Mrs Story

Dear Mom,
When I moved into my Sweet Haven last year, creating a place to create, I was using a small folding table as a station for watercolors and other crafting.

 I've been keeping a lookout for an appropriately unique workstation with personality. I'd looked at vintage kitchen tables, like this one, at antique stores.

internet image

 I'd considered buying a second hand wood table and only using 1/2 the table, securing the legless edge to the wall.  But nothing struck me as the Right Thing.

Until Monday, when the Young Lady spied this metal teacher's desk at the Goodwill.

For $25. TWEN-TY FIVE Dollars.

SOLD!

I briefly wondered if my Young Lady was just sick of me looking for a work station, but she confessed that IF I didn't give this desk a new home, she would have purchased and stored it until she could.

As I am frequently inspired to do, I've named my desk. She is Mrs. Story, in honor of my favorite elementary school teacher. I have more memories of 5th grade than all my elementary and Junior High school years, combined. Mrs. Story played The Carpenter's LP's when we were having quiet work time. She gave a Brach's butterscotch candy to those of us who ate all our lunches.  To this day, Brach's butterscotch is a special treat and a touchstone to happy times. When, during a discussion about "health" (I am pretty sure it was after THE FILM, and we were given the chance to ask questions) one of the boys asked if "skin stretched". I will NEVER forget her amused "Oh believe me, skin stretches!" answer. I am not sure I got then why she thought that was funny, but I sure do now.

My Mrs. Story has been scrubbed clean and is moved in and happy in her new home. Sweet Haven was in desperate need of a good cleaning and reorganization, and it was a nice interruption in the current ReturnToCollege Preparations that are going on here. If ever there was a time I needed a Place of my Own and some comfort knitting, this is it.

Love,
Kim

A Room of My Own

Dear Mom,
I still have pictures to hang, but otherwise I am all moved in to my new studio space. "Studio" sounds so much more grownup than "craft room".  Although it might be more accurate to call it my Play Room. Or Time Out. My heart wants to call this room Sweet Haven. With invaluable help from our Young Lady, I chose a very pale lavender for the walls.

Elle and Penelope Swift stand side by side in this corner. My warping board hangs from the closet door, and behind that door is a well organized (for now) assortment of sewing and weaving supplies, back issues of Vogue Knitting magazine and lots and lots of yarn.

Judy Jetson, my sturdy Singer Slantomatic sewing machine is happy in her new home and ready for action.

My knitting nest is now surrounded by baskets of yarn and the music stand I use to hold knitting charts and my iPad when I want to watch something as I knit. My desk and computer are on the wall to the right of the chair.

This sturdy, old bookshelf once held my college text books. Daddy built it.  When the kids were little I painted over the bright yellow and added some child-friendly paint pen drawings. I could paint it again, but I like the memories in addition to the knitting books it holds. The long shelf above the bookcase is perfect for the cones of weaving threads and skeins of hand spun yarn.

I have a lovely, bird's eye view of my flower garden; a table for watercolor painting sits under the window. There is just enough room for Donna Reed (my loom) in the center of the room, and Olive has cozy spots to curl up and nap. Sweet Haven.

Love,
Kim