and soap-making--but my to-do list tends to be a bit scattered. I can't keep track of my stash unless I have a plan for everything. So every once in a while, I do a stash dive, and make a plan for a good portion of it (not all of it--there will always be those skeins or partial balls that just need to wait until they're needed). And by plan, I mean PLAN. I go through my Ravelry Queue and figure out projects for the majority of my yarn. I take photographs of the yarn (because otherwise I tend to get confused about which one(s) I meant) and make a note of the pattern I have in mind. I don't always ends up sticking to that plan--sometimes another use for the yarn makes itself known--but I feel like I have much more control over my stash when I have a sense of what its future will be.
Which are your favourite possessions and are there any of your own creations on display?
For our tenth anniversary, I made my husband a quilt. I used Kristine Vejar's guide to dyeing with indigo, and I made an enormous queen size quilt, the first I've ever made.
I am not much of a sewer--I enjoy it, but it's a little too precise for me, and quilting made that abundantly clear. There are some pretty seriously messed up squares in that quilt, and any serious quilter would be appalled by it. But in a way, it's a perfect metaphor for our marriage--it's got a few squiggly edges, but it's beautiful and I worked hard at it, and it keeps us warm and happy.
How do you organise your inspiration and ideas?
I'm constantly jotting things down in notebooks, either on my phone or on paper. I find Evernote a big help for keeping track of things on the go, and seriously--the individual journals for each type of craft is a must. (Plus journals are pretty).
But as I think might be clear, I'm not too terribly organized..
Where do you look for inspiration?
I think we've all had that moment of "I could make that" when we see something gorgeous in a catalog or in a movie or TV show. But most often I see a hole that needs to be filled, and so I come up with an idea to fill it. I've got this gorgeous porch that just begs to be filled with bits of beauty--bells, mobiles, garlands, wreaths, plants. I've got a deeply ugly lampshade I need to replace, but it's almost easier to crochet a pretty cover for it. The power goes out a lot--let's make some candles! I'm trying to use less packaging/more natural materials in the house--let's make our own soap! Somebody has given me two entire fleeces? Let's learn to comb!
I think the best way to find inspiration is to stay open to what comes, to listen for the idea that is talking to you.
If you had three wishes, what would you do to make it your dream stitching space?
I will say, I do fantasize about being able to be more organized, less messy, and keep everything in one spot. I would have a deep sink, a stove, a big counter I could make as messy as I want. I would have cabinets with glass doors so I could always find everything--and so I could still see all the pretty. I would have a ton of windows and plenty of light, and I would have a comfy chair where I could sit and work. I would have a beautiful rug on the floor, but one I could easily roll up and shake out--no vacuuming, ever.
I would probably still keep my spinning wheel in the living room and my knitting everywhere, though.
Whose craft room would you love to explore? Send us a message!
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